Hey guys it’s Greg with Apple Explained
and today we’re going to explore the history of the iPhone. But before we begin I’d like
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free today. Early development of the iPhone began in 2005
when Steve Jobs got the idea of using a multi-touch display on a computer so that he could lay
his wrists on the screen and type directly on the glass. This would have required a triple
layered touch screen which was very new technology at the time. Jobs assigned a group of Apple
engineers to investigate the idea as a side project. When Jobs saw the prototype display
and its user interface, he got another idea of implementing the technology onto a mobile
phone. This effort kicked off something called Project Purple 2. Apple chose AT&T, formerly Cingular Wireless,
as the first carrier for iPhone. This collaboration was unprecedented in its secrecy and development
process. Cingular gave Apple full control over the iPhone's hardware and software and
the thirty-month development cost around 150 million dollars. At this price, Apple was
under tremendous pressure to create a successful smartphone. While this project was underway, the smartphone
industry was dominated by RIM’s BlackBerry, and rumors of Apple developing a smartphone
of their own began to circulate in the tech community. The speculation was brought to
an end on January 9, 2007 when Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone on stage during
their annual Worldwide Developers Conference. It sent a shockwave through the tech industry
and beyond, receiving millions of dollars worth of free media coverage. The original iPhone featured a 3.5” display
with multitouch support that no one had ever seen on a smartphone before. It also had a
software keyboard instead of a plastic, physical keyboard. Steve Jobs initially introduced
the iPhone as three separate devices: A "widescreen iPod with touch controls"; a "revolutionary
mobile phone"; and a "breakthrough Internet communicator.” He did this to emphasize
that the iPhone was full-featured without the compromises that other smartphones made. It had an iPod with coverflow, a smartphone
with visual voicemail, and a desktop-class mail application on a device that fit into
your pocket. Walt Mossberg even called it a “breakthrough handheld computer.” The iPhone may have had a sweet start but
things got a bit sour when Apple dropped the iPhone’s price from 599 to 399 dollars just
69 days after it’s release. Apple received hundreds of emails from upset customers about
the price drop, and Apple responded by giving store credit to early adopters. Another common criticism of the iPhone was
it’s speed on AT&T’s EDGE network. The iPhone had been released at the beginning
of the 3G networks lifecycle and many consumers had become accustom to 3G speeds which made
the slower EDGE network feel even more outdated. Apple heeded the call a year later and introduced
the iPhone 3G in 2008. One of the catch phrases for iPhone 3G was
“Twice as fast. half the price” since it retailed for $199 instead of $399 and offered
3G data speeds that were almost two and a half times faster than EDGE. iPhone 3G also
featured GPS with turn-by-turn directions in the Maps app and the app store which kicked
off the app culture era. The most obvious change was the iPhone 3G’s
design. The back featured a redesigned polycarbonate plastic housing, replacing the aluminum back
of the first generation. Buttons were changed from plastic to metal, and the edges of the
phone were tapered, providing a better grip. The iPhone 3G introduced the first official
color options with the 16GB version available in black or white. The dimensions of iPhone 3G were marginally
larger than those of the original iPhone but the changes weren’t noticeable. What’s
really interesting is the 3G had a lot of the same internal hardware as its predecessor;
the processor speed, amount of memory, and camera quality didn’t change at all. In 2009 the 3G was replaced by the iPhone
3GS where "S" stood for Speed. But Apple continued to offer an 8GB iPhone 3G model for $99. Features
of the iPhone 3GS included performance enhancements that made it up to twice as fast as the 3G,
a 3-megapixel camera with video recording, voice control, and a built-in compass for
map reorientation. It retailed for 199 and 299 dollars in 16 and 32 GB models. Now I
should mention that these prices were only for new AT&T customers and included a two
year contract. So the device was not unlocked and couldn’t be replaced until the contract
was up. On June 7, 2010, with the release of iPhone
4, Apple dropped the price of the 3GS to $99 for an 8GB model. The iPhone 4 featured a new design with a
