Lately I’ve been thinking about Apple’s naming conventions. When I was first getting interested in Apple and Macs many years ago, one of the first things I did was develop an awareness of what the various names (prefixes, roots, and suffixes) referred to. These were the days of the iBook and Power Mac, so clearly much has changed since then!
Later, when I started following Apple rumors, predictions about names always caught my attention. This is still true, but I think we can see Apple’s naming plans playing out if we look closely at recent product launches and discontinuations.
Some names are obvious. Mac refers to traditional computers, portable or desktop. Pad means tablet. Phone means smartphone. Watch means wrist-worn device. Others have more nuance. This list is by no means complete, but let’s have a look:
Air
Current uses: MacBook Air, Air Play, Airports
Discontinued uses: iPad Air
I remember a lot of rumors about an iPhone Air. Then it never happened. This name used to be reserved for the thin variant of a product. But, amazingly, the “thin is in” trend seems to be slowing. iPhones haven’t gotten thinner, and rumors predict the iPhone 8 will actually be thicker than its predecessors. Wireless services and devices also have Air in the name, but as wireless becomes less of a novelty and more of an expectation, I think it has lost meaning. iPad lost the Air designation this year to become iPad and iPad Pro, so perhaps Air is being phased out as a naming standard.
Pod
Current uses: iPod, HomePod, AirPods, EarPods
As stand-alone devices iPods might be on the way out, but the Pod name has a lot of historical meaning to Apple. The new AirPods and upcoming HomePod seem to signify commitment to the name. Apparently Pods can be portable, or stationary, but are always music-themed.
As a side note, the iPod line is the only place Apple has used the names Nano, Shuffle, and Classic, none of which seem to have much of a future in product names.
Pro
Current uses: Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, iMac Pro, iPad Pro
Apple seems firmly committed to the Pro name, even if it simultaneously designates both pro-sumer and truly professional-grade products. The upcoming iMac Pro (and farther-off modular Mac Pro) and recently-revised iPad Pro lineup signal the plan to have a Pro level to several product lines, referring to devices with more power, newer features, and sometimes-shocking price tags. Could an iPhone Pro or Apple Watch Pro ever come to market? Maybe not, but the Pro name seems to be here to stay.
i
Current uses: iPhone, iMac, iPad, iPod, iBooks, iMovie, iTunes
Discontinued uses: iBook
This one is interesting. On the one hand, Apple seems to be moving away from the i name. (Remember when everyone was expecting an iWatch?) But then again, the iPod and iPhone names have such brand value, it will probably never die entirely. i used to refer to “internet” (among other terms) but today is almost synonymous with Apple as a brand.
Apple (or )
Current uses: Apple Watch, Apple Music, Apple Pencil, Apple (retail stores)
It’s the name of the company, and a logo recognizable worldwide. When many of us were expecting an iWatch, we got Apple Watch instead. I think it’s a nice break from the i-based naming pattern, and it allows them to signal that a new device represents Apple’s vision for the category. Apple Pencil: Apple reinvents the pencil! But we all already know what a pencil is, so their job is half done. I wonder if the iPad were released today, might it be called the Apple Tablet?
Edition
Current uses: Apple Watch Edition (ceramic)
Discontinued uses: Apple Watch Edition (gold)
Edition could be a Watch-only name, but some have speculated that we’ll see it again in the name of the OLED iPhone. I think this would be a big source of confusion, especially if the stainless steel phone rumors are true and there’s a steel iPhone Edition and a steel Watch, which is not the Edition model.
Home
Current uses: HomeKit, HomePod
A newer name, but HomePod is potentially a very big product, and new technologies related to smart homes might borrow Home as well.
Mini
Current uses: Mac mini, iPad mini
Discontinued uses: iPod mini
This one seems to be on its way out. Smaller devices might get their own names in the future to designate them as special (see IPhone SE) rather than being called “mini” versions of more substantial products.
Touch
Current uses: Touch Bar, iPod touch, Touch ID
Until all interfaces are touch-based, I think this one will pop up whenever Apple makes a product with a more touch-based interface than the version it replaces.
Magic
Current uses: Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, Magic Keyboard
Strange that the most exaggerated name is used for desktop peripherals only. But this could come up again, in Magic Glasses, or some new area where they want to create a sense of wonder.
Another interesting part of naming is product numbering. iPad has ditched counting for the most part, but it persists in iPhones and, to a lesser extent, in Apple Watch (Series 1, Series 2). Maybe it’s because there are the products Apple most wants people to upgrade year-over-year, and numbering makes it easy to count generations and feel like something needs to be replaced. I remember when iPhone 5 was rumored to be losing the number designation (it wasn't the 5th generation, nor was it 5G) but Apple just kept counting. We’ll have to see what iPhone “8” is called to determine the future of numbering.
