Technology

The Iconic iPhone: A Brief History

The iPhone is more than just a history-maker; it’s a cultural icon and, on a much simpler level, part of our everyday lives. Whether you’re a proud owner or just know someone who is, the chances of you not interacting with Apple’s prized creation to some degree is slim to none.

The iPhone does more than just connect us to our friends, families, and coworkers. It connects the world. There are over half a billion iPhone users across the globe. The iPhone isn’t going anywhere soon, so let’s take a look at its history and see exactly where it comes from.

Humble Beginnings

Many people know that Apple started in a garage. Steve Jobs is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in history, and his legacy lives on as an inspiration to millions.

Although Steven Jobs kicked off his company in the 1970s with the first Apple Mac computers, the iPhone wouldn’t debut until more than 30 years later.

After over three years in development, Jobs revealed the first iPhone at a MacWorld convention in January 2007. Its touch-based interface was cutting-edge and wowed the audience. The iPhone was, in Steve Jobs’s own words, going to “reinvent the phone”.

After its debut, mobile phones began to be designed in a way that emphasized interactivity, responsiveness, and functionality.

The Original iPhone

Despite being the first of its name, the original iPhone was called the iPhone 2G. Nicknamed the “Jesus phone” by its fans, the phone was released in three versions: 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB.

The 3GS

The first “S” version of the iPhone happened during the third generation. The 3GS model was the first interim update Apple ever unveiled and featured a faster, more powerful processor and a higher resolution camera.

The iPhone 4

The iPhone 4 was a striking update to the series that boasted a high-resolution screen called a Retina and incorporated the first iPhone front camera for video calling. The 4S, on the other hand, was the iPhone that gave us most of the features we consider standard to the iPhone today like the iCloud, iMessage, and Siri.

The Best-Selling iPhone in History

Every new iPhone model launch finds millions of customers rushing to their local Apple store, but the bestsellers of all time are the iPhone 6 and 6+.

We may be on the iPhone X, but the iPhone 6 makes up over 21 percent of the 728 million active iPhones.

The Future of the iPhone

The next chapter in the story of the iPhone is expected to drop in September when Apple releases three new phone models.

What can you expect? No one knows exactly, but there plenty of rumors to tide you over until the big reveal. Many speculate that Apple will release a Plus version of the iPhone X, its most powerful model, and possibly unveil a budget-friendly iPhone for $550.

While we may not know exactly what’s in store, one thing is unquestionable: Apple is at the top of its game, and the iPhone is here to stay.

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Resources:

Fortune

MacWorld from IDG

AT&T Experience

History Cooperative

Investopedia

NewZoo Insights

CNet News