stainless steel frame which doubled as an antenna, with its internal components situated
between aluminosilicate glass. It was the thinnest smartphone in the world at the time
and featured Apple's new high-resolution "Retina Display" with 326 pixels per inch. The iPhone
4 was the first to feature Apple's A4 system-on-chip, a front-facing camera, LED flash, and the
first to be released in a version for CDMA networks, ending AT&T's reign as the exclusive
carrier of iPhone in the United States. The iPhone 4 received generally positive reception,
with critics praising its revamped design and more powerful hardware in comparison to
previous models. While it was a sales success, with over 600,000 pre-orders within 24 hours,
the release of the iPhone 4 was plagued by highly publicized reports that abnormalities
in its new antenna design caused the device to lose its cellular signal if held in a certain
way. Some skin contact with the phone's outer edge would cause a significant decrease in
signal strength. Steve Jobs held a press conference at Apple’s headquarters to provide an official
response, and announced they’d offer free bumper cases to all iPhone 4 owners. The iPhone 4 spent the longest time as Apple's
flagship iPhone model at fifteen months, and had the longest lifespan of any iPhone ever
produced, spanning close to four years and available in some countries until early 2015.
Although the succeeding iPhone 4S was announced in October 2011, the 4 continued to be sold
as a midrange model until September 2012, and thereafter sold as the entry-level offering
in Apple's lineup until September 2013 with the announcement of the iPhone 5S and 5C. The iPhone 4s was announced on October 4,
2011 and its media coverage was accompanied by the news of Steve Jobs death the following
day. The "S" in iPhone 4s stood for Siri, an intelligent personal assistant that was
exclusive to the 4S at the time, but later included in future generations of Apple products.
Retaining most of the external design of the iPhone 4, the 4S featured major internal upgrades,
including the Apple A5 chipset, and an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p video recording. Reception to the iPhone 4S was generally favorable.
Reviewers noted that Siri, the new camera, and processing speeds were significant advantages
over the prior model. The 4s was succeeded by the iPhone 5 as Apple's flagship phone
on September 12, 2012. The iPhone 5 was the first iPhone to be announced
in September, setting a new trend for subsequent iPhone releases, it was also the first iPhone
to be developed under the guidance of Tim Cook and the last to be overseen by Steve
Jobs. The iPhone 5 featured major design changes
including an aluminum body which made the iPhone thinner and lighter than previous models,
a taller 4” screen with a nearly 16:9 aspect ratio, the Apple A6 chipset, LTE support,
and a new, smaller lightning connector which replaced the 30-pin connector used by previous
iPhone models. Initial demand for the iPhone 5 exceeded the
supply available at launch and was described by Apple as "extraordinary", with pre-orders
having sold twenty times faster than its predecessors. While reception to the iPhone 5 was generally
positive, consumers and reviewers noted hardware issues, like an unintended purple hue in some
photos taken, and the phone's aluminum back and edges being prone to chipping. Reception
was also mixed over Apple's decision to switch to a different dock connector, as the change
affected iPhone 5's compatibility with previous iPhone accessories. The iPhone 5 had the shortest lifespan of
any iPhone with only twelve months in production, breaking with Apple's standard practice of
selling an existing iPhone model at a reduced price upon the release of a new model. This
is because the new iPhone 5c served as the introductory iPhone model while the 5S was
the flagship model. The 5s was released on September 20, 2013,
along with its lower-cost counterpart, the iPhone 5c. The iPhone 5S maintained the same
external design as the 5, although the 5S was offered in a gold color scheme in addition
to silver and space gray, however the 5S has vastly improved internal hardware. It featured
the A7 64-bit dual-core chipset, accompanied by the M7 "motion co-processor". It also had
a redesigned home button with Touch ID, a fingerprint recognition system that could
be used to unlock the phone and authenticate App Store and iTunes Store purchases. The
camera was also updated with a larger aperture and a dual-LED flash optimized for accurate
color temperatures. Reception towards the device was generally
positive, with some outlets considering it to be the best smartphone available on the
market due to its upgraded hardware, Touch ID, and other changes introduced by iOS 7.
