BillTonggFeb 23, 2025

Former Apple designer Sir Jony Ive has said he feels “responsible” for the “not so positive consequences” of the iPhone.

https://lemmy.world/post/25949870

Former Apple designer Sir Jony Ive has said he feels “responsible” for the “not so positive consequences” of the iPhone. - Lemmy.World

Jony Ive will be on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Desert Island Discs’ today, Sunday 23 February 2025. Press reports quote him saying that he feels responsible for the ‘not so positive consequences’ of the iPhone, but that he is still proud of his work. Speaking to Lauren Laverne on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, Sir Jony said: “I celebrate and am encouraged by the very positive contribution (of the iPhone), the empowerment, the liberty that is provided to so many people in so many ways. “Just because the not so positive consequences, I mean they weren’t intended, but that doesn’t matter relative to how I feel responsible, and that weighs, and is a contributor to decisions that I have made since, and decisions that I’m making in the future.” Listen on the BBC Sounds web page or app from 10.00 London time, and the programme will be archived there to listen again for the next 28 days. Apart from hearing what he has to say about his work and about technology, it will also be interesting to hear which selection of records he would chose to have if he were marooned on a desert island.

Show threadAlphane MoonFeb 23, 2025

Sounds like an oligarch propaganda piece.

How has the iPhone contributed to empowerment and liberty? It’s a technology tool that can be used for both good and bad things. There is nothing “inherent” about smartphones that leads to empowerment and liberty.

And I don’t think he gives a shit about anything beyond his financial position and maintaining his social status and legion of fanboys.

Show threadconcrete_babyFeb 23, 2025

The iPhone was the first smartphone that hot insanely popular. It launched the app store model that’s now used on every mobile platform including Android. Those apps have gotten hundreds of millions of people out of poverty in India and China who are doing e-commerce and opening small businesses from their phones. That’s food on the table for the working class. They can earn money while looking after their children because they’re not chained to a desktop computer for internet access. People in remote areas can know instantly about natural disasters and the news, educating them and making them active citizens in a democracy.

People across the world can chat with each other for nearly free using messaging and social media apps, and won’t have to send letters or pay extra fees for long-distance calls. The iPhone got more people onto what formerly only Blackberry-owning business executive had.

It’s such a first world thing to belittle the impact of smartphone (an industry which the iPhone shaped tremendously), when it has so much tangible impact, especially to working people.

Show threadAlphane Moon

I am not belittling the impact of the smartphone, just being critical of the positioning around iPhone bringing “liberation” and “empowerment”. It has the capability to do that, but it also has the capability to enable less positive things.

There are also some inconsistencies in your story.

The iPhone launched without an app store and the app store concept existed even before iOS/Android.

From my experience living in developing countries, work type use cases do not use iPhones. If anything in developing countries an iPhone is exclusively a status symbol.

Claiming the iPhone alone was what got hundred millions of people out of poverty is a ridiculous statement. There are so many other factors at play here.

Feb 23, 2025 at 11:29amWeb
Show threadrottingleafFeb 24, 2025

There are also some inconsistencies in your story.

Because they were marching under the table at that age, not paying attention to tech.

From my experience living in developing countries, work type use cases do not use iPhones. If anything in developing countries an iPhone is exclusively a status symbol.

Yes, and of a particular kind of people, relatives of corrupt bureaucrats and their friends usually. People with money and wish to show off still usually have a good Android device.