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Mitsuo23 Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

iPhone vs an iPhone

I am having trouble to understand the difference between "iPhone" and "an iPhone". The former is the name of a particular device and the latter is the device itself, I understand them.

But on more practical level, why can't you say, "I want to buy iPhone" while you can say, "When you’re not using iPhone, press the Sleep/Wake button to lock iPhone."?

Would you explain that?

Thanks,
M
  

Top answer

"? * I assume it is some cutesy marketing language intended to make the iPhone seem distinctive or special, or as if it has a personality, or something like that. In normal English one would say: "When you’re not using your iPhone, press the Sleep/Wake button to lock your iPhone" (though in reality in this sentence one would say "...

— GPY

  • "?
  • * I assume it is some cutesy marketing language intended to make the iPhone seem distinctive or special, or as if it has a personality, or something like that.
  • In normal English one would say: "When you’re not using your iPhone, press the Sleep/Wake button to lock your iPhone" (though in reality in this sentence one would say "...
  • to lock it ").
  • g.
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6 Answers
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mitsuwao23while you can say, "When you’re not using iPhone, press the Sleep/Wake button to lock iPhone."?
In standard English this is wrong, but I see that this kind of language is actually used on the Apple website.* I assume it is some cutesy marketing language intended to make the iPhone seem distinctive or special, or as if it has a personality, or somethi
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Wow, some answer I didn't expected. I've assumed Apple uses their language correctly.


So, can I take "iPhone" as the name of a device literally? more like a concept or an idea than a device? You can't touch it? You can't see it?


If I say, "I'm gonna buy iPhone" that means, I am going to buy the copyright of the brand name?


Thank you for your help,
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mitsuwao23If I say, "I'm gonna buy iPhone" that means, I am going to buy the copyright of the brand name?
In the right context it possibly could be construed that way, but in isolation the meaning is not very clear and it looks most like a typing error for "I'm gonna buy an iPhone".

By the way, Apple aren't very consistent with this; another support p
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Thank you. iPhone and an iPhone finally made sense to meEmotion: embarrassed
M
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What kind of grammar can you expect from a company that starts a proper noun with a lower case letter? Emotion: surprise

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