Core77 speaks with Jonathan Ive on the design of the iPhone 4: Material Matters
By Rain Noe - Jun 25, 2010
As a designer you can't help but think about weird stuff. I can't help but imagine that if curious space aliens with no knowledge of human artifacts came to this planet and went through my apartment, they'd initially find little to distinguish one possession from another. But I'd be willing to wager that it is the iPhone 4, amidst the clutter of objects on my desk, that they would pick up and begin inquisitively licking or running their antennae over or what have you.
The new iPhone is currently the standout object on my desk, this thing that looks like a mere black rectangle from across the room but starts to look like something very different at the range it's meant to be used at. Holding it, you understand at once why Apple has physical stores; while you can watch iPhone commercials or see print campaigns about its features, when you first hold this exquisitely-crafted object you have a different experience entirely, one that cannot be adequately conveyed in two dimensions. Having seen countless photos of the device in advance, I was still surprised by the real thing when I popped it out of the box and touched it.
"A big part of the experience of a physical object has to do with the materials," says Jonathan Ive, Apple's Senior Vice President of Design, during a brief chat with Core77. "[At Apple] we experiment with and explore materials, processing them, learning about the inherent properties of the material--and the process of transforming it from raw material to finished product; for example, understanding exactly how the processes of machining it or grinding it affect it. That understanding, that preoccupation with the materials and processes, is [very] essential to the way we work."
It is this sort of materials obsession and constant experimentation that led to a decision to use scratch-resistant aluminosilicate glass for the front and back of the phone, as well as developing their own variant of stainless steel to edge the device. When you see the breaks, the three little black reveals that interrupt the band, in photographs, you could be forgiven for assuming you're seeing three separate strips of metal with gaps in between; but in fact it's all one piece.
"Those three black splits are co-molded in, and then the band goes through more processes," Ive points out. "So it's assembled first, the band, and then the final machining and grinding are performed, so the tolerances are extraordinary.... Whatever people's feelings are about the actual design of the product is of course subjective. But objectively I can say that the manufacturing tolerances are phenomenal. And we determined this, we designed it from the very beginning to meet those goals."
The goals have been well-met, and on the subject of phenomenal tolerances, when you see the phone be sure to check out the insanely thin reveal around the hatch for the Micro SIM card on the side; I've never seen that kind of tolerance on something I could actually afford to buy. Upon seeing it my first thought was I will never pop that open, because I'm convinced it will never close again. "I assure you, it will," Ive laughs. "The amount of care that went into that SIM tray is extraordinary. To achieve this kind of build quality is extraordinarily hard work and requires care across so many teams. It demands incredibly close collaboration with experts in certain areas, material sciences and so on."
That last part reminds me that there must have been a sizeable team behind the iPhone 4, and Ive confirms it, mentioning the importance of collaboration between engineering, manufacturing and design. It is an intense interplay between these fields that can yield mastery of the material, which is where everything starts with this object. "The best design explicitly acknowledges that you cannot disconnect the form from the material--the material informs the form," says Ive. "It is the polar opposite of working virtually in CAD to create an arbitrary form that you then render as a particular material, annotating a part and saying 'that's wood' and so on. Because when an object's materials, the materials' processes and the form are all perfectly aligned, that object has a very real resonance on lots of levels. People recognize that object as authentic and real in a very particular way."
For the sake of Core77's design student readership, I divert briefly into the realm of design education and ask Ive if he has any advice for students. "While [design schools today may have] sophisticated virtual design tools, the danger in relying on them too much is that we can end up isolated from the physical world," he says. "In our quest to quickly make three-dimensional objects, we can miss out on the experience of making something that helps give us our first understandings of form and material, of the way a material behaves--'I press too hard here, and it breaks here' and so on. Some of the digital rendering tools are impressive, but it's important that people still really try and figure out a way of gaining direct experience with the materials."
It is that direct experience, the hands-on, that is the key; like experiencing the iPhone 4 itself, it cannot be done without the physical connection. "It's very hard to learn about materials academically, by reading about them or watching videos about them; the only way you truly understand a material is by making things with it," Ive explains, going on to add that years upon years of making his own models with his own hands is what gave him a deep understanding of the materials he's worked. "And it's important to develop that appetite to want to make something, to be inquisitive about the material world, to want to truly understand a material on that level."
And what about when students graduate and become working designers? Absent the structured assignments of a Production Methods or Materials class, how ought designers stay abreast of materials? The best place for it to happen, of course, is in the workplace itself. "For a designer to continually learn about materials is not extracurricular," Ive points out, "it's absolutely essential."
[To read our first impressions on the iPhone 4, click here.]
Rain Noe
Rain Noe is a writer and industrial designer based in New York City.
