To prove the iPhone is sturdy, Steve Jobs picks up the iPhone and slams it to the ground
| Many people in the technology industry have previously shared their memories of Steve Jobs. One of them is American technology journalist Roger Cheng, who recalls Steve Jobs picking up his Apple phone and slamming it into the ground to prove to journalists that it was strong and durable. |
When they mention Steve Jobs, most of people will think of him standing on stage at an Apple launch event in his trademark blue jeans and black turtleneck jumper, Apple in his hand. But for Roger, the unforgettable memory when the first iPhone broke away from Steve Jobs' hand, flew through the air, and then smashed to the floor.
At the time, Apple had just announced its groundbreaking smartphone, the iPhone, in January 2007, but it was still a few months away from actually going on sale. Steve Jobs made a special visit to the Wall Street Journal headquarters, then located in the World Financial Center area of Manhattan so that more than two dozen editors and journalists could get a glimpse of the device.
There, Jobs answered many questions about the device, including one about its durability of the phone. Jobs responded to this by tossing the pre-release model he had with him into the center of the room, causing a gasp from the journalists, and then silencing the room as the phone landed on the floor (which was carpeted).
This memory highlights the lengths Steve Jobs went to in order to make an impression. The visionary entrepreneur shook up several industries and changed the way we interact with mobile devices.
Steve Jobs spent a great deal of time answering common questions about the Apple phone but asked that what was discussed at the meeting be kept absolutely confidential, and he insisted that everyone not only turn off and put down their recorders but also put their notebooks and pens away. Everyone complied and was eager to see the device.
The iPhone left as much of an impression on people as it did on the public when it was launched a few months later in June. Of course, the device went on to revolutionize the mobile industry, dragging smartphones into the modern era and injecting an element of chic that made them desirable.
The iPhone created an annual launch phenomenon where large numbers of people would queue outside Apple and carrier shops on launch day waiting to snap up a new model. Despite the new pneumonia outbreak, long queues formed in front of Apple shops to buy iPhones. For many, the image of Steve Jobs showing off generation after generation of iPhones in front of thousands of people remains an unforgettable memory.
