The iPhone Was Almost Called the Telepod

An Apple ad man tells all.

Flickr image via Yutaka Tsutano

Before we called it the iPhone, Apple's former advertising lead Ken Segall says the phenomenally popular smartphone was almost called ... the Telepod. And the Mobi. And a string of other names that just didn't click, including the iPad. 

At the University of Arizona, Segall recently told 9 to 5 Mac the story behind each name that never was. Here's a quick recap of two of the silliest:  

Telepod: It sounded like a "futuristic" play on the word telephone, and given the iPod's presence, the name did make sense. But in the end, Segall says, it was scrapped. 

iPad: Though the name eventually stuck, it was used for another device entirely. Jobs had reportedly worked on the tablet first before the iPhone, which makes sense given their similar functionality. But Jobs prioritized the iPhone over the tablet, and so the iPad name was shelved. 

Read the rest of the descriptions on 9 to 5 Mac

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