The Apple logo has a bite taken out of it primarily for scale and clarity, so it's instantly recognizable as an apple and not another round fruit like a cherry or tomato, according to designer Rob Janoff, though many popular myths link it to the biblical story of Adam & Eve or Alan Turing, which Janoff denies as the true reason. The "bite" also cleverly sounds like "byte," a computing term, adding a subtle tech pun, but that was a happy coincidence, not the main intent.
In an interview, the designer was asked why the apple was half-eaten. He replied that it distinguished the apple from the cherry or tomato.
Janoff says that he received no specific brief from Steve Jobs, and although he's hazy about how he settled on the simple outline of an apple, the reason for the bite is crystal clear: it's there for scale, he says, so that a small Apple logo still looks like an apple and not a cherry.
The Biblical Reference Theory
Some have suggested the bitten apple references the biblical story of Adam and Eve, symbolizing knowledge and the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. This interpretation frames Apple products as tools of enlightenment and learning.
“Designer Rob Janoff added the bite so the logo would never be mistaken for a cherry when scaled small,” Logan says. “The brilliance is that the logo inspired myths and stories, which only added to its cultural weight.” Yep, it boils down to people not mixing up their fruits.
The Real Reason Behind the Bite in the Apple Logo
According to Rob Janoff, the graphic designer who created the Apple logo back in 1977, the bite was added for one very practical reason. Without it, the apple shape looked too much like a cherry or another round fruit, especially at smaller sizes or in black and white.
Some believe it is a reference to the computing term byte, some see it as a nod to the biblical story in which Eve took a bite from the forbidden fruit(mocking God), and others have proposed that it references Sir Isaac Newton and the apple that fell and helped him discover gravity while sitting under a tree.
Many believe it's a symbol with the deep hidden meaning. One of the most popular myths is that the bite represents the forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden. The idea is that the logo symbolizes the pursuit of knowledge and the risk taking that comes with it.
Why did Adam eat the apple? A. The simple answer is that the serpent (the devil) persuaded Adam that eating the apple would be to his benefit.
Many have linked it to the story of Adam and Eve's forbidden fruit, while others suggest it was inspired by Isaac Newton's discovery of gravity. Perhaps the most famous theory is that the missing chunk represents a play on the word “byte,” a unit of digital data in computing.
Short answer: no. It's a lovely internet myth. The longer answer is far more interesting, and it says a lot about how great logos actually get made. Back in 1977, designer Rob Janoff created Apple's bitten-fruit mark.
A classic red apple, shown with a stem and single, green leaf on major platforms. Commonly associated with doctors, teachers, and New York. Red Apple was approved as part of Unicode 6.0 in 2010 and added to Emoji 1.0 in 2015.
And so, the story goes, when two Stanford entrepreneurs were looking for a logo for their brand new computer company, they remembered Turing and his contribution to their field. They chose an apple – not a complete apple, but one with a bite taken out of it.
The good news is that a few items in your pantry can help keep cut apples from browning. Salt: Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to 2 cups of water and stir until dissolved. Soak apple slices in the salt water for several minutes, then rinse well before serving or storing. This brine keeps browning at bay for up to a week.
The real story behind the Apple logo is actually a lot simpler than all that, according to its designer, Rob Janoff. In an interview with CreativeBits in 2020, Janoff explained that he chose to put a bite in the apple so people could tell how big it was, and wouldn't mistake it for a cherry.
[3] But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
The idea of random recognition without replacement is closely related to the so-called “one bite at the apple” principle that is often explicitly considered in legislative and judiciary processes. This principle implies that each politician/agent/party has only one chance to take advantage of an opportunity.
The science of apple growing is called pomology. Bobbing for apples? 25% of an apples volume is air, which is why they float.
Adam made the choice to eat the forbidden fruit after God told him bot to as Eve was deceived by the serpent. After Eve ate apple, Adam had a choice which way to go. He chose to go with her.
In 1978, Apple Corps, the Beatles-founded holding company and owner of their record label, Apple Records, filed a lawsuit against Apple Computer for trademark infringement. The suit was settled in 1981 for the then-undisclosed amount of US$80,000 (equivalent to $276,700 in 2024) being paid to Apple Corps.
The inspiration for apple started with founder, Steve Jobs, and graphic designer, Rob Janoff. The symbol idea first came to Jobs while he was on a fruit diet and visited an apple farm. Janoff then thought that the apple should have a “bite” taken out of it so there would be no confusion on what fruit the logo was.