Apple's Jony Ive: We almost shelved the iPhone

[Leeky]

Apple's senior vice president of industrial design, Sir Jonathan Ive, revealed during a speech at a British Embassy Business event on Monday that the company almost scrapped its iconic iPhone because of design flaws. Apparently he and the late Steve Jobs were so focused on excellence that they were prepared to reject designs for merely being good, rather than great.

“There were multiple times where we nearly shelved the phone because we thought there were fundamental problems that we can't solve,” Sir Jony said when speaking at the event timed to coincide with the Olympics. He then recalled one problem involving an early prototype phone, “where I put the phone to my ear and my ear dials the number” accidentally.

Of course, the effort paid off in the end. Apple has enjoyed unprecedented success with the iPhone, selling over 250 million handsets since its launch in 2007.

His comments provide an interesting insight into Apple's design process. According to Ive, it is not uncommon for Apple’s designers to feel they are pursuing something that's really incredibly compelling, but at the same time they're struggling to solve the problem that it represents.

“We have been, on a number of occasions, preparing for mass production and in a room and realized we are talking a little too loud about the virtues of something. That to me is always the danger, if I'm trying to talk a little too loud about something and realizing I'm trying to convince myself that somethings good. You have that horrible, horrible feeling deep down in your tummy and you know that it's OK but it's not great.”

One comment likely to raise a few eyebrows with skepticism is that, according to Ive, Apple's “goal isn't to make money.” There were a few smiles and laughter in the audience, but Ive maintained that while the company is certainly very happy with its revenue, “Our goal and what makes us excited is to make great products. If we are successful people will like them and if we are operationally competent, we will make money.”

He also pointed out that the reason the firm makes only a few distinct products is to ensure they have a “manageable number of products we can invest in an incredible amount of care" and maintains that the “hallmark” of Apple is “real care.” He added, “if we're honest about wanting to make the best possible products that we can, that genuinely means saying no because we don't believe it's good enough.”

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https://www.techspot.com/news/49589-apples-jony-ive-we-almost-shelved-the-iphone.html

 

[gwailo247]

See, its things like this that illustrate the importance of Jobs. Most companies would release good. He wanted great, and that's why those products ended up defining a category of electronics.

 

[Guest]

[FONT=Helvetica]Apple's “goal isn't to make money.” Good one.[/FONT]

 

[avoidz]

I'm sure Apple is doing it for the good of humanity. Although they obviously make good products otherwise no one would be buying them.

 

[p51d007]

Any CEO of a company that says their main goal isn't making money, is OBVIOUSLY lying to you.

 

[trparky]

Apple's goal isn't to make money, that's true. However, their true goal is even nastier. Their ultimate goal is control, ultimate control. They want to control everything, they want to control how you use your computer, they want to control creativity. Just look at how they've been taking more and more of their user's rights away. The app store is a perfect example of this. App was there a month ago, now? Nope. Sorry, it violated a rule that we just made up last week.

Oh yeah... there's one more goal that they have. Sue everything that moves. Apple doesn't innovate, they steal ideas and claim that its their idea. When Apple does it, it's perfectly fine. But when another company does it to Apple... aw ****, we have to sue them.

 

[ReederOnTheRun]

Apple used to do it for the consumer, when steve jobs was there to push everyone. I think most people can see in their latest releases that they are starting to just push cheap upgrades at high markups for easy profits.

 

[xankazo]

Oh, I know this story... they were going to scrap it, but released it anyways despite design flaws and just because it has a partially bitten apple fruit logo on it, people bought it anyways... and everyone lived happily ever after.

The End.
True Story.

 

[Guest]

This seems to be the enclave on the net for iEnvy, iCynics and iTrolls.

Apple earned every bit of its success and has raised the bar for the entire industry. Not only are Apple products superior quality but they are substantially cheaper when the total ROI is calculated than any feature comparable product. LOO and RV alone make them a better dollar value. Do the math.

This could not have occurred by taking the same tired old approach and required a paradigm shift in thinking.

Just Saying.

 

[gwailo247]

This seems to be the enclave on the net for iEnvy, iCynics and iTrolls.

Apple earned every bit of its success and has raised the bar for the entire industry. Not only are Apple products superior quality but they are substantially cheaper when the total ROI is calculated than any feature comparable product. LOO and RV alone make them a better dollar value. Do the math.

This could not have occurred by taking the same tired old approach and required a paradigm shift in thinking.

Just Saying.

