"Apple will gladly sell you a $3,500 headset that wraps curved virtual displays around your entire field of view, but the company has never once shipped a physical curved display. Not on the iMac. Not on the Studio Display. Not even a subtle waterfall edge on the iPhone. This isn't an oversight or technical limitation, it's ideology made manifest in aluminum and glass."
"Jony Ive's design philosophy wasn't just about minimalism, it was about what he called "truth to materials." Every curve had to justify its existence through function rather than form. In his worldview, inherited from design mentor Dieter Rams, displays served a singular purpose: presenting information with maximum clarity and minimum distraction. Curves introduced visual complexity that violated this core principle."
"When Ive described transforming the iPad Pro from curved to flat edges, he emphasized how engineering advances allowed them to achieve "a very simple straightforward edge detail." The language reveals everything: simplicity and straightforwardness were virtues, while curves represented unnecessary complexity. For Ive, flat displays weren't just better designed, they were more honest about their purpose."
Apple has never shipped a physical curved display for products like the iMac, Studio Display, or iPhone despite offering a headset with curved virtual displays. Competitors such as Samsung and Dell have embraced curved edges for marketing impact and niche gaming products. Jony Ive's design philosophy of "truth to materials" required that every curve be justified by function, with flat edges chosen to maximize clarity and minimize distraction. Physical curves create geometric distortion and workflow compromises that conflict with an engineering emphasis on simplicity, straightforwardness, and honest presentation of information.
Read at Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News
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