iPhone celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. We look back at some notable versions, and how it has changed the mobile market.
iPhone: launched 2007
The very first iPhone was a far cry from today’s standards. It didn’t support 3G, and App Store wasn’t a thing yet. At that time, Nokia, Motorola and Blackberry were still the kings of mobile phones. The iPhone was the second device with capacitive touch screen (first being the LG Prada).
iPhone 3G: launched 2008
The first iPhone to support 3G, allowing for quick browsing on mobile web. The advent of AppStore meant the iPhone isn’t just a device with some preloaded fancy functions – it opens all sorts of avenues for developers.
iPhone 4S: launched 2011
While iPhone 4’s most notable point is perhaps its front facing camera, the 4S saw the introduction of Siri, Apple’s much loved personal assistant with the occasional sass. It could perform tasks like sending texts, scheduling calendar events and setting alarms. iCloud also came around this time, for backup and restore purposes.
iPhone 5: launched 2012
Apple was a bit late into the party, adopting LTE in 2012 while other handsets have started offering LTE. The design is slightly taller, supporting widescreen; the 30-pin connector has been phased out in favour of the Lightning port. The later 5S and 5C version also saw the addition of touch fingerprint ID on the home button.
iPhone 6: launched 2014
By now, the market is maturing into increased convenience. With the iPhone 6, they’ve included near-field communication (NFC) for contactless credit card payment and Apple Pay. Throughout the years, the screen has also increased in size.
iPhone 7: launched 2016
Arguably a more controversial design, as Apple omitted the headphone jack. A huge debate sparked controversy towards whether it’s a smart move to remove the 3.5mm standard plug. Another argument went towards Apple’s marketing by pushing its wireless earbuds known as AirPods onto its users.
iPhone 8 (possibly special edition iPhone X): expected launch 2017
10th anniversary handset, expected to launch around September. Leaks suggest a near bezel-less design, along with a list of rumoured features. 10 years along, would there be any controversial designs? Further ground-breaking innovations? Might it turn out to be a disappointing release signifying the loss of momentum? We’ll have to see.
Byline: Satoko Omata
