Steve Jobs introduced what has become one of the most legendary and groundbreaking pieces of consumer electronics fifteen years ago. On January 9, 2007, Jobs debuted the initial iPhone to the world on stage at the Macworld Conference in Moscone West, San Francisco, touting it as a “widescreen iPod with touch controls,” a “revolutionary mobile phone,” and a “breakthrough Internet communicator.”
He held up a phone with a 3.5-inch LCD display with a 480×320 pixel resolution, a thick frame, a physical home button, a Samsung processor, and a 2-megapixel camera for everyone to see. It may appear simple, but it was unlike anything else on the market at the time.
Jobs had declared in what is regarded as his most memorable Apple keynote: “An iPod, a phone, and internet communicator. An iPod, a phone, are you getting it? iPhone is a revolutionary and magical product that is five years ahead of any mobile phone”.
Jobs added: “We are all born with the ultimate pointing device — our fingers — and iPhone uses them to create the most revolutionary user interface since the mouse.”
Let’s take a look back at how the iconic device has grown since its launch as the iPhone gets older:
iPhone: This one was first released on June 29, 2007. The 4GB model was initially priced at $499 (approximately Rs. 37,000 now), while the 8GB variant was $599. (roughly Rs. 44,000 today).
iPhone 3G: Released a year later, on July 11, 2008. It cost $599 in the United States (approximately Rs. 44,000 now). It had several major features, including quicker Internet connectivity and GPS navigation.
iPhone 3GS: Released on June 19, 2009, the phone gave users a 32GB storage system. The camera was upgraded to 3-megapixel, which allowed video recording at 30fps. Users could also send photos and voice recordings through messages. It was available in 3 models — 8GB, 16GB, 32GB.
iPhone 4: Released on June 24, 2010, and it was the first phone with a front-facing camera. It was the first time the FaceTime video conversation was available. The phone also included a retina display with excellent resolution and 512MB of RAM.
iPhone 4S: This model was a significant upgrade over the previous model. The camera was enhanced to an incredible 8-megapixel resolution and storage capacity was raised to 64 GB when it was released on October 14, 2011. The phone was released in the United States for $649.
iPhone 5: Released on September 21, 2012, around 11 months after the iPhone 4S was released. The screen was the first to be 4-inches, and the memory was increased to 1GB.
iPhone 5S & 5C: Both phones were released on September 20, 2013. One of the iPhone 5C’s selling points was the fact that it comes in four different colors. Dual flash, slow-motion video, and other features were available on the iPhone 5s.
iPhone 6/6 Plus: They were released on September 19, 2014. The inclusion of a larger screen was the most significant modification from the previous iteration. The iPhone 6 Plus had a 5.5-inch screen, whereas the iPhone 6 had a 4.7-inch screen.
iPhone 6S/6S Plus: These two models were released on September 19, 2015, and had significant advancements over prior phones. The camera was boosted to 12-megapixels from 8-megapixels in the iPhone 6s, while the capacity was raised from 1GB to 2GB. 3D Touch was also available on these phones.
iPhone SE: On March 31, 2016, Apple released the iPhone SE as a cheaper alternative to the previous model. It was smaller and lacked the 3D Touch feature.
iPhone 7/7 Plus: Both of these versions, which were released on September 16, 2016, had better cameras with remarkable zoom. The demise of the 16GB variant was also announced with the debut of these phones. These phones had storage capacities ranging from 32GB to 256GB.
iPhone 8/8 Plus: Released on September 22, 2017, and they were the first phones to include wireless charging. Glass and aluminum were also used to encase the phones. New editing features were available on the camera.
iPhone X: On November 3, 2017, Apple unveiled the 13th generation iPhone X. Another front-facing camera was included. The portrait mode was also improved, resulting in a shift in how photos were taken.
iPhone XS/XS Max: On September 21, 2018, Apple introduced the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. The front-facing camera on these phones was identical to that of the iPhone X, allowing for better selfies. The A12 Bionic chip, which enhanced processing power while preserving battery life, was a significant advancement.
iPhone XR: This was the less expensive alternative when compared to the XS and XS Max. This phone had a Liquid Retina HD display, a front-facing camera, and more color options than the iPhone XS and XS Max when it was announced on October 26, 2018.
iPhone 11/Pro/Pro Max: Released on September 20, 2019. The iPhone 11 had a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina display and a second 12-megapixel camera on the rear. There were many wide and ultra-wide lenses on this camera as well. Three 12 MP HDR camera lenses were included in the iPhone 11 Pro. Finally, the iPhone 11 Pro Max was the year’s largest and most expensive model. It had three lenses and a Super Retina XDR display.
iPhone 12/Mini/Pro/Pro Max: The home screens of the iPhone 12, Mini, Pro, and Pro Max, which were released on November 13, 2020, included more customizing options with widgets. Users could potentially utilize FaceTime or watch videos while doing something else.
iPhone 13, Mini, Pro, Pro Max: Released on September 24, 2021. They had significant camera enhancements, increased storage capacity, and a battery that could support hours of continuous video playing, among other things.
Upcoming iPhone 14 Series
We’re getting iPhone 14 leaks practically every day now, and the iPhone 13’s successor appears to have an unusual twist: not only have we heard that the Mini is being phased out in favour of a Max model, but the basic and Pro variants may have more distinctions than ever before.
We have a remarkably good picture of the iPhone 14 range’s shape – though we’d be extra wary this close to launch, given there are still plenty of opportunities for things to alter. However, current speculations point to a completely new design for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, as well as a brand-new model named the iPhone 14 Max with considerable camera upgrades.
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