Apple skipped the iPhone 9 to create a sense of exclusivity and justify the higher price point of the iPhone X.
According to a tech expert, "By skipping the iPhone 9, Apple managed to create a sense of exclusivity and justify the leap in pricing," when they launched the iPhone X as a premium product. This was seen as a strategic move to distinguish the iPhone X and mitigate potential backlash from the price increase associated with it (15-Sept-2024).
