Steve Jobs unveiled the original iPhone fifteen years ago. A “widescreen iPod with touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone, and a breakthrough internet communications device,” was how he defined it as three devices in one.
The iPhone has developed into much more than that since it was initially introduced, though. It has elevated Apple to the position of being the largest corporation in the world in terms of market value and serves as a symbol of the IT sector and of the modern period as a whole. It was predicted to be the most profitable device ever in 2015, and it assisted in raising Apple’s market valuation to $3 trillion rather than merely $1 trillion or $2 trillion.
The consistent advances Apple has made to keep the iPhone at the forefront of the competition is one explanation for this. It began with a small device that concentrated on the software and user interface, then improved the network speeds and processing specifications. Later, it maintained providing new software and security features, followed consumer demand to offer larger screens, and added gradually better cameras. The iPhone is still in the news today, 15 years later. Let’s examine the evolution of the iPhone over time:
iPhone (2007)
This is the original iPhone from 2007, which served as the model for later smartphones. It introduced the traditional icon grid, one home button, and did away with a hardware keyboard, which was then a regular feature of smartphones, in favour of a multitouch display. It was equipped to access the internet and consume media, but it was still missing several essential components, like as 3G connectivity and the App Store.
iPhone 3G (2008)
The App Store, the final piece of the puzzle, was included in the release of the subsequent iPhone in 2008. This provided programmers with the opportunity to create their own programmes, and the iPhone’s worth soared as practical apps and games filled its virtual storefront. Push email, GPS navigation, and 3G data were all features of the iPhone 3G.
iPhone 3GS (2009)
Iterative upgrades were included in the initial “S” model iPhone rather than significant new features. The “S” stands for speed, and according to Apple, it is twice as quick as its predecessor. Along with a 3.5-inch, 480 x 320 display, it had the same basic design as the preceding models. Oh, and text copy and paste is now a feature available to users.
iPhone 4 (2010)
Stainless steel and glass were added to the iPhone during its first significant redesign, which also gave it a squarer appearance with rounded corners. When it was first introduced, it was the thinnest smartphone ever made and the first Apple product to have a “Retina display.” Additionally, it was the first iPhone to include a front-facing camera for FaceTime video conversations and to launch with iOS 4, which allowed apps to multitask.
iPhone 4S (2011)
The fifth-generation iPhone had the same design as its forerunner but came with Siri, Apple’s speech assistant that was innovative but perhaps overly ambitious for its time. The phone also had an upgraded antenna and a new 8-megapixel camera on the back to address connectivity issues that the iPhone 4 had.
iPhone 5 (2012)
The iPhone’s screen increased to four inches with its second major redesign, keeping up with the industry trend toward larger smartphones. It was still small and manageable with one hand, and its aluminium chassis made it lighter while maintaining its durability. The 30-pin port was replaced by the reversible Lightning connector, which was also a feature of the iPhone 5.
iPhone 5S (2013)
The iPhone 5S kept the same design as the iPhone 5, but Touch ID, Apple’s fingerprint scanner, took the place of the home button. Touch ID had a significant impact on the smartphone industry, making fingerprint scanners a required feature. The A7 chip in the gadget contained the first 64-bit processor ever found in a smartphone.
iPhone 5C (2013)
For the first time ever in 2013, Apple unveiled two iPhone models on the same day. The more affordable iPhone 5C, which came in a variety of colours, had features that were similar to those of the iPhone 5 from the year before but a polycarbonate casing that designer Jony Ive famously referred to as “unapologetically plastic.”
iPhone 6 and 6 Plus (2014)
The 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus were the first major iPhone releases from Apple in 2014. Both phones incorporated NFC compatibility for mobile payments had a redesigned design with curved edges, and had enhanced cameras, which had become the iPhone’s main feature. But the bigger, lighter phones weren’t as reliable as earlier models, and the 2014 Apple controversy was dubbed “Bendgate.”
iPhone 6 and 6 Plus (2015)
Another S year brought another iPhone with a similar design. On the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, the glass was more durable and the aluminium case was less likely to bend, but little else had changed. The 3D Touch feature, which was only available on the 6S phones, lets you swiftly access menus and previews by pressing into the screen until you hear a “pop” of haptic feedback.
IPHONE SE (2016)
The midcycle iPhone SE, a $399 gadget that looked just like the two-and-a-half-year-old iPhone 5S but had quick new tech inside, was a surprise at the start of 2016. After the not-so-cheap iPhone 5C, it was the company’s first sincere attempt to add a reasonably priced entry-level iPhone choice. Perfect for those who weren’t quite ready to upgrade to a larger device was the four-inch screen.
iPhone 7 and 7 PLUS (2016)
While avoiding a major redesign, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus improved on what the iPhone 6S had to offer by introducing better cameras and water resistance. The plus model introduced a new dual-camera system that offered 2x zoom and a Portrait Mode that made it possible to photograph subjects with an almost shallow depth of field. Yes, the headphone connector was eliminated, and both models did away with the mechanical home button in favour of an entirely digital facsimile. Critics referred to it as hubris, while Apple termed it “courage.”
