Apple is known for its sleek design, innovative technology, and marketing genius. But over the years, the company has also had its fair share of fake products—some created as jokes, while others as clever marketing stunts. A few even surfaced in pop culture. Here’s a look at some of Apple’s best fictional and joke products, from satirical ads to wild April Fool’s pranks.
1. The Lumon Terminal Pro (Severance, 2022)
Apple’s hit TV show Severance introduced viewers to the Lumon Terminal Pro, a retro-futuristic computer that looks like a relic from the 1980s. It features an orange monochrome display, an oversized keyboard, and a trackball mouse. While entirely fictional, the Terminal Pro is a perfect satire of outdated corporate technology. Fans of the show loved its aesthetic so much that some have even built working replicas.
2. iPod Flea (SNL, 2005)
Saturday Night Live took Apple’s obsession with making devices smaller to the extreme with the iPod Flea. This fictional music player was so tiny it required tweezers to use. The joke ad mocked Apple’s marketing language, claiming the Flea could hold “eight million songs” but was so small that users would constantly lose it. This parody came during the height of the iPod era and brilliantly exaggerated Apple’s design trends.
3. The iPad Maxi (April Fool’s, 2013)
Gadget blogs love a good April Fool’s prank, and in 2013, many took the joke that Apple was working on an “iPad Maxi” way too seriously. The fake product was supposedly a giant iPad designed for those who wanted an even bigger screen for work, gaming, and media consumption. While it was meant as a joke, the iPad Pro (released two years later) wasn’t far off from this exaggerated concept.
4. MacBook Wheel (The Onion, 2009)
The Onion, a satirical news outlet, created one of the funniest fake Apple products ever: the MacBook Wheel. This laptop featured no keyboard, only a giant iPod-style click wheel for typing. The parody news segment joked that Apple had “eliminated the keyboard” for a sleeker design, forcing users to scroll through letters one at a time. The ridiculous concept poked fun at Apple’s minimalist design philosophy, and while it was obviously fake, some people still fell for it.
5. iBall (April Fool’s, 2007)
In 2007, ThinkGeek (now part of GameStop) created a joke product called the iBall, supposedly an Apple-designed spherical computer with a 360-degree display. While it was clearly a gag, the concept wasn’t too far-fetched. Apple had experimented with circular designs in early prototypes of the iMac. Fans of the fake iBall still bring it up whenever Apple unveils new product designs.
6. iHand (Jimmy Kimmel, 2014)
When Apple released the larger iPhone 6 Plus, Jimmy Kimmel spoofed the size complaints with the iHand, a fake robotic hand that allowed users to hold the oversized device more comfortably. The skit hilariously exaggerated Apple’s tendency to “solve” problems that it arguably created in the first place.
7. The iPhone DS (Parody, 2008)
Following the success of the Nintendo DS, internet pranksters created mock images of an “iPhone DS,” featuring a dual-screen foldable design. Years later, foldable phones became a reality, making this fake product seem oddly prophetic.
8. Apple Black Hole (ThinkGeek, 2011)
For April Fool’s Day 2011, ThinkGeek introduced the Apple Black Hole, a “personal reality distortion field” that could make all competing products disappear. This joke referenced the famous “reality distortion field” term used to describe Steve Jobs’ persuasive abilities. It was a hilarious nod to Apple’s influence over tech culture.
9. iToilet (MADtv, 2007)
MADtv spoofed Apple’s design obsession with the iToilet, a smart toilet controlled by an iPod-like interface. The exaggerated ad poked fun at Apple’s tendency to integrate technology into every aspect of life, something that has only become more accurate with smart home devices.
10. Apple Car (iMove Concept) (Fan Mockup, 2015)
Before rumors of an actual Apple Car surfaced, a fan-designed concept called the iMove made the rounds online. This sleek, futuristic vehicle was widely shared on tech blogs, with some people believing it was a real Apple prototype. While Apple has scrapped plans for a car, the mockups give a glimpse at what could have been.