History of the iPhone, now loading…
Macworld Conference and Expo, San Francisco
Steve Jobs took to the stage to reveal its first iPhone, which combines a mobile phone, widescreen iPod and internet communications device into a single touchscreen handset. Unsurprisingly, the audience went wild.
This is only the beginning.
At launch you could download 552 apps, 135 of which were free. In its first weekend, over 10 million apps were downloaded from the App Store. The first big hit was Sega’s Super Monkey Ball, which was downloaded over 300,000 times in the first month.
WWDC 2008 at Moscone Center, San Francisco
Although the camera and processor remain unchanged from the original phone, the iPhone 3G added 3G connectivity for speedy web browsing as well as GPS.
We love 3G data speeds, the iPhone no longer feels like a slow-coach when you’re not in range of a Wi-Fi network.
WWDC 2009 at Moscone Center, San Francisco
Despite looking almost identical to the iPhone 3G, the 3GS improved greatly on the specs, with an all-new 600MHz processor, a whopping 256MB of RAM and 32GB of storage space. The 3-megapixel camera could also shoot video for the first time.
Everything is faster, the camera is significantly improved, and the video shooting is very well done.
WWDC 2010 at Moscone Center, San Francisco
At last we had Apple’s Retina display, packing a meaty 326 pixels into every square inch of the screen. The iPhone 4 also introduced a VGA front-facing camera alongside the improved 5-megapixel rear snapper. And then there’s that gorgeous, skinny stainless steel frame…
iPhone 4 is here at last – and it’s packing an improved camera, new design, HD-video shooting, video calling and much more.
The 10 billionth app downloaded was Paper Glider Thing by Space Inch, LLC, which was downloaded by Gail Davis of Orpington, Kent, UK, who received a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card to commemorate this historic milestone.
Steve Jobs’ declining health due to pancreatic cancer forces him to stand down as Apple CEO, naming Tim Cook as his successor. Cook had already served as acting CEO earlier in the year while Jobs received treatment.
Apple’s Cupertino campus
Siri is born, providing a hands-free means of controlling your mobile – as long as you aren’t Scottish or anything. Meanwhile the iPhone’s camera jumps up to an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p video recording.
The iPhone 4S is Apple’s best phone to date, with a better camera and faster processor. iCloud and Siri could be revolutionary
Steve Jobs dies, one day after the launch of the iPhone 4s.
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco
The iPhone 5 was a milestone device, rocking the first 4-inch iPhone screen. It was also the first Apple phone to pack the Lightning connector.
The 2012 iPhone is here, with a new A6 chip, a larger 4-inch display and iOS 6 featuring Passbook and FaceTime over mobile data.
The 50 billionth app downloaded was Say the Same Thing by Space Inch, LLC, which was downloaded by Brandon Ashmore from Mentor, Ohio who received a $10,000 App Store Gift Card to commemorate this historic milestone.
Apple HQ, Cupertino
The iPhone 5s introduced Apple’s fingerprint sensor, known as Touch ID. A collective sigh of relief swept across the world from anyone who sucks at remembering passwords.
The iPhone 5S has landed in three shades, packing an improved camera experience, a 64-bit processor, not to mention a fingerprint scanner.
Alex Todd
Read our full review here »
For the first time, Apple launched two iPhones side-by-side. The iPhone 5c was a more ‘fun’ polycarbonate model, coming in blue, green, yellow, white and – of course – a sexy pink. However, despite losing Touch ID and sporting an older A6 processor, the iPhone 5c wasn’t quite as affordable as previously hoped.
Apple’s colourful new iPhone plays second fiddle to the more powerful 5S, but might be for those who want a more distinctive iOS handset.
Alex Todd
Read our full review here »
Ive was apparently not a fan of Forstall’s skeuomorphic design, actually wincing in an interview with The Telegraph when asked about the leather stitching effect on Apple’s Calendar app. With iOS 7, the old look was stripped away and replaced with a sleek, flat interface, boasting all-new typography and icons as well as gyroscope-operated parallax desktops.
Flint Center for Performing Arts, Cupertino
After months of speculation, Apple finally revealed its all-new super-sized iPhones. Using the slogan ‘bigger than bigger’, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus sported 4.7 and 5.5-inch screens respectively.
Does the hotly anticipated iPhone 6 live up to all the hype? With its elegant design, Retina HD Display and new iSight camera it just might.
Alex Todd
Read our full review here »
Big, beautiful and bloody brilliant, the iPhone 6 Plus is unquestionably one of the best phablets on the market.
Rory Reid
Read our full review here »
Released: October 20, 2014 in the US, July 14, 2015 in the UK
Apple’s contactless payment solution was launched in the US in October 2014 but didn’t hit the UK until July 2015. At launch, it could be used in dozens of franchises including McDonald’s, Nando’s, Subway and Starbucks.
Further reading: Apple Pay in the UK: All you need to know
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco
Bigger, stronger and faster, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus took centre stage in September 2015. They were the first Apple handsets to feature 3D Touch, a new feature that brought a new level of interactivity to their iPhone experience. Now iPhones utilise multi touch gestures and you can preview web pages and apps before opening them.
The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus also brought Live Photos, a new way of bringing your still images to life.
Faster and stronger plus a killer pair of cameras.
Alex Todd
Read our full review here »
The biggest just got better.
Editorial Team
Read our full review here »
Apple’s Cupertino headquarters
Apple calls the iPhone SE the “small phone that lives large” and it is tough to disagree. The iPhone SE featured the powerful A9 chip, 12-megapixel iSight camera that shoots 4K video and M9 motion co-processor all in the beloved 5s design.
Phenomenal cosmic power*, ity bity living space.
Alex Todd
Read our full review here »
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco
The iPhone 7 is exactly what an iPhone should be. Sleek, powerful and at the same time familiar, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus dramatically improve on core aspects of the iPhone experience.
The iPhone 7 has the longest battery life ever on an iPhone, a new pressure sensitive Home button and an improved retina display. It’s the first iPhone to meet the IP7 standard for water resistance.
September 7, 2016
In a decision Apple executive Greg Joswiak described as “brave”, Apple finally said goodbye to the 3.5mm headphone jack. The 3.5mm headphone port has been a mainstay of tech for 50 years, so Apple decided that it’s time for something new, audio via Lightning.
