Instant Alert: 9 people who knew the iPhone was going to be a flop

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   9 people who knew the iPhone was going to be a flop by Kif Leswing on Jun 29, 2017, 2:46 PM Advertisement Today is the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. Obviously, it's a major hit — it basically mints money for Apple, which is now the most valuable company in the world. But when it first came out, there were a lot of people who didn't think it was all that great. In fact, some people thought it was going to be an outright flop.  Here are some of those doubters and skeptics:  SEE ALSO: It's been 10 years since the iPhone went on sale — look how terrible the first one seems today Steve Ballmer, then Microsoft's CEO: "There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance." The Microsoft CEO at the time made the claim to USA Today.  Richard Sprague, then-Microsoft senior director: "I can't believe the hype being given to iPhone. I just have to wonder who will want one of these things (other than the religious faithful.)" Source: Microsoft blog via Daring Fireball Three years later, Microsoft held a funeral for the iPhone when it launched a new version of Windows Phone. More details about the Microsoft stunt here.  See the rest of the story at Business Insider   Share the latest business news with your network:    Email sent to:   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011