The Apple Phone We'll Never See

When you consider how groundbreaking the iPhone was at launch, it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that Apple AAPL has designed other phones that decided not to release. And yet this news is still totally shocking. According to TechCrunch (who was tipped off by Engadget), Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak said that the company almost launched a phone in 2004. “Apple was satisfied with the quality of the smartphone but wanted something it could amaze the world with,” Wozniak told De Telegraaf, a Dutch newspaper. “When Apple releases products, they need to be groundbreaking. Companies should hold off on entering markets until they have a seriously compelling product to offer. Products like that need to be developed in isolation from the rest of the company, and it requires developers to steer clear from paths already traveled.” As if that weren't enough, Wozniak compared Google's GOOG Android OS to Microsoft's MSFT Windows. Despite its flaws, Windows became the dominant platform in computer operating systems, and Wozniak believes that, in terms of sales, Android will eventually beat the iPhone and become the number-one smartphone option.