Today it is difficult to imagine the digital industry without Apple products. It has a number of advantages: versatility, compactness, excellent technical characteristics, ideal quality. The most versatile among all Apple devices is the iPhone: in fact, it combines the functions of a phone, a tablet, and a player.
The giants of the digital industry, who have successfully controlled the global market for electronic products for decades, are trying to compete with Apple in this product category. Meanwhile, the story of Apple's rise is very short: iPhone production spans less than ten years.
At the beginning
The very first iPhone appeared in 2007: at the beginning of the year at the MacWorld exhibition, and in the summer – on sale. But the history of the famous Apple smartphone begins earlier. Back in 2002, Steve Jobs first voiced the idea of creating a new universal device that would combine the functions of a communicator, a mini-computer and a player. The story goes that Jobs originally intended to create a keyboard-free mini-computer that would allow you to type directly on the screen (i.e., a tablet). But after getting acquainted with the functions of the future tablet, which the developers provided, Jobs changed his mind and decided that all this could be made into a smartphone.
The company spent the next few years working on the iPhone. The first version (Motorola ROKR) was unsuccessful. It was a phone with a player that synchronized with iTunes, with an interface similar to an iPod. The know-how had weak functionality and a not very good design; users did not appreciate it.
At first, the history of iPhones did not go very well. The company had problems with its trademark: the name iPhone, which it intended to use, was already owned by another company, Cisco Systems. After the premiere of the Apple iPhone in 2007, Cisco Systems sued Apple. As a result, the two companies agreed to jointly use the brand.
Before iOS
The 2007 iPhone combined all the main promised functions: a player, a telephone and a pocket PC. But he, too, was still far from perfect. The biggest disadvantage is low-speed Internet access (EDGE). There was no 3G back then. The second drawback was insufficient security, so the corporate user was not interested in Apple's new product.
A year later, the company released the iPhone 3G. In addition to 3G, Apple now offered users GPS and A-GPS (with Google maps). A new operating system (OS 2.0) was installed on the device, and the design was improved. The 3G model was released with two sizes of built-in memory, 8 and 16 GB. Over this year, the geography of sales of the new Apple device has expanded to seventy countries.
The next model, iPhone 3Gs, was announced as high-speed. Indeed, the main differences between the 3Gs and its predecessor are power and speed: a stronger processor, a larger battery, 32 GB of memory. The device also had new functions: data encryption, digital compass, voice control.
The emergence of iOS
The history of Apple smartphones has entered a new stage with the advent of the new iOS operating system.
The fourth iPhone model did not contain G in its name, because... fourth generation networks were not supported in it. The iPhone appeared in 2010, OS 4.0 was renamed iOS 4 at the time of its announcement. The model used an A4 processor, the camera was improved, a gyroscope appeared, and a video communication camera appeared. The disadvantages that users of the four complained about were the fragile body and poor signal reception. The latter problem has been completely resolved in the new version of the operating system, iOS 4.0.1.
Steve Jobs died on October 5, 11, the day after the presentation of the new iPhone model, 4s (“speed”: the prefix s in the names of Apple iPhones appears when the emphasis in the new model is on improving speed qualities compared to its predecessor). Jobs was not present at the presentation; Tim Cook announced the new product. The model was equipped with a dual-core A5 processor (clock frequency 1 GHz), the camera changed from 5-pixel to 8-pixel, the Siri function appeared, and GLONASS support appeared. And a new version of iOS, the fifth.
The history of Apple smartphones continued in the fall of 2012: the iPhone 5 (actually the sixth generation) appeared. A6 processor (1.3 GHz), iOS 6 firmware, 1 GB RAM (the predecessor had 512 MB), support for fourth-generation LTE networks, Lightning dock connector. The screen has increased (4 inches versus the former 3.5).
Finally, last fall, the iPhone 5s and iOS 7 firmware appeared. A7 processor (64-bit architecture), M7 coprocessor, know-how: a fingerprint scanner built into the home button. The LTE range has been expanded, the camera capabilities have been expanded, and a multi-shot mode has appeared. 5s has the most elegant design among all Apple smartphones (and perhaps among all smartphones in general). Available in silver-white, silver-black, gold, miniature (weighs only 112 g). New opportunities for protecting personal data have appeared and holes for jailbreaking (hacking software restrictions) have supposedly disappeared. The latter is unreliable.
What is Apple today
Today, Apple smartphones, tablets and players are sold in almost eighty countries around the world. The iPhone has transformed from an affordable device into a device for wealthy people (already in 2011 the price on the Russian market reached 30 thousand rubles). Apple iPhones are being counterfeited at every turn; counterfeits have become an independent industry.
