Apple’s Lost Phone: Why Wasn’t the iPhone 9 Released?

Apple, which introduced the iPhone 8 in 2017, surprised all users by releasing the iPhone X model, while it was expected to introduce the iPhone 9 model the following year. Afterwards, the series continued with the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 models.

Naturally, with the release of the iPhone X, the iPhone 9 model was skipped and became a matter of curiosity for many users. In our article below, we shared with you some details about why the iPhone 9 model was not released.

Why wasn’t iPhone 9 released?

Although Apple has not made a definitive statement as to why the iPhone 9 was not released, it is thought that the reasons mentioned below are related to the iPhone 9 model not being released.

Naming Strategy

Apple changed its naming strategy after releasing the iPhone X in 2017. The phones released in 2017 were the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, followed by the iPhone X (10).

In 2018, iPhone XS, XS Max and XR models were released. In this case, removing the iPhone 9 could have disrupted the naming strategy and caused confusion among consumers. Instead, Apple released the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max in 2019.

A Different Series

iPhone X represented a new series for Apple. iPhone

Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of iPhone

2017 was the 10th anniversary of the iPhone and Apple wanted to celebrate this special year with the iPhone X. iPhone

Pricing

The iPhone

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic affected many industries around the world and caused supply chain issues. This could have affected Apple’s product launches and manufacturing process and delayed the planned release of the iPhone 9.

So Will iPhone 9 Never Be Released?

We don’t know for sure if Apple has plans to release the iPhone 9. Some analysts argue that Apple is introducing the iPhone SE as a replacement for the iPhone 9. iPhone SE has the design of the iPhone 8 but appears as a more affordable model.

However, there are those who argue that the iPhone 9 is still a possibility. Apple has released “S” models such as the iPhone 3G S and iPhone 4S in the past. It is claimed that the iPhone 9 may be one of these “S” models.

So what do you think about this issue? Are there any different reasons why the iPhone 9 model is not released? You can share your thoughts in the comments section.