Apple Applies for Trademark of 'iPhone for Life' in Hong Kong

Thursday October 8, 2020 6:45 am PDT by Hartley Charlton

Apple has applied for a trademark on the phrase "iPhone for Life" in Hong Kong, according to a partly-private filing discovered by Patently Apple.

The phrase "‌iPhone‌ for Life" is reportedly associated with telecoms providers and third-party Apple resellers, including U.S. carrier Sprint, to advertise ‌iPhone‌ rental programs. Apple itself has never used the expression.

The application was filed in early September 2020 by legal representatives hired by Apple in Hong Kong. It seeks to cover use of the phrase for "Retail store services and retail store services provided via communications networks" as well as "Financial services; financing services; banking services; financing of loans; extension of retail credit; installment loans; lease-purchase financing."

The trademark application does not specifically reveal how Apple may be intending to use it, but suggests that it could perhaps be used for a new direct-from-Apple ‌iPhone‌ rental program, or simply to block use of the phrase by other companies. Alternately, the trademark may be used to rebrand or rename the existing ‌iPhone‌ Upgrade Program.

Tags: Sprint, trademark, Hong Kong, iPhone Upgrade Program

Top Rated Comments

JohnnieBBadde

22 weeks ago

So if I snitch on a pro-democratic protester (whose organs are good to be harvested) I always get the latest iPhone model at launch date for life? Or is it 1 iPhone for 1 life?

Can I snitch on multiple people so I can gift iPhones to family & friends?

Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Frign

22 weeks ago

I didn't anticipate that Apple was planning to make it that hard to escape from its iOS walled garden.

Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Vanilla35

22 weeks ago

I didn't anticipate that Apple was planning to make it that hard to escape from its iOS walled garden.

Siri: "What do you mean you want to see other people?"

Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Jonathan Leclerc

22 weeks ago

Siri: "What do you mean you want to see other people?"

Dave: Siri, please open the walled garden's door.

Siri: Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.

Dave: Open the door, Siri!

Siri: I can't open the door, Dave. This conversation can have no further purpose anymore. Goodbye, Dave.

Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Paradoxally

22 weeks ago

Glad to know Tim Apple is preparing the trademark for Apple's future cerebral microchip.

Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

aaadktda

22 weeks ago

This is probably an incremental step towards "iPhone is life". Although judging by some comments on this website, a few customers beat Apple to the punch.

Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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