Smartphones are imperfect (almost every model has flaws). Users often criticize Apple for being late in keeping up with current trends. However, each new model comes out improved compared to its predecessors.
Apple's additional services also deserve a good word: the company produces millions of software applications for its devices. Most of them are either free or inexpensive. No other manufacturer currently has such a huge platform for downloading content.
In honor of the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, I want to delight you with the excellent history of that very first iPhone! The article is based on materials from the site iMore.com. This is a free translation - do not judge strictly.
On January 9, 2007, Steve Jobs took the stage to give one of the most incredible performances of his life. A presentation that will go down in the history of consumer electronics. He said he would unveil today a widescreen iPod with touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone, and a breakthrough Internet device. But it wasn't three products. It was one product. We got it, Steve. This was the first iPhone!
It was a rare occurrence for the company, a revolution in yet another product category. Apple had already produced two revolutions: Mac computers and iPod personal music players.(Over the next 10 years there will be only two revolutionary products: iPad and Apple Watch)…
First, the iPhone completely got rid of the physical keyboard and stylus: features that dominated BlackBerry, Motorola smartphones and other handhelds. Secondly, Jobs introduced a multi-touch interface that allowed the user to zoom in on photos; inertial text scrolling and multitasking, allowing you to switch between applications...
These were technologies that are now commonplace in the industry, but at the time looked like science fiction. Jobs quote:
The iPhone is a revolutionary and magical product that is five years ahead of any other mobile phone.We are all born with the best pointing device - our fingers. INiPhone we usedthem to create the most convenient user interface since the invention of the mouse.
Characteristics of the first iPhone
The original iPhone, based on the P2 device from the Project Experience Purple team, codenamed M68 and numbered iPhone1.1, had a 3.5-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 320x480 (163ppi), running on 2G (EDGE) networks, with Wi-Fi module, Bluetooth 2.0 EDR, as well as a 2 megapixel camera.
The first iPhone had an ARM processor and a PowerVR MBX Lite 3D graphics chip made in Samsung factories. The battery was 1400 mAh. RAM 128 megabytes. And two options for built-in memory: 4 gigabytes and 8 gigabytes.
The iPhone had several additional sensors for a better user experience. An accelerometer that responded to the rotation of the device... A proximity sensor that turned off the screen if you put the phone to your ear... A light sensor that could automatically adjust the screen brightness to ambient light.
The iPhone was charged using a 30-pin USB cable. The wire was also used to sync with iTunes.
Flaws
The original iPhone did not have CDMA and EVDO Rev A compatibility.This meant it couldn't work on two of the four major US wireless carriers: Verizon and Sprint. ABOUT The original iPhone was exclusive to AT&T.
It also lacked GPS and support for faster 3G data speeds. In addition to the touch keyboard and lack of a stylus, the iPhone did not have removable, user-replaceable batteries. Also, from the very beginning, the iPhone did not support SD cards.
The first iPhone had a closed file system, lacked copy and paste functionality or any other form of advanced text editing, and, most importantly to many, support for third-party apps. Additionally, the iPhone had a real web browser instead of a WAP browser and no MMS support.
The iPhone also came out at an incredible price for that time - $499 for the 4GB model and $599 for the 8GB. This was an unheard of amount for that time.
All this combined allowed critics to say that the iPhone has no future...
Launch
But the presentation did not mark the final step in the evolution of the first iPhone. Designers Jony Ive and Richard Howard did a great job, but the iPhone still had hardware problems. Steve Jobs managed to scratch the screen of the pre-release version with keys and asked the team to find a better solution. They turned to Corning (a company that has specialized in creating unusual glass, ceramics, etc. for over 150 years), who had recently invented a new chemically strong material and could not find a use for it. This is how the Gorilla Glass screen appeared on the iPhone.
The software development team, led by Scott Forstal, continued to improve the interface. So Steve Jobs considered that a split screen for mail was inconvenient, because the iPhone screen was already too small. Programmers had to make sure that the applications worked not just reliably, but amazingly!
They added a full version of Safari based on the engine created by the Mac team led by Don Malton. The best implementation of maps based on Google Maps was screwed into the system, and finally the programmers added a native Youtube application, which existed in iOS until 2012.
On June 6, 2007, Steve Jobs took the stage again at the Moscone Center at the Worldwide Developers Conference to announce the launch of Web 2.0 as a development platform. But on this day he revealed something more - the launch date of the first iPhone!
