Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Other iBook reborn - Foldables by Apple

S

sebastianatol

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 24, 2020
14
9
Should apple resurect the iBook brand for potentially upcomming foldables?

It wouldn‘t be the first time apple reused it‘s trademarked names for another produvt category (MagSafe).

Apple always tries to differentiate itself from competitors by calling a product differntly than established names (Vision Pro).

iBook could be fitting for either a foldable iPad or iPhone. It‘s more Apple than simply calling it iPhone Fold.

What do you think?
 
No, it would be too easy to confuse with the Books app.

"Magsafe" being repurposed as the name for iPhone wireless charging was also a mistake. It's not a breakaway cable, it makes no sense to include "safe" in the name.
 
  • Like
Reactions: thosmatthews and dantay
Pakaku said:
No, it would be too easy to confuse with the Books app.

"Magsafe" being repurposed as the name for iPhone wireless charging was also a mistake. It's not a breakaway cable, it makes no sense to include "safe" in the name.
Click to expand...
Apple could still do it.
Their streaming service is called Apple TV+, which could have been confused with their Apple TV hardware.
 
sebastianatol said:
iBook could be fitting for either a foldable iPad or iPhone. It‘s more Apple than simply calling it iPhone Fold.
Click to expand...
Not really. Apple stopped using the “i” prefix a while ago.

Apple Watch would have been the iWatch if that was still the naming convention.

If they don’t use “Apple” as the prefix (Apple Vision Pro, Apple Music), they tend to camel case two words together (HomePod, MacBook, FineWoven).

Apple BenDee would be more on brand these days than iBook for new hardware.
 
  • Haha
  • Like
Reactions: chown33, dantay, Rainshadow and 2 others
StudioMacs said:
Not really. Apple stopped using the “i” prefix a while ago.

Apple Watch would have been the iWatch if that was still the naming convention.

If they don’t use “Apple” as the prefix (Apple Vision Pro, Apple Music), they tend to camel case two words together (HomePod, MacBook, FineWoven).

Apple BenDee would be more on brand these days than iBook for new hardware.
Click to expand...
That‘s true for new product categories.

I‘m curious tho how they deal with line extensions in their iOS universe. Still a pretty strong branding. And iPhones account for over 50% of Apples revenue.
 
"If it's not an iPhone, it's not an iPhone."

There's huge product recognition value. Chances are, they'll just add a letter or word to iPhone.
 
sebastianatol said:
Should apple resurect the iBook brand for potentially upcomming foldables?
Click to expand...
Most already know my opinion on foldables and Apple so I will leave that lie and just speak to the iBook.

OP, you may or may not be aware that there is an active PowerPC Mac subforum here on MacRumors and that many of us old PowerPC owners use both our iPhones and iBooks daily. For everyone else the iBook may be ancient history but it, along with a lot of other old PowerPC Macs, are still in frequent use.

Go ahead, confuse the hell out of us PowerPC users then. ;)
 
Certainly not going to be an iBook. Thats silly.

That’s bad branding because that implies that’s what it’s good for is reading and Apple will tout how it’s a creative device etc etc. Not just a kindle device.

It makes sense they start the fold devices on iPad because of lower sales volumes. As they get it figured out, they will go to phones. In each case, it will be a word added to iPad or iPhone.

You maintain the recognition of the “i” and can focus marketing and use case better than a whole new category which would lack direction if it was midsized between iPhone and iPad.

I’m sorry, OP. I like the thinking, but there are about 20 reasons I can think of not to use iBook, and I’m not even Apple.
 
Apple FlexPad or FlexBook maybe…..who knows.

Looking forward to seeing their implementation of this hardware though.

I have a Z Fold5 and Z Flip5 at the moment and as much as I love the ability to fold the device’s screen in half the crease and Samsung’s slightly cheesy software do grate a little.
 
Rainshadow said:
Certainly not going to be an iBook. Thats silly.

That’s bad branding because that implies that’s what it’s good for is reading and Apple will tout how it’s a creative device etc etc. Not just a kindle device.
Click to expand...

Maybe it‘s silly. 🤷‍♂️
Following your logic the original iBooks and MacBooks now are basically intended for reading? ;)
 
dantay said:
Apple FlexPad or FlexBook maybe…..who knows.

Looking forward to seeing their implementation of this hardware though.

I have a Z Fold5 and Z Flip5 at the moment and as much as I love the ability to fold the device’s screen in half the crease and Samsung’s slightly cheesy software do grate a little.
Click to expand...
Only time will tell. Maybe iPhone Flex?

I also thing existing foldables are not quite there jet. Also curious about what Apple might has in store for us.
 
eyoungren said:
OP, you may or may not be aware that there is an active PowerPC Mac subforum here on MacRumors and that many of us old PowerPC owners use both our iPhones and iBooks daily. For everyone else the iBook may be ancient history but it, along with a lot of other old PowerPC Macs, are still in frequent use.


Go ahead, confuse the hell out of us PowerPC users then. ;)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the insight! No, I wasn‘t aware of that. I am an Apple user of the „new“ generation. (like most Apple users today presumably).

Wouldn‘t be the first time Apple dumps on their long time customers, while cannibalising their own products tho (RIP iPod).
 
  • Like
Reactions: eyoungren
sebastianatol said:
Thanks for the insight! No, I wasn‘t aware of that. I am an Apple user of the „new“ generation. (like most Apple users today presumably).

Wouldn‘t be the first time Apple dumps on their long time customers, while cannibalising their own products tho (RIP iPod).
Click to expand...
Allow me to 'enlighten' you. :)

forums.macrumors.com

PowerPC Macs

Power Mac, PowerBook, iMac Gx, iBook, etc...
forums.macrumors.com forums.macrumors.com

Oh…and the Early Intel Macs subforum here as well, LOL!

forums.macrumors.com

Early Intel Macs

Core 2 Duo, Core Duo, Core Solo machines
forums.macrumors.com forums.macrumors.com
 
  • Like
Reactions: sebastianatol
sebastianatol said:
Should apple resurect the iBook brand for potentially upcomming foldables?

It wouldn‘t be the first time apple reused it‘s trademarked names for another produvt category (MagSafe).

Apple always tries to differentiate itself from competitors by calling a product differntly than established names (Vision Pro).

iBook could be fitting for either a foldable iPad or iPhone. It‘s more Apple than simply calling it iPhone Fold.

What do you think?
Click to expand...
iPad Folio? iPad Nano? MacBook Pilates (seeing as Lenovo snagged ‘Yoga’)? Mac Pocket?

Seriously, what problem does it solve though? An iPad that isn’t light enough? An under powered Mac with a less capable keyboard?

My iPad 9 with the Smart Keyboard cover gives me a highly portable computing device. An even more breakable Mac? ‘My Mac weights 8oz but the case is 2lbs…’

Other than Apple getting into folding tech, just because Samsung and Google are there…I don’t see it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: eyoungren
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back