The iPhone is a worldwide success, but what does the ‘i’ stand for?

The iPhone has been around for almost sixteen years now. The phone first appeared on the US market on June 29, 2007. The smartphone is now just as established as a sandwich maker. But what exactly is the meaning of the ‘i’? And we’re not talking about the last letter of sandwich, but about the first letter of Apple products.

You’ve probably been thinking about holding an iPhone all this time, but you’ve never thought about the meaning of the ‘i’. Steve Jobs did have a thought behind the first letter of iPhone, iPad, iPod, iTunes and other Apple devices.

From iMac to iPhone

The ‘i’ was first used by Apple in 1998 when the iMac was launched. This was followed by a series of products and services, all of which started with the ninth letter of the alphabet. That was the reason why it was assumed that Apple’s smartwatch would be called iWatch. A lot of people still think that, but it’s just the Apple Watch.

The meaning of the ‘i’ in Apple products

Anyway, Apple’s “i” doesn’t just stand for the Internet, which is perhaps the first thing that comes to mind when you start thinking about it. It is one of the five meanings. “The ‘i’ stems from the marriage of the excitement of the Internet and the simplicity of the iMac,” said Steve Jobs during the presentation of that computer.

The five meanings of the “i” in iPhone and other Apple devices are internet, individual, instruct, inform and inspire. Always fun to use as a quiz question. Below you can see the explanation of Steve Jobs himself.

Steve Jobs may be gone, but the iPhone continues to evolve. For example, you will soon be able to use the smart phone as an intelligent car key.