It’s been more than 15 years since the
release of the first-generation iPhone. Literally billions of Apple’s mobile devices
have been sold during that time, with technical improvements and constant upgrades making for an ever-changing and improving user experience. With the recent release of the iPhone 14, 14 Plus,
14 Pro, and 14 Pro Max, what better time to look back at
the iPhone’s incredible achievements? This is the evolution of the iPhone! Before the iPhone was released the most
popular mobile phone was the Nokia 1200, but there were also more advanced phones like the Motorola Q. However, in 2007 Apple designed a device that
would completely revolutionize the mobile phone industry. “This is a day i’ve been looking forward to 2.5 years.” Well the iPhone definitely was revolutionary, and the introduction of the iPhone basically meant the funeral for Nokia. The iPhone was introduced as a product
that combines three devices: “an iPod a phone are you getting it? These are not 3 separate devices. This is one device and we’re calling it; iPhone.” The first iPhone was released in 2007 and unlike many of its competitors like the Motorola Q
it did not feature a QWERTY keyboard. The iPhone was entirely different, it only had
one button and a 3.5 inch widescreen display. “It works like magic. You don’t need a stylus. It’s far more accurate than any touch display
that every been shipped. It ignores unintended touches, it’s super smart, You can do multi finger gestures on it, and boy we’ve patented it.” Another major feature that made the iPhone so successful
were the applications and the easy-to-use software. “Software, at least 5 years ahead of what’s on any other phone.” The iPhone had a 2 megapixel camera,
good performance and multiple storage options. All this came at a high starting price of $499 dollars. For this amount of money you could almost buy 10 Nokia’s. Besides being cheap the Nokia had one other advantage… It was almost indestructible. The iPhone, on the other hand…not so much! Despite this, the iPhone became a massive success, and 6.1 million units were sold! Fun Fact Did you know that Apple made the first iPhone prototype in 1983? Back then, it wasn’t a smartphone but a landline phone
with a touchscreen computer and a stylus. Steve Jobs was not a big fan of the stylus, though, or even buttons, it seems, and thankfully
technology had advanced enough by 2007 that the iPhone could offer a more intuitive and easier
to use touchscreen without the need for a stylus. “Who wants a stylus? You have to get ‘em and put ’em away, you lose them, Yuh!” So in 2008, Apple introduced the iPhone 3G
which they described as “Twice as fast at half the price”. “It search the web and downloads data twice as fast. For half the price. Introducing a new iPhone.” While the first iPhone was $499, the 3G seemed much cheaper, with a suggested retail price of
$199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB model. That price was reduced further to $99
with the release of the 3GS. However, the cut-price 3G model then required
a 2-year contract or $499 without one, and hidden fees were not warmly received by critics. One of the 3G’s main features was
being able to connect to 3G networks. This significantly improved the speed of mobile internet. It was also the first iPhone with a built-in GPS and the App Store. In 2009 Apple released the iPhone 3GS,
with “S” standing for speed. Due to a new chip and double the RAM, Apple claimed
that the 3GS was twice as fast as its predecessor. It also came with an improved battery. It allowed users to watch videos for up to 10 hours. The camera was upgraded to 3 megapixels
and it had a 32 gigabytes storage option, but the starting price was $599 dollars. The iPhone 3GS became a huge success. Within the first weekend over 1 million units were sold! Fun Fact Originally the iPhone was going to have a plastic screen. However, when Jobs had a prototype in his pocket
the screen was scratched by his keys. That’s why the screen was replaced by glass. iPhone had its first major redesign in 2010 with the iPhone 4. Compared to the previous iPhones it was thinner,
had sharper edges and a stainless steel frame. “This is beyond the doubt. The most precise thing. One of the most beautiful things we’ve ever made.” It also came with a front camera, so people
could use facetime and make selfies. It was also the first iPhone with
a high resolution retina screen. The rear camera was improved to 5 megapixels
and the RAM was doubled. The iPhone 4 became yet another massive success,
and an estimated 50 million units have been sold! Sadly, on October 5th, 2011, the iPhone’s
brilliant creator, Steve Jobs, passed away at the age of 56. He will forever be remembered as a man who inspired millions with his passion and creativity while creating innovative products adopted and admired around the world. Following Tim Cook’s appointment as CEO of Apple in 2011, the next iPhone to be launched was the 4S. This time the “S” did not stand for speed, but for Siri. Hey Siri, what is zero divided by zero? “Imagine that you have 0 cookies and
