![\"philips](\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/12\/philips-wake-up-light-gadgets-with-regular-names.jpg\")
The thing is\u2026 I just don\u2019t understand why<\/em> companies do this. There are times when it seems like the whole tech world copies Apple (you know, like removing headphone jacks from phones<\/a>), but at other moments the company appears to be out there by itself (like these naming conventions). Let\u2019s zoom in on this latter part.<\/p>\n Apple isn\u2019t the only company selling gadgets with regular names, but it is one of the best at it. Let\u2019s just consider the latest iPhone line up<\/a>. There are four models: the iPhone 12 mini, the iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 Pro, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max.<\/p>\n It might take you a couple of reads to get your head around, but there\u2019s a clear logic at work here, something that makes sense on a fundamental level. You can guess that \u201cpro\u201d probably means it\u2019s good, \u201cmax\u201d suggests that it\u2019s bigger, and \u201cmini\u201d means it small. These are gadgets with regular names \u2014 and I love it.<\/p>\n Compare that to another massive company which has the opposite approach and fully embraces awful naming conventions: Sony. Let\u2019s consider their headphones.<\/p>\n Can you tell me anything<\/em> about what separates the WH-1000XM4, the WH-HN910N, WH-XB700, or the WH-CH710N? Hell, I\u2019m paid to write about gadgets and I can only tell you about one of those models because it\u2019s one of the best pair of headphones on the market<\/a>.<\/p>\n This whole approach is utterly bizarre.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s ignore the irritation element, and just look at the business side. If you\u2019re a company that makes gadgets, you want to do one thing: sell more of them. And one of the ways you do this is by building a brand, creating something that\u2019s recognizable and that people can tell each other about. That\u2019s why it\u2019s called a Big Mac rather than a BM-221GC.<\/p>\n Surely, surely,<\/em> giving a product a name that\u2019s just a collection of numbers and letters harms its ability to build a recognized brand and sell more? I can\u2019t imagine a world where this isn\u2019t the case.<\/p>\n So, Santa, can you let all these CMOs know I\u2019m not happy? Tell those chumps to give me gadgets with regular names. Or else.<\/p>\n Did you know we have a newsletter all about consumer tech? It\u2019s called Plugged In \u2013 and you can subscribe to it right here<\/a>. <\/i><\/p>\n Published December 22, 2020 \u2014 07:00 UTC <\/p>\n