Ex-Apple executive Tony Fadell revealed in a Friday interview with The Verge, that Apple before finalizing the first iPhone was considering the idea of equipping the iPhone with a physical keyboard, but ultimately settled on the intuitive multitouch design that made all the difference.

According to Fadel, who officially left Apple in 2008, he worked on 18 versions of the iPod as well as the iPhone up to the 3GS before leaving to start “smart thermostat” company Nest. He notes that when Apple was readying its first handset, the final three designs were an iPod-phone hybrid, an undisclosed version also called “iPhone” and the final model that was actually released to the market.