Apple actually thought of naming the iPhone "Tripod" or "Telepod"
However, it has been revealed that Apple had a number of other monikers that could have ended up being used for the device. And quite frankly, we're happy that we don't live in an alternate universe where the iPhone is known as the "Telepod", which is just one of several names Apple's marketing team was considering at the time.
Why "Telepod"? Well, according to Ken Segall, who used to handle Apple's advertising team, it was a combination of the terms "telephone" and "pod" with a futuristic twist to it. The name also lined up well with the company's iPod series of portable music players.
"Tripod" was also among the names that (thankfully) weren't approved, as Segall revealed, yet it eventually inspired the iPhone's presentation and marketing campaign. As some of you might remember, Apple advertised the iPhone as a handset combining the functionality of a phone, an iPod, and an internet communications device.
There were two other names that Apple could have used – "Mobi" and "iPad". The former was inspired by the term "mobile" while the latter ended up being reserved for the tablet we all know today.
So yeah, looking at what names Apple might have picked for its iconic smartphone, we're glad it chose the "iPhone" eventually. Otherwise, we would now be talking, tweeting and snapping photos using our Tripods, and that just sounds silly. Don't you agree?
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