Back before the iPad was announced and rumors were swirling of an imminent tablet-like product release, I advocated for Apple to name the device “Apple Tablet.” And when the name “iPad” was unveiled, I hated it. But, here we are five years later and I don’t see quite as many people bemoaning Apple’s decision to name it as they did.
However, The Verge’s Chris Ziegler thinks Apple should drop the prefix on the iPhone and simply call it “Apple Phone.” And, I couldn’t agree with him more. At this point, the prefix feels outdated and has been muddied by the multitude of companies who’ve named their products with it in hopes of cashing in on Apple’s mindshare. It’s not as cool as it once was.
If the iPhone was announced today, I don’t think it would have been called “iPhone,” and not just because we’re in an age of slightly generic, to-the-point product names with Google Photos, Apple Watch, and the like coming to market. Apple’s smartphone would have been called “Apple Phone” because I think the company believes that Steve was the only one who could bestow a product with The Magic Prefix.