Since Apple’s fifth generation iPhone was dubbed the iPhone 4S, instead of receiving the widely accepted “iPhone 5″ title, there’s been some controversy regarding the name Apple will inevitably give to their upcoming sixth-generation handset. Will it be referred to as the “iPhone 5″, “iPhone 6″, will it follow suit after the “new iPad” and simply be the “new iPhone”, or will it be something completely different?
According to Fusible, Apple has allegedly filed a claim with the World Intellectual Property Organization (or WIPO) that seeks to have the domain “iPhone5.com” turned over to the company. It’s said that authorities from the WIPO are currently evaluating the situation and ensuring that Apple’s claim is in alignment with the agency’s rules and regulations. If WIPO find’s Apple’s claim just, they will likely proceed with the legal process that will go along with the claim in the foreseeable future.
Currently, the domain “iPhone5.com” is home to a small discussion board that was established in October of 2010, following the unveiling and release of the iPhone 4 earlier that year.
If Fusible’s information is accurate, it’s surprising that Apple is attempting to acquire “iPhone5.com” at this point in time, considering the company has been fairly slow in the acquisition of previous domains related to their products. Apple wasn’t in possession of “iPhone4.com” until almost a year after the device was released and didn’t file for ownership of “iPhone4S.com” until several weeks after the latest iteration of the iPhone launched last October.
While it seems strange that Apple is so eager to obtain iPhone5.com, considering the device hasn’t been made official, it would be a logical move on Apple’s part. Even if the sixth-generation iPhone isn’t dubbed the “iPhone 5″, the name is widely accepted and has been used when referring to Apple’s next-generation iPhone for almost two years now. Similar to the new iPad still being referred to as the “iPad 3″, the next iPhone could very well be unofficially referred to as the “iPhone 5″; Apple likely wants to take advantage of that word-of-mouth marketing.
Stay tuned for complete coverage regarding Apple’s sixth-generation iPhone.
