A few years ago, Apple changed the naming of the iPhone. Why has Apple permanently discontinued the iPhone S?
End of the iPhone S
It is now five years ago that Apple released the iPhone XS, the successor to the iPhone X. After the iPhone XS, Apple discontinued the iPhone S and the naming of the iPhone was changed. The year after the launch of the iPhone XS, an iPhone Pro was released for the first time, the iPhone 11 Pro (Max) appeared then. Apple has continued with this numbering in recent years.
As a result, Apple never released an iPhone S again. The first S model appeared in 2009, Steve Jobs presented the iPhone 3GS that year. The ‘S’ stood for then speed, because the iPhone 3GS was obviously faster than the iPhone 3G. The iPhone 4S, 5S, 6S and 7S followed, but after that Apple stopped releasing the S models. How is that exactly? Can we expect another iPhone S?
Apple wanted clearer naming
The main reason Apple switched from the iPhone S to the iPhone Pro is for clearer naming. It is now clear every year which iPhone will be released and there are no more confusing letter combinations. For example, the iPhone 15 Pro is slightly easier to read than the iPhone 3GS or the iPhone XS. Moreover, it goes without saying that the iPhone is getting faster every year, even without ‘S’ in the name.
Read also: This old iPhone is still the most popular camera in the world
Another advantage of the new naming is a clearer distinction between the iPhones. By releasing an iPhone Pro, Apple immediately indicates that that phone is better than the regular iPhone. After all, the iPhone 14 Pro has more functions than the iPhone 14 and that is immediately clear from the name. In addition, users are more likely to pay more money for a Pro model.
Regular iPhone is now the iPhone S
Still, Apple has not completely said goodbye to the iPhone S. After launching an iPhone with a new number, Apple released an improved S version of it. The phone differed little from the original iPhone, but it did receive a number of minor updates. For example, the iPhone 7S is very similar to the iPhone 7, but with a fingerprint scanner. So the iPhone S was always a little better than the original.
In principle, Apple still does this, but with the regular iPhone. The ‘normal’ iPhone is improved slightly every year, often with functions that we already saw with the iPhone Pro the year before. The big changes are first launched with the Pro models and only come to the regular iPhone after a while. This year, the iPhone 15 will get many functions that we already saw last year with the iPhone 14 Pro (Max).
So for the major technical updates you have to go to the Pro or the Pro Max every year. The smaller changes come to the cheaper iPhones. The regular iPhone is refined every year, just as was the case with the S models. So you can basically say that the ‘normal’ iPhone has now become the iPhone S.
iPhone SE 4 still uncertain
Moreover, Apple still produces the iPhone SE, instead of the iPhone S. The abbreviation stands for this Special Edition, while the phone is not that special at all. It is mainly a cheaper entry-level model without the latest iPhone functions, but with a relatively fast chip. For example, the iPhone SE 2022 has the same fast A15 chip as the iPhone 14, but no Face ID or dual camera on the back yet.
Also read: iPhone SE 4 not canceled after all: this is what you can expect
Apple no longer releases iPhone S as was the case for the iPhone 11, but there is a lot of speculation about the iPhone SE 4. According to rumors, the cheaper iPhone will appear next year, with a number of major updates. Are you curious about the entry-level model of 2024? Then read everything we know about the next iPhone SE here!
Want to stay up to date with all Apple news? Sign up for our daily/weekly newsletter. In addition, download the free iphoned app and keep an eye on our website.