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Ever wonder how the iPhone and iPad came to be? Steve Jobs, the visionary behind Apple, once shared a little-known secret about the origins of these groundbreaking devices. What started as a bold experiment with a tablet eventually led to the creation of the iPhone, revolutionizing the tech world forever.
Photo: Asa Mathat
The Tablet That Started It All
In the early 2000s, Jobs had a wild idea—what if you could type on a glass screen without needing a physical keyboard? He asked his team to create a multi-touch display that could do just that. About six months later, they showed him a prototype, and it was nothing short of amazing. Imagine seeing a piece of technology that could completely change how we interact with computers!
Jobs handed the prototype over to one of Apple’s brilliant UI designers, and within weeks, they had features like inertial scrolling working smoothly. This was a game-changer. It wasn’t just a cool tech demo; it had real potential.
From Tablet to iPhone: A Strategic Pivot
At the same time, Apple was exploring the idea of building a phone. When Jobs saw the progress made with the multi-touch display, he had an epiphany. "My God, we can build a phone out of this," he thought. The tablet project, which had been the starting point, was suddenly put on the shelf. The focus shifted entirely to creating what would become the iPhone.
The decision to pivot wasn’t easy, but it was strategic. Jobs knew that the phone market was ripe for disruption, and the technology they had developed for the tablet could be the key to creating something truly revolutionary. So, the team poured all their energy into developing the iPhone, a device that would go on to become one of the most successful products in history.
Bringing the Tablet Back: The Birth of the iPad
After the incredible success of the iPhone, Apple didn’t forget about the tablet idea. Once they had the time and resources, they took the tablet concept off the shelf and went back to work on it. But this time, they had all the lessons they had learned from building the iPhone. The result? The iPad—a device that took the world by storm, combining the best of the iPhone with the original vision for a tablet.
The Power of Innovation and Flexibility
This story highlights the incredible flexibility and foresight that Jobs and his team had. They weren’t afraid to change direction when they saw a bigger opportunity. They took a risk by shelving the tablet project, but it paid off in a big way. And once they were ready, they revisited the original idea and turned it into yet another groundbreaking product.
Steve Jobs’ journey from the tablet to the iPhone and back to the iPad is a testament to the power of innovation and the importance of staying flexible. It’s a reminder that sometimes the best ideas don’t come in a straight line—they zigzag, evolve, and grow into something even more incredible than you initially imagined.
So, the next time you swipe on your iPhone or tap on your iPad, remember that these devices started as just a glimmer of an idea, one that took years of experimentation, creativity, and bold decisions to bring to life. And in the world of technology, that’s what true innovation is all about.
Listen to Steve Jobs:
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