What's with the Time 9:42 and the Apple iPhone?

What's with the Time 9:42 and the Apple iPhone?

942.jpgToday in the pre-launch world of the Apple iPhone finds us taking a welcome break from the "serious" side of iPhone news and information, to report on something that's simply interesting and somewhat fun.

The safe assumption is that you haven't already noticed that the time 9:42 is apparently significant, somehow, in the world of the Apple iPhone. At least, that's what one would be led to believe. The most observant of iPhone fanatics took notice recently that the iPhone, in each of Apple's iPhone commercials, displayed the time 9:42.

As with everything iPhone, speculation has ensued. Largely this has turned into a chicken and egg scenario, with some users proposing that the time found throughout the iPhone commercials is related to the timing of the original iPhone keynote address (the iPhone was originally announced at 9:42). The folks on the other side of the field suggest that the iPhone was announced at 9:42 deliberately, for the same reason that the commercials all display iPhones at 9:42, whatever that reason may be.

NetworkWorld decided the question was important enough to pose directly to Apple. The result was that Apple is apparently as confused about the pervasive time as the rest of us are. An Apple spokesperson, replying to NetworkWorld's inquiry, was unable to provide a reason behind the consistent time, and offer to attempt to "find and answer".

So, what's with 9:42? No idea. The dogs are hot on the trail though, should anything get sniffed out, we'll let you know.

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Comments

Anders Batten replied on

Hah! Never noticed this before. I hope there's something interesting behind this.

iphone fanatic replied on

It's the time when they will release the virus that kills everyone!

esti replied on

According to some basic numerology meanings 9, 4, 2 means

"universal, practical, partner"

Coincidence?

Kevin replied on

9:42 was probably picked because it was the time of the intro. But it's probably hacked to remain at the same time so that the time wouldn't be constantly changing throughout the commercials (since they no doubt took hours to film those spots).

Jeck lamnent replied on

9:42 (pi*3) rounded

macrowe replied on

Mark 9:42-50

42 ‘If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea.

Joe Ramsey replied on

It's a reference to HitchHikers guide

6 x 9 = 42

6 the month of the launch

The Answer to The Ultimate Question Of Life, the Universe and Everything

Anonymous replied on

Put down the bong! 6 x 9 is 54

Anonymous replied on

6 x 7 = 42

Anonymous replied on

6*9=42 is what is in the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy - go read it and thank me later

hepzdarell replied on

Thanks for the share, your comment is very funny..
online marketing solutions

Joe replied on

All of this is a stretch, really, and making something out of what's most likely nothing (although it's still fun), but if I had to pick, I'd probably go with Joe Ramsey on this one. It would make perfect sense for Jobs to think that the iPhone is "the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything."

Anonymous replied on

9 + 4 = 13 13 + 2 = 15 1+5 = 6
9 + 4 = 13 1+3 = 4 4 + 2 = 6
94 + 2 = 96 9 + 6= 15 1 + 5 = 6

Anonymous replied on

On august 29, 9:42am, three billion human lives will end. The survivors of the nuclear fire will call it judgment day. The lived only to face a new nightmare…the war against the machines.

AgentSix replied on

check out Engadet's liveblog record of the MW Expo 2007 keynote

http://tinyurl.com/yyfb9f

9:42am - "Well today, we're introducing THREE revolutionary new products. The first one is a widescreen ipod with touch controls" The crowd goes wild. "The second is a revolutionary new mobile phone."

...theory confirmed!

phone replied on

i was born at that time

Anonymous replied on

a birth actually takes somehow longer than a minute where it comes to place...

Anonymous replied on

My guess:
(a) Steve Jobs is superstitious.
(b) Unique way of identifying fake ads/rumors.
(c) Some sort of subliminal marketing schemes.

Angelastic replied on

I'm watching a stream of the iPhone OS 4.0 announcement, and it looks like they've changed it to 9:41! Amazing.

Anonymous replied on

Solved!

http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/59824

Jason M replied on

I recently read that there is a smi interesting reason for it. If you pay attention to apple keynotes and conferences they all happen at 9:00am. And in their address they always have what they call the "Big Reveal." Apparently they expect the Big Reveal to come roughly 42 minutes into the presentation so that's why they threw the 9:42 on the top of the screen. After they unveiled the iPhone they realized they were about a minute off. So, you will notice that all iPad pictures (from apple sources) have the time 9:41.

Jason M replied on

I recently read that there is a smi interesting reason for it. If you pay attention to apple keynotes and conferences they all happen at 9:00am. And in their address they always have what they call the "Big Reveal." Apparently they expect the Big Reveal to come roughly 42 minutes into the presentation so that's why they threw the 9:42 on the top of the screen. After they unveiled the iPhone they realized they were about a minute off. So, you will notice that all iPad pictures (from apple sources) have the time 9:41.

Robert replied on

this is the reason behind it..
its and interview with Scott Forstall of Apple

Scott : We devise the presentations [at launching] this way that the revealing of the product takes place approximately 40 minutes in the presentation. If the large photograph of the product is projected, we want that the time on the photograph corresponds virtually to the time on the watches of public. We know that it happens never on exact 40 minutes in the presentation.

interviewe : therefore you add a valued number of minutes?

Scott : Exactly! For the iPhone we made it 42 minutes after nine hours. It appeared that we were nice well on gone with that estimate, thus we made it for the iPad 41 minutes.

( btw this was a dutch interview so i translated it so sorry for the weird line make ups..

Anonymous replied on

It's the same on the iPad commercials.. BUT! there's one picture of the ipad on apple.com where the clock is 9:41 am.. epic fail ^^

AppleShirtGuy replied on

I have a t-shirt from Cupertino HQ that has the magic 9:42 time on the back, and an iPhone revolutionary painting on the front. Photos here:

http://www.appleshirts.com/?p=34

Props to this site for explaining the significance of 9:42.

What I can't figure out is what the Russian imagery and theme is about. Shades of "1984"?