Apple

The new iPhone may yet be called the new iPhone, so what does the 5 mean?

posted by Michael H. / Sep 04, 2012, 9:04 PM

The new iPhone may yet be called the new iPhone, so what does the 5 mean?

Earlier, Apple finally made it official that there will be an event on September 12th, and it is pretty much certain that will be when Apple announces the new iPhone. In the invitation, there was the shadow of a number 5, which made it seem pretty certain that the name of the device would be the iPhone 5, but a new leak has made it look like that isn't the case.

Newly leaked images show what looks like the packaging for the next generation iPhone, and on each box it clearly says "The new iPhone". Other than that, the image of the device looks just like the leaks we've seen, which is basically an elongated iPhone 4/4S with a metal body, and a 5th row of app icons on the homescreen.

This seems to make it clear that the new iPhone won't be the iPhone 5, but rather the new iPhone. So, our new theory is that the 5 from the invitation may refer not only to the new 5th row of apps on the iPhone, but also to how many devices Apple will announce on the 12th. There was another rumor that Apple may also announce new iPods along with the iPhone, which would mean 5 new devices being announced: iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle, iPod Classic, iPod Touch, and new iPhone.

And, as a reader, cGmC11, just pointed out, the 5 could also refer to the fact that the original iPhone was released 5 years ago. Good note!

How's that for a theory? If you care, what do you think? If you don't care, why have you read this far?

source: iphonenieuwsblog via pocketnow

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56 Comments

1. simplyj

Posts: 406; Member since: Dec 23, 2009

I'm still uncertain as to why everyone called the the upcoming iPhone as the "iPhone 5." The iPhone 4S is the iPhone 5. Either the person who started the rumor was an idiot or couldn't count.

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 9:09 PM 18

6. TheRetroReplay

Posts: 256; Member since: Mar 20, 2012

My money is that they can't count, with education these days its not surprising. Especially people who own smartphones are carrying around a pocket sized computer with internet access where they can easily look stuff up but choose not to do so.

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 9:18 PM 4

9. MichaelHeller

Posts: 2734; Member since: May 26, 2011

The rumor was started because it seemed unlikely that Apple would call it the iPhone 6, because then people would constantly ask, "What happened to 5?" People don't care how many iPhones there have been, people just like numerical consistency. If you go from 3 to 4 (even if that's not what the name actually means), you either go to 5 or you drop the numbers, you don't go to 6.

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 9:23 PM 15

16. HäckeMáte

Posts: 168; Member since: Feb 28, 2012

to this day I still refuse to call it the iPhone 5. In my head this is the 6th gen iPhone, but to NOT confuse ppl I would call it "the new iPhone". However, since most ppl dont know any better, they just kept refering to it as the iPhone 5. I cant stand it when ppl ask me when the iPhone 5 is coming out. I always reply: "you mean the new iPhone?"

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 9:32 PM 5

20. neutralguy

Posts: 1152; Member since: Apr 30, 2012

Hi Michael, I have a question. So if this thing is called the "new" iPhone, what would be the successor of this be called? Same with the "new" iPad? The next iPad? What do you have in mind?

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 9:39 PM 2

23. Commentator

Posts: 3722; Member since: Aug 16, 2011

Apple's gotten along perfectly fine for years without having to call their Macbooks or iPods anything but "Macbook" and "iPod." I'm sorry for not being Michael.

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 9:49 PM 4

31. MichaelHeller

Posts: 2734; Member since: May 26, 2011

No need to apologize. I think your idea is solid. Apple generally doesn't need numbers in the official name of products, and just uses unofficial generation indicators. The only trouble with that idea is that it assumes Apple will only have one version of each device on the market. It works for all the other products because there is only one official Macbook or iPod Nano. But, if Apple is going to keep selling older iPhones, and iPads, its going to have to rebrand the older versions next year. Maybe we'll see next year, the new iPad/iPhone, the iPad/iPhone, and the iPad/iPhone Classic?

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 10:30 PM 7

30. E.N.

Posts: 2610; Member since: Jan 25, 2009

I guess we'll just have to wait a year to find out, or at least until the newer iPad is released, lol. as for iPhone 5 vs iPhone 6. I agree its stupid that people call it the iPhone 5, but I have to say the iPhone 5 does have a better ring to it than iPhone 6.

