Convincing evidence has emerged that the iPhone 14 Plus was originally intended to be called the iPhone 14 Max.
Perhaps the biggest announcement Apple made at its iPhone 14 launch event in early September was the iPhone 14 Plus, a brand new handset that essentially resembles a super-sized iPhone 14.
As discovered by Dutch blog iCreate, the iPhone 14 Plus was almost called something else. The website has uncovered references on Apple’s website to an ‘iPhone 14 Max’, suggesting that this was the name set for the new 6.7-inch phone until fairly late in the day.
The blog uncovered two separate instances of the iPhone 14 Max name being used. One of these is in a support document, where the image of the iPhone 14 Plus in all five available colours is labelled ‘iPhone-14-Max-colors’.
The other instance is on a page where Apple provides downloadable PDFs containing regulatory information on each of its smartphone models. Here there’s no sign of one for the iPhone 14 Plus, but there is one for the iPhone 14 Max, accompanied by the iPhone 14 Plus model number.
There’s always a fair amount of deliberation when it comes to the naming of such new devices, but that deliberation is invariably done in marketing departments and executive backrooms. It’s always interesting when evidence of that process emerges in public.
It’s telling that in early leaks and rumours surrounding Apple’s new super-sized addition to the family, the name iPhone 14 Max was widely used. It wasn’t until relatively close to launch that those leaks turned to using the iPhone 14 Plus name, indicating just how las minute Apple’s change of heart was on this matter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