99 Comments
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You guys really don't get it. Twiddling on your 3D modeling programs weather you are an engineer or designer will not get you any further towards a revolutionary product. Grey cells, sweat, obsession, Pencil, paper, wacom, mill, lathe, plastic, wood, steel, aluminum, and a good micrometer are the basics. Design and MAKE the product!!Report as spam
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Seriously, Steve Jobs is the man. He set the standards in terms of smart phones. I hope that I could be even half the man that he is. Goodluck to google and the rest of their competition!!Report as spam
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This is great information with regards to iPhone 4's material. This phone is really special. :)!Report as spam
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@ 8mismo Best Tech Quote I've heard yet! FTW "Apple: Tools for Tools by Tools."!Report as spam
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great little article mate the iphone 4 is really something special although it takes a microsim if you couldnt get a microsim like me you can cut your normal sim to correct size with a microsim cutter tool, i bought one from http://www.buymicrosimcutter.com and found it to be excellent!!Report as spam
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@MIke+@ Appleseed. Solidwords doesn't run on a Mac, but NX does! Dudes, git ur heads out of the sand! SOFTWARE IS JUST A TOOL DONT RELY ON IT TOO MUCH! BTW the Apple ID group is the only division/ department at Apple allowed to use PC's, you gits! And with Bootcamp......... :P Duh! I dont imagine these guys at Apple in front of Unigraphics or Alias (sure, they do spend their time there as well) but they are in the workshop with hand-files, in front of the Bridgeport, lathe, micrometers. I recon if I worked at Apple, had access to all those materials, I would be! @Col3man- The true sign of an insecure Designer is on that derides others than trying to help them better their vision- just like I did at the beginning of this blurb, so let's all grow up a bit!!Report as spam
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@Steve - been living under a rock lately? http://www.apple.com/iphone/design/#design-video!Report as spam
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Nice article- Well done - watch the haters line up here- First off- those taking potshots at ive or apple- Lets see what you have done lately.. lets stack your coroflot portfolio of design work up against his; lets see the companies you have started recently- jesus, the phone is amazing, the technology is amazing- you dont like the "rumored" antenna issues- dont buy one- go back to making your 3d karim rashid knock off models-!Report as spam
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Thanks god we got Core77. By the way this is for all my french designers in here, I hope u'll visit my blog about design technologies, industrial process, materials, products terminology....The goal is to reunite every resources on my blog because a lot of the interesting articles on the web are ...in english. The english version is coming soon. Thanks.!Report as spam
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This is such a puff piece. Note to Core77: if you want to be taken seriously as journalists, or even bloggers, ask meaningful questions. For example, how does a team of engineers and industrial designers miss the antenna problem? Moreover, this article focuses on material, and understanding how it works. The problem facing this phone is due to a complete MISunderstanding of material.!Report as spam
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In light of recent news that the minimalist style led to the disastrous design of the iPhone, much of Ive's pronouncements need to be explained and reconciled. If I understand it, someone forgot that the human hand could connect the separate antennae girdling the device. Forgot? Or maybe just ignored? Did form suppress function here? Did utility get forgotten? Did the pursuit of revenue blind those who should be pursuing quality? Perhaps Jon and Steve are the latest victims of the Pollyanna principle.!Report as spam
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In my experience, materials & processes class in design school was a difficult one to get right. We had a few different professors, but not many people took it seriously because it isn't a "core class" like a studio. I wonder how Jonathan Ive would structure an M&P curriculum?!Report as spam
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So many unhappy people. It's almost like the Internet was created so people can find other ways to complain and make themselves unhappy. The iPhone broke all the rules, is the leader, so deal with it or buy a flip phone.!Report as spam
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Modern Art!!!!Report as spam
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I think for me about this design in comparison to the other design, is truly is a real departure in form. It's clear that it is more consistent with the rest of the mac products, however in some ways I really enjoyed the playfulness of the design elements incorporated within the first iphone design. Just considering design elements and form they are both beautiful objects with real thoughtfulness I'm just not sure if the departure was worth the redesign. I really do enjoy the characteristics that this new object represents but I personally think the first phone captured a real uniqueness towards the mobile-phone industry that hadn't wasn't being captured for many years which is why it's popularity has been so dominating. It's really hard to evaluate and compare these two objects which offer ultimately similar functional use but what is left to be decided is whether the iphone 4 has really taken enough time in the new design to really capture the new marketplace in their design features. UI has played a key role in the success of this interactive object but I believe that is another component all on its own..!Report as spam
