The iPhone Turns 15: A Look at the Past (And Future) of One of the 21st Century’s Most Influential Devices

The first iPhone was launched on June 29, 2007 in the US followed by six other countries.

By The Conversation | Updated: 29 June 2022 11:50 IST

The iPhone Turns 15: A Look at the Past (And Future) of One of the 21st Century’s Most Influential Devices

Photo Credit: Reuters

The iPhone 14 is set to arrive later this year

Highlights

Apple iPhone 5S introduced Touch ID in 2013
Apple removed the standard 3.5mm headphone socket with the iPhone 7
The iPhone 8 brought the Face ID feature in 2017

Today marks 15 years since Apple released what's arguably its flagship device: the iPhone. A decade and a half later, there are few products that have managed to reach a similar level of brand recognition. Announced to an eager audience in 2007, the iPhone has revolutionised how we communicate and even how we live day to day.

The iPhone was released in the United States in June 2007, and in a further six countries in November (but notably not in Australia).

From the launch of Mac computers in the 1970s to the iPod in 2001, Apple already knew how to engage with its audience – and how to encourage extraordinary levels of hype when launching a product.

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Early reviews for the iPhone were almost universally glowing, applauding Apple's attention to detail and style. The only problem flagged was network connectivity – and this was an issue with slow speeds on phone carrier networks, rather than the device itself.

Consumers' appreciation of the iPhone's style was no surprise. It was indicative of an emerging trend towards smartphones with large-format screens (but which still reflected the form of a phone). The Nokia N95 was another such example that hit the market the same year.

The original iPhone offered wifi, supported 2G EDGE connectivity and had internet download speeds below 500Kbps (compared to multi Mbps speeds today).

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It was also limited to 4GB or 8GB models. This might sound pitiful compared to the 1TB options available today, but it's enough to hold hundreds of songs or videos and was revolutionary at the time.

The iPhone 3G was rolled out across the globe in July 2008, with significantly improved data speeds and the addition of the Apple App Store. Even though it offered a mere 500 apps at launch, the app store marked a significant improvement in phone functionality.

And just as users started getting used to 3G, it was superseded by the iPhone 3GS about a year later.

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This cycle of regularly pushing out new products was critical to Apple's success. By releasing regular updates (either through whole product iterations, or more minor functionality improvements) Apple managed to secure an enthusiastic audience, eager for new releases each year.

Also, since older products would often be passed down within families, Apple's product pipeline helped it establish a multi-generational user base. This pipeline continues to operate today.

The iPhone family has delivered size, speed and storage improvements over its 15-year history. Some of its “new” features weren't necessarily new to the market, but Apple excelled at delivering them in highly integrated ways that “just worked” (as founder Steve Jobs would say).

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In 2013, the iPhone 5S introduced Touch ID, which allowed users to unlock their phones with a fingerprint. While this had first been introduced with the Fujitsu F505i back in 2003, Apple delivered a robust implementation of the feature. Of course, it wasn't long before enterprising individuals learnt how to bypass the mechanism.

The iPhone 8, released in 2017, brought with it the face ID feature. This still had weaknesses, but was at least immune to being unlocked with a photo.

Beyond security, the iPhone series has also produced year-on-year improvements in camera technology. While the original model sported a paltry two-megapixel camera, later models featured multiple lenses, with resolution boosted to 12 megapixels – rivalling many digital cameras on the market.

Wireless charging was introduced with the iPhone 8 (although preceded by Samsung as early as 2011). And the bezel-less design of the iPhone X, released in 2017, is built on features found in the Sharp Aquos S2 from the same year.

Nonetheless, the iPhone has not been without problems. The introduction of the iPhone 7 in 2016 saw the removal of the standard 3.5mm headphone socket – and many weren't happy.

While an adaptor was initially provided for customers to connect their regular headphones, it was only free for about two years. After that, it had to be purchased. In 2016 there were indications of a spike in wireless headphone sales. Perhaps somewhat conveniently, Apple launched its AirPods (wireless Bluetooth earbuds) at the same time.

A similar change came in 2020 with the release of the iPhone 12. Arguing consumers had a multitude of spare devices – and perhaps trying to ride on the green re-use agenda – Apple removed chargers from the unboxing experience.

