Apple iPhone history
The history of the Apple iPhone series starts back in 2007 when Steve Jobs took the world by surprise with the announcement of a mysterious 3-in-1 device, which for the first time combined an iPod music player, an Internet communication device and a traditional phone. That was the original Apple iPhone.
And while the iPhone has changed a lot since its inception, the foundation that was laid at the start was a solid one that ensured success for years to come. Every iPhone would deliver predictably smooth performance, a recognizable, easy to use interface, a focus on privacy and come with a set of features.
- iPhone (2007)
- iPhone 3G (2008)
- iPhone 3GS (2009)
- iPhone 4 (2010)
- iPhone 4s (2011)
- iPhone 5 (2012)
- iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c (2013)
- iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus (2014)
- iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus (2015)
- iPhone SE (2016)
- iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus (2016)
- iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus (2017)
- iPhone XR, XS and XS Max (2018)
- iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max (2019)
- iPhone SE (2020)
- iPhone 12 mini, 12, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max (2020)
- iPhone 13 mini, 13, 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max (2021)
- iPhone SE (2022)
- iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max (2022)
Original iPhone(2007)
The original iPhone was the thing that started it all for modern smartphones: while there were smartphones before it, they were nothing like Apple's iPhone that trumped them with its radically bigger screen, innovative multi-touch interface, and the first on-screen keyboard that actually worked well. It was the ultimate Apple 3-in-1, but while Apple thought of the original iPhone as a phone first, iPod second and a 'communicator' third, it's interesting how most people would probably rank the
'communicator' aspect as what makes the iPhone .
Features of iphone 2007
- 3.5-inch display with a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels
- iOS, a new multi-touch interface controlled entirely by your finger
- Internet Connectivity (2G) with native email client and web browser
- 2-megapixel photo camera with NO video recording capabilities
- Ambient light sensor, proximity sensor
- On-screen keyboard
- 4GB / 8 GB / 16GB storage models
- YouTube and Google Maps applications, Google Search
- iPod music / video player with support for iTunes
iPhone 3G(July 2008)
the iPhone 3G, on July 10th, 2008, the App Store officially opened for business. It was made available on the original iPhone, of course, and in hindsight it was clearly as big of an event as the phone launch itself.
The iPhone 3G kept the same screen size as the original, but went with a new, glossy plastic design and added 3G connectivity, making it much faster to load web pages. The iPhone 3G was also the first iPhone with GPS, the satellite communication that allows your phone to know its exact position and a quintessential part of a better maps and navigation experience.
The iPhone 3G did away with the 4GB storage option and was only available in an 8GB and 16GB versions. This new iPhone also fixed an important oversight: the 3.5mm jack on the original iPhone was deeply flawed,
iPhone 3GS(June 2009)
The iPhone 3GS was a gradual upgrade rather than a radical move, but it still brought important speed improvements and faster 3G connectivity.The iPhone 3GS' new 3-megapixel camera debuted a video mode and was able to record videos at VGA (480p) resolution.'
iPhone 4(June 2010)
the iPhone 4 was the best iPhone design of all time. The iPhone 4 was the first major redesign within the iPhone series, introducing a stunning for the time glass construction with a metal frame. It was also the first iPhone to come with a 'Retina' display, a new screen resolution of 640 x 960 pixels that was so sharp Apple said it compares to the the natural limits of the human retina. This was the first phone with such a high resolution and it remained so for the next couple of years.
iPhone 4, the so-called antenna-gate. The issue was that when held a certain way, cellular signal got easily blocked by your hand and while Apple never formally fixed this, it did offer free bumpers that alleviated the issue.
The list of innovations in the iPhone 4 is too long, so we'll just quickly go through the most important ones right below:
- Highest phone resolution of the time, 'Retina' display
- First iPhone with a front-facing, selfie camera
- New 5-megapixel camera capable of 720p HD video recording
- Smaller, micro-SIM card slot
- New glass-and-metal design
- Secondary mic for noise cancellation
iPhone 4s (September 2011)
2011 was probably the toughest and saddest year for Apple, its fans and the community: on October 5th, 2011, just a day after the introduction of the iPhone 4s, Steve Jobs, the man that created Apple, shaped it as a company and single-handedly led it with his unique vision for technology passed away.
The big feature of the iPhone 4s was Siri, the smart voice assistant that impressed with its ability to ask tricky questions with a pinch of humor and who would console you with a joke when you need it. It also set alarms and calendar appointments. The newer iPhone, however, remained a 3.5-inch phone, smaller than the Android competition that was getting a foothold among customers who wanted bigger devices.
iPhone 5(September 2012)
The Apple iPhone 5 brought a slightly bigger and taller display than previous iPhones, but it was not the radical change that many users expected: it grew from 3.5 inches to 4 inches in screen size, and with it came a 16:9 aspect ratio (different from the 3:2 used before), which proved to be more practical for video, traditionally shot in 16:9.
