Apple could name new device iPhone Xs Max

Hollis Johnson

• Apple is expected to launch a trio of new iPhone models next week. 
• The biggest and most expensive new model could be called “iPhone Xs Max,” according to a report. 

Apple is expected to launch a trio of new iPhone models at an event it’s holding on September 12 in Cupertino, California. 

Naturally, the rumor mill has kicked into maximum overdrive, as everyone wonders what these new iPhones will look like, what technology they’ll sport under the hood, and even what they’ll be called. 

We might have one more answer, as Apple blog 9to5Mac reports that the largest of the devices Apple will launch next week could be named “iPhone Xs Max,” citing two people with knowledge of Apple marketing. 

It’s the same blog that last week published a leaked marketing photo of two devices that it said could be called “iPhone XS.”

Analysts and press reports have suggested that Apple could launch three new phones this year.

One will be an upgraded version of this year’s iPhone X, these reports hold, and it could come in gold. That’s the device that could be called “iPhone XS.”

Another device will be a larger version of the iPhone X, similarly to how the iPhone 8 comes in normal-sized and “Plus” models. That’s the device 9to5Mac says will be named “iPhone XS Max.”

There’s a third device in the works, according to reports, that will have the same facial recognition sensor as the iPhone X, but will be priced closer to $700 than $1000 thanks to a few cost-saving measures, including a less expensive LCD screen. 

We don’t know the name for that one yet. Some people have speculated it could be called iPhone 9, or iPhone XC, for “color.” Analysts have suggested that it could come in a variety of different colors.

Still, the names for these devices seem to be breaking Apple’s own naming convention. Last year, Apple changed its naming convention, launching the iPhone X, which Apple says stands for “10,” and releasing the iPhone 8, which skipped the “7S” generation that many were expecting. 

“XS” suggests “extra small” in much of the English-speaking world, so Apple’s biggest phone ever could look like “iPhone Extra Small Max” to a lot of people. “XS” can also sound like “excess” when spoken aloud. Apple is already getting roasted online over this rumored name. 

We’ll know for sure which names Apple landed on next Wednesday. Business Insider will be covering all of Apple’s announcements as they happen.