Apple's iPhone 12 Years Later

In 2007, Apple released the first iPhone. This innovative and revolutionary product that would define what a “smartphone” was, made its debut six months earlier at MacWorld. Here’s what was said about it way back at its introduction:






“The iphone—called the iphone, and not any derivative, as had been speculated—will serve both as an ipod as well as 3g phone, somehow cramming a "3g" radio, ipod functionality, and even a version of os x into the phone-size package. The phone itself is dominated by a giant touchscreen, the patent apple applied for in February.”

And the rest is history.

Over the years, the iPhone has slimmed down, bulked up, added new colors, another antenna, more carriers, a friendly yet somewhat sassy personal assistant named Siri, and, oh yeah, gained a few million customers along the way.

It hasn't been a completely smooth ride however. Apple would like to forget the iPhone 4 “death grip,” Mapgate, and Bendgate, among other things.

The iPad may have conquered the tablet market, but it has always been the iPhone—a device so popular, an entire city in China is dedicated to its creation—that customers love most. It's more than a phone. It's an icon, even if it's less than perfect.

Over the years, the iPhone's basic design has gone essentially unchanged. The initial look and feel has served Apple well, as the iPhone—along with millions of other smartphones out there—remains an amazing piece of technology that fits in your pocket. It’s the one that everyone else aspires to. Twelve years. What more needs to be said?

Source: Eric Griffith, PCmag.com, June 28, 2019.


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