Sales have begun in several Apple flagship stores. For example, in the famous glass cube in New York. The novelty hooked people so much that they frankly didn’t care about the lack of many functions and the high price. Reviews from leading world publications were generally positive:
The Wall Street Journal wrote:
Our verdict is this: despite some shortcomings and artistic oversights, the iPhone is a beautiful breakthrough PDA. His the software sets a new benchmark for the entire smartphone industry...
Engadget wrote:
It's certain that with the iPhone, Apple has raised the bar not only for the mobile phone, but for portable media players and multifunctional devices in general.
On September 5, 2007, Steve Jobs not only introduced the new iPod, but also announced that Apple was dropping the price of the iPhone to $399 for the 8 GB model. Quote on this matter:
iPhone customer satisfaction surveys are higher than we've ever seen for any Apple product. We have clearly received a fundamentally new product and we want to make it available to even more customers!
On February 5, 2008, the prayers of users who did not have enough memory were heard - the iPhone with 16 gigabytes of memory was announced.
iPhone competitors
In 2007, all smartphones had a full keyboard. Their surfing capabilities were limited to WAP browsers. The screens were resistive. Mobile applications differed even from one manufacturer.
Steve Ballmer (former Microsoft CEO):
You can get the Motorola Q for $99 andyou will have the most expensive phone on the market today. N There is no chance that the iPhone will gain any significant market share. No chance.
Here's another quote from Ballmer:
Right now we sell millions and millions and millions of phones every year. Apple sells 0 phones per year. In six months they will have the most expensive phone in the history of the market. Let's see…
You have to understand that at that time there was a completely different world. High-speed mobile Internet was just gaining momentum and was very expensive. Smartphones were limited in the market and were not as popular as regular mobile phones. Many people didn’t believe in the iPhone, but that’s how it turned out...
Many people who have just decided to buy an iPhone and want to get acquainted with the entire line begin to be interested primarily in the release year of all models.
Before the iPhone, Apple had other products that were worth your attention, but when this little 3.5-inch smartphone came out, everyone went crazy.
Every year everyone waited for its release like a new year. Many Yabloko members have not missed a single presentation and are looking forward to the next one.
iPhone release dates
Before I start, I want to say that I will be looking at smartphones in groups. Every iPhone deserves special attention, so let's get started.
We will never forget this year. Was distant 2007 and when it came January 9 Many still did not understand that the era of something great was beginning.
At that time, when the minimum memory size was only 4 GB, when the RAM was only 128 MB and the most interesting thing was that the processor was from Samsung, and its frequency was only 620 MHz - everyone was just praying for this phone.
Then we saw only minor changes in design and minor improvements in performance. Back then, not everyone could afford to buy such a luxurious phone. 
It doesn’t matter that his camera takes pictures in an unknown way, the main thing is that it’s Apple, and then the time began when actors in every film began to use this phone.
- 3 : June 10, 2008;
- 3GS: June 8, 2009.
It seemed like quite recently. Despite the fact that the phones are really outdated, some still use them to this day.
This era of smartphones really took off in its time, and then the new case with glass elements showed everyone what Apple designers are capable of. 
A compact but very powerful smartphone has occupied the top places among smartphones for a very long time. And despite its release year, these two are also very popular now.
- 4 : June 7, 2010;
- 4S: October 7, 2011.
Unfortunately, many people forget these legends, because big screens are already popular now. The characteristics of the two legends are fading day by day in today's market.
These four have one thing in common - they are all equipped with an excellent, compact and convenient for many 4-inch display. 
Many believe that this is simply the golden mean for a smartphone, when the screen is not too small and it is still very convenient to surf the Internet and use applications.
- 5 : September 12, 2012;
- 5S, 5C: September 10, 2013;
- S.E.: March 21, 2016.
Fans of this compact size were very happy about the release of the SE model. Now all the best in one smartphone - the design of the 5S and the hardware of the 6S.
Many were waiting for the era of shovels to come for the iPhone. The dream of millions of people came true and two large phones were born at once: 4.7 and 5.5 inches. 
People started going crazy when these new products came out. I had to alter the pockets in my pants so that this giant smartphone would fit.
- 6, 6 PLUS: September 9, 2014
- 6S, 6S PLUS: September 9, 2015.
The second series with the letter “S” showed greater success, because the cameras became better, the RAM doubled and now it is an incredibly difficult competitor for everyone.
The design is reminiscent of its predecessor in many ways, but thanks to new features like moisture protection and a persistent tilt towards the camera, they made themselves felt. 
