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

Apple iPhone X Took Years to Develop—and It’s Just the Beginning

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 14, 2017, 9:00 AM ET

Apple’s iPhone X is still a few weeks from its release, but over the past several days, it’s been all the company’s design chief can talk about.

In recent days, Apple design chief Jony Ive discussed his company’s upcoming flagship smartphone, the iPhone X, in two separate interviews. In one, he made clear that the iPhone X was a work in progress that took Apple years to get right. In the second, he suggested the iPhone X is the new standard-bearer for Apple’s smartphone design and that it is already inspiring designs of future smartphones.

Ultimately, Ive ignited excitement in the Apple universe over what he and his staff have planned next.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

But there was more about the iPhone this week, including a report saying Apple (AAPL) may have big plans for its Face ID fingerprint scanner.

Read on for our look back at the biggest Apple news of the week:

This is Fortune’s latest weekly roundup of the biggest Apple news. Here’s last week’s roundup.

  1. Speaking at the New Yorker TechFest conference recently, Apple’s Ive said that it took five years for Apple to take the iPhone X from concept to final product. He added that the company had prototypes that didn’t work, and “for the vast majority of the development cycle, all we had were things that failed.” The iPhone X will start shipping on Nov. 3.
  2. In an interview with Japanese fashion site Brutus Casa this week, Ive said that the iPhone X has spawned “a lot more big ideas” that his company is currently working on. He didn’t say exactly what those big ideas were, but he hinted that they may find their way into future iPhones. He called the iPhone X the “beginning of a new chapter” in iPhone development.
  3. Following dozens of allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault and harassment, Apple pulled the plug on an Elvis Presley biopic it was reportedly working on with The Weinstein Company, according to a report. Apple hadn’t announced the show, but it was said to be working on it behind closed doors before the Weinstein allegations were made public.
  4. Security researcher Felix Krause said this week that Apple’s iOS mobile operating system allows app developers to create pop-up boxes that look identical to those from Apple requesting a user’s Apple ID password when they want to buy an app or access their iCloud storage. Krause fears that malicious app developers could dupe unsuspecting victims into handing over their passwords by creating pop-up boxes that look like legitimate Apple alerts. Apple has not yet responded to Krause’s concerns.
  5. Apple is working on augmented reality technology that makes virtual objects appear as if they are in the real world, allowing users to interact with both at the same time. But CEO Tim Cook said this week that his company won’t sell augmented reality glasses anytime soon. Cook said that the technology that powers the glasses, including screens that display the content, isn’t yet ready. He said Apple would only release augmented reality glasses when it’s confident the user experience is top notch.
  6. A report from Korean-based news outlet The Investor this week said that Apple is considering making it possible to use a digital stylus with the iPhone in 2019. The feature would allow users to digitally “write” on the screen to annotate documents, take notes, and more. Apple only offers stylus support in its iPad Pro tablet, thanks to its Apple Pencil stylus.
  7. Apple will stop integrating its Touch ID fingerprint sensor in all iPhones starting next year, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote to investors this week. He said that Apple has committed to its Face ID facial scanner instead and wants to bundle that feature in next year’s phones. Like Face ID, Touch ID is designed to verify a user’s identity and give him or her access to iPhone and its software. The biometric tools can also be used to verify purchases through Apple’s Apple Pay mobile service.

One more thing…Chip maker Qualcomm this week petitioned China to ban iPhones from sale in the country. Qualcomm, which is battling Apple over chip royalties, argues the iPhone maker is violating patents in its smartphones.

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
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • 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
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

© 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.


Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
After decades in the music industry, Pharrell Williams admits he never stops working: ‘If you do what you love everyday, you’ll get paid for free'
By Emma BurleighFebruary 3, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Peter Thiel warns the Antichrist and apocalypse are linked to the ‘end of modernity’ currently happening—and cites Greta Thunberg as a driving example
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 4, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Ray Dalio warns the world is ‘on the brink’ of a capital war of weaponizing money—and gold is the best way for people to protect themselves
By Sasha RogelbergFebruary 4, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump is giving the U.S. economy a $65 billion tax-refund shot in the arm, mostly for higher-income people, BofA says
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 5, 2026
21 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Tech stocks go into free fall as it dawns on traders that AI has the ability to cut revenues across the board
By Jim EdwardsFebruary 4, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
C-Suite
OpenAI’s Sam Altman says his highly disciplined daily routine has ‘fallen to crap’—and now unwinds on weekends at a ranch with no cell phone service
By Jacqueline MunisFebruary 5, 2026
20 hours ago

Latest in Tech

Image of Moltbook app logo on a smart phone with another image of the Moltbook logo in the background.
NewslettersTerm Sheet
Moltbook is the talk of Silicon Valley. But the furor is eerily reminiscent of a 2017 Facebook research experiment
By Allie GarfinkleFebruary 6, 2026
12 minutes ago
NewslettersFortune Tech
Gemini takes a bite out of ChatGPT share
By Alexei OreskovicFebruary 6, 2026
47 minutes ago
Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange monitor the early moves of the market soon after the trading day began in New York 05 August, 1999.
InvestingMarkets
Software selloff giving you deja vu? We’ve been here before, says Deutsche Bank, when the dotcom bubble burst
By Eleanor PringleFebruary 6, 2026
51 minutes ago
johnsson
Commentaryvaluations
When the music stops: the unravelling of AI companies’ flawed valuations
By Mikael JohnssonFebruary 6, 2026
2 hours ago
Sam Altman speaking into a mic.
AIOpenAI
OpenAI’s new model leaps ahead in coding capabilities—but raises unprecedented cybersecurity risks
By Sharon GoldmanFebruary 5, 2026
15 hours ago
tiktok
CybersecuritySocial Media
Gen Z is rebelling against TikTok USA by installing another app—founded by an Oracle alum
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 5, 2026
16 hours ago