FIRST iPhone launch was by Steve Jobs today, 16 years ago; check iPhone journey

On January 9, 2007, Steve Jobs announced the first original iPhone. Know all about it here.

Today, Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone 16 years ago. (Reuters)

The next iPhone, probably the iPhone 15, is already generating the kind of hype that is reserved for rock stars. Notably, it is some 9 months away from launch! The iPhone is a special phone. And the reason why all the iPhones launched till date have acquired this exalted global status is because the iconic founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, launched a revolutionary gadget in the form of the first iPhone. He stepped into the future and dragged the globe along with him. It left all other super brands that had been there like Coca-Cola, Ferrari, Bugatti, BMW, IBM, HP, Pepsi and others, behind. Even the new ones like Dell, Google, Amazon could not acquire the aura of greatness that Apple iPhone had. And notably, today, was the day, 16 years ago, that Steve Jobs launched the first iPhone.

The first iPhone launch happened on January 9, 2007 in San Francisco, California. "Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone," that's what Steve Jobs said at that historic moment.

Steve Jobs presented the first iPhone as an updated version of its iPod with touch controls and some breakthrough features including internet communication. The original iPhone featured a 3.5-inch LCD display, microphone, headset controls, 2-megapixel camera, and a body of aluminum and plastic. The first iPhone was priced at $499 and $599 for its 4GB and 8GB models respectively.

Not sure which
mobile to buy?

Since then, every year, Apple continues to launch its latest iPhone series with suitable upgrades in the design as well as specs to make it better than its predecessor. Here's a quick look at the iPhone's journey from its original form in 2007 to the iPhone 14 in 2022.

iPhone's journey in brief

• After the arrival of the first iPhone in 2007, another iPhone hit the market in 2008 while featuring new connectivity options such as 3G data and GPS. Most interestingly, the iPhone 3G introduced the App Store to the world.
• After several years, the iPhone 4 in 2010 was launched with its first significant redesign. It has a new design with flat edges, a brand-new Retina display, an A4 chipset, and a 5MP camera.
• In 2011, Apple introduced Siri to everyone with the announcement of the iPhone 4s. It also features an 8MP camera.
• iPhone 5 was the first iPhone to be announced in September, the trend which is still active so far. 
• In 2014, the first plus-sized model was introduced. It was an iPhone 6 Plus. 
• iPhone SE (1st generation) was launched in 2016 as a Special Edition offering premium features at a cheaper prices. 
• iPhone 7 and 7 Plus becomes the first iPhone series which is splash, water and dust resistant. It was rated IP67. Also, it removed the 3.5 headphone jack.
• iPhone 8 and its Plus were the final models of the flagship iPhone series to feature the Home Button and Touch ID.
• iPhone X came as the first iPhone with OLED screen technology, wireless charging, and an edge-to-edge screen display in 2017.
• With iPhone 11, Apple brings full 4K60 video recording with the front camera too!
• iPhone SE (2nd generation): It came as replacement for the iPhone 8 in 2020. It featured the same iPhone 8 design but upgraded internals of A13 chip same as the iPhone 11 series.
• In 2020, Apple launched the first iPhone with 5G connectivity. Yes, you guessed it right, it is the iPhone 12 series.
• iPhone 13 hit the market in 2021 as an advanced camera smartphone, with a powerful A15 Bionic chipset, larger and better battery life and much more.
• And in 2022, Apple introduced a 48MP camera with the iPhone 14 Pro models. What else? Dynamic Island, Crash Detection and Satellite connectivity were featured for the first time.

Now, all eyes are set on the launch of the iPhone 15 series in 2023, which is again expected to roll out very new advanced features.