There is no doubt that Apple will release a new handset this September, but whether it will be called the iPhone 13 or something else is a matter of debate.

Apple may get around this issue by calling it the iPhone 12s this year, but the company was reportedly considering skipping the number altogether.

And according to one survey, that would be the right approach: of the more than 3,000 Apple users who responded, 18.3% said they would hesitate to buy an iPhone 13 product because of triskaidekaphobia (fear that the number 13 is unlucky).

Between the two, the majority of respondents supported naming the iPhone after the year of sale, with 38% supporting a less Apple-like iPhone (2021) and 16% saying it should follow Samsung's lead and skip straight to iPhone 21.

While it may seem a bit silly to skip a product because of superstition, Apple would not be the first company to do so; Skyrise developers often skip the floor entirely, and OnePlus went straight from the 3T to the OnePlus 5 As you may remember, this was rumored to be thanks to the death-defying numbers in China.

Whether the decision makers of these companies themselves are superstitious or not is immaterial.

Of course, Apple has not shied away from using the number 13 in the past: not only can you buy a 13-inch MacBook Pro, but iPhone owners have enjoyed iOS 13 and A13 Bionic in the past. iPhone sales account for nearly 50% of Apple's revenue Nearly 50% of Apple's revenue, and even if only a small percentage of potential buyers shy away from the 13 number, it could lead to millions of dollars in lost revenue.

The iPhone tends to be continuous in its numbering, except for the occasional "S" model break, but there have been omissions in the past. Apple went straight from the original iPhone to the iPhone 3G, so there was no iPhone 2, and the iPhone 9 was skipped without explanation.

Given all this, it would not surprise me at all to see Tim Cook proudly present the iPhone 14 when he takes the stage in Cupertino in September 2022 - whether or not this year's model is called the iPhone 12s.