Imagine a world without iPhones. Less than a decade ago, that was the case. Here’s some information about the history of the ever-so-popular iPhone: The very first iPhone was introduced by Apple back in 2007. The iPhone was an instant hit and dwarfed the Smartphone almost immediately.
Many recall that day in January 2009 when the late Steve Jobs shared his vision with the world to introduce a wide-screen iPod with touch controls, an innovative mobile phone, and an advanced internet device that would be released as just one product with all three functions. This was the official introduction of the iPhone. The first iPhone did not have a physical keyboard and did not include the stylus pen that the others used. The iPhone offered a multitouch interface that let the iPhone effortlessly pinch-to-zoom, unique and advanced scrolling features, and a smooth transition maneuvering from a call to music and then to the web. It was said to be five years ahead of its time. The first iPhone was based on the P2 device. It had a 3.5-inch screen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, and a 2-megapixel camera. It had 128MB of RAM on board and 4GB or 8GB of NAND Flash storage. To enhance the user experience, an accelerometer was added to rotate the screen for functionality. But the iPhone lacked huge in one area. It was incompatible with the four big US network carriers. There was also no GPS and no user-replaceable battery. It was $499 for the 4GB and $599 for the 8GB model on contract. It launched on June 29, 2007. People stood in long lines to get their iPhone. Few cared about missing features and even fewer cared about the price tag. By September, Jobs announced that the 4GB model was being discontinued and that the 8GB model was going to see a hefty price reduction. Within just two years, Apple increased the functionality with the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS but also managed to lower their prices. The iPhone became untouchable. Next came the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S which just fortified the evolution by offering things like support for broader carriers, lightning speed, natural language interfaces, and improved displays. On June 10, 2010, Jobs announced the iPhone 4 would have more than 100 new features, an all-new design, camera, and screen resolution. On September 12, 2012, Apple announced another iPhone, the iPhone 5. It would be lighter and thinner with lightning fast LTE and a longer battery life. It was available in black and slate or white and silver. This one was in a league all of its own if not for any other reason than it set the stage for the iOS 7 and what came after. The iOS7 was the seventh release from Apple and was released in September 2013. There were numerous functionality changes in this version but low and behold, June 30, 2014, saw the current version, the iOS 7.1.2. The iPhone 6 and 6S were unveiled on September 9th, 2014. This newest incarnation of the iPhone boasted a larger screen with a thinner profile. The 6S had a screen measuring 5.5 inches. It also featured a metal surface and Retina HD display. There was some controversy surrounding the new technology as some users found it was quite easy to bend their devices, but as usual, the scramble to get the latest device overshadowed this detail. The iOS 7 versions were said to offer the biggest changes to iOS since inception. Big changes were found in the user interface and the design. Changes like a new look dialer, icons, and FaceTime apps were welcome.