Users still received a charging cable, but it was a USB Type-C to lightning cable, whereas previous iPhone chargers would have a USB-A socket (the standard USB port).

The justification iPhone users would have a box full of old chargers overlooked the fact that none of them would be likely to support the newer and faster USB Type-C cable.

So you could use your old USB-A to lightning cable and charger to charge your shiny new phone, but you'd be limited to slower charging speeds.

If the past 15 years are anything to go by, it's likely the iPhone will continue with annual product releases (as we write this article many will be anticipating the iPhone 14 due later this year).

These models will probably bring improvements in speed, weight, battery life, camera resolution and storage capacity. However, it's not likely we'll be seeing many groundbreaking innovations in the next few years.

The latest iPhones are already highly sophisticated mini-computers, which means there's limited scope for fundamental enhancement.

Perhaps the most radical change will be the shift from Apple's proprietary lightning connection to US Type-C charging, thanks to a new European Union directive. And while a common power connector standard is widely considered a positive move, Apple wasn't convinced: We believe regulations that impose harmonisation of smartphone chargers would stifle innovation rather than encourage it.

As display technologies evolve, Apple may turn to the clam-shell phone design, with a fully foldable display screen.

Samsung has already brought this to the market. But Apple, in true fashion, will likely wait until the technology (particularly the glass) has evolved to deliver an experience in line with what iPhone users have come to expect.

While we can't predict what the iPhone will look like in another 15 years (although some have tried), it's likely the demand for Apple products will still be there, driven by Apple's strong brand loyalty.

Missed Apple's WWDC 2022? We discuss every major announcement on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Apple iPhone

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 3.50-inch

Processor 412 MHz one-core

Front Camera No

Rear Camera 2-megapixel

RAM 128MB

Storage 4GB

OS iOS 3

Resolution 320x480 pixels

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Apple iPhone 3G

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Processor 412 MHz one-core

Front Camera Unspecified

Rear Camera 2-megapixel

RAM 128MB

Storage 8GB

OS iOS

Resolution 320x480 pixels

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Apple iPhone 5s

KEY SPECS
NEWS
Variants

Display 4.00-inch

Processor Apple A7

Front Camera 1.2-megapixel

Rear Camera 8-megapixel

RAM 1GB

Storage 16GB

Battery Capacity 1570mAh

OS iOS 7

Resolution 640x1136 pixels

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Choose a variant

Apple iPhone 8

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS
Variants

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Insane performance
Vastly improved cameras
Wireless charging
Assured, timely software updates

Bad
Same old design
First party apps not great in India
Fast charger not bundled

Read detailed Apple iPhone 8 review

Display 4.70-inch

Processor Apple A11 Bionic

Front Camera 7-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel

RAM 2GB

Storage 64GB

Battery Capacity 1821mAh

OS iOS 11

Resolution 750x1334 pixels

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Choose a variant

Apple iPhone X

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS
Variants

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Stunning design and display
Great cameras
Wireless charging
Assured, timely software updates

Bad
Costs a small fortune
First party apps not great in India
Fast charger not bundled

Read detailed Apple iPhone X review

Display 5.80-inch

Processor Apple A11 Bionic

Front Camera 7-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 3GB

Storage 64GB

Battery Capacity 2716mAh

OS iOS 11

Resolution 1125x2436 pixels

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Choose a variant

Apple iPhone 7

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS
Variants

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Best-in-class performance
Good battery life
Improved cameras
iOS 10, timely updates

Bad
Low light camera performance not best in class

Read detailed Apple iPhone 7 review

Display 4.70-inch

Processor Apple A10 Fusion

Front Camera 7-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel

RAM 2GB

Storage 32GB

Battery Capacity 1960mAh

OS iOS 10

Resolution 750x1334 pixels

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Choose a variant

iPhone 12

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Very good build quality
Dolby Vision HDR video recording
Excellent cameras
Smooth performance in everyday use

Bad
Battery life could be better
Gets warm when stressed

Read detailed Apple iPhone 12 review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A14 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

Storage 64GB

OS iOS 14

Resolution 1170x2532 pixels

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Apple AirPods MMEF2HN/A True Wireless Stereo (TWS) Headset

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Colour White

Headphone Type In-Ear

Microphone Yes

Connectivity True Wireless Stereo (TWS)

Type Headset

More Apple Headphones & Headset

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