Apple Engineer Offers Some Insight Into the Creation of the Original iPhone

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Posted March 26, 2014 at 4:45am by iClarified

Apple senior software engineer Greg Christie offers some insight into the creation of the original iPhone in a WSJ article posted this evening.

Christie has never before publicly discussed the early development of the iPhone; however, Apple made him available on the eve of its new trial against Samsung to highlight how innovative the iPhone was in 2007.

Apple says Samsung infringed on five more of its patents, one of which is the "slide to unlock" feature which Christie invented.

He began working on the device years before it was unveiled to the public:

In late 2004, Mr. Christie was working on software for Apple's Macintosh computers when Scott Forstall, a senior member of the company's software team, walked into his office, closed the door and asked if he wanted to work on a secret project, codenamed "purple." The team would develop a phone with an integrated music player, operated by a touch screen.
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Mr. Christie's team pored over details like the perfect speed for scrolling lists on the phone and the natural feel of bouncing back when arriving at the end of a list. He said his team "banged their head against the wall" over how to change text messages from a chronological list of individual messages to a series of separate ongoing conversations similar to instant messaging on a computer. He also said the team was "shockingly small."

Hit the link to continue reading Christie's story...

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Apple Engineer Offers Some Insight Into the Creation of the Original iPhone

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Céline - March 28, 2014 at 4:39am

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AaronL - March 26, 2014 at 4:47pm

Where do you end the copying scenario? Technically they never copied the feature because it would be different code and operating system, using another hardware sensor for a different result. Unlocking a device is not unique to anyone device however perhaps the similarities are there. I mean these petty arguments only seem to happen the mobile telephone industry. In the grander scheme of things, nobody ran outside the HQ of HTC and protested at them for doing such a thing. It's just these corporate windbags scraping the bottom of the barrel. Sure if I was the engineer of who thought of it, I would be p***** although it's not worth all the animosity. Just do it better next time.

zetaprime - March 26, 2014 at 12:23pm

Also consider that some of us are reading this blog on their phones or iPads where such workarounds are not evident.

zetaprime - March 26, 2014 at 12:21pm

And how about replying without being insulting to the person who made the comment?

zetaprime - March 26, 2014 at 12:18pm

The Read More link takes you to a page which can only be read by those with subscriptions. What does that have to do with dyslexia or not caring?

gamerscul9870 - March 26, 2014 at 4:56pm

It's how you see shit even if their are links which aren't here for example.

zetaprime - March 26, 2014 at 10:43pm

Again, when you are accessing this blog via the IClarified app, there are no visible options. Since IClarified has an app everything posted should be done in such a way as to be convenient for users of the app.

gamerscul9870 - March 27, 2014 at 9:46am

Another reason why I don't use chrome-foam. Not only is is made from a company that steals your data but safari is far ahead of chrome now other than loading times and features.

david vangina - March 26, 2014 at 10:46am

htc touch copycats

gamerscul9870 - March 26, 2014 at 10:49am

Their was iPhone BEFORE them.on the same year, plus that shit is one of the old schools and it's puny tiny with curved edges and it doesn't have those extra stiff next to the button like a galaxy did. Gimmicking amateur.

david vangina - March 26, 2014 at 11:01am

did you hack wikipedia again? It was windows phone and windows phones or palmos phones, palm treo came years before iphone. Sure iphone had nicer look gui but not better in terms of quality

alsayari - March 26, 2014 at 7:23am

It's a story of Success and and Innovation. They wrote the future of smart phone or should we say they invent it. Such a small team flourished apple Future.