you split them evenly among 0 friends. How many cookies does each person get? See, it doesn’t make sense. And Cookie Monster is sad that there are no cookies. And you are sad that you have no friends.” Wow, I just got roasted by Siri… “Do you think it will snow today? It sure looks like snow today. Say hello to Siri. On the most amazing iPhone yet.” The iPhone 4S had a new Apple A5 chip, that
allowed for up to seven times faster graphics. It also came with a better camera that could record in Full HD
and it had an option for 64 gigabytes of storage. The iPhone 4S became an even bigger success than its
predecessor selling an estimated 60 million units in total. “We want to make much better phone. iPhone 5 is the result of this approach. It’s been completely redesigned and for the first time ever, we increased the size of the display. Next came the iPhone 5 with a bigger 4 inch display. The new lightning connector made the iPhone 5 charge faster. It was also 18% thinner and 20% lighter than the iPhone 4s. Apple claimed it was the thinnest smartphone
in the world at 7.6 millimeters. And that’s not all, it also had a faster chip. “We’re also introducing an all new Apple design A6 chip. It delivers performance up to twice
as fast as the previous generation.” The iPhone 5 also had a better front camera
and the RAM was improved to 1 gigabyte. Fun Fact The App Store with all of its apps are, of course, very important for the success of the iPhone, but did you know there are almost
2 million apps available for download? In 2013, the iPhone 5C was released
alongside the more powerful iPhone 5S. The 5C replaced the original iPhone 5’s aluminum shell
with a hard-coated polycarbonate one, allowing it to be sold in a wide range
of colors and for $100 cheaper. Rather than continuing to sell the original iPhone 5
at a lower cost, the 5C replaced it entirely. The iPhone 5S came with Touch ID, which uses a fingerprint scanner located inside the home button
as an easier and more secure way to unlock the phone. The sensor uses advanced capacitive touch to take, in essence, a high resolution image of yourfingerprint
from the sub epidermal layers of yourskin and then intelligently analyzes this information with
a remarkable degree of detail and precision. It also had an improved battery and was
up to twice as fast due to the A7 chip. The iPhone 5s was the world's first phone with
a 64-bit SoC, meaning ‘system-on-a-chip,’ which was an absolute game-changer. It meant a huge leap forward in terms of performance,
speed, and RAM management. The 5S was a roaring success; over 163 million units have been sold! The iPhone got bigger and better in 2014
with the introduction of the iPhone 6. It was the first iPhone to have Retina HD and
a storage option for 128 gigabytes. Buyers could now choose between two different screen types. With the iPhone 6 Plus having a larger 5.5 inch
display and an improved battery, plus a 100-dollar added price-tag. “With iPhone Six and iPhone Six Plus, we've taken the time to do the deep engineering to design and develop two entirely new iPhones more significant than just bigger and better displays. The design has never been so compelling, undoubtedly making this the biggest advance
in the iPhone since we launched the original.” Fun Fact The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus became the
best-selling smartphones of all time. In total a whopping 222 million units have been sold! The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus were released in 2015. Apple stated that the new A9 chip had up to 70% more CPU and
90% more graphics performance compared to its predecessor. Another key introduction was that of 3D touch, which enabled pressure-sensitive touch inputs and allowed the device to distinguish between
normal and more forceful presses. “The camera shots 4K video now,
which changes how your movies look. Nice! Even selfies have changed. Now your scren is the flash. That’s gonna get like a million likes. Actually the photo’s themselves have changed. They move now, you just touch them.” The iPhone 6S also had a better front and
back camera, as well as 2 gigabyte RAM. Besides the larger screen the iPhone 6S Plus also had
a better battery, but it was $100 dollars more expensive. The first-generation iPhone SE, or ‘Special Edition,’
was released in 2016, and it was basically a cheaper and
smaller version of the iPhone 6S. It had the same processor as the 6S but
had a screen size of just 4 inches. The iPhone SE’s slogan was ‘A big step for small.’ The front camera was downgraded, but
it came at a starting price of just $399. “We have created a product that is the most
deliberate evolution of our original founding design.” In the same year the iPhone 7 and
iPhone 7 Plus were released. The headphone jack was removed. Now you had to use a lightning cable headphone jack or
use the wireless AirPods that were released at the same time. It also became the first water-resistant iPhone model. The front camera was improved and it came
with a 256 gigabyte storage option. The iPhone 7 Plus didn’t have one, but two cameras at the back. These dual camera’s considerably improve the
