Apple has finally revealed what the 'R' in the iPhone XR stands for (2024)

• One of Apple's new phones this fall is the iPhone XR.
• Apple has finally revealed what the "R" stands for.
• Apparently it's a tribute to "special" sports cars, according to Apple Chief Marketing Officer Phil Schiller.

The newest Apple phones this year are called iPhone XS and iPhone XR.

Apple insists that the “X” stands for the Roman numeral for 10. And the “S” stands for “speed,” at least in Apple lore.

But what does the 'R' stand for? According to Apple's marketing manager, it has to do with sports cars.

"I like cars and things that go fast, and R and S are both letters used to represent sports cars that are really extra special," says Apple's senior vice president of global marketing.Phil Schiller, told Engadget.

So "R" could stand for "rally" or "type R" or "road and track" or whatever - there are a lot of cars that use "R" in their branding.

The iPhone XR, which starts at $750, is slightly cheaper and less performant than the iPhone XS or iPhone

Some cars branded "R" or "XR" are budget models, such asToyota Matrix XRS. But these letters can also indicate a high performance variant, such asFord FocusRS.

And some high-end sports cars use "R" as part of their model numbers, such asJaguar XJRInAudi RS7.

Schiller's recent tweet about his favorite cars didn't mention any "S" or "R" models, even though he has specific tastes: fast, rare and exotic.

"There are so many favorites to choose from: McLaren F1, Aston DB4 GT, Porsche 550A, Ferrari P4, Ford GT/40, Jaguar D-type, Lambo Miura."Schiller tweeted in March 2012.

—Philip Schiller (@pschiller)4. March 2012

Read Engadget's full interview with Schiller »