Apple’s iPhone: A Journey of Evolution

Apple’s iPhone: A Journey of Evolution

The iPhone ‌has come a⁢ long⁣ way since its‍ arrival in 2007.

First iPhone IDG / Apple

After⁢ months ​of ‌rumors and speculation, Apple CEO‍ Steve Jobs​ unveiled the first iPhone on Jan. 9, 2007.⁣ The⁤ device, which didn’t actually⁣ go on sale until June, ⁢started at $499 for a 4GB ​model, $599 for the 8GB version (with a two-year contract). It offered a⁢ 3.5-in. screen, a 2-megapixel camera and won plaudits for the then-new multitouch⁣ features. Critics, however, said the phone was too expensive to do well in the market. (See iPhone launch story.)

iPhone 3G IDG / ​Apple

On ⁢June 9, 2008, a ⁣year⁤ after the original iPhone went on ‌sale, Apple rolled ⁣out its successor, the iPhone 3G. The‌ new model could connect to faster 3G-based networks, included built-in GPS, offered more ‌storage and was cheaper. ⁤Selling for $199 for ⁤the 8GB model, $299 ⁣for the 16GB version,⁢ the iPhone ⁤3G was available on July ⁣11, and ⁣offered something called location services. “Location services is going⁣ to⁤ be a really big‌ deal on the iPhone,” said⁣ CEO Steve Jobs. “It’s going ⁢to explode.” (See launch story.)

iPhone 3GS IDG /‍ Apple

Again at WWDC, Apple’s Steve Jobs‌ announced the next iPhone,⁤ a faster version called the⁣ iPhone 3GS. Although the form factor was unchanged from ‍the previous⁢ version, the new ‌iPhone was‌ twice as fast as its predecessor and ran iPhone 3.0 (an early version of‍ iOS 8, due out later this month). The 32GB iPhone⁢ 3G S sold​ for $299; a 16GB model went for $199. An 8GB iPhone 3G was ⁤also offered for $99. ‌The iPhone 3GS‌ was‌ available June‌ 19,‍ 2009. (See launch story.)

iPhone 4 IDG / Apple

The ​redesigned iPhone 4 arrived on June 7, 2010 in tandem with⁢ the newly-renamed iOS 4, and marked the arrival of FaceTime video chat. Prices remained unchanged: $199 for a 16GB⁤ model and $299 for the‍ 32GB version. It went on sale⁣ on June 24, and ‌heralded the arrival of ⁢the first high-resolution “Retina” screen.‌ “Once you use ⁢a⁢ Retina Display,⁤ you can’t go back,” said‍ Steve Jobs. ⁢(See launch story.)

iPhone 4S IDG ‌/ Apple

In a change of pace, Apple unveiled the ⁣iPhone 4S on Oct. 4,⁢ 2011, a few weeks after Steve Jobs stepped down because of health⁢ issues. ⁣New CEO Tim Cook talked up the new phone’s dual-core processor (the same used in the iPad 2), and said the 4S would go‌ on sale Oct. 14. In addition to the usual 16GB and 32GB models, Apple also unveiled a 64GB version that⁣ sold for $399. (See⁣ launch story.)

iPhone 5 IDG / Apple

The ​iPhone 5,⁣ the first version to have a⁤ 4-in. screen, arrived on Sept. 12, 2012, as CEO ⁤Tim Cook touted the faster,‍ slimmer upgrade to the ​iPhone 4S during a 90-minute presentation in San Francisco. “This is the biggest⁣ thing to⁤ happen ‌to iPhone​ since the [original] iPhone,” he​ said, referring to the first-gen smartphone Steve Jobs had launched in ⁣2007. The​ iPhone 5 ⁤hit the streets​ on Sept. 21; prices for the 16GB, ⁤32GB and 64GB models were unchanged. (See launch story.)

iPhone⁤ 5S and 5C IDG / ‌Apple

On ⁢Sept. 10, 2013, Apple…

2023-09-15 11:48:02
Article from www.computerworld.com rnrn

Exit mobile version