Report Claims iPhone 7s Will Actually Be Called ‘iPhone 8’

This year’s trio of iPhones might not be called what we’re expecting them to be called, if a new report turns out to be accurate.

Thus far, reports have suggested that the two incremental iPhone updates would be dubbed the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus. As far as this year’s premium flagship, we’ve heard everything from iPhone 8 to iPhone Pro. Now, according to several case vendor sources, that longstanding nomenclature might be wrong.

The case maker sources passed along their information to 9to5Mac’s Seth Weintraub at the IFA trade show in Berlin, Germany. Those sources believe that the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus will, in fact, be called the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. Additionally, they indicated that the premium device widely known as the iPhone 8 will be dubbed the iPhone Edition.

iDrop News received exclusive insider information back in March that also suggested that the highly anticipated, radically redesigned flagship iPhone would carry the Edition moniker. It would certainly make sense, judging that it’s slated to be a top-tier and high-end device like the Apple Watch Edition. For an iPhone that’s bound to change iPhones forever, “iPhone 8” does seem a little anticlimatic. The iPhone 8 moniker being attached to what’s now widely known as the iPhone 7s could be a smart marketing move, even if they aren’t expected to introduce any revolutionary features.

As always, it’s important to take rumors with a grain of salt, but this report’s validity seems to check out. Both sources claim to have gained their information — separately — from people within the supply chain who have already seen the new iPhone packaging. With the fall announcement so close, Apple is presumably already in the midst of packaging its stable of devices. It stands to reason that some supply chain workers have already seen them.

Additionally, the two casemaker sources reportedly work for high-profile outfits. According to 9to5Mac, one of the case brands is officially sold in the Apple Store, while another is a line of cases popular on third-party retail sites. These are not firms that would tolerate making such an elementary mistake. According to the site, the companies are already updating their internal SKU codes.

All in all, the iPhone Edition moniker seems pretty likely — iDrop News‘ exclusive information has been corroborated by other sources, too, such as a Macotokara report from April. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus designations for the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus seem like slightly sketchier propositions, but arguably, not that far fetched. The devices are rumored to sport a new glass construction and wireless charging.

Of course, we won’t know for sure until Sept. 12 — when all three iPhones are expected to be unveiled. The highly anticipated iPhone 8 / Edition device will introduce a wide range of new features, including an edge-to-edge OLED display, advanced AR capabilities, Face ID and inductive wireless charging.

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]