Since the launch of the first iMac in the 90s, the “i” prefix has become a symbol of Apple. Following the success of the iMac, Apple has added the “i” prefix to around 30 products to date. But this has now become a prefix that the company is trying to get rid of.

Steve Jobs’ love for the “i”

While this may seem like a coincidence, the iPad was also the last device Steve Jobs introduced for Apple. It was also confirmed that Jobs was a proponent of the “i” prefix by Ken Segall, who invented the prefix. Segall, who first introduced the prefix on the iMac, says that Jobs embraced it and even built Apple around it.

But too many companies use the prefix, Segall said, adding that “‘i’ has to go… it’s meaningless now.” Segall also said that it is not legally possible to protect the “i” prefix. This is seen as one of the main reasons for Apple’s move away from the “i” prefix. The “i” prefix also lost the meaning associated with “internet” when the first iMac made internet connectivity a part of everyday life.

In 2006, when Apple was preparing to launch iTV, the UK broadcasting network Independent Television (ITV) objected. So Apple introduced the new product under the name Apple TV instead of iTV. However, the company started to gradually get rid of this prefix, especially after the introduction of the iPad in 2010 and the iCloud and iAd in 2011. Although new iPhones and iPads are still available, there is no iWatch, iTV or iVision Pro.

After this process, Apple also left the iPod and iSight behind and changed the iPhoto application to “Photos”. Although iTunes is still used, the name of the application on phones has now been changed to “Music”. It is clear that the company has been working on this for more than a decade.