There have been some interesting bits and pieces of info coming out of the Apple vs. Samsung trial. In one deposition, former Apple designer Douglas Satzger told how Apple had “strong interest in doing two pieces of shaped glass,” for an iPhone prototype.
…Apple ultimately chose not to utilize curved glass mainly due to cost:
The technology in shaping the glass, the cost relative to shaping the glass at the time, and some of the design features of this specific shape were not liked… The technology at the time had a lot to do with it. The qualities of the glass at the time had a lot to do with it. These are models — I’m trying to remember a time frame — that were before gorilla glass and before a lot of the other factors.
Satzger also talked about issues with an early extruded aluminum prototype:
My recollection of it was that to get the extruded aluminum design that was applied to the iPod to work for the iPhone, there were too many added features to allow it to be comfortable and to work properly… If you put an iPod up to your ear, the sharp edges, because of the processes, aren’t comfortable, and you can’t get antennas to work properly in a fully enclosed metal jacket. So each one of those things needed to apply other features that started.
Also in the deposition is a question to Apple designer Christopher Stringer as to whether drop tests affected the phone’s initial design direction.
Stringer replied that it changes as a result of fine-tuning the design. Trying to decide how much of a border was wanted around the glass, angles, dimensions, corner radii. He said it did take many forms along the way, but said that the shape was not determined as a result of drop tests.
The depositions so far have been an informative look into the goings on behind the scenes as a product like the iPhone is being developed. This trial is at least proving more interesting that most, if only because of the “inside baseball” glimpses we’re receiving.