quality of photos and videos when zooming in. The iPhone 7 plus also had increased RAM. It was sold for $769 dollars. Fun Fact In 2016 Apple managed to sell its billionth iPhone! If you thought that was impressive wait till the end
to find out how many iPhones have been sold in total! In 2017 the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus were released. It had wireless charging. This means that the phone can be charged through the glass cover
on the back of the iPhone by placing it on a wireless pad. It also came with the A11 Bionic chip,
making it about 30% faster than the iPhone 7. The price of the iPhone 8 was increased by 50 dollars. The larger iPhone 8 plus had an improved
dual camera, but it did cost $100 more. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus have sold more than 86 million units,
making it the fifth best-selling smartphone of all time! The iPhone 9…never existed! It was skipped to make way for the iPhone ‘X,’ which,
if you know your roman numerals stands for the number 10. Indeed, the iPhone X marked the 10th anniversary
of the release of the original iPhone. The ‘X’ was the first iPhone that didn’t have a home button. This made it possible to have a larger display on a smaller phone. It was also the first to have an OLED screen. “The custom OLED panel was engineered to fold
and seamlessly combine with the external surfaces. Mechanical buttons give way to touch and gestures. There’s no home button. A single swipe takes you to the home screen.” Face ID was added, enabling you to unlock
your phone using facial recognition. “To let you unlock your phone with a glance. We call this face ID. It maps the unique geometry of your face. With over 300 invisible dots. Your iPhone now recognizes you even in the dark,
and will adapt to your physical changes. This makes your face your secure password.” Or it could capture the look of shock and dismay on people’s faces as the iPhone X’s price tag was
revealed to be an eye-watering $999! “It’ll be priced 999. iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max they are stunning, the best iPhones
we’ve ever made by a long shot.” One year later, in 2018, the iPhone XS
and XS Max were released. “IPhone XS is completely uncompromising. The expansive super retina display
with OLED delivers vivid brightness, true blacks and high dynamic range content. iPhone XS Max has the largest display ever on an iPhone.” Both came with the very advanced A12 Bionic chip. “The A12 Bionic chip is the smartest and
most powerful chip ever in a smartphone. It's next generation neural engine dedicates machine learning
to everything from augmented reality to photography.” The iPhone XS featured a 5.85-inch
OLED display, increased RAM, and a better battery life compared to the iPhone X,
lasting up to 30 minutes longer. The XS Max had a larger 6.46-inch OLED display and a battery
life that lasted 1.5 hours longer than the original iPhone X. Unlike the X, Both the XS and XS Max came
with a storage option of 512 gigabytes. The 64-gigabyte version of the XS cost $999, whereas the XS Max was $100 more. Fun Fact Apple is dominating the smartphone market at this point. As of November 2018, the company
had sold over 2.2 billion iPhones! “iPhone XR integrates the same breakthrough technologies.” The iPhone XR followed and became
Apple’s best-selling model in 2018. It was available in 6 different colors and featured
a 6.1-inch liquid Retina display. The fact that it was slightly larger yet significantly cheaper
than the iPhone X probably helped to boost sales. “The all screen Liquid Retina display,
is the most advance LCD in a smartphone. And the most color accurate in the industry.” The XR was considered an “affordable” or
“budget flagship” model upon its release, although it still wasn’t cheap. The base 64 GB version had a starting price of $749. Among the drawbacks of the XR were its single rear camera, “The advance single camera system
combined with machine learning, allows iPhone XR to recognize people,
map subjects and add depth.” it lacked the second telephoto lens, and
the absence of features such as 3D Touch. In fact, the XS and XS Max were the final models
of the iPhone to feature 3D Touch. In 2019 the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max were released. The iPhone 11 offers a night mode for better images at
low-light conditions and it has a wide camera feature. The front camera was improved to 12 megapixels. “Introducing iPhone 11 Pro.” The iPhone 11 Pro is the first iPhone to feature the “pro”
designation and it was faster than ever before. “The Apple designed a 13 bionic chip is the most ambitious to date. It's the fastest chip ever in a smartphone,
yet more efficient than ever.” It also came with as many as 3 cameras on the back. “The triple camera system combined cutting-edge
technology, with the exterior ease of iPhone.” This did not only allow for better images, but also made it possible to capture the
highest-quality video of any smartphone and supports a 4K video resolution up to 60 frames per second. The iPhone 11 Pro has an impressive 6 gigabytes
of RAM and was sold for $999 dollars. The iPhone 11 Pro Max has a larger display
