iPhone throwback: The original 2007 iPhone started the smartphone revolution

iPhone throwback: The 2007 Apple iPhone laid the foundation of the modern-day smartphone as we know. Here is all you need to know.

The 2007 iPhone introduced one big change for the era – a large touchscreen interface. (Apple)

The iPhone 14 will mark a big change for the future of conventional smartphones but ones that we have today can pay tribute to the original iPhone launched back in 2007. Most of you may remember the popular clip from the launch event that now streams on YouTube – ex-Apple CEO Steve Jobs describing the iPhone as a single device that houses the iPod, an internet communicator, and a mobile phone. The iPhone was all those three devices clubbed into one and as of 2022, it has basically remained the same.

The first iPhone was not perfect in any way – it lacked a lot of the modern niceties that you assume as a staple on the current-day iPhone 13. In fact, the first generation iPhone lacked 3G connection as well as something considered basic – the App Store. However, the first generation iPhone was a big change from the previously classified smartphones from Nokia, Blackberry and Motorola.

The original iPhone was a game changer

The 2007 iPhone introduced one big change when compared to the regular “smartphones” of the era – a large touchscreen interface. “Who needs a stylus?” said Steve Jobs at the event. The iPhone 1 allowed one to use their finger to control the device – a revolution at the time. It dropped the physical keypad and introduced the single Home button at the front.

The iPhone also brought the concept of apps on your smartphone. The best part was that you had a Safari browser to access the mobile internet as it was intended. However, it only supported 2G data connectivity at the moment, which was slow for the time. It had a single rear camera on the device and had a 1400mAh battery with a 30-pin proprietary connector. It used a Samsung processor and used a PowerVR GPU with limited RAM and storage.

It wasn't until the iPhone 3G that Apple introduced the App Store, thereby changing the game for the smartphone industry. The successor also introduced 3G connectivity on the iPhone.

However, it was for the iPhone 1 that we got to see the emergence of Android as a major platform rival, and the emergence of an entire ecosystem, with Samsung leading the game with its Galaxy series of smartphones.

15 years since then, we are ready to welcome the iPhone 14 series with some of the latest advances the world of smartphones experiences today. The iPhone is more the revolutionary gadget it was back then, but it stands for something else – a secure and solid smartphone experience.