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At JPMartineau: I believe it's torx "tamperproof", to prevent people from fixing their own devices (sigh). At everyone concerned with the design of the device: The design is great, in many ways. The tolerances ARE extremely impressive. But I wonder: when the phone does break, or become obsolete, as it will do eventually, will all of the materials safely decompose or be efficiently recycled? Since more than one here pointed out that human beings are breakable, just as the iphone, I feel compelled to address whoever wrote "Is your head breakable?": Yes, it is. But, if the damage is not to severe, it will heal. If I die, my body will decompose, bringing nutrition to the soil. That's great design. Expect more, complain less, stop arguing about banalities.!Report as spam
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Apple has released a letter confirming that the loss of signals bars is the issue, not the loss of signal. They will fix it in a software update so they use the same calculation as everyone else.!Report as spam
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@John Appleseed: No, SolidWorks doesn't run on Mac, but Siemens NX does. I believe that's what they use for their CAD system along with other products for the industrial design, analysis, etc...!Report as spam
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Sami: Excellent point - a device that, for many (perhaps most) will be in the front pockets of jeans will never be at risk for bending. Less sarcasm, more thinking.!Report as spam
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Nice interview on Ives philosophy of design. The 'signal drop' thing is overblown. It's been shown it does not effect all people and iPhones. Search for videos. Some people can get it to happen on one iPhone 4 but not another. Some people don't have the issue at all. In fact it's even been shown it doesn't always effect people and iPhones in all locations -http://twitter.com/camh/status/17297671186!Report as spam
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I have an iPhone 3Gs, not an iPhone 4 which has much stronger glass. I accidentally dropped this phone down a concrete set of stairs leading up to my apartment. 27 stairs in total. It landed at the bottom, glass face down with no case or scratch protector. I angrily went to pick it up, thinking this thing was going to be shattered to pieces, but no. The screen was still in pristine condition. I couldn't find a -knick- on it. The only injuries I could find were on the plastic: two scuff marks. Now, the iPhone 4's glass is MUCH stronger than the 3Gs which I myself have seen withstand major trauma (fling your phone down a concrete staircase and see if it survives with minimal damage). And you people think you're going to harm this by dropping it on a -desk-? Take a piece of glass from a helicopter windshield and slam it onto your desk. Think it'll break?!Report as spam
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Those screws aren't Torx. Torx have 6 sides, not 5.!Report as spam
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@tim 'Should be an easy fix with a transparent clear coat.' At times I too think of clear coats, but when it's handled excessively, just the acid from your skin 'will' cause it to degrade and it will either peel or flake.!Report as spam
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@Gazoobee --- "Scratches are a much bigger problem for the average user than breakage." --- I'm pretty sure that's incorrect. Scratches don't prevent the phone from working. I work for AT&T, and I've never once had a customer come talk to me because "my iPhone has too many scratches." I've had quite a few people come in though because their glass was smashed and they can't use the phone. My buddy's phone is so bad the Apple is half-scratched off the back, but it doesn't affect his use of the phone at all.!Report as spam
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Ah I wanted to say yes it is Torx, not hex. My screws are PH-000 to be even more precise. If Apple wasn't so secretive by using artificial cases to simulate the 3GS phone in the field, they would of noticed the signal problems early on as that case provided enough insulation for the field test engineers not to notice anything wrong.!Report as spam
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Materials influence design and design should push engineering to develop new methods of working with materials. If the finished product doesn't do what it is supposed to, no matter how much work went into it, than it is flawed, and shouldn't be released. Design should be the bridge between art and engineering, unfortunately it seems that many "designers" forget how to accept criticism from the public once they're out of school. Sure the phone is beautiful to look at and touch, Dieter Rams work is timeless.!Report as spam
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Have you had sex with your iphone yet?!Report as spam
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What I find odd about Apple is their minimalism, I think a lot of other phones have a more original design. The 3G has this nice sort of curvy back, ok I get that, but the 4 is just... dull?!Report as spam
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Whoever said the iphone 4 is made of gorilla glass is mistaken. Gorilla glass is used on the Motorola Droids, however not on the HTC Droids. Result? Major issues with the screen on the eris and incredible, virtually none on the current Droid. Apple uses a proprietary method of strengthening glass. They do not use gorilla glass. Now, I have dropped my Droid I don't even know how many times and there isn't even a scratch on the glass. Most Droid owners have had similar experiences. There were over fifty broken iphone 4's within the first two days of release. That is fifty that were reported in less than 48 hours. The phone is incredible, but the glass IS an issue.!Report as spam
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While normally not an apple fan and their products (for various reasons), I find myself admiring the ID of the iPhone 4 more than any other previous apple design. It has more character and is much less sterile while being incredibly refined. It is also impossible for anyone in the know to dismiss the build quality of most apple products, they are far superior to most commercial electronics. Period. However, there is a hubris in their products that chafes me and is, in my view, the reason for the backlash about the signal attenuation. When you project that you are the smartest guys in the room and miss, people like to see you fall. The issue with antenna is unforgivable. It is not present to the same extent in other phones and it is not caused by the FCC specifications (all phones will suffer attenuation when you cover the antenna which does need to be near the bottom). It is due to the fact that the antenna is uninsulated and can be touched by bare hands. Take off your fanboy hats and think about it for a second. Does any other product available that operates in a similar spectrum have an uninsulated antenna? No cell phone (even the old whips were dipped in plastic). No wifi hardware. No bluetooth object. So in short, a beautiful object, but currently a handicapped one. Should be an easy fix with a transparent clear coat.!Report as spam
