Apple's original iPhone marketers pondered such names as TriPod, Mobi and iPad

[wraggster]

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/original-iphone-3-5-13-01_620x340.jpgKen Segall, Apple's former advertising head who coined its iProduct naming convention, told students at the University of Arizona that they could be pocketing a "TelePod" right now instead of an iPhone, according to 9to5Mac. That was among the now-strange-sounding names Cupertino pondered for the device, since one of the early concepts (http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/26/apple-v-samsung-court-filings-reveal-sony-inspired-iphone-kick/) was a phone based on Apple's star product at the time, the iPod. Other names considered were "Mobi" and "TriPod," which was bandied about due to the device's three separate functions (phone, internet and iPod), along with iPad -- perhaps because we now know that the original iOS testbed (http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/steve-jobs-at-d-iphone-os-started-on-a-tablet/) was a tablet (http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/steve-jobs-at-d-iphone-os-started-on-a-tablet/). In retrospect, it seems like a good thing that Apple rejected those choices ("let me show you that video on my TriPod"), but we can imagine some fur flying during marketing meet-ups to choose theubiquitous (http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/03/iphone-review/) name.
http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/05/iphone-product-name-tripod-mobi-telepad/

[tech-ultrasonic]

I would never consider buying a "Tripod". Mobi seems a bit more comfortable name but the "i" thing is simply out of this world. This is the perfect name for a brand and anything beginning with it, simply makes it sound more interesting.