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 10:21 PM 2

46. ayephoner

Posts: 858; Member since: Jun 09, 2009

iphone 5 is the name that was given to the larger screen, LTE iPhone before the 4s came out. It was all based on speculation at that point, but many people were thinking we would get the 5 last year and not just the 4s. As soon as the disappointment set in, everyone started asking when we would actually see the iPhone 5. the name is tied to rumors well over a year old. It has very little to do with this being the 6th iPhone. I do think apple will drop the numeric tags this time around since there is no clear way to make any sense of it.

posted on Sep 05, 2012, 5:51 AM 1

34. -box-

Posts: 3991; Member since: Jan 04, 2012

I dunno, jumping to 4 made a lot of folks incorrectly assume it was a 4G phone, which only the AT&T version of the 4S is (barely).

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 10:52 PM 0

35. -box-

Posts: 3991; Member since: Jan 04, 2012

Interesting: the photo of the alleged boxes show just 4 rows of icons plus the dock row. Maybe no elongated screen after all, or no added functionality of the larger size?

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 11:01 PM 0

36. kingpin81486

Posts: 7; Member since: Sep 04, 2012

can you count

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 11:06 PM 1

53. DonkeySauce

Posts: 194; Member since: Dec 03, 2011

Apple's days are numbered. The new iPhone will undoubtedly sell very well, but I don't think we'll see any huge innovations. Rather, several small upgrades. As Steve Jobs' influence fades, Apple will become more and more bureaucratic, much like in the early 90's and the products will suffer. The only thing that has made Apple work in the last several years is that they went to extremes, and gambled on their products. They had a winning streak.. Either way, they'll only be kept afloat for so long by the Apple sheep....

posted on Sep 05, 2012, 8:42 AM 1

2. 305Bucko

Posts: 506; Member since: Aug 07, 2011

the girl in the picture... yea shes probably dead by now. and to cover it up, apple told foxconn to throw her out the window of her dormitory and make it look like a suicide.

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 9:14 PM 17

8. neutralguy

Posts: 1152; Member since: Apr 30, 2012

hahahaha this is what i just have in mind :))

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 9:21 PM 9

26. Mittal

Posts: 494; Member since: Dec 14, 2011

my sentiments exactly!!

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 10:05 PM 3

27. HäckeMáte

Posts: 168; Member since: Feb 28, 2012

Tim Cook prob gave you that thumbsdown... ...I would lay low for a few days there Bucko lol

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 10:11 PM 4

3. katstackdiss

Posts: 3; Member since: Sep 04, 2012

I'm guessing because of the IPod nano, iPod shuffle,IPod touch, iphone, ipadmini or IPs 6.1

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 9:15 PM 0

4. katstackdiss

Posts: 3; Member since: Sep 04, 2012

Ios 6.1

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 9:15 PM 1

5. rusticguy

Posts: 2828; Member since: Aug 11, 2012

Sick of all the iPhone SPAM ...

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 9:17 PM 4

7. cGmC11

Posts: 152; Member since: Apr 02, 2012

It's not the current iPhone 4S the 5 Gen? In that case the next will be the 6 Gen!

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 9:18 PM 0

11. MichaelHeller

Posts: 2734; Member since: May 26, 2011

Generation has nothing to do with the numbering system. Of course, that could be why Tim Cook is killing the numbers.

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 9:25 PM 0

24. ScottSchneider

Posts: 336; Member since: Dec 06, 2011

Though I have a doubt... How will you call this upcoming iPhone when the phone is an year old from now... The "New iPhone" or the 5th or even the 6th Generation iPhone..

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 10:00 PM 0

10. RORYREVOLUTION

Posts: 3131; Member since: Jan 12, 2010

Who cares what they call the iPhone? Nobody, its the next one to come out and that's all that matters. It should be called the 5 because the 4S was really just the 4.5 anyway.

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 9:24 PM 1

13. MichaelHeller

Posts: 2734; Member since: May 26, 2011

There's someone who obviously didn't make it to the end of the article...

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 9:25 PM 7

15. RORYREVOLUTION

Posts: 3131; Member since: Jan 12, 2010

People actually are arguing over what the name should be, its just silly. When they actually put LTE on it, call it the iPhone LTE.

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 9:31 PM 1

12. cGmC11

Posts: 152; Member since: Apr 02, 2012

That mean 5 years from the first iPhone in 2007 to the 6 Gen in 2012!

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 9:25 PM 4

14. MichaelHeller

Posts: 2734; Member since: May 26, 2011

I like that idea!

posted on Sep 04, 2012, 9:26 PM 1

17. Sniggly

Posts: 7305; Member since: Dec 05, 2009

I like your theory, Michael. It makes more sense than anything else I've heard so far about that name. I'm actually disappointed with how well all the rumors nailed the probable design of the phone. I couldn't riff on them like I did with all of the conflicting rumors last year.