And they also own everything you do on your phone, keep track of your location, and sell anything that can be sold about you or what you do with your computers to third parties. They are one of the most evil and controlling corporations out there. And you're happy about it...

There is good to Apple, but just as much, if not more, bad. So keep thing in perspective. Baaah.

 

[Guest]

"They are one of the most evil and controlling corporations out there"

Evil by definition is the deliberate intentional desire to see others suffer. I don't believe this applies to Apple - at least not in any way beyond what any other business does by nature. Apple has a right to protect it's intellectual property like any other company. User data is useful for creating products that target interests. Though ANY information can be used abusively it is in no way necessarily the case.

Cynics are prone to choose the negative rather than positive motivation possible behind any action. This is just the tune they sing by mental habit. Truth is not a factor.

 

[Guest]

Appul will squeeze the Isheep till their Pips sqeak. They used to be good but any fule can see they are on their peak and the only way is down. Ha I bet their next product sells barely in the tens of millions.

 

[ReederOnTheRun]

This seems to be the enclave on the net for iEnvy, iCynics and iTrolls.

Apple earned every bit of its success and has raised the bar for the entire industry. Not only are Apple products superior quality but they are substantially cheaper when the total ROI is calculated than any feature comparable product. LOO and RV alone make them a better dollar value. Do the math.

This could not have occurred by taking the same tired old approach and required a paradigm shift in thinking.

Just Saying.

Apple totally did, and I used to love their products, but since Jobs left you can tell their products arent innovative nor excellent anymore. Jobs was the brains and balls of Apple. thats why google and microsoft are already caught up and starting to release better products. Oh, and I dont know what numbers you used, but for a hardware comparable product they are wayyy over priced. If you look up costs of manufactoring, Apples mark up is high compared to competitors. You're basically paying more for the brand name (same thing happens with burton, northface, and most german cars)

 

[Guest]

Let the trolls rant; they do it out of spite. Apple is a good company that cares about their customers. The future is bright for this company if they keep innovating and takes care of their customers. As a shareholder and customer, I have the uttmost faith in Apple. To all you trolls: Bite It !

 

[danhodge]

Apple's goal isn't to make money, that's true. However, their true goal is even nastier. Their ultimate goal is control, ultimate control. They want to control everything, they want to control how you use your computer, they want to control creativity. Just look at how they've been taking more and more of their user's rights away. The app store is a perfect example of this. App was there a month ago, now? Nope. Sorry, it violated a rule that we just made up last week.

Oh yeah... there's one more goal that they have. Sue everything that moves. Apple doesn't innovate, they steal ideas and claim that its their idea. When Apple does it, it's perfectly fine. But when another company does it to Apple... aw ****, we have to sue them.

Do you understand what you are talking about right now? That is the biggest exaggeration I have ever seen.
I dislike the Mac for the hardware/software integration, as I prefer to have a computer I can play around with. But that integration is what meant the iPod was so great. Apple could control every aspect of the user experience, making it much better than the competition.

There is no way you could edit your iPod and actually improve it, as Apple uses the best parts they can use for the iPod's size.
And there is no software that can rival iTunes. That is just fact.

Control your creativity? That is just a pathetic argument, please attempt to explain how this is done.

Yeah, that is what tends to happen when someone breaks a patent Apple put down. Apple doesn't copy - the iPhone wasn't the first smartphone, but it was the first GOOD smartphone. It still kicked off the smartphone hype, and pretty much changed the world. Same with the Mac - it wasn't the first computer, but it changed the way we use computers. I could go on, the iPod is the same, as is the iPad.

Then companies copy specific things Apple did to make these great products, like scroll wheels, accelerometers, and general user interfaces, which is where it starts breaking the patents Apple put in place.

Watch the iPhone keynote - Steve Jobs did warn all the other companies, as I quote 'And boy, have we patented it!'.

Get off the Apple hating bandwagon now *****.

 

[Guest]

Of course Apple doesn't care about the money. If they did they'd be litigating patent infringements for money, like Microsoft and everyone else. No, Apple is suing not for royalty payments on patents, but for injunctions. They know they've lost their edge and innovation was something they used to do. Now it's simply about building up the patent portfolio to attempt to lock others out of markets they consider theirs.

And to all the iSheep that continually forgive Apple for all their badness, and then claim that everyone else is just a hater on the bandwagon, look at yourselves closely. A product should stand on it's own merits, not the brand slapped on the back. If you want to be sheep then fine, but you will always be inferior to the person that stops and questions the PR and hype, if only because someone who questions what to believe is really the one that is Thinking Different.