When Steve Jobs Dared to Drop the iPod: A Lesson in Design

Context of Innovation: Apple Inc. AAPL co-founder Steve Jobs made headlines when he famously rejected the first iPod prototype by dropping it into an aquarium.

The Incident: A former Apple employee, Amit Chaudhary, shared this story on Quora.

During an early demonstration, Jobs scrutinized the prototype and considered it overly large. Even though engineers believed further shrinking the device was impossible, Jobs was not persuaded.

According to Chaudhary, Jobs paused for a moment. Then he stood up, walked to an aquarium, and dropped the iPod into the water. Chaudhary quoted Jobs as saying, “Those are air bubbles … That means there’s space in there. Make it smaller.”

Related Developments: Siri, Alexa And Google Assistant May Become A Thing Of The Past Thanks To ChatGPT Tasks — Here’s How To Use The New Feature

Stay updated with the latest tech advancements by subscribing to the Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter.

The Significance: Launched on October 23, 2001, the iPod was a transformative product for Apple, reshaping the company and the consumer electronics field.

This pivotal launch led to the creation of various model versions, including the iPod Mini in 2004, iPod Nano in 2006, and iPod Touch in 2007.

The iPod’s remarkable success fueled Apple’s expansion efforts, leading to new product lines. Its impact reverberated through the technology sector, setting the stage for breakthroughs such as the iPhone and iPad.

Although Apple announced the end of the iPod’s production in May 2022, its influence remains a crucial part of Apple’s history and the wider tech landscape.

Explore more of Benzinga’s Consumer Tech coverage by following this link.

Read Next:

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the assistance of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed before publication by Benzinga editors.