The Secret Sony iPhone Prototype

How Sony’s Design Ethos Shaped Apple’s Biggest Product

It started with an interview.

Two Sony designers, Yujin Morisawa and Takashi Ashida, discussed their design philosophy with BusinessWeek. The engineers described Sony’s approach as focused on clean lines, purposeful form, and a simplicity you can feel. Their vision placed just as much importance on emotional connection as on technical function.

At the same time, Apple was deep into the development of its first phone. The iPod had already transformed portable music, but evolving that success into a mobile device required rethinking everything. Hardware, software, and even the way people interacted with the screen were all being reconsidered.

Something about the Sony interview stood out. Tony Fadell, then VP of iPod engineering, shared it with Apple’s design team. For them, it felt like a quiet call to action.

Among the team was Shin Nishibori, a former Sony designer now working at Apple. Fluent in both cultures, he was given a unique challenge: what would the iPhone look like if Sony had made it?

The result was striking. It featured smooth lines, a minimalist shape, and even a jog wheel inspired by Sony’s CLIÉ handhelds.

Apple never meant for anyone to see it. But years later, this forgotten side project re-emerged during a bitter patent battle with Samsung, offering a rare glimpse into an alternate future where Apple’s iPhone looked a lot more like something Sony might have made.

And the story behind it says more about the first iPhone’s design process than they ever intended to share.