The iPhone has been officially released, but not under its expected Apple parent. It seems Cisco has had the copyright for the name since 1996, and under its subsidiary Linksys has released a wireless, Skype compatible phone with that exact name.
In, dare we say it, iPod white, the phone looks like any other wireless phone released over the last year. The rather dull looking phone with perhaps one of the most anticipated names in the history of mobile phones looks set to disappoint cult-like followers of Mr Jobs and prompt Apple to come up with a new name.
But what is in a name? The iPhone name has been thrown around the internet for the last three years (google has over 11 million hits on it) and the yet-to-be-out phone already has a fan base of millions. Apple has known about Cisco’s trademark for years and has presumably taken actions to come up with a catchy name by now. The trouble lies in finding a name that will propel the company into a new iPod frenzy, undoubtedly the best known mp3 player in the world.
Brand awareness is a funny thing, and Apple might have taken a step in the wrong direction by not telling future customers that the iPhone is out of the question as a name and has been for a long time.
I can’t think of a name that even comes close to the iPhone. Feel free to suggest names for the phone in the comments; we will make sure to pass them on to Steve.
