Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Drop the i from iPhone?
- Thread starter DCIFRTHS
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Drop the i from iPhone?
This annoys me so much. Apple calls it the iPod touch for a reason...
Apple will never drop the I in iPhone. It's a brand that everybody knows.
This annoys me so much. Apple calls it the iPod touch for a reason...
Apple will never drop the I in iPhone. It's a brand that everybody knows.
For sure,
But Mums will be Mums. I'm just grateful she's aware of tech, that there is progress.
I'm pretty sure Apple Watch would've been called iWatch if it hadn't for the fact that at least two entities already have an iWatch trademark secured with the US Patent and Trademark office, and likely were asking a whole ton of money to release the rights.
This one, from 2008, looks an awful lot like how Apple stylized their trademarks back in the '90 and early 2000s, and specifically covers pretty pretty much everything: watches, clocks, watch bands, watches that play video games, cases, clasps, crowns and dials.
And this one, from 2014, is pretty obvious as to the intent: "
Goods and Services IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: Mobile phones; Devices for hands-free use of mobile phones; Headsets for cellular or mobile phones; Keyboards for mobile phones; Cell phone battery chargers for use in vehicles; Cell phone battery chargers; Portable and handheld digital electronic devices, namely, mobile phones and cell phones, for recording, organizing, transmitting, manipulating, and reviewing text, data, audio and video files
IC 038. US 100 101 104. G & S: Communications by mobile phones; Mobile telephone services"
I think Apple got a pretty hefty price tag to take ownership of these trademarks and went with Apple watch instead. No doubt internationally people and been registering watch trademarks in anticipation, expecting big paydays, and so it rapidly became no worth it.
Since Apple already owns the trademark to Apple and the Apple logo, it's legally very difficult for some speculator to start trademarking "Apple-" anything without an expensive legal fight. But Apple can't trademark the letter "i" as easily.
Anyway, Apple DID pay a lot of money to Cisco, and a few other companies internationally, to secure the rights to the iPhone trademark. Those negotiations weren't as expensive because no one at the time fully knew how wildly successful the iPhone was going to be (in fact, a lot of people expected it to flop, or at least stay a niche market). So i think they're going to keep their investment and stick to the name. If not, it would be quite a waste of money and legal resources.
This one, from 2008, looks an awful lot like how Apple stylized their trademarks back in the '90 and early 2000s, and specifically covers pretty pretty much everything: watches, clocks, watch bands, watches that play video games, cases, clasps, crowns and dials.
And this one, from 2014, is pretty obvious as to the intent: "
Goods and Services IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: Mobile phones; Devices for hands-free use of mobile phones; Headsets for cellular or mobile phones; Keyboards for mobile phones; Cell phone battery chargers for use in vehicles; Cell phone battery chargers; Portable and handheld digital electronic devices, namely, mobile phones and cell phones, for recording, organizing, transmitting, manipulating, and reviewing text, data, audio and video files
IC 038. US 100 101 104. G & S: Communications by mobile phones; Mobile telephone services"
I think Apple got a pretty hefty price tag to take ownership of these trademarks and went with Apple watch instead. No doubt internationally people and been registering watch trademarks in anticipation, expecting big paydays, and so it rapidly became no worth it.
Since Apple already owns the trademark to Apple and the Apple logo, it's legally very difficult for some speculator to start trademarking "Apple-" anything without an expensive legal fight. But Apple can't trademark the letter "i" as easily.
Anyway, Apple DID pay a lot of money to Cisco, and a few other companies internationally, to secure the rights to the iPhone trademark. Those negotiations weren't as expensive because no one at the time fully knew how wildly successful the iPhone was going to be (in fact, a lot of people expected it to flop, or at least stay a niche market). So i think they're going to keep their investment and stick to the name. If not, it would be quite a waste of money and legal resources.
Last edited:
The iPhone is an ok name and the iPad not so much, but Apple Pay really irks me for some reason. As does Apple Watch.
iPay and iWatch would be much better names IMO.
iPay and iWatch would be much better names IMO.
How about "Music" on the phone and ATV?
"i" is no longer synonymous with Apple so I'm not sure it matters. I think putting "i" in front of every product was a childish marketing gimmick in the first place. No one told the marketing department that "i" was for Internet. By the same token, they don't need to call every product "Apple x." It's simple but it lacks creativity. Give the thing a name!
A "gimmick" that provided excellent branding, recognition, and following for Apple's products. It has been beyond succesful as far as what Apple needed and wanted from it.
Why would Apple change the brand name of their most popular product which is bringing them money by the truckload? Classic case of if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
They'd probably be willing to change the name of some of their more minor products... They did rename the iBook to Macbook and the Powerbook to Macbook Pro and they were realivltly big products.
However things like iPhone, iPad etc are too big to be changed, and there is no reason to change them either. It would just confuse people.
However things like iPhone, iPad etc are too big to be changed, and there is no reason to change them either. It would just confuse people.
Music is not iTunes, but a music app. iTunes is so much more, as seen on the Mac.
It will never happen, the iPhone name is just too big. Will they change the iMac to mac, or iPad to Pad, or iPod to Pod. The list will go on and on about apple's established products. It would be a marketing nightmare to do that for no tangible benefits.
So on the back it would just say "Phone"?
Anyways not happening the iPhone is too much of a brand, also not a big fan of the Apple watch naming either, sounds too bland.
Imagine Apple Notebook, Apple Phone, Apple Workstation, Apple MP3 Player, Apple Router, Apple Monitor...
Yuck.
Anyways not happening the iPhone is too much of a brand, also not a big fan of the Apple watch naming either, sounds too bland.
Imagine Apple Notebook, Apple Phone, Apple Workstation, Apple MP3 Player, Apple Router, Apple Monitor...
Yuck.
Agreed. However, I could see at some point it simply being "iPhone" with no numerical attachment. I don't see an iPhone 18s.
I think Apple would've done iWatch if the name weren't already taken, I refer to it as the iWatch because people still know what Im talking about. But iphone all the way.
Absolutely agree. I thought it was dumb when they added the S, but now it does make sense, because we would otherwise already be on iPhone 9 now!Agreed. However, I could see at some point it simply being "iPhone" with no numerical attachment. I don't see an iPhone 18s.
At first I thought they would do an iPhone Air, but the iPhone 6 is as thin as it can get I assume (And hope.. Geez..) without loosing the good grip. So I guess they will toss the number and call it "The new iPhone!" or something each year. Or maybe go the (sometimes
) Windows model, and add a year number, but that is quite unlike Apple to do that. They even removed it from iWork.
Was it the name or the product itself? Will the watch be any less recognized without the i? I don't believe the name had anything to do with the sustained success of products like iPhone. I don't think leaving it behind is a negative for Apple in any way.