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Great interview. Thanks for sharing this Core77. To all people calling the other posters "haters", i would assume you guys are fanboys. You give other Apple users a bad image. I have the iPhone4 and Im experiencing the signal problems... Does that make my problem irrelevant? NO! The problem isnt minor as you guys think, my other friends have it too. You should go look at the posts in Engadget, Gizmodo and Techcrunch... They tested it and it's very clear there's a problem. With regards to Ive's post, it is ironic because he talks about working with materials etc. and here you have an antenna that was supposedly well designed but in reality is problematic. It's really frustrating. The iPhone 4 is a brilliant device but a sucky phone. Having said that, this doesnt mean Ive sucks... they just made a mistake. It happens to people. They just need to admit it. Cheers!!Report as spam
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"... if curious space aliens ... licking or running their antennae over or what have you." Antennae? Oops. Aliens, this is a no-issue issue. So stop it.!Report as spam
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Too bad he designed such a beautiful i"Phone" that works perfect as anything other than the "Phone." Great interview though.!Report as spam
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I love Apple and iPhone - I have a 3GS (as does my wife), an iPad and a MacBook Pro. I pre-ordered the iPhone 4 and found the reception issue problems - when you EXPERIENCE them you realize just how bad it is with the affected handsets. Holding my iPhone 4 drops the signal strength from 5 bars to "Searching..." (i.e. no signal). Perhaps its just a limited group of handsets - but either way, mine is going back to Apple for a refund - I'll buy another later in the year when this first batch is gone. Love the phone - but this issue is TOO big a flaw to overlook.!Report as spam
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I have to say that it is true about the signal going down when you hold it a certain way, but where I live , i have never been able to get a signal on my iphone that is untill now, If i hold it in my other hand I have a full signal for the first time ever, zero bars to full bars in a location that has never had a signal. I have not choice but to back up that apple genius behind the IPHONE!Report as spam
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Outstanding design Mr. Ive. Quite exquisite.!Report as spam
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@John Appleseed This is where I insert a snarky response having something to do with VMWare Fusion or Parallels.!Report as spam
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"And yet it never occurred to them to put it through an EM simulator, of the sort every BSEE student learns to use before they let her out into the real world." Abject nonsense. Apple were not about to invest tens or hundreds of $M to produce a device that did not make it through the FCC checks, and they employ a LOT of EE's. The reception difficulties that have been written about on the web should be viewed in context: iP4 is as good as most smartphones and hella better than iP1-3. Apple (obviously) did the tests and found a tradeoff that would be acceptable to the vast majority of their users.!Report as spam
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The real problem with the iPhone 4 is that the Apple haters have collaborated with the felons at Gizmodo to produce their own little Tea Party, complete with misspelled and misinformed picket signs.!Report as spam
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At this point anyone who harps on about the "reception" or "antenna" issue is just showing how little they know about phones and the technology that powers them - not to mention the FCC regulations about it all. The glass thing I can understand - "glass" is something we think of breakable because of the poor quality and cheap glass 99% of our experience is with (just like when you hear "salt" you think of table salt, not the thousands of other salts). However I've seen a nail bashed into wood with a Gorilla Glass phone - this is not your normal glass.!Report as spam
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Sound to me based on his comments that Zid hasn't actually used an iPhone 4 yet. He's regurgitating the same old stuff being hyped up by the media and fandroids. That's not to say there isn't an issue to be resolved but he attempt at talking from a position of authority is clearly false.!Report as spam
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@Gazoobee Apple did not use Gorilla Glass, which is not a type of glass, but a brand name for a chemically strengthened glass. I am not sure if it is stronger or weaker then the aluminosilicate glass Apple used, but it is not the strongest glass. Gorilla Glass is a great glass, as far as the strength to thickness ratio, hence why Corning is pushing it for use in electronics. I would be willing to bet even if Apple wanted to use Gorilla glass, they would chose not to, simply because they like to have a strangle hold on their supply chain and find the lowest and Dow-Corning is the only maker of Gorilla Glass. See here for a good explanation of the various types of glass: http://machinedesign.com/BDE/materials/bdemat7/bdemat7_3.html While the tolerance and materials on the new iPhone are indeed amazing, there was zero excuse for allowing direct electrical contact between the iPhone antenna and the users hand. I wonder if Apple had even one antenna design specialist..considering they are currently looking for three!!Report as spam
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All the naysayers here, good luck with that job at McDonalds after you graduate from design school. They tend to hire people who get it.!Report as spam
