Smartphone and chip makers confuse users with new names

Apple, Xiaomi, OnePlus and Qualcomm simultaneously decided to revise their naming schemes in 2025. As a result, it became harder for users to sort through product generations and for journalists — to explain exactly what was coming to market.

At the end of the day, it became more difficult for users to understand the product generations and for journalists to — explain what was coming to market.

How Companies Are Changing Names

Apple jumped straight from iOS 18 to iOS 26, attributing it to a desire to synchronize the version number with the calendar year. Xiaomi introduced the 17 series this year instead of the expected 16. According to the company’s president Lu Weibin, the decision was motivated by a desire to contrast the novelty of the iPhone 17 Pro:

«Five years ago, we started a direct comparison strategy with the iPhone. Now we are confident that we can compete on the same level and in the same generation» —Lu Weibin said in September 2025.

And now we are confident that we can compete on the same level and in the same generation.

OnePlus has decided to skip version 14. The reason cited is cultural: the number «4» is associated with bad luck in China. Why the company didn’t see a problem with the number 13, however, remains a question.

Silest of all is Qualcomm’s confusion. After the Snapdragon 888 5G, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 came out in 2021, then the Snapdragon 8 Elite, and now — the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. According to manufacturer claims, this is the «fifth version» of the series, not a jump.

What this means for the market

Makers attribute the renaming to marketing and rebranding strategies. In practice, however, tracking device generations has become more difficult. Even journalists and analysts have to spend more effort comparing new product lines to their predecessors.

So far, the only logical solution seems to be Apple’s move to align iOS numbers by year of release. The other companies are acting more ad hoc: Xiaomi wants to compete directly with Apple, OnePlus is following cultural sensitivities, and Qualcomm continues to confuse the market with its «Gen»-approach.