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

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

Posted: 04 Sep 2012, 21:04, by Michael H.

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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

57 Comments

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posted on 04 Sep 2012, 21:09 18

1. simplyj (Posts: 406; Member since: 23 Dec 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 04 Sep 2012, 21:18 4

6. TheRetroReplay (Posts: 254; Member since: 20 Mar 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 04 Sep 2012, 21:23 15

9. MichaelHeller (Posts: 2707; Member since: 26 May 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 04 Sep 2012, 21:32 5

16. HäckeMáte (Posts: 168; Member since: 28 Feb 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 04 Sep 2012, 21:39 2

20. neutralguy (Posts: 1152; Member since: 30 Apr 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 04 Sep 2012, 21:49 4

23. Commentator (Posts: 3722; Member since: 16 Aug 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 04 Sep 2012, 22:30 7

31. MichaelHeller (Posts: 2707; Member since: 26 May 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 04 Sep 2012, 22:03 1

25. lyndon420 (Posts: 4953; Member since: 11 Jul 2012)

Maybe every year they will just call it the new iProduct? The newest iProduct? The newerer iProduct?

posted on 04 Sep 2012, 22:21 2

30. E.N. (Posts: 2610; Member since: 25 Jan 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 05 Sep 2012, 05:51 1

46. ayephoner (Posts: 850; Member since: 09 Jun 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 04 Sep 2012, 22:52

34. -box- (Posts: 3991; Member since: 04 Jan 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 04 Sep 2012, 23:01

35. -box- (Posts: 3991; Member since: 04 Jan 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 04 Sep 2012, 23:06 1

36. kingpin81486 (Posts: 7; Member since: 04 Sep 2012)

can you count

posted on 05 Sep 2012, 08:42 1

53. DonkeySauce (Posts: 194; Member since: 03 Dec 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 04 Sep 2012, 21:14 17

2. 305Bucko (Posts: 506; Member since: 07 Aug 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 04 Sep 2012, 21:21 9

8. neutralguy (Posts: 1152; Member since: 30 Apr 2012)

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

posted on 04 Sep 2012, 22:05 3

26. Mittal (Posts: 494; Member since: 14 Dec 2011)

my sentiments exactly!!

posted on 04 Sep 2012, 22:11 4

27. HäckeMáte (Posts: 168; Member since: 28 Feb 2012)

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

posted on 04 Sep 2012, 21:15

3. katstackdiss (Posts: 3; Member since: 04 Sep 2012)

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

posted on 04 Sep 2012, 21:15 1

4. katstackdiss (Posts: 3; Member since: 04 Sep 2012)

Ios 6.1

posted on 04 Sep 2012, 21:17 4

5. rusticguy (Posts: 2828; Member since: 11 Aug 2012)

Sick of all the iPhone SPAM ...

posted on 04 Sep 2012, 21:18

7. cGmC11 (Posts: 151; Member since: 02 Apr 2012)

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

posted on 04 Sep 2012, 21:25

11. MichaelHeller (Posts: 2707; Member since: 26 May 2011)

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

posted on 04 Sep 2012, 22:00

24. ScottSchneider (Posts: 336; Member since: 06 Dec 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 04 Sep 2012, 21:24 1

10. RORYREVOLUTION (Posts: 3117; Member since: 12 Jan 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 04 Sep 2012, 21:25 7

13. MichaelHeller (Posts: 2707; Member since: 26 May 2011)

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

posted on 04 Sep 2012, 21:31 1

15. RORYREVOLUTION (Posts: 3117; Member since: 12 Jan 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 04 Sep 2012, 21:25 4

12. cGmC11 (Posts: 151; Member since: 02 Apr 2012)

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

posted on 04 Sep 2012, 21:26 1

14. MichaelHeller (Posts: 2707; Member since: 26 May 2011)

I like that idea!

posted on 04 Sep 2012, 21:32

17. Sniggly (Posts: 7305; Member since: 05 Dec 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.

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