What do you all think? I haven’t even addressed names like SE, S, TV, or Plus. But if we have a sense of which names are on the way in or out, maybe we can glean a bit about upcoming products as well, or at least what they will be called!
Later, when I started following Apple rumors, predictions about names always caught my attention. This is still true, but I think we can see Apple’s naming plans playing out if we look closely at recent product launches and discontinuations.
Some names are obvious. Mac refers to traditional computers, portable or desktop. Pad means tablet. Phone means smartphone. Watch means wrist-worn device. Others have more nuance. This list is by no means complete, but let’s have a look:
Air
Current uses: MacBook Air, Air Play, Airports
Discontinued uses: iPad Air
I remember a lot of rumors about an iPhone Air. Then it never happened. This name used to be reserved for the thin variant of a product. But, amazingly, the “thin is in” trend seems to be slowing. iPhones haven’t gotten thinner, and rumors predict the iPhone 8 will actually be thicker than its predecessors. Wireless services and devices also have Air in the name, but as wireless becomes less of a novelty and more of an expectation, I think it has lost meaning. iPad lost the Air designation this year to become iPad and iPad Pro, so perhaps Air is being phased out as a naming standard.
Pod
Current uses: iPod, HomePod, AirPods, EarPods
As stand-alone devices iPods might be on the way out, but the Pod name has a lot of historical meaning to Apple. The new AirPods and upcoming HomePod seem to signify commitment to the name. Apparently Pods can be portable, or stationary, but are always music-themed.
As a side note, the iPod line is the only place Apple has used the names Nano, Shuffle, and Classic, none of which seem to have much of a future in product names.
Pro
Current uses: Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, iMac Pro, iPad Pro
Apple seems firmly committed to the Pro name, even if it simultaneously designates both pro-sumer and truly professional-grade products. The upcoming iMac Pro (and farther-off modular Mac Pro) and recently-revised iPad Pro lineup signal the plan to have a Pro level to several product lines, referring to devices with more power, newer features, and sometimes-shocking price tags. Could an iPhone Pro or Apple Watch Pro ever come to market? Maybe not, but the Pro name seems to be here to stay.
i
Current uses: iPhone, iMac, iPad, iPod, iBooks, iMovie, iTunes
Discontinued uses: iBook
This one is interesting. On the one hand, Apple seems to be moving away from the i name. (Remember when everyone was expecting an iWatch?) But then again, the iPod and iPhone names have such brand value, it will probably never die entirely. i used to refer to “internet” (among other terms) but today is almost synonymous with Apple as a brand.
Apple (or )
Current uses: Apple Watch, Apple Music, Apple Pencil, Apple (retail stores)
It’s the name of the company, and a logo recognizable worldwide. When many of us were expecting an iWatch, we got Apple Watch instead. I think it’s a nice break from the i-based naming pattern, and it allows them to signal that a new device represents Apple’s vision for the category. Apple Pencil: Apple reinvents the pencil! But we all already know what a pencil is, so their job is half done. I wonder if the iPad were released today, might it be called the Apple Tablet?
Edition
Current uses: Apple Watch Edition (ceramic)
Discontinued uses: Apple Watch Edition (gold)
Edition could be a Watch-only name, but some have speculated that we’ll see it again in the name of the OLED iPhone. I think this would be a big source of confusion, especially if the stainless steel phone rumors are true and there’s a steel iPhone Edition and a steel Watch, which is not the Edition model.
Home
Current uses: HomeKit, HomePod
A newer name, but HomePod is potentially a very big product, and new technologies related to smart homes might borrow Home as well.
Mini
Current uses: Mac mini, iPad mini
Discontinued uses: iPod mini
This one seems to be on its way out. Smaller devices might get their own names in the future to designate them as special (see IPhone SE) rather than being called “mini” versions of more substantial products.
Touch
Current uses: Touch Bar, iPod touch, Touch ID
Until all interfaces are touch-based, I think this one will pop up whenever Apple makes a product with a more touch-based interface than the version it replaces.
Magic
Current uses: Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, Magic Keyboard
Strange that the most exaggerated name is used for desktop peripherals only. But this could come up again, in Magic Glasses, or some new area where they want to create a sense of wonder.
Another interesting part of naming is product numbering. iPad has ditched counting for the most part, but it persists in iPhones and, to a lesser extent, in Apple Watch (Series 1, Series 2). Maybe it’s because there are the products Apple most wants people to upgrade year-over-year, and numbering makes it easy to count generations and feel like something needs to be replaced. I remember when iPhone 5 was rumored to be losing the number designation (it wasn't the 5th generation, nor was it 5G) but Apple just kept counting. We’ll have to see what iPhone “8” is called to determine the future of numbering.
What do you all think? I haven’t even addressed names like SE, S, TV, or Plus. But if we have a sense of which names are on the way in or out, maybe we can glean a bit about upcoming products as well, or at least what they will be called!
