It’s not much of a surprise, but definitely worthy of mention – Apple’s iPhone 8 will actually be called the iPhone X

Seeing as Apple’s next major flagship will represent the company’s 10th anniversary of making iPhones, a name change was ALWAYS going to be on the cards.

And today we have news of a name change for the iPhone 8. According to reports, Apple’s iPhone 8 – the OLED one that’ll be really expensive – will be called either the iPhone X (X is 10 in Roman Numerals) or iPhone Edition. 

Furthermore, the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus names are being dropped too; these handsets will apparently be called the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus now.

So the current lineup will look something like this: iPhone X (or iPhone Edition), iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus.

The reason for the switch to iPhone X or iPhone Edition and the omission of iPhone 7s, according to the report, is that the handsets represent such a dramatic shift in technology that using the incremental “S" branding simply wouldn’t do the new iPhones justice.

Contrary reports claim the iPhone X will ACTUALLY be called the iPhone Edition, with the other iPhones carrying the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus monikers.

"Behind the scenes, I’ve been discussing the upcoming iPhone launch on September 12th with many case vendors," notes 9to5Mac.

"At least two have heard, and have moved on, knowledge of the upcoming iPhone nomenclature and some details which they’ve separately learned from sources in Shenzhen who claim to have seen the new iPhone packaging."

"These people believe the names of the iPhones will be: iPhone 8, iPhone 8, Plus, iPhone Edition."

As it stands right now, one thing is clear: there will be no iPhone 7s or iPhone 7s Plus – both sources seem to agree on that point.

The other big question is how will Apple persuade consumers to part with over $1000 for the new iPhone X (or iPhone Edition, as it might be called)?

So how much will the iPhone Edition cost? Most sources agree that those looking at picking up the iPhone Edition at release will likely have to cough up around £999 for the base model.

Twitter tipster Benjamin Geskin reckons the entry-level 64GB iPhone 8 will cost $999 (around £775), while the 256GB and 512GB variants will retail for $1,099 (£850) and $1,119 (£930), respectively.

The big push behind the iPhone Edition will be how it looks. But this isn’t the only aspect that one could consider a USP; the iPhone Edition will also feature new biometrics (face/iris scanning tech), wireless charging, an edge-to-edge OLED display and improved camera tech.

It will be a combination of these, plus the new design, that will drive adoption of the phone. Not everyone is convinced that demand for a £1000+ iPhone is there, however, as noted by Piper Jeffrey.

“Piper Jaffray surveyed more than 400 iPhone owners,” notes Business Insider, “and found that there's almost no more interest in upgrading this year than there was last year, when the new model was a relatively incremental improvement.”

It added: “In a pre-launch survey in 2016, 15% said they expected to upgrade — versus 16% this year. (24% will "maybe" upgrade in 2017, versus 29% in 2016.)”

"We believe the survey suggests that awareness of potential for this year's iPhone to be a more robust upgrade is relatively low," the investment bank's analysts wrote in a research note for clients on Tuesday.

CNBC reckons Apple will leverage its software in order to sweeten the deal:

"Adding Apple services may be a way to lure buyers to the higher-end offering. Moskowitz estimates the free one-year subscriptions of Music and iCloud, worth $120 and $36, will cost Apple $43 and $7 to service.

“Such a move could make a $1,000+ iPhone 8 seem more within reach, with the $156 in services serving as a quasi-discount or rebate.”

Plus, most users would likely keep the software when the times comes to renew it; no one likes losing functionality of access to services, for instance, so this approach could prove very lucrative for Apple.

The main point of contention is what the big daddy will be called – iPhone X or iPhone Edition?

Personally speaking, the iPhone X name seems more fitting for the handset. After all, it is the iPhone’s 10th birthday and X has a nicer ring to it than Edition – it sounds more special and befitting of the occasion.

Pre-orders for Apple’s new iPhones are expected to kick off on September 15, with the first shipments going out on September 22.