The success of Samsung’s (005930) super-large Galaxy Note “phablet” was an important milestone for the company, as it showed that Samsung is capable not just of following industry trends but of starting trends of its own. But now Ars Technica has gotten hold of pictures showing that Apple (AAPL) may have actually been the first company ever to design a “phablet,” albeit not one that’s designed as smartly or stylishly as the Galaxy Note.
The large iPhone prototype measures in at 7 inches long, 5 inches wide and 2 inches thick, which makes it more like a thicker version of the iPad mini than a smartphone. The device also extremely boxy and lacks the rounded corners that Apple employs with its phones and tablets.
While we’ll never know how this version of the iPhone would have fared in the market, we’re pretty sure that Apple made the right decision to leave it on the shelf.
