The 7 strangest prototypes of Apple devices

Prototypes come and go in Apple's long history, here we compile the 7 strangest ones that range from computers to iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches

An iPadizer we followed the information on prototypes of future Apple devices. What is interesting is that there are some that stand out for being very strange.prototypes which were ultimately not produced and may have been kept under lock and key in a secret drawer in Cupertino. On this occasion we will see the 7 strangest prototypes which have not been published, some which, for unknown reasons, are put up for sale at auction.

Apple Paladin, a very strange computer prototype

Maybe when you see this prototype, the image of an old fax machine will come to mind.if you had one at home in the 90s and early 2000s, precisely in the 90s, Those from Cupertino tried to merge a computer with a desk phone, in addition to integrating a scanner and a fax. The buttons may remind you of an old phone.

What is curious is that this prototype was not intended for domestic use but designed for businesses and users who don't want to have multiple devices. He Paladin Apple It was an example of the complexity of technology. Could this really be of any use? We will never know.

Lisa would have a brother named Jonathan

After the great success of the Macintosh launch, Apple was working on a new computer system characterized by its modularity. The initial prototype was very different in design to how we currently know computers, having a computer in the form of a shelf with different modules in order to have plug & play. Each module would mean having more graphics power or storage.

Apple decided to codename it Apple Jonathan with the possibility of expanding like the Apple II. We could say that they are the origin of a color different from the white or beige of computers from those years when the Apple Jonathan was black.

The iPad was already in Apple's mind in 2002 with this prototype

We have just published an article in which the first patent on Apple Vision Pro was rediscovered in 2008, we have here another example that Apple was already thinking about the iPad but in 2002. A prototype appeared one day with a thick white polycarbonate bodywas very similar in design to the iMac G5 and iBook of the time.

This prototype appeared to be at a very early stage of development since It had no additional ports or slots. This was one of Apple's first attempts with touchscreens, leading to what would later become the iPhone in 2007 and the iPad 3 years later.

The iPhone has had several prototypes in different generations

We've recapped how the iPhone came to be, from idea to prototype to final version, and We can't imagine the minds of each of the engineers and professionals involved in the development of the iPhone.. It is not easy to create one of the most important products in Apple's history and this is where we realize how much they could vary the design of the iPhone.

In the following images we have an iPhone with rounded designs with a body similar to the iPhone 3G, as well as a square design with sharp edgesomething that was surely taking better form until the birth of the iPhone 4; Also another taller, thinner shape that quickly makes us think about what some of these prototypes were. They had a dedicated power button and even a lock button similar to that of iPods..

Before the iPhone, the iPod was capable of integrating mobile functions

After the release of the iPod touch, many of us imagined having an Apple brand cell phone and the idea became more and more real given that there were applications with which we could communicate as if it were It was a cell phone. The reality is that Apple thought of a mobile phone based on the iPod before the iPhone.

You wouldn't imagine the image of the prototype you'll see below even in your worst nightmares. You can see a classic interface with click wheel for marking numberswhich was “terrible”, a fact admitted by Tony Fadell, former vice president of Apple. Without a doubt, this prototype was an essential part of what would later become the iPhone in 2007.

The Newton could have been the start of the tablet era

Long before the emergence of smartphones, There was a time when the concept of a “personal digital assistant” was a sensation driven by the Palm Pilot.among other brands like Casio, Sharp or HP to name just a few. Apple didn't want to be left out and launched the famous Newton MessagePad. It faced some issues in terms of handwriting recognition, but in other generations it managed to correct the path. The problem was that the public at the time did not react to this release.

In case Apple did not fail in 1998 by deciding to cancel this product, those from Cupertino have already taken the next step with the current tablet-sized Newton. This may be a new trend although, as in the previous examples, we will never know.

The strangest prototype is an Apple Watch

To conclude this compilation of strange prototypes at Apple, We cannot forget a product that is one of the best sellers in the world. The Apple Watch has had a long journey in terms of prototypes and as proof, There are some prototypes from 2014 which did not see the light of day on the shelves of the Apple Store.

One of them was integrated into a casewhich could look like a small cell phone in which only the screen was visible without buttons. This matter was confidentialin fact, they indicate that the watchOS version was a test version, that is, it was not even officially watchOS.

If we look back at the products that existed after these prototypes, we can conclude that Apple made good decisions.. The iPhone captivated for many years with its initial designs, it is known that the iPod was the basis for said iPhone and other products were not and would not have been viable after its release.

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