The great Apple vs. Samsung trial – the five big secrets revealed when executives took the stand

The ongoing trial between tech giants Apple and Samsung has already uncovered a trove of fascinating material, including prototype pictures of an early version of the iPhone.

But things got a little more interesting last week when Apple executives Phil Schiller and Scott Forstall took the stand.

Schiller, Apple’s head of worldwide marketing, and Forstall, head of iOS software, are two of the most powerful executives in the company – and they were both instrumental in creating the iPhone and iPad.

While some of the detail around the creation of the iPhone has already been unearthed, Schiller and Forstall revealed some fascinating – and previously unreleased – tidbits and statistics about the iPhone itself and the inner workings at Apple.

It’s not often tech fans get to take a look at what really happens inside the world’s largest computer company. Here are five key secrets we learned over the weekend:

1. Shock horror – security is insane

We all know the security at Apple is some of the tightest in the industry, but Forstall said on Friday that when the company created the iPhone, it ramped up a little.

The team building the phone took over one floor of a building in the Cupertino campus. Staff were scanned by badge readers and cameras – but in some cases, members had to show their badges even five or six times before gaining access.

2. That seven-inch tablet may just be real

Remember those rumours about Apple building a seven-inch tablet? Well, they may just be true.

One email brought up in court shows Apple vice president Eddy Cue told Tim Cook, Forstall and Schiller that he had been using a Samsung Galaxy, and noted the 7” market would heat up – “and we should do one”.

“I expressed this to Steve several times since Thanksgiving and he seemed very receptive the last time,” he said.

This is a fascinating revelation, considering Jobs is often quoted as saying the company would steer clear of the 7” form factor.

It breathes new life into the speculation Apple will release a 7” version of the iPad soon – perhaps as soon as next month.