“We are going to present a device that will revolutionize the internet, another that will revolutionize communication, and another with music.” In fact, only one was enough, the very one that Time magazine called the invention of the year: the iPhone. On January 9, 2007, it was demonstrated that phones did not need a keyboard, but a touch screen. A 3.5-inch screen where a set of cheerful icons explained the basic functions. Even a child could use it. That was the idea.
But the first iPhone also harbors the story of one of those “impossible challenges” being overcome and, with it, a giant leap forward in one of today’s most essential technologies: that of glass. protection. Today, millions of tempered glasses are sold as if nothing had happened, but just ten years ago they were something unusual. Especially since the first smartphones still mounted panels protected by a plastic film. Just compare the first BlackBerry Curve with the first iPhone, both from 2007: the change is abysmal.
“Don’t be afraid. You can do it”
Some say thinking of Steve Jobs is like thinking of Kendall Roy, a character from the popular Succession series who stands out for his impossible plans, ifus crazy initiatives that come to fruition at all costs, narrowly missing the original idea. With a caveat: when it comes to plans, Steve Jobs has worked well.
When the first iPhone concepts were put on the table, Jobs was clear that everything had to be perfect. PFor his brand new iPhone, he wanted the best screen possible
Yet experiments have stagnated for decades – you know what they say: necessity creates the tool. Until Steve Jobs flew to Corning, New York, to meet Wendell Weeks, CEO of the ditto company. Jobs had a clear idea: a pocket-sized, scratch-resistant screen with keys and coins that always looked clean. And it was supposed to be ready in six months.
After an initial meeting, Weeks told her about his secret project, Gorilla Glass. Sound familiar? It’s normal: more than half of the mobile phones and tablets in the world use this technology. Lenovo, Xiaomi, Oppo, Asus, Huawei, Nokia, Samsung, Google, Sony… major brands mount Corning panels. But the first was Apple.
“Six months is not enough”
However, Weeks made it clear that six months was completely out of his filing window. It was an investigation that was going to take a long time. Jobs, tempered and collected, answered over the phone, “Don’t be afraid. You can do it.” In fact, John Bayne, vice president of the department, reiterated that it was an impossible challenge. His previous projects took about two years of research and development before they became products to hit the market.
Jobs, who wouldn’t take no for an answer, insisted and left a production number on the table.. We don’t know which one, but we can get an idea: the first iPhone sold its first million copies in just 5 days and would exceed 6 million copies. And in the end they did.
Today, Gorilla Glass is synonymous with protection. A year after this meeting, Corning presented its second generation at CES 2008, 20% thinner. It seems that the pressure has done them good: with Gorilla they have reached their eighth generation and they are already on the second of Victus, the evolution of this project born in 2006 under a simple principle: you have six months to build the best mobile screen.
In Applesphere | iPhone 15: Release date, price, models and everything we think we know about them