and is sold for $1,099 dollars. The second-generation iPhone SE was released in 2020. The SE 2 was 30% larger than its predecessor
and had a bigger 4.7-inch display. To improve visuals, it had a True Tone Retina HD display. Having the same dimensions as the iPhone 8, the SE
was much faster due to the latest A13 Bionic chip, the fastest smartphone chip at the time. While the second-generation SE featured a
12-megapixel rear camera just like its predecessor, it was improved with new features such as autofocus,
image stabilization, and a quad-LED True Tone Flash. Other improvements included the 7-megapixel
front camera and 3GB of RAM. It had an optional storage option of 256 GB,
twice as much as the first-generation SE. The smartphone was among the smallest mainstream
in-production smartphones at the time of its release. The Verge declared the second-generation SE
a “Nail in the coffin” for other small phones. Thus, the second-generation iPhone SE was
significantly better than the first generation, but the starting price stayed the same at $399. Fun Fact Due to its low price point and impressive specifications, the second-generation iPhone SE
turned out to be a massive success. In fact, estimated sales in the first year were around 24 million! The iPhone 12 and 12 Mini were introduced in 2020. The iPhone 12 is designed to be 11% thinner, 15% smaller
and 16% lighter than the iPhone 11. The iPhone 12 is also the first iPhone to support 5G. “Today is the beginning of a new era for iPhone. Today we bringing 5G to iPhone.” “5G is said to change the world with faster speeds.” Apple also introduced Ceramic Shield,
which makes the screen much tougher. “Ceramic shield goes beyond glass by adding
a new high temperature crystallization step, which grows nano ceramic crystals within the glass
matrix to dramatically improve toughness.” Ceramic Shield has 4 times better drop performance, meaning if the iPhone 12 falls it has 4 times
the chance of surviving without cracking. It also received a new A14 chip, which significantly
increases the speed of the CPU and GPU. The A14 also allows for a dramatic increase
in machine learning capabilities. The iPhone 12 was more expensive than the
iPhone 11 with a starting price of $799 dollars. While the iPhone 12 comes with a 6.1-inch display the 12 mini
has a 5.4-inch display. It was also 100 dollars cheaper. Fun Fact Apple is the largest company in the world
and is valued over $2 trillion dollars! In 2020 Apple generated $274 billion dollars in revenue,
of which 50% came from iPhone sales. “This is iPhone 12 Pro.” The iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max, were the flagship
smartphones in the fourteenth generation of the iPhone. “A new and improved Pro camera system
makes the 12 Pro the photographer's iPhone. iPhone 12 Pro smashes the benchmark for
highest quality video in a smartphone. All this and more make iPhone 12 Pro
the most powerful iPhone ever.” The iPhone 12 Pro has a slightly larger screen
compared to the iPhone 11 Pro. It came at the same starting price of $999 dollars. The iPhone 12 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch display,
the largest display ever on an iPhone. It had a starting price of $1,099 dollars. “Today, we’re thrilled to introduce our next generation of iPhone. Here it is!” “This is iPhone 13.” In September 2021, the iPhone 13
and 13 Mini were released. The iPhone 13 comes with the A15 Bionic chip, which
has the fastest CPU and GPU of all smartphones. It also has faster 5G speeds and the
most advanced dual camera. A new camera feature called Cinematic mode
allows for automatic changes in focus so that you can film impressive movie-quality action scenes. The battery life of the iPhone 13 was extended to
offer 2.5 hours more compared to the iPhone 12. The iPhone 13 launched with a price of
$799 for the 128-gigabyte model but also offers a version with storage up to 512 gigabytes. The iPhone 13 Mini had a launch price of $699 for 128 GB. Its performance is very similar to the full-sized model, only
it features a 5.4-inch display rather than a 6.1-inch display. “A faster chip. A high performance display. And the biggest upgrade ever to the camera. Introducing iPhone 13 Pro. It’s ready for.” The iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max came out
at the same time in 2021, and upon release, they were the most
advanced smartphones in the world. Both have a larger battery allowing for an improved
battery life compared to their predecessors, the 13 Pro lasting an additional 1.5 hours while
the iPhone 13 Pro Max adds 2.5 hours. The 13 Pro also included three new cameras. According to Apple, it is quote
“Our biggest camera advancement ever.” It allows for much higher-quality photos and videos, further improving upon the iPhone’s Cinematic mode and allowing
for stunning images even in darker settings without much light. The iPhone 13 pro has a 6-inch OLED screen with a resolution of 2.9 megapixels and, for the first time,
features a variable 10 to 120 hertz ProMotion display, meaning it is capable of providing smooth motion
but can be adjusted to preserve battery. “More powerful, more intelligent and a world of cinematic possibilities. iPhone 13 Pro. Another first was the 1 terabyte storage option,
