Apple Design Chief Jony Ive Discusses iPhone X and Apple Park in New Interview

Apple design chief Jony Ive recently sat down for an interview with Smithsonian Magazine, where he once again discussed his work on Apple's newest campus, Apple Park, and the latest flagship iPhone, the iPhone X.

As he mentioned in a prior interview, Ive is excited about the design space at Apple Park because it will allow the entire design team to work together. Industrial designers, font experts, motion graphics experts, and computer interface designers will be able to come together to interact in new ways and share ideas.

jonyiveinterview
The design space will also feature several milling machines to create prototypes, which Ive believes are an integral part of the design process.

"I think you only really understand a material--its properties and attributes and, importantly, the opportunity the material allows--if you actually work it yourself," Ive says. "And the most remarkable point in the whole process is when you make the first model. We might like it, we might not, but the first model you make, everything changes."

On the subject of the iPhone X, Ive says its all-glass design and edge-to-edge display is something Apple "aspired to for years." In comparison, Ive critiqued older iPhone designs. "It now seems to me a rather disconnected component housed in an enclosure," he said of the iPhone 7 Plus.

The rest of the interview, which also includes anecdotes on Ive's childhood and the Apple Watch, can be read over on the Smithsonian website.

Along with his interview in Smithsonian Magazine, Ive today spoke about the future of design at the Hirshorn Museum in Washington, DC. The one-hour speaking engagement took place at 3:00 p.m. local time and appears to have covered many of the same topics that Ive spoke about in the interview.

Ive is also a 2017 honoree of the Smithsonian's American Ingenuity Awards, designed to honor revolutionary breakthroughs in the arts and sciences, education, and social progress.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
iphone 17 cyber

iPhone 17 Demand Is Breaking Apple's Sales Records

Tuesday December 2, 2025 9:44 am PST by
Apple's iPhone 17 lineup is selling well enough that Apple is on track to ship more than 247.4 million total iPhones in 2025, according to a new report from IDC. Total 2025 shipments are forecast to grow 6.1 percent year over year due to iPhone 17 demand and increased sales in China, a major market for Apple. Overall worldwide smartphone shipments across Android and iOS are forecast to...
Touchscreen MacBook Feature

Here Are the Four MacBooks Apple Is Expected to Launch Next Year

Monday December 1, 2025 5:00 am PST by
2026 could be a bumper year for Apple's Mac lineup, with the company expected to announce as many as four separate MacBook launches. Rumors suggest Apple will court both ends of the consumer spectrum, with more affordable options for students and feature-rich premium lines for users that seek the highest specifications from a laptop. Below is a breakdown of what we're expecting over the next ...
iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...

Top Rated Comments

Zaft Avatar
105 months ago
Jony does know that Apple sells the 8 Plus which has the same design at the 7 Plus...
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kazmac Avatar
105 months ago
Of course he's going to praise the X and now be critical of the older designs: funny how the older designs did not bother him or other Apple brass for the past few years. Money, baby.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Mad Vibes Avatar
105 months ago
Ivy, your disconnected mate. Notch says hello
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WannaGoMac Avatar
105 months ago
Of course he's going to praise the X and now be critical of the older designs: funny how the older designs did not bother him or other Apple brass for the past few years. Money, baby.
I disagree. You really think money drives these folks anymore? They all have hundreds of millions of dollars, they wouldnt work anymore if they were in it just for the money. Successful people usually work because they are passionate about what they do and not just for money.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Refurbished_ Avatar
105 months ago


This guy is a legend, but I feel his best work is behind him. He's caught up in his own BS.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
-BigMac- Avatar
105 months ago
('https://www.macrumors.com/2017/11/29/jony-ive-apple-park-iphone-x/')

On the subject of the iPhone X, Ive says its all-glass design and edge-to-edge display is something Apple "aspired to for years." In comparison, Ive critiqued older iPhone designs. "It now seems to me a rather disconnected component housed in an enclosure," he said of the iPhone 7 Plus.

Article Link: Apple Design Chief Jony Ive Discusses iPhone X and Apple Park in New Interview ('https://www.macrumors.com/2017/11/29/jony-ive-apple-park-iphone-x/')
SO..

“The iPhone 8 Plus to Ive seems rather a disconnected component housed in an enclosure.”

Because the 8 and 7 are same fundamental design.

He just threw so much shade at a current product that his team designed haha wow.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)