Steve Jobs gave the 'i' in Apple products a clever secret meaning before he died

If you're anything like me, chances are that you've been an Apple user for years, but you've never actually stopped to think what the 'i' in iPhone stands for.

Well, you're about to find out, as Apple fans are only just making the revelation - and they've been left completely baffled.

Alamy / Edward George

Now, if I was to hazard a guess as to what tie 'i' stands for, I'd say it means intelligent; after all, iPhones have always been at the cutting edge of new mobile technology.

At this point, it's worth noting that the 'i' doesn't just exist in iPhones, they're simply the most popular Apple device - among a number of closely followed rivals like the iMac, the iPad and more.

However, it turns out that this question was answered by Steve Jobs back in 1998 - and he revealed that the 'i' doesn't just stand for one word, but five.

As reported by Readers Digest, the i in Apple products stands for 'internet, individual, instruct, inform and inspire.'

However, Jobs stressed that the 'i' technically 'didn't have an official meaning' and suggested that it is just a 'personal pronoun' and 'instruction' for presumably teaching Apple employees about what the company stands for.

So I guess if I want the 'i' to stand for intelligent, it can.

Alamy / REUTERS

News of what the 'i' means comes after Apple users only recently discovered that you can customise an iPhone's lock screen too.

However, in their defence, the little-known feature was only released last summer, so if you've not heard of it yet, don't fret.

According to Apple: "Live Activities is a new feature that helps users stay on top of things that are happening in real-time, such as a sports game, workout, ride-share, or food delivery order, right from the Lock Screen.

"Notifications have been redesigned to roll up from the bottom, ensuring that users have a clear view of their personalised Lock Screen."

Alamy / Tetiana Vitsenko

Apple said at the time that the update is a part of the new iOS 16 technology and that it took inspiration from the widgets on the Apple Watch.

The company explained that the thinking behind this was that users get access to important information - such as their calendars - at a glance.

Well, as the old saying goes - the more you know.

All of which begs the question, did you know what the 'i' in iPhone meant until now?