iPhone Turns 10 – How Apple’s Iconic Phone Changed Our World

How has the iPhone changed over the last 10 years?

Apple CEO Tim Cook stands in front of a screen displaying the iPhone 6 during a presentation at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California. 

(Photo: Reuters)

The much awaited, #AppleEvent is here to unveil the new iPhone. What started off as a gamble, making a phone without a physical keypad, went on to become the benchmark for every phone manufacturer to have existed in the last ten years.

With this being the tenth year of the iPhone, stakes are higher than ever, and Apple might even break most people’s bank with the $1,000 iPhone.

How did the iPhone evolve into becoming the most coveted accessory and status symbol, when it all began as a gamble?

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iPhone

Debuting in 2007, it was the first phone to lack a physical keyboard and use multitouch. While other devices featured touchscreens, this was the first one to have a full-touch display.

iPhone 2G 

iPhone 3G

This was the first upgrade to Apple’s phone which offered fast 3G speed. The App Store was also launched in 2008.

iPhone 3GS

No major upgrades – the 3GS only offered marginal speed improvement.

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iPhone 4

The 2010 variant marked the first design shift of the phone. The massive call dropping led to “Antennagate”, which made Apple offer free antennae bands to resolve the problem.

iPhone 4S

This was the last iPhone that Steve Jobs worked on. The year 2011 also saw the launch of Siri, Apple’s AI assistant.

iPhone 5

The next design upgrade for the phone came in 2012. The phone got slimmer and taller.

iPhone 5S, 5C

In 2013, the touch-ID and candy-coloured iPhones made a debut. However, the “affordable iPhone” turned out to be “not-so-affordable” for the intended market.

It was also the year that a new colour made it to the flagship lineup – gold.

iPhone 5S

iPhone 6, 6 Plus

There was yet another design upgrade to make the iPhones even bigger in 2014. Now, two iPhones made a debut, with two different screen sizes. It was also the year of the bending iPhones or “Bendgate”.

Apple CEO Tim Cook stands in front of a screen displaying the iPhone 6 during a presentation at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California. (Photo: Reuters)

iPhone 6S, 6S Plus

With no major upgrades, the S series for 2016 introduced a new colour – Rose Gold – to the iPhone lineup.

iPhone 6 Plus. (Photo: iStockphoto)

Apple iPhone 6S. (Photo: Reuters)

iPhone SE

Before the 7 lineup, iPhone reintroduced its earlier form factor of the iPhone 5, with the faster processor of the 6S series and called it the iPhone SE (Special Edition).

Apple iPhone SE. (Photo: Apple)

iPhone 7, 7 Plus

2016 saw no major design upgrade except the dual-lens camera on the 7 Plus, and the two new black colours. It was also the year Apple ditched the 16 GB base storage and maxed out their phones at 256 GB of storage.

iPhone 7 Plus.

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