iPhone X: Apple makes clear new handset is pronounced ‘10’ not ‘ex’

Apple has form in this confusing rule. And it has form in being ignored

Apple just released the iPhone X. Now read that sentence aloud.

While the name might look like it's pronounced "X", it's actually read "10", according to Apple at its launch event.

The company's pronunciation serves to clear up widespread confusion about how the name would be said. But it introduces yet more confusion about whether that pronunciation will actually be used, given most people are likely to read the name as "X".

Apple has form in this area. It used to call its computer operating system "Mac OS X", and insisted that the "X" in that name was also pronounced "10" – but most people continued to pronounce it as the letter X, and it has stuck.

iPhone X was also a useful name because it meant that there was no direct comparison between the premium phone and the slightly cheaper but less exciting iPhone 8. But now Apple has decided it is pronounced "10", then the comparison is easy – and suggests that the new phone is not only better than the iPhone 8, but two generations better.

There's no confirmation of what happened to the iPhone 9. It's presumably disappeared to wherever Windows 9 went.

The iPhone X was released at an event in California that also saw the launch of the iPhone 8, a 4K Apple TV and an Apple Watch that can connect to the internet itself. The new phone includes a range of new features like facial recognition, but is the most expensive Apple handset ever made.