Firm Launches 'IPHONE' Brand of Android Phones, Touts Trademark Ownership in Brazil

Brazilian electronics maker IGB Electronica SA has announced a new line of Android phones under the IPHONE brand, a trademark that was originally applied for in Brazil in 2000.

NewImageFrom Reuters:

The first model will be called "Neo One," IGB said in a securities filing. The company was formed this year after the restructuring of Gradiente Eletronica SA, which had applied for exclusive rights in Brazil to register its products under the name IPHONE in 2000.

Apple will either file a lawsuit, or perhaps more likely, begin negotiations for a settlement deal.

Apple was involved in a similar trademark issue in China, with Proview owning the "iPad" trademark. Apple ended up paying that company $60 million to gain control of the 'iPad' trademark.

Brazil is an important country for Apple. The company has begun hiring for new Apple Stores in the country, which would be its first locations in South America and Apple and Foxconn have begun iPad and iPhone production there.

Finally, Apple CEO Tim Cook has said in the past that Brazil is the company's next big target after China.

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's Upcoming Macs Listed in New Report

Thursday July 3, 2025 9:09 am PDT by
AppleInsider's Marko Zivkovic today shared a list of alleged identifiers for future Mac models, which should roll out over the next year or so. The report does not reveal anything too surprising, but it does serve as further evidence that Apple is seemingly working on new models of every Mac, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. Apple is...

Top Rated Comments

notjustjay Avatar
164 months ago
So, this is just a blatant money grab, right?
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Unggoy Murderer Avatar
164 months ago
Android sure does look dull... :rolleyes:
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xkmxkmxlmx Avatar
164 months ago
Just let them have the name and call it the Apple phone, and watch it still get destroyed.

You've likely never tried it.


A money grab? If they had the name since 2000 how can it really be a money grab?

Yeah, and 13 years later they decide to put out a phone :rolleyes:
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GoldenJoe Avatar
164 months ago
Android manufacturers copying Apple? Unheard of.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GoCubsGo Avatar
164 months ago
Android sure does look dull... :rolleyes:

You've likely never tried it.


A money grab? If they had the name since 2000 how can it really be a money grab?
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Psychj0e Avatar
164 months ago
This is what you get when an American company tries to bring jobs to Brazil's tortured economy. I'd tell the Brazilian government to handle it or I'd pull out every job I was planning on bringing there and dump them in whatever country is closest that isn't full of cheating pricks. Hell, I'd pull the iPhone itself from the country. In the rest of the world we get the iPhone, but in Brazil you get the cheesy piece of crap IPHONE. Congrats, the world thinks you are morons.


It's probably glaringly obvious to most, but this attitude right here is why most people in the world don't like Americans. I'd even go as far to say in most other nations minds, it's not Brazil who are morons.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)