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Thank you for the very interesting interview! And for those that think tolerances don't matter or material choice is obvious (or obviously wrong), come back with your phone design. Then we'll talk.!Report as spam
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Great interview! The sub-moronic comments from the Apple Haters are pretty entertaining, too.!Report as spam
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@zid - Actually, you're wrong on a couple things here. First - just because the glass breaks, doesn't make it unusable. A crack in the back glass has exactly zero effect on usability (except, of course, if there's an exposed edge to cut you - but even that can be mitigated.) Furthermore, I've actually see iPhone users who've cracked their screen continue using their device for months or more. Just last month I was on a plane with a guy using an iPod touch that had multiple cracks in the screen. He was listening to music, playing games and even reading websites with it. If you knew much about the signal issue, you'd realize it's less of an issue than it's been made out to be. As many have said, this affects every phone in existence. More importantly, the dramatic effect of this signal degradation isn't evident unless you're already in a sketchy signal situation. It just happens that AT&T's network craps out in a number of locations and the "magic spot" is in a place where many people like to hold their phone. It's not like the phone will drop every call every time you touch this spot. The moisture level of your skin, the signal quality of the network, and interference from other devices all come into play. Then, when you consider that a good portion of iPhone users also use a case for their iPhone by choice - which generally eliminates the problem entirely - really, how much of a "problem" is this? It's not that you can't hold it bare - it's that in certain circumstances, the way you hold it could affect signal quality. This is NOT a universal problem. There are far too many factors that play into it. As long as you don't bridge the visible gap between the antennae on the lower left, you'll be fine. Is it a glaring oversight? Sure? Is it something Apple detractors will harp on? Absolutely. Will it keep them from selling iPhones? Nope.!Report as spam
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@8mismo Yes, when I don't care about an article on a website, I leave a snarky comment to demonstrate my superiority. Oh wait...!Report as spam
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"Phone4 dropped one time, glass breaks." Um, no, it doesn't. I remember seeing a drop-test of iPhone 4. They dropped it repeatedly on concrete and it did not break. Only after repeated drops did the glass finally break. This might come as a sock to you, but the glass in the iPhone is not your typical windows-glass. As to reception-issues... Of course the people who have the problem are making a lot of noose about it, the multitude who do not have any issues ate not saying anything. Besides, other phones have similar problems as well. And furthermore: it does not matter that much if the phone loses some signal-strength if it has better reception to begin with. And all reviews agree that iPhone 4 has a lot better reception than previous iPhones do. So get some perspective, please.!Report as spam
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@8mismo you "not care" so much you had to read the whole thing and then post a comment. Go read about what you care about and let others enjoy what they enjoy.!Report as spam
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In the article: "I've never seen that kind of tolerance on something I could actually afford to buy." One word: Lego more words: Lego has at least the same kind of tolerances, and is in fact one of the things most people have used with the tightest tolerances of anything. Put 2 pieces together and study the joint. It's in fact more precise than that SIM slot on the iPhone 4. Lego stands out in that each piece is made to attache precisely, and still be detachable by the hands of a child, time and time again.!Report as spam
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I run SolidWorks on my Mac: Boot Camp w/Win7 & it runs nicely on the i7 MacBook Pro. Hard to beat compared to carrying a heavier Dell (& humongous charger). Rote comment of the moment on antenna interference doesn't mean much once you know about it. My iPhone stays on my belt and I answer and talk on BT earpiece anyway. I have thrown away dozens of cell-phones in over two decades, but still have every iPhone from the 1st launch day. One died by immersion but that was not the fault of the iPhone. Compared to the dozens of other phones I've had, the iPhone would represent an order of magnitude increase in reliability and function hands down. Complaints are "relative" and just not justified in my opinion.!Report as spam
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What a great interview. You can tell Ive is just a genius with this stuff, definitely the next closest design master next to Steve Jobs. Who else in the industry can compete? Seriously, there's no competition.!Report as spam
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"SolidWorks doesn't run on Mac." Psst: Macs have been capable of running Windows, and hence Windows-only software, for quite a number of years now. But don't let a little thing like that stop you from hating anything that has to do with Apple.!Report as spam
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Regarding Mr. Ive's suggestion of gaining hands-on experience with materials and processes, those in the SF Bay Area may find TechShop useful (techshop.ws). (I am not affiliated with them; I just wish they had been around in my college years.)!Report as spam
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I am quite rough on almost everything I own. Cameras subjected to constant dropping, exposure to salt water while fishing, laptop computers falling off a precarious perch, I can go on but I'll get to the point. GLASS! My first iPhone slipped from a hooded sweatshirt, met the ground and cracked the glass. A few weeks later my son managed to finish off the phone by playing bounce with it. GENIUS ALERT: Phone with glass, buy a guard! My 2nd iPhone got wrapped with a rubber cushion and I've had it for quitter a few years with no issue whatsoever. Add to that, the phone accompanies me on my boat while fishing and is handled with salty hands (gotta AirMe those fishing pics) all the time. The enclosure has protected this highly sophisticated electronic device from "the elements", and my destructive patterns and done quite well. I'm not a design student or professional, but to see the visceral reaction to Ives as I see it here, with no regard to the actual design philosophy that he (and Apple) embrace, leads me to believe that there are many here who are blinded to objectivity, simply based on a personal preference (or dislike for Apple). When the student is ready, the teacher appears.!Report as spam
