This week marks the thirteenth anniversary of the launch of the iPhone. Once you have read this quote and you notice the math fails, don't panic. The iPhone was introduced in late 2006 by Cisco for its latest Linksys acquisition. It was a VoIP phone, that's why his name is "iPhone". Just 19 days later, Apple would unveil an iPhone we all know, starting an official fight over name rights.
The iPhone that wasn't the iPhone we now know
As soon as the iPhone was unveiled during MacWorld on January 9, 2007, Cisco Systems has sued Apple through the registered trademark "iPhone". According to The World:
Cisco was seeking a court order to prevent Apple from using the iPhone name, which he said was a registered trademark of Cisco through the acquisition of Linksys. The home network business had acquired the name of the iPhone after purchasing a company called Infogear in 2000 and Cisco used the name for its network and dual-channel VoIP phones.
This day in 2006: Cisco unveiled its iPhone
(Cisco, Apple settled a name dispute in 2007 when the Apple iPhone launched) pic.twitter.com/EjmdhdPHOi
– Jon Erlichman (@JonErlichman) December 18, 2019
When we board a time machine and return to the date indicated, we will encounter articles like this one from Applesfera, where they complete the news. It's counted there how Cisco introduced its particular iPhone, a list of home wireless phones. With VoIP technology, these phones were able to communicate over the Internet via Skype, without having to turn on the computer.
Users can view their contact list for apps and other activities via the Internet such as Yahoo! Apparently, Steve Jobs I wanted to have a name that fit well
Two years of negotiations before the launch of the Apple iPhone
Following Cisco's request, the company revealed that they had been negotiating with Apple about the name for two years. According to Copertino, his argument was that no one would confuse the two iPhone's because they were different products. For Cisco, the name was the starting point for the integration of several domestic communications products. The differences were therefore confirmed.
Finally, a month and a half after the launch of the original iPhone, both companies reached an agreement. From then on, both Cisco and Apple were able to distribute the product under their anonymous license. The funny thing is that a few years later in 2010, Apple should also license Cisco the name "iOS"
Until 2010, the iPhone software was called "iPhone OS". But with the advent of the iPad, Apple has decided to change the name to "iOS" including both devices (and iPod touch).
Judging by the articles published at the time, it was totally blind for Cisco to make its new "iPhone" calls. That's it stuck to Job's liver, causing technical uncertainties that are luckily resolved quickly. Cisco and Apple continue to work together on various projects.
