The Sorcerer’s Apprentice?

Over at Businessweek, there’s a fascinating look inside Apple, focused on Senior Vice President of iOS Software Scott Forstall. There are lots of interesting bits, but perhaps the one which stuck out the most was this:
Before the introduction of the iPhone, Forstall supported Jobs’s view that Apple didn’t need to create an ecosystem of third-party developers. Back then they figured the device would stand out for combining a phone with an iPod plus a superfast browser. For the most popular activities—watching YouTube videos, for example—Forstall’s team would simply partner with market leaders such as Google to create apps built specifically for the iPhone.

With as far as Apple’s come in just 4 years, it would be easy to be misled into the idea that they planned every step along the way.