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I've been using cell phones for 23 years now, so I've had all makes, all forms, made from all materials. Dropping a cell phone has always been a "wait and see" experience. "Wait" until it stops bouncing, rolling or sliding and, then, "see" if it still works. The old larger cell phones, although heavy, were pretty good at surviving a fall. Usually the battery would fly out and, if the battery door didn't break, you were OK. My first cell phone cost a little over $3,000, and subsequent ones were in the $700 to $900 range. No insurance, no subsidy, no rate plan; just go buy a new one. Two years before the iPhone debuted, I bought my wife, my son, my daughter and myself a Samsung slider-style phone. It had a color screen and could access the internet. One-by-one we all dropped our Samsungs, and each one broke on the very first drop. Although the phone still 'worked', the screens were useless. Since then we have all purchased iPhones (including my two younger daughters who are now cell phone age). That's 7 iphones including one 3GS bought to replace an original (Edge) iPhone. Despite repeated drops, they all are fine, beautiful still, really. A couple minor scratches, but otherwise perfect. I have no doubt the iPhone 4 is more durable than our 3Gs and 3GS. The really sad thing is that there are some people (sad for them) that, for some unfathomable reason, hate Apple. This is strange considering how great their products are and how much the rest of the tech world imitates Apple. Apple could create the 'perfect' product and, still, these same douches who populate Apple blogs would vomit up their bile in a vain attempt at increasing their self-worth.!Report as spam
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Great interview. Bunch of moronic comments, as usual.!Report as spam
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"I can't help but imagine that if curious space aliens with no knowledge of human artifacts came to this planet and went through my apartment, they'd initially find little to distinguish one possession from another. But I'd be willing to wager that it is the iPhone 4, amidst the clutter of objects on my desk, that they would pick up and begin inquisitively licking or running their antennae over or what have you." Well, maybe, but make sure they don't lick it on the lower left corner or they won't be able to phone home.!Report as spam
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@Zid Liar.!Report as spam
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Why are people so hateful and biased towards thinking they know everything about an issue in comment threads? So depressing to read how people type such spiteful comments about someone I suspect they don't know well at all. Sad.!Report as spam
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Why are people so hateful and biased towards thinking they know everything about an issue in comment threads? So depressing to read how people type such spiteful comments about someone I suspect they don't know well at all. Sad.!Report as spam
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I am typing this using my brand new iPhone 4. I'm pretty amazed at the mean spiritedness of all the comments so far. I can report that the signal problem has not impacted me at all. The phone works great for me in all respects, and sound/call quality is far superior to my old iPhone. Among 1.7 million customers you are bound to come up with some strange issues. For me, I can report the Retina Display is stunning, design is first-class, and I couldn't be more pleased. D!Report as spam
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Nice design. How 'bout getting a phone that actually works more than 50% of the time? I don't have patience for the artistic stuff when basic functionality is terrible.!Report as spam
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@James: the screws (in the photo) are neither "hex," nor Philips', but Torx. Bit 'a difference.!Report as spam
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@zid - get educated, all phones with internal antennas have this same exact issue, and Nokia even illustrates the right and wrong way to hold their phones in the manual.. as for the iphone4, if you hold one you'll realize its largely academic because you rarely if ever cup the thing next to your head. you hold it with your fingertips. try it. non-issue. even the tech mags are saying they get fewer dropped calls, better reception, etc...!Report as spam
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The iPhone 4's antenna is a design decision. The phone still has better reception than a 3GS, as tested by AnandTech, a hardware analysis company. Could the iPhone have even better reception? Of course. They could have stuck an enormous antenna out of the side of it and you would probably have somewhat better reception. Or they could have coated the antenna in rubber. But instead, they decided to let you decide if you need that coating of rubber. Most probably won't need it. I don't expect to ever get a case for mine. I do appreciate the nice form of the sides and the usability they afford in picture taking and video watching, something that would be somewhat worse if the sides had been coated in slick plastic or sticky rubber. We pay Apple to predict what is best for most consumers, not to cater to stat-brained non-users.!Report as spam
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I consider iPhone 4 -- or at least these first batches of iPhone 4 -- to be a new "version one" for the device. It's a completely new build with completely new materials. I'm staying away from purchasing not just because of personal budget but because of its newness. In the coming months, Apple will make adjustments based on use by the early adopters. By the time I feel an itch and have the money to buy an iPhone 5 (on AT&T or Verizon), I will have confidence that Apple would have worked out most of the design flaws. Both zid and K above are right. The truth is somewhere in the middle. This an "ultraportable" computing device, meaning that it will be abused more than any other kind of computing device. If you were to leave your iPhone 4 on a desk all day long, never moving it from its spot, it's going to wear just fine. Unfortunately, this is not the case. These devices get abused because they are with us all the time. They are as prone to break as we are prone to break.!Report as spam