The iPhone 5 also marked a monumental moment for Apple: it was the first phone with a chip that Apple itself made as it sought independence from Qualcomm. The Apple A5 impressed with its design and speed improvements, and set an important foundation. Apple was now able to better optimize the performance of its phone to the chip that it itself made. The new iPhone 5 design was also thinner and lighter.
iPhone 5C (2013)
Basically the same as the iPhone 5, but with a plastic body. The iPhone 5C was all about colour and fun, with a range of cases to make contrasting designs.The iPhone 5C is a lovely phone that is solid in its performance and playful in its approach. The combination of the colourful exterior sits beautifully against the latest iOS 7 operating system and as an upgrade to the iPhone 4S, the 5C is a perfect option, and refreshes the iPhone 5 in a way that makes it a lot more fun than the iPhone 5 ever was.
iPhone 5S (2013)
The iPhone 5S fulfils the pre-determined destiny of all Apple "S" devices - it's the one that's normally met by the baying crowd as "meh". But the more we've played with it, the more we've used it, the more it's clear that Apple has made vast improvements here. In many ways Apple has released a phone for tomorrow. That's a hard sell, but it's also the exciting part.
The Touch ID scanner is yet to be fully realised, as are the A7 and M7 processors and the 64-bit support. But the potential for that power is huge - it's got more grunt than its near competitors and that makes it extra exciting. We do still have a shopping list of wants though. For one, we would like a bigger and higher resolution screen.
iPhone 6 (2014)
This model saw a jump in size to a 4.7-inch 1334 x 640 screen with 326ppi, with a shift to a metal body. It also introduced Apple Pay, but was blighted by "bendgate".
There's also no real NFC beyond Apple Pay, and no wide open operating system for all to use regardless. But many won't care. The app choice of Apple is outstanding, the 128GB storage quota is enough (as long as you can afford it), and do we really need NFC pairing? Add that to an incredibly polished operating system in iOS 8 and you end up with a phone that will sell truckloads.
For iPhone 5 or 5S users looking to upgrade, the decision is a no-brainer: the iPhone 6 is superior in all aspects to previous devices sporting a better design, a better display, a better experience all around.
Apple iPhone 6 Plus (2014)
The same as the iPhone 6 largely except for a bigger 5.5-inch screen with 1920 x 1080 resolution for 401ppi, plus a larger 2915mAh battery to keep it running. This was Apple recognising the growing trend in big phones.
iPhone 6S (2015)
No visual design change from the iPhone 6 but an upgrade to the aluminium used to make it was stronger, along with changes in performance and battery life and advanced features like 3D Touch and 4K video capture. It stuck to the 4.7-inch 1334 x 750 pixel resolution and packed in the Apple A9 chip.
An iPhone S update year usually means a couple of new features that most people could take or leave, but the iPhone 6S is the most exciting S model for a long time. It bucks the usual trend, delivering a phone that will offer plenty to iPhone users new and old alike. In practice, the Touch 3D element has proved to be a gimmick that we could easily live without though.
Improved battery life, enhanced cameras, slick operability from iOS 10 all make the iPhone 6S great to use, even if the screen resolution is still behind the current flagship curve.
Improved battery life, enhanced cameras, slick operability from iOS 10 all make the iPhone 6S great to use, even if the screen resolution is still behind the current flagship curve.
iPhone SE (2016)
The iPhone SE made the unusual move of shifting back into the older design of the iPhone 5 models. It did so to offer a smaller, cheaper option, but it kept the powerful innards of the 6S, so the A9 chip and the latest camera, but with a 4-inch display with 1136 x 640 pixels.
The iPhone SE is a great smartphone that brings plenty of power in a small package. It's designed to appeal to those who aren't fussed by today's typically large flagship phones. If you are upgrading from the iPhone 5S or iPhone 5 and don't want a larger phone then the SE is a no-brainer. It's faster in every aspect and delivers a phone that will feel familiar but delivers the goods at today's current top-spec level.
iPhone 7 (2016)
iPhone 7 Plus (2016)
This larger version of the phone marked its arrival by doing something that Apple hadn't done before: it presented a major difference in feature set with the introduction of the twin camera on the rear. While the rest of the phone incrementally moves on from the 6S Plus, partnering the new iPhone 7, the dual camera is all new, offering bokeh portrait and 2x optical zoom for quality close-ups.
