Pictures Surface of the Original ‘iPhone’ from 1983 Designed by Hartmut Esslinger

Some pretty cool images have surfaced of the ‘original’ iPhone designed by German-born Hartmut Esslinger, the designer of ‘The Snow White Look’ for the Apple IIc. This tablet/phone concept has a corded handset along with a stylus-controlled touchscreen. Check them out below:

The Origin of ‘Designed in California’ on Apple Products

As noted in his biography, Steve Jobs hired Esslinger (who was also behind the look of Sony Triniton TVs) to design for Apple products. Jobs flew to Bavaria and proposed an offer to Esslinger to work for Apple, notes biographer Walter Isaacson:

Jobs offered Esslinger a contract on the condition that he move to California. They shook hands and, in Esslinger’s not-so-modest words, “that handshake launched one of the most decisive collaborations in the history of industrial design.” Esslinger’s firm, frogdesign, opened in Palo Alto in mid-1983 with a $1.2 million annual contract to work for Apple, and from then on every Apple product has included the proud declaration “Designed in California.”

That stylus would never fly in 2011.

[AllThingsD via Jay Mug]

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Anonymous
Anonymous
14 years ago

I bet that bad boy has LTE.

Zudeo
Zudeo
14 years ago

I bet the back of this phone looks better than the front of theirs. 

ex_iPhone -owner
ex_iPhone -owner
14 years ago

who is everybody kidding, thats probably spy pics of the new iPhone 5, still no flash, no SD card slot, and no 4G! :(((((

Tonyfastz06
Tonyfastz06
Reply to  ex_iPhone -owner
14 years ago

maybe you haven’t heard the news… flash is DEAD

Anon
Anon
14 years ago

That looks a lot better than some corded phones today.

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