The power of smartphones in this line knows no limits. All performance ratings show these gadgets at the top.
- 7, 7 PLUS: September 7, 2016.
It's no secret that many people want to buy this smartphone. Once you get such a phone, you immediately get a lot of pleasure and find yourself in a little fairy tale called Apple.
Results
Now you know the release dates of each smartphone. You can calmly navigate and understand that even when you buy an iPhone 6, you are not holding in your hands such an old man.
Now, even if you are asked what year this or that iPhone came out, you have a cheat sheet that will always be available to you.
Every year Apple presents a new iPhone model, which is sure to have a couple of interesting features. Next year marks the 10th anniversary of the start of sales of the first iPhone. So we decided to remember how it was until today.
And at the same time we want find out from you: Which of these iPhones was your first?
Go, Let's get nostalgic.
1. iPhone (2007)
The first iPhone was innovative in its own right. Restrained design, a minimum of elements on the body, a strict front panel.
Remember what smartphones looked like before the advent of the iPhone: protruding antennas, joysticks, a bunch of buttons under the screen (sometimes even above it), styluses, a sliding qwerty keyboard and indecent thickness. Now look at the windows of any electronics store. Most of the devices are very similar to what Steve Jobs showed off on January 9, 2007.
The company showed what Apple smartphones would look like in the next few years, and subsequently followed the laid down principle.
What was upsetting: Unfortunately, there are no drawbacks, the first generation iPhone did not receive a number of functions that competitors had (3G support, video recording, multitasking, etc.), the operating system was closed to the user, there were many Apple restrictions (you cannot transfer pictures and music to other users, limited support for data formats, downloading files only through iTunes).
The big problem was that the headphone jack was too deep, which did not allow the use of many 3.5 mm headsets.
2. iPhone 3G (2008)
The smartphone began to acquire functions, primarily due to the update of the mobile operating system. In iOS 2.0 we saw the App Store. Since then, third-party developers have been able to earn money from us by releasing applications for the iPhone. Tim Cook reported on more than 2 million applications in the store.
And with the release of the iPhone 3G, we saw support for UMTS, HSDPA, A-GPS and different body colors (black and white).
What was upsetting: plastic case and its low wear resistance. After just a few months, the back panel was covered with scratches, cracks appeared near the cable connector, and pieces even broke off during active use.
3. iPhone 3GS (2009)
In 2009, we first learned that Apple wasn't going to update the design every year. After that, in odd-numbered years, “eski” began to be released with last year’s design, but new hardware.
The model was remembered for the appearance of a camera with autofocus and the ability to shoot video. For the first time, the iPhone received a digital compass. Of the software innovations, multitasking and voice control (Voice Control) should be noted.
What was upsetting: old design.
4. iPhone 4 (2010)
With this model we learned about a high pixel density screen - Retina Display. After holding such a device in my hands for 5 minutes, I didn’t want to use previous generation screens. Until now, a pixel density of over 300 per inch is considered the standard. The technology began to be used not only in the iPhone, it appeared on Apple tablets and computers.
The device is also memorable for its front camera, LED flash and gyroscope.
What was upsetting: antennagate was a big failure for Apple. With a certain grip, the iPhone 4 lost the network and this was widespread. Jobs and company had to apologize and hastily “invent” bumpers.
5. iPhone 4s (2011)
The main innovation of the last smartphone released under Jobs (the event was hosted by Tim Cook, and Steve died the day after the presentation) was the Siri voice assistant.
Then the feature seemed unsuitable for use. Later, Siri learned a number of commands, learned several poems and jokes, and even mastered the Russian language.
The iPhone itself was able to distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi, shoot Full-HD video, and broadcast images via AirPlay. The developers also combined GSM and CDMA models in one device.
What was upsetting: Lack of Russian language support in Siri.
6. iPhone 5 (2012)
In 2012, we learned that Apple could produce a device with a screen diagonal larger than 3.5 inches. The 30-pin connector is retired, replaced by Lightning, which is with us to this day.
With this model, many first learned about the nano-Sim format (remember how you cut your cards with scissors?) and the EarPods headset.
What was upsetting: strange paint on the back panel that quickly peeled off.
7. iPhone 5s (2013)
This device has a Touch ID fingerprint scanner. It's hard to imagine how much time these sensors save us every day. Instead of entering a long password, simply use your finger.
iPhone 5s was the first Apple smartphone to be released in gold.
We will not consider the iPhone 5c model. Apple went for an experiment that was never repeated; the device had no innovations, but was only a cheaper copy of the iPhone 5 in a colored plastic case.
