Golden ratio in the design of the iPhone, or why does the iPhone have that black stripe on the bottom?
The Apple iPhone: Apple’s amazing entry into mobile phone market. It blows away any other phone on the market in terms of form, flexibility, features and functionality (and also has a price tag to match: $500 with a 2-year contract).
The iPhone has an amazing design. The front is occupied by a large 3.5-inch multi-touch screen rimmed with silver. The back is also silver, but there is a black stripe along the bottom. It looks kind of strange, but is certainly memorable. Everyone will be able to tell the iPhones from other smartphones when people walk around with them held up against their heads.
(image courtesy of AppleInsider.com)
However, I think there is more to this black stripe than just trying to be different. It has to do with the golden ratio. I blogged about the golden ratio in the iPod design a while ago. The rectangle of the iPod is closer to the golden ratio than any other MP3-player. This no-doubt factors into to it’s immense appeal.
The iPhone is however far too long to be a golden ratio rectangle.
The 5th-gen iPod’s measurements: 103.5 x 61.8 x 11.0 mm
The Apple iPhone’s measurements: 115.0 x 61.0 x 11.6 mm
5g iPod ratio: 1.67 : 1
iPhone ratio: 1.88 : 1
Golden ratio: 1.62 : 1
So, has Apple lost its design touch?
No. Judging from the pictures I estimate the silver section along the back of the iPhone is about 95 mm high and the black is 20 mm. This works out to:
iPhone silver sub-section ratio: 1.56 : 1
Pretty close to the golden ratio. The black stripe is barely noticeable next to the polished silver. So, someone looking at the phone from the back will see a near golden ratio rectangle and will be instantly bedazzled by its beauty.
Why is it not exactly the golden ratio? My guess is that because the iPhone has rounded edges, it appears to be less high than it actually is, so, to the human eye, it actually does look exactly like a perfect golden ratio.
Apple design is yet again triumphant: the iPhone miraculously manages to combined the best of both worlds: looking more like a traditional candy-bar phone while simultaneously maintaining an appealing golden ratio shape. Jonathan Ives definitely knows his stuff.
January 12th, 2007 at 11:01 pm
I feel you are getting to attached to anything Apple.
I wonder if it will match up to espectations, and if it will still be called the iPhone when it reaches the UK market place.
Or may be just a nother protracted legal case for Apple to fight.
January 12th, 2007 at 11:07 pm
While the iPhone is certainly nice. I won’t actually be getting one. Certainly not in the first two years after its release. It is too expensive and my current phone is just fine. It will also almost certainly be full of bugs. It is however by far the most advanced phone in the world (from an objective technical perspective).
January 13th, 2007 at 1:24 am
geek……………geek…………….geek…………..
January 29th, 2007 at 9:18 pm
The Iphone might be based on 2 overlapping golden rectangles like leonardo da vinci’s “annunciation” painting. basically the 1.618 sq is in the middle with the smaller “rectangles” flanking it.
April 16th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
Great research. I do agree with your points and Apple is very smart in that point. Designing beauty is not easy, that’s why Apple hold such popularity. Microsoft products dont have much of a design at all and try to copy Apple but they cant because Apple is Apple and Microsoft is still Microsoft, even in that retarted buble.
May 15th, 2007 at 7:03 am
when will u launch the iphone
June 29th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
I read that the black plastic at the bottom was to allow for a strong phone signal - as metal is not very friendly with phone signals. URL: http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/apple/jesus-phone-has-black-plastic-part-pogue-declares-273068.php
June 29th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
So, it serves two purposes: 1st to strengthen the phone signal and 2nd to make it look more aesthetically pleasing.
July 18th, 2007 at 4:12 am
the black strip at the bottom is where the antennas are housed. so there u go
January 29th, 2008 at 12:43 am
Thanks Alot for this great article you helped me alot on my project of the golden ratio and made it interesting.