The iPhone is the one device that revolutionized the smartphone industry, helping make Apple the most valuable company in the world and killing off many of the early smartphone leaders like Nokia, Palm, and BlackBerry. We’ve already heard different stories about Apple’s secret iPhone development plans from various books including the official Steve Jobs biography. But there’s one former Apple employee who knows everything about the iPhone’s early days, and he kept quiet for years after being terminated. That is, until now.
Scott Forstall, the former iOS guru that was responsible for iOS development up until Apple’s famous Maps fiasco a few years ago, spoke about the creation of the iPhone in an interview at the Computer History Museum. This is his first public appearance in five years, and you can watch it right away if you have a couple of hours to spare.
You’ll see Forstall detail his relationship with Jobs, but also explain how the iPhone was invented. For example, Forstall explains in the interview the kind of man Jobs was, and how the powerful CEO once saved his life.
Forstall said that the iPhone idea was the result of Apple’s rivalry with Microsoft. Apparently, Jobs hated one Microsoft employee (not Bill Gates). When he heard that person talking relentlessly about Microsoft working on tablets and styluses, he just went nuts. Jobs decided to show Microsoft how it’s done by making his own tablet. And that project turned into something else — the iPhone — but it also would later lead to the creation of Apple’s first iPad.
In addition to Forstall, you’ll also see other former Apple employees that worked on the iPhone, including Hugo Fiennes, Nitin Ganatra, and Scott Herz. Check out the full interview below:
