A Pear Phone is a fictitious gadget based on the Apple iPhone. The design by the Pear Company is used by the television network Nickelodeon to avoid unwanted product placement in some of their shows including iCarly, Zoe 101, Drake & Josh and Victorious. In his fun facts for iPity The Nevel, the shows' creator Dan Schneider says that only the good guys in his programs own Pear technology.
The Pear Company
The Pear Company is a parody of Apple Inc and all of the Pear products are specially made for the Nickelodeon shows. All the products are similar to those of Apple and also include the Pear Pad, Pear Pod and Pear Book.
Product placement
Product placement is a form of advertising used by companies to subtly promote their products. Some people consider product placement deceptive and unethical despite it allowed in the UK and international programs such as US drama series. With shows such as iCarly, (whose name is also a parody of Apple products) the Pear Phone was created to avoid displaying the Apple logo for legal reasons.
Design
Although Pear Phone mimics the Apple iPhone, the outer design differs. An outer casing was created in the shape of a pear with a pear logo on the rear. The Pear Phone comes in a variety of colours including blue, green, red, pink, purple, black and orange.
Fan base
Schneider notes that fans frequently ask where they can buy a Pear Phone; they don't exist in real life. There are many fan pages online dedicated to the Pear Phone including fanpop.com and Facebook groups.
