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Steve Jobs’ revealing secret meeting to explore an ‘iPod Phone’

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 · 2:01 pm · 19 Comments

“In our special report today we present you with a fascinating account of one of Steve Jobs’ secret meeting that involved creating the iPhone and how the iPod Phone almost came to be,” Jack Purcher reports for Patently Apple.

“It was much closer to reality than any us could have ever imagined at the time,” Purcher reports. “We also discuss how a ‘breakthrough’ feature was allegedly copied in the Android UI and what Steve Jobs thought of Google’s alleged rip-off of Apple’s iOS.”

Purcher reports, “At the end of the day, we see that until the multi-touch P2 team proved itself the winner over the P1 team’s approach to the future iPhone, there was a very real chance that the iPod styled iPhone could have won the day. Apple’s success with such an iPhone wouldn’t have gained them the explosive growth that they enjoy today nor the fruit that came afterwards in the form of the iPod Touch and iPad.”

Read more in the full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Lava_Head_UK" for the heads up.]

Categories: News

Tags: ios, iPad, iphone, iPod, iPod touch, steve jobs

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Comment Feed

19 Comments

Engineer

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - 2:08 pm · Reply

What a bunch of BS. Isaacson is the one with the reality distortion field. He spun a good tale but most of it isn’t true. Like the claim that OS X isn’t based on NeXTSTEP!

Steve Picked the wrong guy. And this article is a halfassed repetition of half truths by someone who obviously doesn’t know his history.

Its a shame to see that the legacy of Steve was written by such a lying scumbag.
Joe

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - 2:10 pm · Reply

Thanks. That was really an interesting story. I laughed at the line, Ahh, the stench had a name …. Google.

Although the ipod style phone would have been much cheaper than the multitouch iPhone, I’m sure glad that team 2 came through with their multi-touch technology on time. That was too close.
Joe

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - 2:40 pm · Reply

I see that you’re a blind purist. Was the personal stuff in the book off the wall? Yes, but there’s a lot of his inner circle that admitted that Steve was at time extremely hard to deal with. There was some really mean things revealed and you can deny them, but even the Woz tried to mend fences when Steve was off the top stupid.

You have the right to believe what you want, but it’s clear where you’re coming from, so it’s hard to take you seriously.

The report was interesting about the iPod phone coming so close to being what Apple may have gone with until the multitouch stuff was more mature. Luckily Apple was able to skip that phase. It was a good read. Thanks MDN
- GM
  
  Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - 3:21 pm · Reply
  
  Steve simply wasn’t a nice guy. And after reading the book I’m absolutely sure of that. Steve Jobs picked the writer. His wife encouraged Isaacson to tell the truth no matter how bad it was. She said he had done terrible things. So you can bet your ass that if there were lies in the book she would be all over it. Was he driven by demons? Who knows? In the end all that matters is how you conduct yourself. Steve was able to treat people awful and develop great products. It’s up to each individual what they consider a great
  human quality. Goodness or good products? It’s not a difficult decision for most of us who were raised properly.
  - AMG
    
    Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - 11:03 pm · Reply
    
    and you we’re raised perfect who at any time had no “demons”? steve had to choose someone he believes in –don’t you choose your doctors wisely mr perfectly raised ? you judge other people by how you were raised, hope that what happened to mr jobs never happen to your children
    - GM
      
      Friday, November 18, 2011 - 3:25 am · Reply
      
      That’s my point. He (Steve) picked Isaacson as his biographer and gave him full control. So you know that the things in the book are true. Tough to argue with facts.
Brau

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - 3:27 pm · Reply

I recall Steve Jobs saying in an interview that the first iteration of the iPhone was one “he could not convince himself to love” and he indicated it was based on the iPod (hierarchical) menu system, not much better than current phones. It was then a team of engineers said they though they *might* be able to squeeze OSX onto the phone and Steve gave it the green light while simultaneously tossing out all the money already spent on R&D. He described it as one of the few times he’s had to make an executive decision, essentially gambling.