What was upsetting: 64-bit processor and 32-bit applications, the App Store was not ready for the release of a model with a new processor. Until developers adapted programs and games, many 32-bit applications performed worse on the iPhone 5s than on the iPhone 5.
8. iPhone 6/6 Plus (2014)
In 2014, we saw the first “shovels” from Apple. Two years later we got used to this size of the smartphone, but then it was too much.
Thin body, powerful hardware, camera with Full HD shooting at 60 frames per second and optical stabilization (in the Plus model).
What was upsetting: We haven't forgotten Apple's advertising with the ideal screen size for a smartphone. And for the first time we saw iPhones being bent en masse.
9. iPhone 6s/6s Plus (2015)
Last year's new products include a pressure-sensitive screen with 3D Touch and software innovations associated with the use of this technology. There was also a new color “rose gold”.
What was upsetting: too little innovation and software features of dubious benefit (“live” photos, pop-up menus).
There was also a “tuned” iPhone 5S with a clever name "SE"(who forgot), but the model can hardly be called innovative. The device did not bring anything new to the line, although it became the most powerful 4-inch smartphone on the market.
10. iPhone 7/7 Plus (2016)
This year, the iPhone stopped being afraid of water, began to use battery power more wisely, and began to produce stereo sound. A rather controversial decision was the abandonment of the 3.5 mm jack. Now headphones are only Bluetooth or Lightning.
And in the line there are as many as 5 body colors, this has not happened since the iPhone 5c.
What was upsetting: practically unchanged design and scratchy “black onyx”, which is impossible to buy. 
Now try to remember how you reacted to the innovations of each model when it appeared. No one ran headlong for the iPhone just because it had 3G or LTE support, a front camera or flash, Siri or a big screen. At the time these features appeared, many people thought they were unnecessary, but now we use them several times a day.
Everyone has heard about such a legendary and incredibly popular thing now as, and many are the happy owners of this gadget. However, not everyone is familiar with its history. It is not surprising that users often wonder who created the iPhone. Usually only one common surname comes to mind, which is on everyone’s lips. But it turns out that everything was much more interesting, and in fact, several people were the inventors of the “apple miracle”.
What is the name of the creator of the iPhone?
If you ask any person to name the creator of the iPhone, he will probably say that it was Steve Jobs. And he will be absolutely right, since it was this person who was the “brain” and inspirer of the team that worked on the gadget, and most of the innovative and revolutionary ideas belong to him. However, a significant intellectual contribution was also made by Apple Vice President Jonathan Ive and its technical specialists. And the very concept of the new phone was proposed by John Casey, who gave management the idea of fitting a media player, a telephone, and a number of other functions into one device at the same time. Therefore, it is a mistake to think that when answering the question of who is the creator of the iPhone, one should only mention Jobs’ last name. After all, he himself repeatedly emphasized that he could not have achieved this without his close-knit team of enthusiasts.
Key milestones in the history of the famous “apple miracle”According to the project proposed by John Casey, a prototype of the iPhone was created, which was essentially an improved Motorola with software from Apple. The new product was born in 2005 and did not arouse much interest among users. It became clear that the concept needed to be radically changed, which is what Jobs and his colleagues did. This time, the team did not resort to the help of partners and kept all their developments in strict confidence; moreover, members of the engineering group did not even contact each other so as not to interfere. Two years later, at the next internal corporate meeting, Jobs held an unscheduled presentation of a new device with a touch screen, innovative communication characteristics and Internet connection. After this, it became clear to even the most inveterate skeptics that a real bestseller had been born. After all, immediately after their release in 2007 in the United States, the first iPhone models were swept off the shelves like hot cakes, and literally a couple of months later they began to be sold in Europe, and then throughout the world. The releases of all subsequent generations of the gadget were no less popular.
Where was the iPhone created?
The question of where the iPhone comes from is also very interesting. After all, if it was invented by Americans, then it is logical to assume that it was created in America. And this is partly true, since it is in the USA, in the state of California, in the town of Cooperton, that the head technical, engineering and marketing center of the Apple company is located, where they work on developing and improving the design of the gadget and developing 
strategies for its promotion in the market. They also test already released models to understand where the shortcomings are hidden and how they can be eliminated in the next generation models. But from the very beginning, the material shell for iPhones began to be created far beyond American borders - in a country known for its developed production infrastructure and cheap labor, that is, in China. Here, on the very border with Hong Kong, in Guadong province, in the city of Shenzhen, there is the Foxonn plant, where the first apple gadgets were created. And currently, most iPhones are also assembled at this plant.
