Your iPhone Could Have Been the ... Telepod

Would you have bought a Telepod? Or a Mobi? Turns out those are two names Apple considered for its original iPhone, 9to5Mac reports. Ken Segall, former chief of Apple advertising, revealed the names to a marketing crowd at the University of Arizona last week. Apple's reasoning:

• Telepod: It sounded like a futuristic version of the word "telephone," said Segall. Not to mention that it included the word "pod" when iPods were already hugely popular.
• Mobi: This one played on the word "mobile." Segall described "Mobi" as having a personality and sounding creative.
• Tripod: Back then, Apple considered its new phone a blend of phone, iPod, and Internet communicator. Apple even marketed the first iPhone in that light.

Click to see why the iPhone was nearly called an "iPad." (More iPhone stories.)