How about dropping the numbering convention completely (phone 1, 2, 3…) to allow Nothing some space to focus on making the phones they want to make and not worry about making the next phone notably ‘better’ than the last one, and at the same time ensuring the general public (who want the latest phone simply because it is new) can continue to differentiate easily?
How about naming the ‘main series’ phones after the seasons they are released in (like fashion ranges are), i.e. 24 (a/w), 24 (s/s), 25 (a/w), etc? So you might say, for example, that the phone (2) becomes the phone 23 (s/s), and a ‘(2) plus’ would be the phone 24 (a/w), which might look similar but has some upgraded components and is available in a range of different colours, materials and finishes.
Would keep Nothing in the news with announcements of the latest variants or hardware tweaks.