Back in 2010, developer Jon Manning asked then iOS chief Scott Forstall about this peculiar detail. Forstall revealed that the time was chosen to ensure that all the elements of the clock face were visible and that the hands were positioned in a visually appealing way. By setting the time to 9:41 AM, Apple can showcase the entire clock face, including the minute hand, without obscuring other elements. This creates a more balanced and aesthetically pleasing composition.
“We design the keynotes so that the big reveal of the product happens around 40 minutes into the presentation. When the big image of the product appears on screen, we want the time shown to be close to the actual time on the audience’s watches. But we know we won’t hit 40 minutes exactly,” Forstall said. He further explained that so to be safe, Apple added another extra minute or two to provide a little bit of a cushion in the event of any slight holdups or delays.
9.41 am time stamp goes right up to Steve Jobs launching first iPhone in 2007
In 2014, Engadget went on to dig its live blog of Steve Jobs launching first iPhone in 2007. The time Apple co-founder Jobs introduced the iPhone to the world was almost 9.41 am. As the live blog’s timeline shows Jobs unveiling the iPhone.
9:41am – “This is a day I’ve been looking forward to for two and a half years.” “Every once in a while a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything. One is very fortunate if you get to work on just one of these in your career. Apple has been very fortunate that it’s been able to introduce a few of these into the world. In 1984 we introduced the Macintosh. It didn’t just change Apple, it changed the whole industry. In 2001 we introduced the first iPod, and it didn’t just change the way we all listened to music, it changed the entire music industry.”
9:42am – “Well today, we’re introducing THREE revolutionary new products. The first one is a widescreen ipod with touch controls” The crowd goes wild. “The second is a revolutionary new mobile phone.”
Image credit: Engadget
9:43am – “And the third is a breakthrough internet communications device.” Tepid response on that last one, but he almost got a standing ovation on the phone. ‘
The rest is history and legacy that Apple seems to proudly continuing.
