One could think of the time as arbitrary that iPhones display on product photos. But it isn’t – TECHBOOK explains what is behind the time of 9:41 a.m.
If you look at product photos of iPhones, then time seems to stand still – at least for smartphones! Because the iPhone always shows the same time on photos: 9:41 a.m. TECHBOOK explains why.
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iPhone time has old tradition
This oddity dates back to the first iPhone in 2007. The time on iPhones is a tradition that Apple still maintains years later. The tech giant presents new iPhones every year in so-called keynotes – presentations to invited employees and journalists. In 2007, this was still held by the then CEO Steve Jobs, who unveiled the first iPhone that year.
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At 9:41 the iPhone unveiling was scheduled
Apple’s keynotes are organized down to the last detail. Steve Jobs was known for his perfectionism, so the timing of the iPhone’s public launch was no coincidence. Because at the beginning of an Apple keynote, which always begins at 9 a.m. local time, there is in most cases a review of the past fiscal year. Around forty minutes were planned for this at the time – then Apple wanted to unveil the iPhone.
And that’s why iPhones always show the time 9:41 a.m. on product images: When it came to the unveiling during the keynote, the impression was created that the images of the iPhones were actually displayed live. Steve Jobs didn’t end up with the unveiling at exactly 41 minutes – and on top of that, the company only showed the iPhone in the switched-off state at first. However, the time remains as the approximate time when Apple introduced the first iPhone.
Incidentally, Apple was no longer so precise in later presentations. The time at which the company presents the new iPhone generation in one of the September keynotes varies from year to year. Incidentally, the only exception is the Apple Watch; there the time is always 10:09 on the product photos.