David Imel / Android Authority
TL; DR
- Apple was considering an iPhone Nano back in 2010 when its flagship was just 3.5 inches tall.
- An old email from Steve Jobs shows the company was in discussions to come up with a cost plan and renderings for the phone.
- The device was likely part of Apple’s 2011 iPhone strategy.
How small is too small for a phone? An email from former Apple CEO Steve Jobs suggests that a nano-sized device 11 years ago may have been the benchmark for tiny phones.
As discovered by The edge When collecting email from the Epic vs. Apple process, Jobs’ email is related to a device called the iPhone Nano. It’s dated October 2010, which means the unreleased phone would have followed the 3.5-inch iPhone 4, Apple’s flagship for the year. The nickname “Nano” suggests that this iPhone could have been smaller than the then reigning Apple flagship.
Unfortunately, Jobs’ email does not reveal any specifications for the so-called iPhone nano. It only mentions the words “iPhone Nano Plan” under a bullet point “Strategy 2011”. Another sub-item in the same category speaks of the creation of an “inexpensive iPhone model based on the iPod touch as a replacement for 3GS”. Another text in the notice suggests that Apple wanted to set a cost target for the iPhone nano and create a mockup or render for the phone.
Related: The ultimate iPhone buying guide
As history tells us, the iPhone nano never came into being. It is hard to imagine whether 2010 would have been a success as consumers became increasingly excited about the prospect of big-screen phones. Perhaps the company couldn’t justify the continued shrinking of iPhone sizes as mass video streaming services gained massive momentum, broadband penetration increased, and the app scene exploded. In addition, the limitations of display technology at the time could have prevented Apple from taking the plunge for a nano iPhone.
However, Apple has not entirely given up Jobs’ strategy of developing a smaller iPhone. As smartphone sizes kept getting bigger over the years, Apple launched the first iPhone SE in 2016. The device was launched at the same time as the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays. Aimed at users who still preferred the 4-inch footprint of the iPhone 5 and 5S, the SE became hugely popular as a compact device with a powerful processor and a cheaper price point.
Most recently, we saw Apple adopt the nickname “Mini” to represent the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 Mini. Meanwhile, the iPhone SE 2020 is also a great little iPhone with its 4.7-inch display in a world full of oversized phablets.