We’ve been referring to the iPhone 5 since before the iPhone 4S was released when everybody though that would be called the iPhone 5. This time around we were pretty sure that the next iPhone would be the iPhone 5 but following the announcement of the new iPad the name is now a hotbed of confusion. Now it may simply be called the new iPhone. Confused? We are!

Before the new iPad was announced on Wednesday most tech sites had been referring to it as the iPad 3 and more recently the possibility that it might be called the iPad HD had been thrown into the ring. Imagine our surprise therefore when Apple announced no actual name at the big unveiling and since then has referred to the new tablet simply as the ‘new iPad.’ Of course this made us wonder whether when another iPad appears (probably next year) and we do our usual comparison with its predecessor, will we title the article ‘the new new iPad vs. the old new iPad’?

Some people are expecting a new iPhone release in the summer though at this stage we think a fall release is much more likely. So will Apple also abandon its previous numbering strategy for future iPhones? It’s certainly possible that the next iPhone will be called the new iPhone. Indeed many would now say that’s probable but we do wonder if this will prove a little confusing every time a new iteration appears.

Apple’s MacBook Air and MacBook Pros though, are not numbered but these too are usually updated (or refreshed) at least once a year. However we do wonder how many consumers fall into the trap of walking into a store a few days before an upgraded version appears and purchasing what will very shortly be an older model. Maybe therefore, a no-numbering strategy is a clever tactic by Apple. Whatever it is eventually called the next iPhone will be a huge success and Apple price targets were already raised earlier this week on the success of the iPhone.

You can see an interesting video below this story, courtesy of ValueWalk, with analyst Kirk Yang talking about the new iPad, the name of the device and looking ahead to the next iPhone, described as the next catalyst for Apple. We’ll remind you that no official specs are yet available for the next iPhone but many rumors point to a larger display, improved camera, better battery performance, LTE connectivity, a step up in processor and much more. With the confusion in the name of the next iPhone so apparent we now think that at least until the name is confirmed many will refer to it simply as we’ve done throughout this article, as the next iPhone, rather than iPhone 5 or anything else for that matter.

What do you think about the next iPhone name? Do you think Apple will drop the numbering and call it the new iPhone, or maybe something completely different? Maybe you think it doesn’t matter what Apple calls is as you’ve already made up your mind to purchase one whatever. Let us know by sending us your comments about this.