It’s interesting to see how he took credit for that first iPodphone and yet later distanced himself from it, ultimately taking credit for giving the go-ahead to the iOS iPhone we all know and love. Clearly he knew how to position himself in front of the train no matter which direction it might head.
- GM
  
  Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - 3:39 pm · Reply
  
  As his wife so aptly said “he knows how to put spin on whatever he wants to”.
- macromancer
  
  Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - 4:48 pm · Reply
  
  If you’re the one who’s willing to bet the farm on a particular direction, then you should get the accolades when it turns out to be a winner. So what if there were other considerations. I would expect a company like Apple to have more than one design consideration.
  
  He made the call, it was the right one, and therefore should get the credit for having the vision to do the right thing.
Bob

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - 3:36 pm · Reply

What an interesting story.

To GM: In this world being “raised properly” usually means that your timid. Most leaders have a dark side. An Angel Jobs wasn’t but he inspired a lot of people to do things that they thought were impossible. Jobs saw himself as a rebel to justify his “bad boy” side. I’ve heard interviews from People that Jobs hated and they all respected him for his tenancity. So don’t get all judgemental about Jobs. At least not hear at MDN. No one is listening that your lame argument.
- GM
  
  Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - 3:51 pm · Reply
  
  Timid? Me? No I don’t think so asswipe. But you’re entitled to your opinion just like the rest of us. Oh and by the way, I didn’t know that you were the spokesman here? Dark side? You have been in the basement too long. Get out in the real world where somebody will knock the fuck out of you if you go around with a “dark side”. You apparently have little work experience or you’d know that inspiration doesn’t have to have bullying or mean spirited (just because you can) attached to it. Quit making excuses for the actions of others. It just doesn’t work.
  - Bob
    
    Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - 6:44 pm · Reply
    
    Oh boy, the timid one comes out swinging with he’ll knock the shit out of me. Boy, was that telling me off or what. I’m so very proud of you.
    
    Look, history shows that the ones who scratch to the top or usually ruthless. I didn’t write the script. Do I personally approve of someone going out of their way to humilate people to make a point. No. Did i like hearing that about Steve Jobs, absolutely not. But being timid isn’t going to help your company either. There’s always the big mouth who will step in as self-elected dictator if the boss doesn’t know how to handle tough people. That’s the point … as you say…. asswipe!
    - GM
      
      Thursday, November 17, 2011 - 8:04 am · Reply
      
      Read the book.
Lorax

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - 4:41 pm · Reply

My favorite line in the article: “Sometimes the distance between success and utter failure is no more than a moment in time.” So true, so true …
- Mike
  
  Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - 6:57 pm · Reply
  
  I second that Lorax. It’s a powerful line that rings so true.
  
  When looking back in time, I don’t know how many times that directions in my life were determined in a split second, and not always for the good.
  - Cubert
    
    Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - 10:05 pm · Reply
    
    True dat!!!
The Other Steve

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - 10:54 pm · Reply

I doubt the decision was that close. The iPod Phone just wouldn’t work and Steve would have never allowed for it to reach a final product. Especially the premiere product for a new category.
- Jolene
  
  Friday, November 18, 2011 - 8:02 am · Reply
  
  If you read the book, Apple knew that they had to have an iTunes playing cell phone. It didn’t work with Moto and an iPod phone would have worked, even if it was a temporary first step into that arena. It’s just that the engineering team with the help of the acquisition of FingerWorks and team came through will flying colors to make touch ready and on time for going live. But Jobs would have started with an iPod phone if the multi-touch team would have stumbled. It was a race to market. So I disagree with your position.
Billy Mitchell

Thursday, November 17, 2011 - 3:48 am · Reply

It’s just as important to figure out which projects *not* to do as which to pursue. I’m not surprised they worked on other designs that were eventually scrapped.

As for Steve, he was straight-up cloud cuckoo land. But that’s no surprise either to those who’ve followed his career. It doesn’t make him less of a product genius. No need to feel conflicted as you enjoy your Apple products — great stuff, at the hands of a jerk. He was insufferable, but in the end his friends and family put up with him. The ones left in his wake, were probably fine too. Life’s too short to worry about soda jerks.