which cost $1499 at launch. The 128 GB model was priced at $999. The 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max added
an extra $100 to those price points. The third and latest generation iPhone SE
was announced in March 2022. Just like the iPhone 13, it uses the toughest glass
available for both the front and the back. The size of the third-generation iPhone SE
is the same as its predecessor, and it also features a 4.7-inch Retina HD display. However, the smartphone is much faster
since it has the latest A15 Bionic chip. Apple even stated the third-generation iPhone SE is
faster than all the competition at any price. Another significant change is that
it can connect to 5G networks. The battery life has up to 2 hours more video playback
time than the second-generation iPhone SE. Just like its predecessor, it has a 12-megapixel rear camera, 7-megapixel front camera, 3 GB of RAM,
and storage options of up to 256 GB. The price is slightly increased as it comes
with a starting price of $429. The sixteenth and latest generation of iPhones,
namely the iPhone 14 and its variants, was released on the 16th of September 2022, with the iPhone 14 Plus coming out one month later. The iPhone 14 marks the first time that Apple has
completely done away with physical SIM cards, now using eSIM that allows you to activate
and transfer your phone plan digitally. “an eSIM is a digital SIM that eliminates
the need for physical SIM cards.” Satellite connectivity now means that if you ever find
yourself stranded without a signal and in need of help, an Emergency SOS feature via satellite
can connect you with assistance. “Allow you to deliver critical information to emergency services
and places no Wi-Fi and cell service aren’t available.” Hikers can also use the feature to connect with friends and
family and share their location through the ‘Find My’ app. Another new safety feature in the iPhone 14 is Crash Detection, which, as it implies, can detect if you’ve been in a car crash and
automatically contact emergency services if you’re unresponsive. It’s not all about keeping you safe, though. Other upgrades include improvements
to the rear-facing camera and having autofocus on the front-facing camera for the first time. The iPhone 14 Plus, which replaces the Mini variation,
offers a larger display of 6.7-inches, making it more suitable for playing games
and watching your favorite shows. A 128 gigabyte 14 Plus costs $899 at launch,
$100 more than the standard iPhone 14. Storage options up to 512 GB are available. Fun Fact The iPhone 14 is available in 5 different colors,
including Product Red. With every red iPhone sold, a contribution
will be made to a company named “(RED),” which supports people for global health
emergencies like AIDS and COVID. Apple and (RED) have raised $270 million
in the fight against global pandemics. An impressive 13.8 million people with HIV have been provided
with lifesaving treatments due to Apple’s support. “It’s time to go beyond what a smartphone can do.” The 14 and the 14 Plus will continue to make
the most of Apple’s strong A15 bionic chip, but the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max will feature
Apple’s most powerful chip yet, the A16! The processing speed of the A16 is said to be insanely fast. What’s more, they have storage options up to 1 Terabyte
and include ultra-smooth ProMotion capabilities, as well as an Always On functionality for quickly reading
important information while the phone is locked. “This keeps essential information available for
the moment, all you need is just a glance.” The latter should result in longer battery life,
as viewing information will require less power. The higher-end models also have the new Dynamic Island feature, which dramatically changes both the look and feel of the phone. The controversial display notch is replaced
by a much smaller camera in the front. This isn’t just an aesthetic change. This area of the screen can now expand and contact
in real-time to show you things like incoming calls, timers, and important notifications,
all while taking up far less screen space than usual. For people who like to multitask, it’s sure to boost productivity. Plus, it looks really fun to use! The iPhone 14 Pro will have the best camera to date, the main camera being an impressive 48-megapixels
and offering substantially more detail than the 13 Pro. Features like Action mode and even better low-light
performance will appeal to avid photographers. “At the most impressive iPhone camera system yet. In a major leap, the iPhone 14 Pro's main camera
has a 48 megapixel quad pixel sensor. It captures breathtaking detail, depth and color. And that gives you the equivalent off
our Pro lenses at the ready.” The starting price for the iPhone 14 Pro remains at $999, while the Pro Max will cost $1,099 for the 128-gigabyte version. It’s amazing how far the iPhone has advanced
and continues to progress year after year. I wonder what it will be capable of 5 or 10 years from now! One thing’s for sure, there’s still more to come
from the incredible evolution of the iPhone!
