iPhone X discontinued? Not so fast

News from analysts today suggests the iPhone X is about to be discontinued – but WAIT. Don't flip out too quick about this mind-blowing bit of possible future news from Apple – for several reasons. First, it's not news yet, it's analysis – until Apple says so, the iPhone X remains in production. Second, even if the iPhone X is "discontinued," that does not mean we're going to be losing the notch any time soon. That notch isn't going anywhere quick.

Word comes from the analysts at BlueFin Research, a group of market-readers who might have been reading any one of the half-billion Apple leak-centric blogs that've reported on the possibility of a 3-iPhone release in 2018. That part isn't hard to guess at. Apple released three phoned in 2017, too – there's no reason why it'd be shocking to find Apple do a similar thing in releasing three phones in 2018.

SEE TOO: New iPhone X Plus in full effect

The big difference between what was reported by leaksters in the recent past and what these analysts are saying today is in the names. The names of the iPhones for 2018 before now hadn't really been discussed at length. The folks at BlueFin believe they've got a handle on what the newest set of Apple handsets will be called. They suggest they'll be called:

• iPhone 9

• iPhone 11

• iPhone 11 Plus

Forgetting for a moment that it'd be a big waste to throw away the bonkers split-structure already established anew in 2017, keeping with the two-number iPhone release system runs into an issue in the year 2019. What happens then, when the least of these devices has to move from the number iPhone 9? Make that device iPhone 12 and the others 13, and on and on?

The important take-away here is that there might be a discontinuation of older model manufacturing to use said resources to make newer phones. Which is, of course, absolute madness. Apple's in a position where they can make multiple handsets and fill demand if they wish – it's only the release of new models with significantly different features that'll really add to sales numbers in the near future.

According to Barrons, the BlueFin note this week suggested that "The iPhone 11 Plus should satisfy those unhappy with the iPhone X due to size concerns, while the iPhone 9 device should satisfy more budget-conscious buyers and the aforementioned extension of the iPhone 8 model builds will round out a fairly extensive line-up." That is, if you believe that people want new smartphones in the first place. Good luck on that!