Check out these images from Pierre Cerveau that show what the iPhone might have looked like if it was released back in 1986.
Ever wondered how Apple's flagship product would have looked if it had been released 20 years before the first iPhone?
Probably not... I've decided to provide an answer anyways
Cerveau's design is inspired by the Macintosh Plus computer which was released on January 16, 1986.
The phone is dubbed the "Macintosh Phone" and is touted as "the perfect companion for your Macintosh Plus". It has a hybrid rotary dial/click wheel that can switch between modes with the flick of a switch.
DTMF was widely used in 1986 ... why would they go with a rotary pulse dialer? And yep, monochrome LCD would've been the choice of screen back then .. even with today's technology, it's highly doubtful they could create a CRT screen to fit in a portable pocket device without burning up.
Ok, I had a Sony Watchman around '87 when I was in junior high school .. I just looked up it's technology .. it had a "Flat Display Picture Tube" that actually had a tilted phosphor screen ... so, maybe!!??? That was really impressive technology back then!
This is relatively MUUUUCH flatter than today's iPhones because a tube-screen THAT FLAT is sooo impossible that it would have been more of an innovation than anything currently available. On the other hand: Simple monochrome LCD panels would have been possible in 1986... So, this is a mistake in the design concept. But a cute one ;-)