According to the Inquirer, Comwave, a Canadian company, has been using the name iPhone in the US and Canada for the last two years. This could be a slight problem for Apple, given that in nearly all the coverage its unannounced, and still speculative, mobile communications device has been deemed "the iPhone".
The Inquirer even popped over to the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and searched the online trademarks database for iPhone. It found three documents there: an opposition, a search and an abandonment by Cisco. Their search of the United States Patent and Trademark office turned up two applications as well, one of which the Inquirer thinks was an unsuccessful application from Apple (by "Ocean Telecom Services").
So we're throwing the question out to you readers. What would you name the iPhone if you weren't allowed to call it the iPhone? Let us know in the comments.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
12-07-2006 @ 9:10AM
iSalva said...
iPod mobile
Reply
12-07-2006 @ 9:11AM
Bultie said...
iChat Mobile
Reply
12-07-2006 @ 9:14AM
Brian St. John said...
Doubting that Apple would want to give up its popular "i" prefix -- here's a few obvious possibilities: "iTalk," "iCom," "iChat Mobile" (this has been rumored already), "iRing" (just kidding), "iCell," "iSet" (from hand set), or, how about simply "iFone?"
Reply
12-07-2006 @ 9:15AM
Christiaan W. Lustig said...
iTel
iTell
iSpeak
iHear
iFone
Reply
12-07-2006 @ 9:15AM
J3K4 said...
"iBitch" - it's gonna sell like HOT CAKES
Reply
12-07-2006 @ 9:16AM
eldt said...
how about iMobile
Reply
12-07-2006 @ 9:17AM
eldt said...
Vanilla by Apple
Reply
12-07-2006 @ 9:19AM
Dan Uricoli said...
iTele
Reply
12-07-2006 @ 9:19AM
JJ said...
iDontCare
Reply
12-07-2006 @ 9:20AM
Audun (NO) said...
Consumer version:
iPod Talk
iPod Speak
iPod Mobile
iPod Chat
iPod Phone
If the rumors are true, its not very different from an iPod. Just with the ability to communicate.
PhonePod, but unlikely..
Smartphone:
MacPhone?
Reply
12-07-2006 @ 9:21AM
maarten said...
Suggestion 1 :
Mac Mini
Mac Pro
MacBook
--------
MacPhone
Suggestion 2 :(depending its size)
Nano Phone
Suggestion 3 : (depending web possibilties)
Macommunicator
Suggestion 4 : (depending charing possibilties)
.Mac / your life. On the internet
.Phone / your phone. On the road
Reply
12-07-2006 @ 9:23AM
Jon said...
Surely it's ok to call it the iPhone everywhere apart from Canada?
Reply
12-07-2006 @ 9:31AM
Zeke Zander said...
lol #5, anyway: either fon-appular or cell-lisa Im glad my job isnt to name things.
Reply
12-07-2006 @ 9:39AM
El Segundo said...
iTalkLoudlyLikeAnIdiotInPublic
Reply
12-07-2006 @ 9:40AM
Ulrich said...
How about very plain and simple:
"Phone"
No i's or a's... No dots n' other... Just Phone.
Reply
12-07-2006 @ 9:40AM
Joe Alien said...
iRumor
Reply
12-07-2006 @ 9:41AM
bloodthirstyrobot said...
If the rumours of a clickwheel are true, Apple's not going to compromise the iPod brand by saddling this device with an unimaginative name like "iPhone."
My bet is that it'll be called iPod mobile in which they'll integrate a mini iSight cam, enabling users to video conference via iChat.
Reply
12-07-2006 @ 9:41AM
Kraig said...
I can pretty much guarantee you that the name won't have "Mac" in the title, as they won't want to have people thinking it's a Mac only product. If they can't use iPhone, than I wouldn't be surprised if it were something like iChat, but they may come up with something completely different like iPortal (iPort) and sell it as an all in one PDA, phone, iPod device that is your "portal" for data/communications/music/etc. on the go.
Yeah, it's a stretch, but you never know! :)
Reply
12-07-2006 @ 9:42AM
Richard said...
To the people suggesting "MacPhone":
It's not a Mac, it's a phone. Why would Apple call it a Mac when it's not?
Reply
12-07-2006 @ 9:44AM
Tim said...
MacMobile
Reply