• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechApple

Apple’s iPhone Was Actually Invented 350 Years Ago, Jokes Tim Cook

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 25, 2016, 11:06 AM ET

If you ask anyone, he or she would say the iPhone was invented in 2007 by Apple. That is, except for Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Speaking in an interview at Start-Up Fest in Amsterdam on Tuesday, Cook said that he was recently touring Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum looking for Rembrandt paintings. But he was struck by another piece of art, known as Man Hands a Letter to a Woman in a Hall by Pieter de Hooch, that caught his eye.

“You know, I thought I knew until last night,” Cook said, answering a question from former European Commissioner Neelis Kroes during the question-and-answer session on where and when the iPhone was invented. “Last night, Neelie took me over to look at some Rembrandt and, in one of the paintings, I was so shocked. There was an iPhone in one of the paintings. It’s tough to see, but I swear it’s there.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

CNBC earlier reported on Cook’s comments.

While the painting was in fact created by Pieter de Hooch, Cook’s joking comments weren’t so far off. Of course, the iPhone didn’t exist in 1670 when the painting was made. But a closer inspection reveals a woman holding what appears to be a touchscreen-based smartphone. Of course, an Apple (AAPL) CEO would see an iPhone in the painting, but one might be forgiven for believing it’s a handset from his company’s competitors, like Samsung and HTC. It’s even being held in the same way a person would hold a touch-based smartphone.

In reality, the woman is holding a letter, and the iPhone was unveiled in 2007 after several years of work went into its development. Since then, the iPhone has taken the world by storm and driven record revenues and profits for Apple. It’s also proven to be one of the few standards by which all other devices are judged.

For more about iPhone, watch:

Cook’s comments were obviously a joke and are simply a reaction to his interpretation of a painting, but it’s not a far-fetched interpretation. Now it might be time to look for other paintings that showcase the iPad to see when that was actually invented.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

China stopped issuing new robotaxi licenses over a glitch. America can’t stop them from rolling into active shooter situations
LawChina
China stopped issuing new robotaxi licenses over a glitch. America can’t stop them from rolling into active shooter situations
By Catherina GioinoMay 4, 2026
7 hours ago
David Sacks
EconomyEconomic growth
Trump’s former AI czar says the quiet part out loud on the economy: ‘Stopping progress in AI would be equivalent to halting the U.S. economy’
By Tristan BoveMay 4, 2026
8 hours ago
A farmer in a field plowing with a horse
Economydisruption
BofA throws cold water on AI apocalypse panic: 60% of today’s jobs didn’t exist in 1940
By Nick LichtenbergMay 4, 2026
11 hours ago
doctor
AITech
A Harvard study just found AI can now out-diagnose physicians in the ER: ‘We’re already at the ceiling’
By Jake AngeloMay 4, 2026
12 hours ago
dario
AIAnthropic
Anthropic takes shot at consulting industry in joint venture with Wall Street giants
By Nick LichtenbergMay 4, 2026
13 hours ago
Frustrated job seeker on laptop
NewslettersFortune Workplace Innovation
Nearly 4 in 10 job candidates have bailed on a hiring round because it required an AI interview
By Emma BurleighMay 4, 2026
15 hours ago

Most Popular

Diary of a CEO founder says he hired someone with 'zero' work experience because she 'thanked the security guard by name' before the interview
Success
Diary of a CEO founder says he hired someone with 'zero' work experience because she 'thanked the security guard by name' before the interview
By Emma BurleighMay 3, 2026
2 days ago
As economic despair mounts, Russian official admits the country has had enough of Putin's war on Ukraine. 'We can’t even take one region'
Economy
As economic despair mounts, Russian official admits the country has had enough of Putin's war on Ukraine. 'We can’t even take one region'
By Jason MaMay 3, 2026
1 day ago
America got rich and got sad. A top economist says 2020 broke something that hasn't healed
Economy
America got rich and got sad. A top economist says 2020 broke something that hasn't healed
By Nick LichtenbergMay 3, 2026
2 days ago
Scott Bessent on financial literacy: 'it drives me crazy' to see young men in blue-collar construction jobs playing the lottery
Personal Finance
Scott Bessent on financial literacy: 'it drives me crazy' to see young men in blue-collar construction jobs playing the lottery
By Fatima Hussein and The Associated PressMay 1, 2026
4 days ago
I spent a decade selling homes to the ultra-wealthy. What I saw explains the housing market's nepo problem
Commentary
I spent a decade selling homes to the ultra-wealthy. What I saw explains the housing market's nepo problem
By Blake O'ShaughnessyMay 3, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, May 4, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, May 4, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 4, 2026
14 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.