Some criticized the iPhone 5S for keeping the design and small display of the iPhone
5, and others expressed security concerns about the Touch ID system. The iPhone 5C was a variant of the iPhone
5, with similar internals and hardware except that it had a plastic polycarbonate shell
instead of the iPhone 5’s aluminum design. The 5C was available in white, pink, yellow,
blue, and green, and started at $99 compared to the 199 dollar 5S. Nine million units of
the iPhone 5S and 5C were sold over their release weekend, breaking the iPhone 5’s
previous sales record. On September 9, 2014, the 16 and 32 GB iPhone
5C models were replaced by an 8 GB model when the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were introduced. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus include larger 4.7
and 5.5 inch displays, a faster processor, upgraded cameras, improved LTE and Wi-Fi connectivity
and support for near field communication-based mobile payments. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus received positive
reviews due to their improved design, speed, camera, and battery life. However, aspects
of the iPhone 6 design was criticized, including the plastic antenna strips on the back that
disrupted the otherwise metal exterior, and the screen resolution of the standard-sized
iPhone 6 being lower than other devices in its class. Pre-orders of the iPhone 6 and
6 Plus broke four million units within its first 24 hours of availability—a new iPhone
record. And more than ten million were sold in the first three days. Despite their sales success, the iPhone 6
and 6 Plus experienced several hardware issues, the most common was their susceptibility to
bending under pressure (a design flaw nicknamed "Bendgate"), even a small amount of bending
could cause the touchscreen's internal hardware to be disconnected from the logic board. The
iPhone 6 Plus was also the subject of camera issues, including some devices with malfunctioning
optical image stabilization systems. Six months after the release of iPhone 6 and
6 Plus, Apple introduced the iPhone SE. A lower-cost iPhone model that featured the
same design as the 5S except the SE had matte-chamfered edges and a stainless steel Apple logo. It
kept the 5S’s 4-inch screen size, but included hardware upgrades from the iPhone 6S, including
its updated processor, rear camera, and support for specific software features like Apple
Pay, always-on Siri, and Live Photos. It also features a new Rose Gold color along with
the standard Space Gray, Silver and Gold. The iPhone SE was received positively by critics,
who noted its sleek form factor and design, improved hardware over previous 4-inch iPhone
models, as well as its overall performance and battery life. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were moved to the
midrange spot in Apple's iPhone lineup when the 6S and 6S Plus were released in September
2015. The iPhone 6S had a similar design to the
iPhone 6 but included updated hardware, including a strengthened aluminum chassis to prevent
bending, an upgraded chipset, a 12-megapixel camera, a faster touch ID sensor, and Advanced
LTE support. The iPhone 6S also introduced a new hardware feature called "3D Touch",
which enabled pressure-sensitive touch inputs. iPhone 6S had a mostly positive reception.
