Chapter 1: The Initial Resistance

In the early discussions about transforming the iPod into a phone, Steve Jobs was taken aback. When Apple engineers proposed this idea, he reportedly exclaimed, "Why would we even consider that? It’s the most foolish notion I've ever encountered," as noted by Adam Grant in his book, Think Again. Jobs was concerned that venturing into the phone market would jeopardize the iPod's success, which had sold 20 million units in 2005 and contributed nearly half of Apple's revenue that year. Additionally, he believed that a phone would only appeal to a niche audience and feared that mobile carriers would dictate the design and functionality of the iPhone, leading to a substandard product.

Despite Jobs' skepticism, the desire for an Apple phone remained strong among fans. Tony Fadell, who led the iPod development team, shared that convincing Jobs required a collective effort over an extended period, rather than a single meeting. Contrary to the common perception that Jobs imposed his vision on the world, he demonstrated a remarkable capacity to adapt his views when presented with new perspectives.

Before the iPhone, the general sentiment at Apple was that cell phones were unsatisfactory. Jobs was notorious for destroying his phone in frustration when calls dropped. However, persuading him to consider a phone was more complex than simply suggesting it would be a great idea. It involved gradually dismantling his resistance over time.

Two years prior to presenting the iPhone concept, a select group of Apple’s designers and engineers began exploring innovative ways to interact with devices. They discovered a small company in Delaware called Fingerworks, co-founded by a PhD student and his professor, which had developed a touchpad that interacted directly with the screen. Apple ultimately acquired Fingerworks along with its patents for gesture recognition.

The Apple team aimed to extend this technology beyond a mere touchpad, envisioning a full touchscreen device, possibly a tablet. Apple designer Imran Chaudhri conveyed to Brian Merchant in The One Device that they wanted to manipulate elements on the screen as easily as moving a piece of paper on a table. They worked in secrecy, concerned that if Jobs disapproved, the project could be abruptly halted.

After demonstrating the multi-touch capabilities to Apple’s chief designer, Jony Ive, who had Jobs' ear, he cautiously approached the subject with Jobs. He understood that Jobs had a tendency to dismiss ideas quickly and stated, "Ideas are delicate and must be treated with care during their development." After considering the concept for a few days, Jobs acknowledged that touch technology was the future, but he remained unconvinced about the need for a phone.

As other mobile phones began to encroach on the iPod's market share by offering music playback capabilities—like Nokia's music phones—Apple decided to collaborate with Motorola to integrate iPod features into a new Motorola device. However, the result, the ROKR, failed to impress; it didn’t embody the minimalistic design of the iPod or the sleekness of Motorola's popular Razr. This misstep prompted Wired Magazine to question the viability of such a device on its cover.

Apple Senior Executive Mike Bell, who had been advocating for an Apple phone, recalled, "Putting iPod features into a Motorola phone seemed completely backward to me." In November 2004, he reached out to Jobs late at night, arguing for why Apple should create its own phone. He mentioned, "Johnny Ive has some fantastic designs for future iPods that are not public yet; we should take one of those and build a phone around it."

Jobs and Bell debated for hours, with Bell emphasizing that the convergence of computers, music players, and mobile phones was inevitable. The team believed that if they crafted a compelling product, they could sway mobile carriers to accept Apple's conditions regarding design, software, and distribution. Ultimately, Jobs agreed, stating, "Okay, I think we should pursue this."

This video delves into Steve Jobs' initial aversion to the iPhone and the reasoning behind his skepticism, providing insights into the Apple culture at the time.

Chapter 2: Turning Point in the Journey

This video explores how Steve Jobs was eventually convinced to embrace the iPhone concept, highlighting the shifts in perspective that led to the groundbreaking device's development.