Apple design team details iPhone 12, MagSafe, and HomePod mini in rare interview

Apple’s latest iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro lineup is its most expansive yet, with four different models from which to choose and a new MagSafe accessory ecosystem. In a new interview with Wallpaper, a handful of Apple designers offered additional details on the design thought process behind the iPhone 12, MagSafe, and HomePod mini.

The report points out that the iPhone 12 “suite of products revealed in October were still at prototype stage back in 2018,” before Jony Ive departed Apple to form his own independent design company. The Industrial Design Group generally works at least two years out, the report says.

Apple designers Eugene Whang and Jeremy Bataillou offered some details on the MagSafe ecosystem and how it was designed in conjunction with the iPhone 12. For example, the MagSafe Leather Sleeve has to integrate with the iPhone 12 to display the time through its front-facing cutout.

“This connectivity to the MagSafe ecosystem is what drove the final form,” explains Apple designer Eugene Whang. “We designed the phone and the accessories as a single cohesive family,” continues Jeremy Bataillou, another long-time Apple designer.

Apple’s VP of Industrial Design, Evans Hankey, explained the inspiration behind the color palette of the iPhone 12 and its accessories:

“We’ve always gone extremely wide in our colour choices,” says Evans Hankey, the company’s VP of Industrial Design. “this palette was an exploration that started around gemstones — we loved the depth of colour and the way the colours appeared through the cases.”

Hankey went on to explain how Apple always looks to add new touches to the design of its product, specifically as it relates to the differences between the HomePod and the HomePod mini:

“We’re happy there’s an ecosystem around our products. As a design team, we are always exploring how we can add specific new values and make them more personal.”

The full piece can be found at Wallpaper and is well worth a read if you’re interested in a rare behind-the-scenes look at Apple’s design team.

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