The meaning of the letter 'i' in the name iPhone

Even if you don't have an iPhone, you probably know at least one person who has an iPhone. The iPhone took the world by storm when it launched in 2007, and its popularity shows no signs of slowing down. However, not many people know the meaning of the letter 'i' in the name iPhone.

Your first guess might be 'Internet,' since the iPhone's claim to fame is that it has powerful Web capabilities. Or maybe you think it means 'I' as in the English personal pronoun 'I' - because iPhone lets you personalize your smartphone with the apps and features of your choice.

The meaning of the letter 'i' in the name iPhone Picture 1

But you will be surprised to know that the letter i in iPhone does not represent just 1 word but 5 words.

In fact, the first product with this lowercase i was the iMac computer, released in 1998. At that time, let alone phones, computers that could access the internet were very rare. So the 'i' originally stood for internet, to highlight the Mac's revolutionary internet capabilities.

Before Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. The 1998 iMac was essentially the device that saved Apple. Jobs described the iMac as an innovative personal computer designed for easy internet access.

When the iMac was in development, Jobs initially wanted to call it 'MacMan', similar to the terms 'Walkman' and 'Pac-Man' that were popular at the time. But Ken Segall, an Apple associate from an advertising agency, suggested the name 'iMac'.

But when the first iMac was released, the letter 'i' was also given some other meanings. When Steve Jobs introduced the iMac, he said that "i" represents "internet", "individual" - individual, "instruct" - instructions, "inform" - announcement, "inspire" - inspiration' '. However, Jobs also said that 'i' has no official meaning.

Not to mention, while the 'i' begins with the meaning 'internet', and it's true that internet access was the biggest feature of the iPhone when it launched in 2007, some Apple products have the name "i " doesn't even have Internet access (like the original iPod). Therefore, 'i' does not represent a single shortened word but has become a memorable brand identifier, which can be said to be iconic for the brand.

Kareem Winters

Update 05 April 2024