The iPhone could have had a curved screen, if it wasn't so expensive

There is a lot of interesting tidbits we learn from the ongoing Apple vs Samsung trial - we already got to look at nearly 40 images of early iPhone prototypes, including a curved screen model that was once considered by Apple. It’s that exact prototype that Apple was allegedly strongly interested in making, but decided not to make, according to a testimony by former Apple designer Douglas Satzger.

Satzger is currently the vice president of industrial design over at Intel, but in the recent past he went through a couple of roles at cupertino. From 1996 to 2008 he was at such high positions as Industrial Design Creative Lead and Industrial Design Manager.

Satzger testified by saying that Apple had a “strong interest in doing two pieces of shaped glass.” That’s exactly what we see in the images of the 0355 model prototype, pictured below. After considering cost, Apple opted against using the curved glass:

“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 said.



This doesn’t change anything obviously but is nonetheless interesting as now we have curved glass phones such as the Galaxy Nexus from Samsung. Would you have preferred a curved iPhone? Let us know in the comments below.

source: 9to5Mac