Why do Apple iPhones, iPads always display 9.41 am time during launch: Check the Steve Jobs connection

Apple recently launched its iPhone 16 series at its Glowtime event. One thing that you might have noticed is that whenever Apple launches any new device including iPhones, iPads and more, they always have 9.41 am time displayed. This is a constant pattern that we have noticed during keynotes over the years. This can be witnessed in the promotional videos or the images in the official blog post.

The reason behind this pattern is based on something that Apple founder Steve Jobs believed in. According to Scott Forstall, Vice President of iOS software for the first iPhone and iPad, told Inc.com, “We design the keynotes so that the big reveal of the product happens around 40 minutes into the presentation. When the big image of product appears on screen, we want the time shown to be close to the actual time on the audience's watches. But we know we won't hit 40 minutes exactly.”

Originally slated for a 9:42 am debut in product photos, Apple decided to push up the unveiling time slightly to 9:41 am to align with Steve Jobs's presentation plans. This minor adjustment ensured that the image of the first iPhone accurately reflected its actual unveiling time.

During Steve Jobs's MacWorld 2007 unveiling of the original iPhone at precisely 9:41 am, a big screen behind him displayed the first image of the phone – turned on and showing at the exact same time. Forstall stated, “It turned out we were pretty accurate with that estimate, so for the iPad, we made it 41 minutes.” He added, “We continued the tradition, setting the time to 4:41 am. There you have it – the secret behind the magic time!”

In addition to this, for the first time in its history, Apple launched its latest iPhone on a Monday, marking a significant shift from its usual Friday releases. Apple has traditionally preferred to launch its flagship iPhones on Fridays. But this year, the company has moved the launch to Monday, September 9.

Why was that? Just one day after the iPhone 16 debut, Apple faces a potentially massive fine from the European Commission. The Commission was expected to announce whether Apple will be forced to pay a record-breaking $14 billion fine related to a long-running tax dispute.

The looming September 10 decision date in the antitrust case has forced Apple to change its plans for the iPhone 16 launch. The company initially intended to unveil the new device on that day, but the potential for a massive European fine made it too risky to hold such a high-profile event while facing such uncertainty.