Email: Steve Jobs wanted to wage 'holy war' against Google in 2011

Andre Yoskowitz
6 Apr 2014 10:31

The ongoing Apple vs. Samsung wars have provided some interesting tidbits of information about the companies, including emails from late Apple founder Steve Jobs.
One such newly released email reveals that 2011 was set to be the year of the "holy war" against Google, and how Jobs and Apple were planning to fight.

At the time, the company was working on the iPhone 4S ("plus iPhone 4") and the iPhone 5, looking to have an LTE version of the iPhone in 2012. Additionally, the company was looking to build a low-cost iPhone model to replace the aging iPhone 3GS. All of the goals were hit with the exception of the low-cost replacement, which eventually became somewhat of a reality with the iPhone 5c.
The full 2011 strategy via the document:

- "plus" iPhone 4 with better antenna, processor, camera & software to stay ahead of competitors until mid 2012
- have LTE version in mid-2012
- create low cost iPhone model based on iPod touch to replace 3GS
- Business & competitive update
- show Droid and RIM ads
- Verizon iPhone
- schedule, marketing, ...
- iPhone 5 hardware
- H4 performance
- new antenna design, etc
- new camera
- schedule
- CONFIDENTIAL
- cost goal
- show model (and/or renderings) – Jony

The most interesting parts of the email came later, where Jobs speaks about how the company had fallen behind Android in numerous aspects, and how it looked to leapfrog the rival OS with features like Siri. "Durango" and "Telluride" were codenames for certain builds of iOS:

- Strategy: catch up to Android where we are behind (notifications, tethering, speech, ...) and leapfrog them (Siri, ...)
- Timeline of iOS releases from first until Telluride, including Verizon
- Jasper tent poles
- Durango tent poles (without MobileMe)
- Telluride tent poles (with "catch up" and "leapfrog" notations on each one)

See the full email here, which is an immensely interesting look into the battle between Android and iOS while Jobs was still alive:

Apple outline

Source:
Original Report: 9to5Mac