We’ve seen plenty of iPhone and iPad prototypes as this legal battle against Samsung unfolds. But most of them were left prototypes for a reason—visually speaking. However, this latest one unearthed by the Verge caught my eye in a different way.
https://gizmodo.com/earliest-iphone-4-and-ipad-prototypes-look-pretty-ridic-5929433
Apple revealed the tidbit yesterday that the iPhone was birthed from a 2003 research project for the iPad. This CAD-rendered design—which shares A LOT in common with the iPad 1—seems to be part of that. But the hard edges along the face give this a different flair. Along with the curved metal back, this design looks positively space-age. It’s also slightly reminiscent of the HTC One X. Imagine you never invested a second or a penny into a single smartphone ecosystem. If you saw this phone, would it be enough to convince you to buy it? For me, I think yes. [The Verge]
