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The iPhone dialer has letters below the numbers. Why did Apple include them on this screen? In other phones it is used for T9 keyboard or contact search.

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Some phone numbers are tailored to use a mnemonic "lettered" version to be more easily remembered. Think of an insurance company running a commercial on TV and its goal is that you call their number.
If they use 1-800-INSUR-ME, it'll probably be more easily remembered than 1-800-4678763.

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    So, what's your mnemonic for this?
    – Iszi
    Commented Aug 22, 2012 at 19:06
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    There's a name for this keyboard layout, too, which is E.161. The layout originated in American telephones for telephone exchange names during the 1930s.
    – William C
    Commented Aug 22, 2012 at 19:32
  • @Iszi The mnemonic is the song, duh. Oh one one eight, nine nine nine. Eight eight one nine nine. Nine oneonenine, seven two five...... three.
    – Criticizing Israel not allowed
    Commented Aug 5, 2015 at 22:29

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