iPhone designer's stunning turntable is more Apple than Apple
Apple is preparing to launch its first totally new product in years in the form of its spatial computer, the Vision Pro. But what if it turned its hand to more traditional technology? Well, if it ever made a turntable, this is what it might look like.
Jony Ive, the designer who revolutionised how we listen to music with the iPod has gone full circle with a vinyl player that's more premium than anything he made before. Don't expect any Apple Prime Day deals on this.
The sleek Sondek LP12-50 is a special 50th-anniversary edition of a legendary turntable from British luxury hi-fi brand Linn in collaboration with LoveFrom, the agency that Ive founded with four colleagues after leaving Apple in 2019. There are only 250 being made, all hand-built in Scotland, and they're available in a natural finish, or in white for a more Apple look.
It's Ive's first hardware project since he left Apple, where he oversaw the design of the iMac and iPhone as well as the iPod. There are plenty of Apple-like Ive touches in the smoothed aluminium edges and a generally minimalist aesthetic. But with a starting price of ￡50,000 ($60,000), it makes even Apple's upcoming Vision Pro headset seem relatively inexpensive.
Linn told Fast Company he had owned Linn products himself, which doesn't surprise us considering his ludicrous list of everyday design tools. He describes the turntable as a "very gentle and modest project for us that was really motivated by our love and respect for Linn", saying that LoveFrom worked Pro Bono with no contract or financial arrangement.
Ive has taken on some intriguing projects since leaving Apple in 2019. LoveFrom covers graphic design as well as product design. It works long-term with Ferrari and AirBnB, but its most high-profile work has been for the United Kingdom's newly crowned king, producing the King Charles III coronation logo and the seal for the Astra Carta, an initiative that aims to promote sustainability in space exploration.
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You can reserve your Sondek LP12-50 now for shipment to a Linn specialist between August 2023 and March 2024.