Design

Very early iOS device prototype surfaces

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 11, 2013

The monster 2012 Apple v. Samsung trial was a treasure trove of various iPhone prototypes that we had never seen previously. These not only gave us a glimpse into Apple's creative process, we also got to see the various bodies Apple had been exploring for its then still work-in-progress iPhone. But this is something entirely different from everything so far.

For the first time, at least to my knowledge, we are offered a look into an extremely early iOS device prototype. The thing looks like something engineers would duct-tape together after a brainstorming session in Apple's kitchen. As you can see, it has a bunch of chips, tacked-on ports and a massive screen measuring five by seven inches. A former Apple employee said that "at the time, it was really impressive seeing basically a version of OS X running on it"...

These rear shell photos could mean colors are coming to iPad mini 2

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

A fresh batch of images purportedly representing the back shell believed to belong to a next-generation iPad mini have popped up on a Chinese forum. On the surface, the back part is reminiscent of the current-generation iPad mini design. On closer inspection, however, it appears to be a little thicker. Per rumor mills, the next iPad mini looks virtually identical to the original, but if the iPad 3 is anything to go by, the Retina upgrade in fact could add thickness in order to accommodate a bigger battery and better graphics, both required to power the Retina display...

Jony Ive on Apple product naming, David Beckham connection

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 20, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDovrpaocH8

Apple's London-born VP of Industrial Design Jonathan Ive was last week honored with the greatest accolade in United Kingdom’s children TV, BBC’s Blue Peter programme. BBC’s Barney Harwood briefly interviewed Ive on his design work and journalist and recording engineer Tom Davenport has posted a video where Ive discusses how product naming philosophy can affect the design process. And as 9to5Mac noted, Ive also reveals a little known connection to David Beckham. Another video right after the break...

Engineers poke holes in ‘fake Apple projects’ myth

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2016

A lot of urban myths have popped up around how Apple goes about designing its products and protecting its famous paranoid secrecy. Through mindless repetition, these unconfirmed facts tend to become kinda public knowledge, some of them so compelling we cannot help but believe those overly romanticized Apple stories without questioning them or even consider asking the subject of whom the rumor is about.

One journalist thought different and sought to apply a healthy dose of skepticism to one of the most popular myths - that Apple assigns engineers to fake projects. He set out to separate the wheat from the chaff by interviewing several former and current Apple engineers who - surprise, surprise - apparently have absolutely no knowledge of fake projects being a regular occurrence at Apple...

Jony Ive honored with exclusive gold Blue Peter Badge

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 6, 2017

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLUn7xCuQxo

Apple's head of industrial design, London-born Jonathan Ive, has been honored with the greatest accolade in United Kingdom's children TV, BBC's Blue Peter programme. First broadcast in 1958, Blue Peter is the world’s longest-running children’s television programme that educates the youngsters on craft tips, kids art and more.

Ive was honored with an exclusive golden Blue Peter badge and BBC's presenter Barney Harwood sat down with him in his design bunker in California for a quick chat. Ive, a life-long Blue Peter fan, said the show was an "inspiration to children around the world" and recalled how they reused products that you thought were no longer useful.

By the way, notice those mean CNC machines behind Ive in the above clip (sorry, Flash-only - talk to BBC!)? That's a pretty expensive piece of prototyping equipment Ive and his team use to experiment with materials and prototype various designs for future Apple gadgets...

New iPad 5 mockups look just about right…

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 26, 2016

If the rumors pan out, the fifth-generation iPad should have an all-new design that borrows heavily from the iPad mini, down to the skinnier side bezels, a thin-film touchscreen tech and a much thinner profile. Based on a purportedly leaked iPad 5 backplate, MacRumors has commissioned graphics artists over at CiccareseDesign to create a nice batch of renders depicting how the device should stack up against the iPad 4, iPad mini and the iPhone 5 in terms of the size and industrial design...

Analyst reinvents the wheel, says iPhone 5S will look the same as iPhone 5

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

Apple's 10-Q filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission shows purchase commitments for the March quarter dropping from $4.5 billion two quarters ago to just $904 million. Of course, two quarters ago Apple was ramping up iPhone 5 production and investing heavily in then new in-cell touch displays. Still, that's a huge drop.

One clever interprets this data point as a sign of the iPhone 5S not needing new manufacturing processes, in turn proving it's gonna look just the same as the current-generation iPhone 5. Notable changes will be from the inside, like the speedier CPU/GPU, better cameras and what not. Man, I should have been an analyst...

iPod Godfather explains Apple’s secret design sauce

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 7, 2016

Tony Fadell needs no introduction. The brains behind the Nest thermostat, this former Apple engineer also helped engineer the iPod music player and led the development of the first eighteen iterations of the iPhone. He recently talked Apple, Steve Jobs and secrecy inside the walls of Apple’s Cupertino HQ.

He also commented on Forstall's departure in an interview with BBC and told Bloomberg that he is "not that dumb" to compete directly with his former employer. And now, Fadell at the Bloomberg Design conference this week once more tried to explain Apple's secret sauce which results in the sexy gadgets people lust after. He also explained the difference between designing products at Apple and Phillips, here are some highlights...

Mockup time: iPad 5 with iPad mini style skinnier side bezels

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 16, 2013

Remember ahead of last September's iPad mini introduction, when a great deal of shabby renderings tried to depict what the device might look like?

It wasn't until designer Martin uit Utrecht set out to create some beautiful mockups that we started believing that the iPad mini would indeed become a smash hit for the Cupertino, California firm.

Also behind some pretty darn accurate renderings of the then-unreleased iPhone 5, Martin's now back at it with a bunch of new renderings done in Rhinoceros 3D, depicting what a full-size iPad 5 with the reportedly skinnier side bezels might look like. Go right past the fold for some more beautiful mockups...

The Apple-HTC settlement allows for this?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

What you're seeing here isn't one of the early iPhone 5 prototypes. Instead, that's apparently a leaked rendering of an upcoming HTC handset, called the M7. Recognize the familiar two-tone design with the distinct stripes alongside the top and bottom, with a large metal backplate in between?

Funny, we thought the ten-year Apple-HTC cross-licensing deal didn't include rights to the iPhone 5 design. Count us surprised!

Galaxy tablets didn’t copy Apple’s design, Dutch court rules

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 16, 2013

Apple isn't having as much litigation success in Europe as it's had over in the United States, where the jury hit Samsung with a massive $1.05 billion fine in the high-stake Apple v. Samsung trial. Courts in The Netherlands, for example, aren't nearly as sympathetic to Apple's infringement claims.

To refresh your memory, Apple has been claiming that Samsung's Galaxy tablets infringe upon its design patents for the iPad. However, it's been reported this morning that a Dutch court upon closer examination of Apple's claims has ruled that the Galaxy tablets do not infringe an the iPad design. Interestingly enough, the ruling mentions previous decisions in British courts...

Tim Cook is design-savy after all

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 14, 2013

When it comes to industrial design, watchers stubbornly refuse to give Apple's boss Tim Cook the benefit of the doubt. Cook is not a product person, critics argue.

He's a numbers guy who obsesses over spreadsheets while paying little attention to product design, haters often cry. And because of this, Apple of course is doomed.

Journalist Nick Bilton shares an interesting little anecdote in his Sunday piece for The New York Times that I think proves the opposite, that Tim Cook is very much aware of the importance of design in product development...