Thread by @finshots

iPhone 8 was followed by iPhone X. Windows 8.1 was followed by Windows 10.

Ever wondered why we never got the nines?

Here's why 👇 (1/n)

No, it’s not because 7 ate(8) 9.

You see, the iPhone X debuted in 2017, which also marked the tenth anniversary of the iPhone. Launching iPhone 9 when celebrating a decade would have been awkward, eh?

Introducing features like FaceID and bezel-less display, the iPhone X was also a huge leap in terms of hardware and design. The number 10 was meant to signify these great changes.

Why was Windows 9 skipped?

It’s simple. With its launch in 2015, Microsoft termed Windows 10 as their most ‘comprehensive’ platform ever.

Thus, they believed a mere 9 wouldn't give it justice.

Also, people despised Windows 8. The ‘major’ changes it promised, confused and horrified many. Since Windows 10 was preceded by Windows 8, Microsoft wanted the 10 to signify it to be the last ‘major’ Windows update.

Apart from these, another reason these giants tiptoed around 9 was the fear of making cultural blunders.

9 is considered an unlucky number in Japan, thanks to its shared pronunciation with words meaning ‘torture’ or ‘agony’.

With iPhone & Windows dominating around 51.5% and 54.72% share of the Japanese market respectively, they didn’t want to scare off customers with a ‘torture’ variant of their products.

Do you know of other companies that love skipping numbers? Let us know in the comments.

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