What does the ‘R’ in iPhone XR stand for?

While many people were excited at the launch of new iPhones, some were left puzzled by their names: iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR.

Apple’s mobile phones have seen an -S or -R appended to their names. However, it left many people thinking what do they actually stand for.

The software company’s worldwide marketing vice president Phil Schiller revealed to Engadget that the letters don’t actually stand for anything at all.

Schiller did give an explanation for what the letters mean to him. “I love cars and things that go fast, and R and S are both letters used to denote sports cars that are really extra special.”

However, this is not how it started. When Apple first announced the iPhone 3GS, Schiller said that the ‘S’ simply stood for speed. “This is the most powerful, fastest iPhone we’ve ever made.”

When iPhone 4S rolled two years later, CEO Tim Cook said that the ‘S’ stood for Siri, Apple’s then newly introduced digital assistant.