The iPhone by Apple is one phone that has managed to dominate the world of smartphones for close to two decades now. While it might not have been the first smartphone ever, no one can deny that it revolutionised the industry and has set new standards.
With the latest version having been released just a few days ago and long queues forming outside Apple Stores, people waiting with bated breath to get their hands on the new iPhone, the craze for it still remains alive.
At this point, the iPhone is probably one of the most recognised brands in the world, where even if you don’t know anything, you know what an iPhone is. But, among all this, the question of what the ‘i’ in iPhone stands for has often come up over the years.
What Does The ‘i’ In iPhone Mean?
Apple launched the iPhone in 2007, kickstarting a revolution in the smartphone industry. But long before that, the company’s co-founder Steve Jobs brought out the first usage of ‘i’ in its line of products with the original iMac in 1998.
According to reports from NPR and The Economic Times, at the time, Jobs, during his speech at the launch of iMac, revealed that the ‘i’ stood for internet.
The official tagline for the iMac was “The excitement of the internet. The simplicity of Macintosh”.
This explanation made sense given the rise of internet-based applications and connectivity in the late 90s, and the iMac was designed to make the internet more accessible to consumers.
As per a 2016 Business Insider report, Jobs at the time said, “Even though this is a full-blooded Macintosh, we are targeting this for the number one use that consumers tell us they want a computer for, which is to get on the internet — simply, and fast. And that is what this product is targeted for.”
However, during his speech, ‘internet’ wasn’t the only potential meaning given by Jobs, adding 4 more: individual, instruct, inform, and inspire. Jobs said, “‘I’ also means some other things to us.”
Jobs went on to say that, “We are a personal-computer company, and although this product is born to network, it also is a beautiful standalone product. We are targeting it also for education. They want to buy these. And it is perfect for most of the things they do in instruction.”
Read More: Is Apple On The Same Path As Nokia?
Paul Bischoff, a privacy advocate at Comparitech, speaking with Reader’s Digest, said that “Steve Jobs said the ‘I’ stands for ‘internet, individual, instruct, inform [and] inspire’.”
While Jobs did not provide one singular official meaning for the ‘i’ as per Bischoff, “He (Jobs) also alluded to it, referencing ‘I’ as a personal pronoun, and ‘instruction’ for education purposes.”
He also added that “The ‘i’ can also be seen as the pronoun ‘I,’ emphasizing individuality and personalization.”
This ‘i’ as a prefix for its products became one of the most iconic things for Apple, with them launching a range of other products, including the iPod, iPad, and the Apple iBook (predecessor to the MacBooks). Apple also used it for various services and software products it offered, including iMovie, iCloud, iMessage, and iTunes.
Furthermore, Apple itself has never given an official meaning for the ‘i’ in iPhones, and at this point, it’s meant to be open to different interpretations and meanings. Some reports have also claimed that with the current AI (artificial intelligence) wave, the ‘i’ in iPhone could even stand for ‘intelligence’.
This matters because the speculative nature around this one small letter has worked as an excellent marketing strategy by Apple, keeping the discussion and debate around it alive and thus in the public’s mind. It also manages to set the brand apart from any other product, giving it its own unique space in a now increasingly saturated market.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The Economic Times, NY Post, GQ India
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