The Apple Watch has become an iconic smartwatch, but it could have been very different. Leaked images of what appears to be an Apple Watch prototype show just how far it has come since development began.
Apple prototypes are extremely rare. These specific images were posted by a Twitter user @AppleDemoYT and initially reported by 9to5 Mac. Apple also has a history of disguising prototypes – you may remember the prototype of the iPhone 4 who bought Gizmodo from yesteryear, which was dressed up to look like an iPhone 3GS. It’s no different with this prototype Apple Watch, which is built into a bulky case that makes it look like a mini iPhone or iPod.
The case has two buttons on the side and something similar to the old iPhone home button, and the outside of the case seems to retain the digital crown and button we all know. The prototype also appears to run internal software older than watchOS, complete with a “Springboard zoom” app that demonstrates the watchOS home screen. Another fun Easter egg is a “Lisa Tester” app, which refers to Apple’s Lisa computer from the 1980s and has a cute Lisa Simpson icon. Another screen clearly states that the prototype has not been approved by the FCC and therefore should not be sold or rented.
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The first Apple Watch launched in 2015, so this test unit likely dates back to at least 2014, or maybe earlier. In 2015, Wired had a in-depth piece with details of the history of the development of the Apple Watch. It included a few descriptions of the first Apple Watch prototype, which was actually an iPhone attached to a “very nicely designed Velcro strap.” It also presumably had a custom dongle in the form of “a real watch crown that plugs into the bottom of the phone via the cable jack.”
It’s always neat to see which features and design elements end up in the final product and which ones are left on the scrap heap of history. It appears that some aspects of the prototype’s UI – at least the one pictured – eventually made it to watchOS. It’s a mystery exactly how this particular prototype exists, especially since Apple is known for destroying test units and for its strong nondisclosure agreements. Recently photos from 2007 that also show the production line for the very first iPhone surfaced on Twitter. These leaks reveal quite a bit of tech history – one that gadget nerds everywhere would love to see more of.