iPhone Designs Unveiled as Proof Against Producing Sony Copies

Apple has been busy with its iPhone again – not the new iPhone 5, but in the courtroom. The great thing for the likes of you and me is that we all get a sneeky peek as to how the Cupertino-based company develops its new products.

In the long, drawn-out case that is Apple v Samsung, one claim was that Apple copied Sony designs and, at one point, even had a phone concept wearing a ‘Jony’ logo – a mash up of designer Jony Ive’s moniker and Sony.

To refute these allegations, Apple had to prove that the creative process that culminated in its first smartphone predated those sketches suggesting that it had borrowed ideas from Sony.

Apple’s latest filing to the court from its trial against Samsung reveals its “Purple” prototype, that was made around August 2005, bares several hallmarks of the iPhone that finally appeared.

The Sony-styled prototypes came later, and were apparently an “enjoyable side project.”

Check out AllThingsDigital and enjoy around 100 prototypes from Apple’s deposition – these go some way to give an insight to what the iPhone could have looked like and, perhaps, clues to what the iPhone 5 may get.