While you might have purchased Apple products for most of your life, you likely have no idea what the “i” in your favorite iPhone stands for.
The world was forever changed in 2007 when Apple released its first iPhone. Since then, the market has boomed and there are now 34 iterations of the handheld device, from the humble iPhone 3G to the most recent iPhone 15 Pro Max. Even now, Apple is prepping some major releases in the next few months.
What does the ‘i’ in iPhone stand for?
Over the years, there has been a considerable amount of speculation about what the “i” in iPhone actually stands for, with some suggesting it’s simply a pronoun designed to attach the device to its user. Some of the other suggestions are a little more out there, with one internet user putting forward the Illuminati.
On Reddit, one tech-savvy person suggested: “It originally meant that the device was designed for the internet. That kinda changed with iPod because that originally was not designed specifically for the internet. But to be paired with an iMac. It kinda branches out from there.”
The situation is considerably more violent on Twitter, as one person wrote: “Gun to your head, what does the ‘i’ in iPhone stand for?”
Suggestions from X users ranged from “Information” to “Important”, but “I don’t know what I’m doing” gets top marks for creativity.
When the iMac launched in 1998, Steve Jobs himself confused matters by assigning not one, but five separate words for the single letter. His top picks included “internet, individual, instruct, inform, inspire.”
Apple is full of secrets
Now you know what the “i” in iPhone stands for, you might be interested to learn more about Apple’s hidden secrets. Arguably one of the biggest is the huge bite out of the Apple logo.
Before 1977, the Apple logo was more interesting and featured an image of Sir Isaac Newton sitting underneath a tree. Science buffs might recognize the image as the iconic moment the scientists discovered the existence of gravity from a falling apple.
Speaking to Creative Bits, the logo’s designer, Rob Janoff, dispelled rumors with the true story behind the legendary image’s creation.
“When I explain the real reason why I did the bite it’s kind of a letdown. But I’ll tell you. I designed it with a bite for scale, so people get that it was an apple, not a cherry. Also, it was kind of iconic about taking a bite out of an apple,” he explained.
