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When will iPhone be renamed Apple Phone?

TallGuyGT

TallGuyGT

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 8, 2011
375
950
NYC
No, I don't know they are doing this and it's pure speculation on my part. But Apple seems to be phasing out the iNames and going with Apple ProductName. Apple Watch (latest premium product) and Apple Pay (latest premium service) looks like the start of a trend.

Seems inevitable to me that they will eventually start calling it Apple Phone. I like the way it sounds and don't think the public would be confused or react poorly (though Apple Pad sounds much worse). Would make sense to do around a major product redesign (not the 6S versions expected this year).

May happen, may not. Thought it would be an interesting discussion.
 
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cynics

macrumors G4
Jan 8, 2012
11,959
2,151
TallGuyGT said:
No, I don't know they are doing this and it's pure speculation on my part. But Apple seems to be phasing out the iNames and going with Apple ProductName. Apple Watch (latest premium product) and Apple Pay (latest premium service) looks like the start of a trend.

Seems inevitable to me that they will eventually start calling it Apple Phone. I like the way it sounds and don't think the public would be confused or react poorly (though Apple Pad sounds much worse). Would make sense to do around a major product redesign (not the 6S versions expected this year).

May happen, may not. Thought it would be an interesting discussion.
Click to expand...

To play devils advocate I don't think they ever will.

One NEW product doesn't carry the "i". Software has always been hit or miss.

iPhone is a household name. That's something money can't buy so I don't a good reason for Apple to change that.
 
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Z

Zxxv

macrumors 68040
Nov 13, 2011
3,558
1,104
UK
Apple phone would cost more to print. iPhone less letters. Money money money. Oh and the other reasons stated above.
 
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JB1855

macrumors newbie
Feb 12, 2015
3
3
Marketing and IP (intellectual property) can answer your question:
1. Apple TV and Apple Watch: iTV and iWatch names had already been bought and used by other companies. I recall there had been some discussions about suing and/or buying the iTV name (Apple did seem to be willing to cal Apple TV the iTV), but this never happened. As for the iWatch, even though the name was already owned hence could not be used by Apple, maybe the marketers wanted to differentiate this product.
2. Indeed, a name subconsciously speaks to people's minds. Maybe Apple TV would have met a larger audience would it had been called iTV: some non-computer people interested in a TV box would not have been willing to invest in something related to a computer environment they did not know. On the other hand, maybe for the Apple Watch it was actually their first choice: the "i" becomes too "geeky" or "gadgety": it is actually the first time Apple launches a product that aims to marketed as a non-technology related one (they hired a former Burberry corporate boss; the organization in Apple Store has changed, etc.). Hence, as Apple has recently started to have luxury, quality and trendy consonances, maybe they went for it. (this is related to your point).
3. As for Apple Pay: the iPay term surely has a negative psychological impact. "iPay" (to be read "I pay" by the brain) implies "I spend money". On the other hand, "Apple Pay" adds the value of the Apple brand name, while "you" is not the person actually paying ;-)
 
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TallGuyGT

TallGuyGT

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 8, 2011
375
950
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I agree with the reasons above and I do like the name iPhone. Just seems like iNames are on their way out. iPhoto is another example. If Apple moves further upscale, I can see them using "the new Apple Phone" on a future release.

Or it could stay iPhone forever. iTunes really doesn't describe most of what that software does anymore. iMac is another iconic name. And they are heavily promoting iCloud.

Just curious what other people thought. And that seems to be "stick with iPhone".
 
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C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,389
19,457
TallGuyGT said:
No, I don't know they are doing this and it's pure speculation on my part. But Apple seems to be phasing out the iNames and going with Apple ProductName. Apple Watch (latest premium product) and Apple Pay (latest premium service) looks like the start of a trend.

Seems inevitable to me that they will eventually start calling it Apple Phone. I like the way it sounds and don't think the public would be confused or react poorly (though Apple Pad sounds much worse). Would make sense to do around a major product redesign (not the 6S versions expected this year).

May happen, may not. Thought it would be an interesting discussion.
Click to expand...
They aren't phasing anything out. Some new services and products get the "Apple "name but none of the existing 'i' products have gotten renamed.

The iPhone brand has a HUGE brand recognition and following with it, there simply wouldn't be much of an overall rational reason to change it. Realistically many more downsides than any upsides.
 
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The Doctor11

The Doctor11

macrumors 603
Dec 15, 2013
5,970
1,403
New York
On one hand Apple is moving away from the letter i.
On the other hand iPhone is an extremely well known brand.
I simply can't weigh these to things and take a guess when Apple would move to Apple phone. It could go either way at pretty much anytime past the next few years or so.
 
maflynn

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,131
42,841
The Doctor11 said:
On one hand Apple is moving away from the letter i.
On the other hand iPhone is an extremely well known brand.
I simply can't weigh these to things and take a guess when Apple would move to Apple phone. It could go either way at pretty much anytime past the next few years or so.
Click to expand...
They are but they've also not renamed existing (and successful) products. They have incredible brand awareness with the iPhone and it would be a marketing suicide to rename an established product.
 
Tthomas612

Tthomas612

macrumors 65816
Aug 24, 2013
1,309
285
maflynn said:
They are but they've also not renamed existing (and successful) products. They have incredible brand awareness with the iPhone and it would be a marketing suicide to rename an established product.
Click to expand...

This is agree with. There's no way  can rename the iPhone to  Phone. Everything thus far that has been named with  at the beginning has either been a new service or a new product. When an established product they have gets changed and it's a success... Then we can talk.

Can you imagine Samsung changing the Galaxy to the Samsung Phone or the Note to the Samsung Phone Plus it would never happen with either one of these companies because the way they are now are too much of a success...
 
GrumpyMom

GrumpyMom

macrumors G5
Sep 11, 2014
12,021
19,478
I'm already calling it the Apple Phone because I own an Apple Watch and I'm middle aged and totally addled and can't adjust to change and the prefix difference. So when I am talking about one or the other with my husband I get totally mixed up. I call the watch an iWatch and the phone an Apple phone. That's on a good day. On a bad day I call my watch "my phone" and my phone "my watch". I work outdoors in the 80-90 F heat for hours at a time and have fried my poor brain.

I'd really appreciate it if Apple picks one or the other prefix and sticks to it.

--cranky old fart rant for the day.
 
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ucfgrad93

ucfgrad93

macrumors Core
Aug 17, 2007
19,395
10,624
Colorado
cynics said:
To play devils advocate I don't think they ever will.

One NEW product doesn't carry the "i". Software has always been hit or miss.

iPhone is a household name. That's something money can't buy so I don't a good reason for Apple to change that.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I don't see Apple trying to rename the iPhone.
 
Ethos Evoss

Ethos Evoss

macrumors regular
Jul 17, 2013
159
22
Earth
TallGuyGT said:
No, I don't know they are doing this and it's pure speculation on my part. But Apple seems to be phasing out the iNames and going with Apple ProductName. Apple Watch (latest premium product) and Apple Pay (latest premium service) looks like the start of a trend.

Seems inevitable to me that they will eventually start calling it Apple Phone. I like the way it sounds and don't think the public would be confused or react poorly (though Apple Pad sounds much worse). Would make sense to do around a major product redesign (not the 6S versions expected this year).

May happen, may not. Thought it would be an interesting discussion.
Click to expand...
i was thinking that .. what that odd ''i'' stands for ? obviously it is not on Mac Wath Music Support /..
 
T

techishi

macrumors regular
Jan 26, 2013
149
132
US
The branding of iPhone is incredibly powerful and prominent. I don't see this happening, at least not anytime in the near future.
 
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