While performance and camera quality were praised by most reviewers, the addition of
3D Touch was praised by some for the potential of entirely new interface interactions, but
criticized by others for not providing users with a way to intuitively understand the feature
before using it. The battery life was also criticized and some asserted that the 6S's
camera was not significantly better than other smartphones on the market. The iPhone 6S set a new first-weekend sales
record, selling 13 million models, up from 10 million for the iPhone 6 the previous
year. However, Apple saw its first-ever quarterly year-over-year decline in iPhone sales in
the months after the launch, credited to a saturated smartphone market in Apple's biggest
countries and a lack of iPhone purchases in developing countries. The 6S was replaced on September 7, 2016 by
the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus which featured a design is similar to the 6S, but introduced a new
jet black color option, water and dust resistance, a new capacitive, static home button, and
removal of the 3.5 mm headphone jack. The device's internal hardware also received upgrades,
including a quad-core chipset with improved system and graphics performance, an upgraded
12 megapixel rear-facing camera with optical image stabilization and quad-LED flash on
all models, and an additional telephoto lens on the 7 Plus model to provide optical zoom
capabilities. Unlike previous iPhone models, internal storage options for iPhone 7 begin
at 32 GB instead of 16 GB, and max out at 256 GB. Reception of the iPhone 7 was mixed. Although
users noted camera improvements, especially the dual rear camera on the Plus model, they
also stated that the iPhone 7 did not make significant changes to the display or build
quality, and some felt that competing flagship smartphones had surpassed the quality of the
iPhone 7. There was also controversy surrounding the removal of the 3.5 mm headphone jack;
and some critics argued that the change was meant to bolster licensing of the proprietary
Lightning connector and the sales of Apple's own wireless headphone products. Apple was
also mocked for Phil Schiller's statement that removal of the headphone jack demonstrated
“courage" from Apple. The iPhone 7 has experienced several issues,
most notably a hissing noise during heavy usage of the phones and significant differences
in performance between device variants. Apple didn’t release sales numbers for iPhone
7, but multiple U.S. carriers reported that it was in high demand at launch. Subsequent
reports at the end of 2016 stated that Apple had reduced production of the models due to
"sluggish" sales and decreasing demand, though sales research after the first quarter of
2017 ranked the devices as the best-selling smartphones in the world. In September 2017, Apple announced the iPhone
8 and 8 Plus as successors to the 7 and 7 Plus, along with the iPhone X. Besides the
addition of a glass back, the designs of iPhone 8 and 8 Plus were largely similar to the iPhone
7. Notable changes included the addition of Qi wireless charging support along with fast
charging, a faster A11 Bionic chipset, improved cameras, and a new true tone display. Reception of the phones was mixed, with reviewers
praising the addition of wireless charging and the new Apple A11 processor, while heavily
criticizing the aging design. The iPhone X was introduced alongside the
iPhone 8 models and was intended to showcase what Apple considered the future of smartphone
technology, specifically adopting OLED displays for the first time in the iPhone’s history,
as well as using a glass and stainless-steel form factor, offering wireless charging, and
removing the home button in favor of Face ID, a new authentication method using advanced
technologies to scan the user's face to unlock the device, as well as for using animated
emojis Apple called Animoji. The new, nearly bezel-less form factor marked a significant
change to user interaction with the iPhone, using swipe-based gestures to navigate the
operating system rather than the typical home button used in previous iPhonesa. It launched
with a price tag of 999 dollars which made it the most expensive iPhone ever, with even
higher prices internationally due to local sales and import taxes. The iPhone X received mixed reviews. Its display
and build quality were universally praised, and the camera also scored well on various
tests. The notch at the top of the display was particularly polarizing as some believed
it was designed mistake while others welcomed the extra screen real-estate the notch provided.
Face ID was praised for its simple setup, but criticized for requiring direct eyes on
the screen, though that option can be disabled within the systems preferences. Additionally, Face ID has sparked a debate
about security and privacy. Apple claims it’s significantly more advanced than Touch ID,
having far less false positives, though media reports have discussed that Face ID and other
biometric unlocking systems don’t provide the same level of constitutional privacy as
a passcode in the United States. Face ID has shown mixed results when trying
to separate identical twins, and the promise of enhanced security has been challenged by
hackers and mask makers trying to infiltrate it; with at least one such attempt being successful,
though difficult to perform. Third-party app developers can also request access to "rough
maps" of user facial data for their apps, causing concerns among privacy advocates despite
rigid requirements by Apple on how developers handle facial data. So that’s it guys, I hope you enjoyed this
History of the iPhone, if you enjoyed the video don’t forget to leave a like. Thanks
for watching, and I’ll see you next time.