The biggest change is with the cameras. Sure, the Depth Effect is a work in progress, but it doesn't have to be used and doesn't take away from the cameras' overall excellence. Ultimately it's the resulting images that are great, and the 2x optical zoom is welcomed.
iPhone XR, iPhone XS and iPhone
XS Max (2018)
In late 2018, Apple cemented the tradition of launching three new phones at once, but this time all of the three new phones used the gesture navigation and Face ID systems that were the way for the future of the company.
iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max continued following the example set by the iPhone X: super premium, $1,000 plus prices that Apple tied to the next-generation AMOLED displays it used in these phones, plus both featured a dual camera system with a main and a 2X zoom telephoto lens.The iPhone XR was the most affordable in the series, but still not cheap by traditional smartphone pricing terms with a price starting at $750. The XR introduced a colorful new design with vibrant tonalities for the back of the device
iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max( 2019)
In 2019, Apple again launched three new iPhones that were quite similar to what it had offered in the previous year.The main change was in the camera where all three iPhones received a brand new ultra-wide camera that allowed users to capture incredible landscape photos, as well as shoot in tight spaces.
iPhone SE (2020)
The new iPhone SE (2020) wasn't quite as tiny as the original 4-inch SE. Instead, it actually uses an iPhone 8 chassis, so you got a 4.7-inch screen. The single camera on the back was capable of recording 4K videos with great quality and while others also offered an ultra-wide and sometimes even telephoto lenses at this budget, the new SE did stand out with quality of its single lens.
The biggest complaint about this phone is to this day the battery life. Having a tiny 1800mAh battery inside meant that if you used your phone a bit more during the day, you would need to recharge it even before you get home from work, which is definitely not a great experience.
iPhone 12 Mini, 12, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max
( 2020)
In late 2020, Apple for the first time launched four iPhones at pretty much the same time. After years of sticking with similar designs, the 12 series featured a complete refresh in the looks department: flat sides, thin bodies, and a brand new super compact form factor with the iPhone 12 Mini.
All four 12 series iPhones come with 5G connectivity, a first for any iPhone, and just as you'd expect from Apple that was handled smoothly with support for mmWave in the US, as well as a clever feature that would automatically switch back to LTE networks when 5G ones were not available to conserve battery life.
Also, all four now feature OLED displays with beautiful, rich color and deep blacks, while previously the more affordable iPhone 11 model for example compromised on that with an LCD screen.
iPhone 13 mini, 13, 13 Pro
and 13 Pro Max(2021)
Apple launched its iPhone 13 series on time with all four models launching at the same time. The series have not changed and follow the same recipe with a mini, 5.4" model, two 6.1" iPhones, and one 6.7" Pro Max model.
The big upgrade in the 2021 family of iPhones is without a doubt the battery increase. All four iPhones ship with bigger batteries than their predecessors with the difference ranging from a 10% increase in the mini to a nearly 20% battery capacity increase in the Pro Max. This has resulted in significant battery life gains with the iPhone 13 Pro Max in particular securing the title of the longest-lasting iPhone ever.
On the camera front, Apple introduced Photographic Styles, a way to control the color and contrast of all of your photos, and unlike a filter, you could create a custom look for every photo you take and it would be applied automatically. All four iPhones also come with Cinematic Mode, which records 1080p video where the background is blurred and the camera can automatically rack focus for a cinematic-like effect.
iPhone SE (2022)
Two years after the release of the second generation SE, Apple was ready to introduce a new member to the family: the iPhone SE (2022).
There weren't any high hopes or much hype for this iPhone before the launch, and it was mostly a modest update. The SE (2022) came with the same form factor as the previous iPhone SE, and that design dates back to 2014 and the iPhone 6, so it definitely looked ancient at launch.
The problem most reviewers quoted, however, was the small for the times 4.7-inch screen that also happens to use the older LCD technology and has a lower than average resolution.it was the fastest processor on any phone, period. Teardowns also revealed a surpising 10% bump to the battery capacity, unexpected considering the unchanged form factor. This was also the first budget iPhone with 5G connectivity
iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max
(2022)
For the first time ever, the non-Pro versions don't get a new processor and use only a slightly upgraded version of the Apple A15 chip used last year. The iPhone 14 Pro editions do get the new Apple A16 chip, so there is a bigger gap between the vanilla and the Pro versions this year..
The design remains mostly the same on the regular version, but there are bigger changes on the Pros. The notch is being replaced by the Dynamic Island, a pill-shaped camera module.The Pro models get an upgrade to a larger-sensor, 48MP main camera. Cinematic Mode now works in 4K too, and supports both 24fps and 30fps.
