So why should this new R make any more sense? Also: How Apple Watch saved my life. Of course, an almost as big question is whether people will pronounce this new phone "iPhone 10 R," as Apple demands.

Cheaper than the iPhone XS and XS Max, it should eventually supplant the iPhone 6 or 5C as the standard in moderately affordable pocket rectangles made by Apple. But what does that 'R' stand for?

CUPERTINO, CA – SEPTEMBER 12: Visitors inspect the new iPhone X R during an Apple special event at the Steve Jobs Theatre on September 12, 2018 in Cupertino, California.

In the 10 days since it has gone on sale, Apple's new $999 iPhone X has received plenty of praise for its screen, cameras and new features like Face ID facial recognition. One part of Apple's ...

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?