Last week, we got a look at an early iOS prototype that came complete with a primitive user interface based on the iPod’s clickwheel design.
The video, posted by Apple blogger and tipster Sonny Dickson, showed how the digital clickwheel could be used to navigate menus for SMS, Phone, Photos, Contacts, and others that would become core apps in the future.
And while we’re glad the awkward-looking interface was eventually replaced with the app layout, we’re not sure what to make of this newly surfaced prototype that would eventually become the touchscreen interface we’ve all come to know.
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A new video from Sonny Dickson, shows the prototype, known as “P2” running alongside the clickwheel version, “P1”, and it’s, shall we say, slightly less refined than the final iOS that would go into production.
The crude operating system looks like something that was designed on MS Paint, with large blue icons appearing on a white background.
The touchscreen icons provide options for calls, SMS, and “Other”, the latter of which leads to a further menu of icons that offer options for messages, music, network, and more.
But, as shoddy as this early prototype looks, it would eventually form the basis of the final version of iOS. As Dickson explains in the video description:
“Back in the beginning, there were two iPhone projects, the P1 and P2. Tony Fadell had the clout of being “Godfather” of the iPod, but Scott Forsall [sic] had been working with Steve since NeXT.
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“The iPhone P2 is what came to be known as the original selling model of the iPhone, paving the foundation of where we are today, 10 years in the future.”
Scott Forstall was, at the time, the leader of Mac development at Apple, and managed to beat Tony Fadell with his touchscreen prototype in the internal competition between teams to develop a mobile OS.
Thankfully, Forstall’s prototype received a bit of a design overhaul before it was launched, but it’s undoubtedly interesting to see where perhaps the most recognisable mobile OS in the world started.
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Let us know what you think of the video in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