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look I'm not an Apple fanboy by any means but some people need to stop theirrational ihate. They are a company that make products, some of them very good. I'm guessing messrs Doe and Appleseed etc are what? about 12?!Report as spam
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Wow. A number of these comments are obviously not from design students. Maybe the trolls from Engadget are on a field trip? If, from a design perspective, people in *real* ID have no appreciation for the thought and care that went into things like the SIM tray and the breaks in the stainless steel band, you should probably do something for which you are more suited. Maybe ID for Microsoft?!Report as spam
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All smartphones are prone to breaking, depending on the impact force and the point of impact. I've dropped my iPhone numerous times on various surfaces (basketball court, footpath, kitchen tiles), and sometimes it has no effect, but a couple of times, it's broken the screen or scratched (quickly replaced by insurance). It's obvious that a high-end product needs due care...no smartphone is impermeable, and the argument that a Nokia 3310 can survive is stupid, to say the least. As for nobody caring about the sim-tray, it's this attention to even the smallest detail that puts Apple far ahead of the rest. I hate the cheap build quality you get with other brands (e.g. Nokia, HTC, Sony Ericsson)...no thanks!!Report as spam
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Yeah, great design! Outstanding! Phenomenal! But if you couldn't use your phone 'coz it loses signal when you hold it differently, the design loses its brilliance. I mean, the fact that you have to use bumpers to circumvent the reception issue is clearly a "design" flaw. I've had several phones in my life and I have dropped them at least once. You know what, still 100% working. iPhone4 dropped one time, glass breaks. There goes your money. And to the person that said people care more when phone gets scratched that when the glass breaks, is f@##in st@#$id. When the glass breaks, you can't use anymore! It would seem that to protect your phone, you need a strong casing. Again, "design" flaw. I shouldn't have to use an accessory to relieve me of the worry that it may break when it's not protected. The iPhone4 is the most beautiful device in the world. Why must its beauty be hidden because of a design flaw? Why can't I hold it bare? It's as if Apple has not included drop tests and reception tests in their Quality check. Please don't forget this next time you make a phone that "changes everything".!Report as spam
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I've owned 3 iPhones over the last 2 years and have dropped all of them occasionally. Sometimes on concrete. They didn't break, they didn't even scratch much. I think if you want to break that glass you have to throw the phone at a brick wall or drop it from a height or hit it with a hammer. I lost one of them to a leaky Coke can in a backpack, the other two are still going strong.!Report as spam
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What about impact resistant.... Is your head breakable?!Report as spam
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@Thad "Know what material likes to shatter when struck against a hard surface? Oh yeah, glass." Right you are. I hear the Androids have plastic screens on them, maybe they will develop a screen out of rock or metal. You won't be able to see anything, but the droid-bots might not notice so long as there is no Apple logo on it.!Report as spam
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@theweegie: If I didn't make my post clear enough, sorry. It's a phone. People want to use it. They will be dropping it by accident. They will be touching the antennas. This device is not a vase, you don't keep it on your desk waiting for aliens. Total design is welcome. Flawed usability isn't.!Report as spam
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@silverwarloc: Oh please, so do educate yourself. http://www.gottabemobile.com/2010/06/25/ifixit-backtracks-on-iphone-4-gorilla-glass-claim/ Do you even know that the back was never 'reported' to 'supposedly' be gorilla glass? As for the antenna, please try to see above the tip of your nose. HTC, Nokia, NASA, or anyone else is welcome to make crap - I'm not paying them for their phones. This bothers tens of thousands of people, so it's called, yep - a problem.!Report as spam
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@john doe if you think no one cares about the sim tray, you completely misunderstand not only the product but the concept of total design itself. take a look at pugh's book on the matter.!Report as spam
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@john appleseed no, solidworks isn't available for os x....but NX, a staggeringly better quality system is....and is used by apple.!Report as spam
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"you could be forgiven for assuming you're seeing three separate strips of metal" . . . Could be or will be??!Report as spam
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I've broke plastic; I've broke glass. Let's not mention wind. The reality is that any drop to any of the current smart-phones put's the device in danger. And you don't have to be clumsy to have an accident. If you are sitting at a desk, use your device without a cover. But, like everything else you use that is valuable, put a case on it when you are on the run. What's nice is that Apple's devices are the most resistant to scratches and breakage but no device is foolproof, especially the shoddy way Android devices are being built. So be safe and protect them with a nice looking case.!Report as spam
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@Ben Arent - everyone has access to "materials". Ive isn't talking about specialist ones necessarily, even though he is operating in that area. Wood, steel, stainless steel, aluminium are all commonly available.!Report as spam