iPhone 8 and 8 PLUS (2017)
The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus weren’t Apple’s ground-breaking innovations to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. Rather, they were upgrades to the manufacturer’s wildly popular 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch form factors, which debuted with the iPhone 6. With only better cameras and processors and an all-glass back to enable new wireless charging coils, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus might have easily been an S version of the iPhone 7 models.
iPhone X (2017)
By eliminating the physical home button and putting an edge-to-edge OLED display to a brand-new stainless steel frame, the iPhone X broke the visual mould set by every iPhone that came before it. It debuted the amusing Animoji characters for iMessage that can mimic your facial expressions and was the first to use Face ID biometrics in place of a fingerprint reader. It wasn’t inexpensive.
iPhone XS and XS MAX (2018)
Minor design changes made the iPhone XS resemble the iPhone X from the year before, but this time, Apple also produced a plus-sized “Max” model with a massive 6.5-inch display. With the iPhone XS Max, Apple gladly embraced the larger iPhones that it had previously been slow to produce. Apple started to equate larger screens with top-tier functionality around this time.
iPhone XR (2018)
The iPhone X was released alongside the older iPhone 8, however, the XS didn’t have an iPhone 9 to go along with it. Apple instead unveiled the iPhone XR. This less expensive model deleted the telephoto lens and 3D Touch, lowered the screen from OLED to LCD, and surrendered the XS’s premium stainless steel chassis for multicoloured aluminium. However, the iPhone XR still provided users with a sizable screen, Face ID, the newest CPU, and a long-lasting battery.
iPhone 11 (2019)
The iPhone 11 had the same design as the iPhone XR, but this time, Apple made it the primary model for the year. In addition to offering numerous colour options like the XR, Apple launched a new ultrawide camera that allowed users to include more in a photo scene. Entry-level pricing was also reduced to $699, however, it still only had 64GB of storage.
iPhone 11 PRO and 11 PRO MAX (2019)
With the release of the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max in 2019, the iPhone went pro for the first time. These iPhones were the logical progression from the iPhone XS and XS Max, but they included a third camera for taking ultrawide photos in addition to the two already present. An 18W fast charger and a USB-C to Lightning connection were included with the 11 Pros right out of the box.
iPhone SE (2020)
If you thought this second-generation iPhone SE was an iPhone 8, you’d be pardoned. The revised iPhone SE benefited from faster performance and a somewhat better camera that incorporated portrait mode, despite the fact that they are roughly the same size and shape. Due to its diminutive size, the original iPhone SE from 2016 attracted a cult following; nevertheless, the second-generation SE adopted the bigger 4.7-inch size of more recent iPhones.
iPhone 12 and 12 Mini (2020)
The glass sandwich design with flat edges that debuted on the iPhone 4 in 2010 was revived for the iPhone 12. Like the iPhone 11, the 12 sported a wide-angle and ultra-wide camera, however, it switched to an OLED display in instead of the LCD. And when Apple unveiled a smaller version, the iPhone 12 mini, fans of tiny phones cheered. Apple’s MagSafe charging, which enables mounting your phone and wireless charging at theoretically faster rates than regular wireless chargers, was debuted with the iPhone 12 along with 5G cellular radios.
iPhone 12 PRO AND 12 PRO MAX (2020)
Compared to the similarly styled iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 Pro offers a few extra features with snazzier accents. Along with the upgrade to 5G, you also get a telescopic camera, a matte glass finish on the back, and a stainless steel frame. The iPhone 12 Pro incorporates a lidar scanner for 3D mapping applications and to help with portrait mode, in true for-the-pros style. Additionally, the phone supports ProRes RAW photography. And with the enormous 6.7-inch screen on the iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple created its largest iPhone screen to date.
iPhone 13 and 13 Mini (2021)
The iPhone 13, which is most similar to the 12 in every regard, could have easily been an “S” year device. The lenses were reorganised in a diagonal alignment rather than a vertical one, and the cameras were improved with sensors identical to those in the iPhone 12 Pro from the year before (albeit there were still just two cameras). In comparison to the 12, Apple did improve the battery life on both of the 13 models, and the company finally stopped offering its flagships with 64GB of storage by making 128GB the new entry size.
iPhone 13 PRO and 13 PRO MAX (2021)
The iPhone 13 Pro initially resembles the iPhone 12 Pro exactly, but when placed side by side, you can notice that the camera lenses have enlarged, hinting at the variety of camera changes in these models. The wide-angle and ultrawide-angle cameras performed better in low light thanks to the 13 Pro’s 3x optical zoom, support for macro shooting, and other features. A new Cinematic Mode gave the appearance of depth-of-field while filming, and video was better than ever with the option to record ProRes footage.
iPhone SE (2022)
The third-generation iPhone SE resembles the 2020 model almost exactly, except it has the newest chipset and a new 5G cellular radio. However, such improvements were unable to retain the phone’s initial price point as it increased to $429.