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@ Appleseed. Solidwords doesn't run on a Mac, but NX does!!Report as spam
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@John Doe: Apparently, your comment is a joke. It clearly indicates your lack of knowledge materials--especially. See Gazoobee's comment directly below yours. Additionally, your comment concerning antenna issues is a clear indication of "jumping the band wagon" mentality. You clearly did not do your research. Had you done so, you would have realized that this problem is inherent in all phones. Look at the E71, HTC EVO, and Nexus One. All these phones, including the iPhone, have this problem. You're only gloating because Apple is dominantly in this area and have shown your disdain for anything Apple. Remove the bias. Educate yourself. Do basic research. In the end, you won't fall in this trap!Report as spam
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@Agent Smith: How do you know that Apple did not put it in an EM simulator? Are you even aware that this problem is inherent in all phones not just the iPhone? Apparently, not, based on your response. You need to search google or youtube and you will see that this has been independently verified by Nokia itself. Nokia even wrote a blog about it on their own site. This also happens to HTC phones. You really need to do your own research before making a false accusation.!Report as spam
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To all the glass haters who have read this wonderful article and can only think of nasty things to say to make themselves feel important ... The glass (gorilla glass) is currently the *strongest* glass made for commercial use and is used in things like windscreens for helicopters and high speed trains. Despite the fact that glass sometimes breaks (if you drop it stupid), it breaks a lot *less* than almost any other substance except perhaps plastic. If they had made the iPhone plastic it would get scratched in a second and everyone would complain even more. Scratches are a much bigger problem for the average user than breakage.!Report as spam
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No-one cares about the sim tray. People care about glass backs breaking and the antenna issues. It's a total joke. Hearing all those comments makes me think that you blew it this time, Ive.!Report as spam
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Good post. And the takeaway for me is :............. "For a designer to continually learn about materials is not extracurricular," Ive points out, "it's absolutely essential." ............... it is just so much more true for web as well!!!Report as spam
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I see the new iPhone is a totally different way! It's a great article.!Report as spam
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Know what material likes to shatter when struck against a hard surface? Oh yeah, glass.!Report as spam
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Interesting note. The two screws at the bottom of my iPhone 4 are phillips head, not hex as shown in the press photos above. What is yours Rain?!Report as spam
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i love how they bend the glass like anybody is ever in a "bend" situation to where they need that from being prevented. how about impact resistance Mr jobs?!Report as spam
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Speaking of material that informs shape, you should check out this thing now showing in the RCA's degree-show in London: http://www.physicalcad.com/ It's the first 'true solid' CAD system that simulates materials in crazy detail and lets you use real-world tools on them. The idea is that if you use realistic tools and materials to create a shape, then you also make a manufacturing process. It just 'falls out' of the design process.!Report as spam
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Great design, questionable usability (see reports on fingers position resulting in zero bars.) Good job Ive!!Report as spam
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And yet it never occurred to them to put it through an EM simulator, of the sort every BSEE student learns to use before they let her out into the real world.!Report as spam
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Ohhhh! Let's all drool over the tolerances surrounding the SIM card slot. Oh wait, I have better things to do: Like not care. Apple: Tools for Tools by Tools.!Report as spam
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Nicely written article. I've never seen the production pics before =)!Report as spam
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This is a great scoop for core77. There are some quite important quotes, but I wonder what happens to designer in European cities who have little or no acess to materials. Although there is a great initiative in London... if CAD monkeys can pull themselves away to visit it.!Report as spam
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Of course he uses a hands-on approach. SolidWorks doesn't run on Mac.!Report as spam
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1st!Report as spam
Continued Reading
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By Lisa Smith - Jun 25, 2010
Heat Shrink Joinery
Nicola Zocca's brilliant heat-shrink joinery was one of our favorites from the Design Products section of the Royal College of Art final show, which opened last night in London (a must-see). The series is appropriately titled "Shrink." The idea is wonderfully simple, and the execution precise and imaginative. Nicola describes...
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By Lisa Smith - Jun 25, 2010
Lynn Lim Leverages Ick
For her design thesis at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Lynn Lim explores the complex emotional response of "being grossed out," from weird giddiness to total revulsion. She explores several low-level phobias in her work: bugs, mold, body parts, and awkward social situations. Pictured below are a...
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By Lisa Smith - Jun 25, 2010
Andrew Friend's Device for Disappearing at Sea
The Device for Disappearing at Sea is a floating hiding place, meant to produce a total isolation that can seldom be experienced on land. A sunken, one-person chasm is surrounded by a floating fiberglass ring. Once inside, it's just you, the sky and the sun. Don't worry, there is a...
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