When Apple announced the launch of the iPhone in 2007, it shook the world. Today, we can still feel the impact of this game-changing device.
It’s hard to believe that 15 years have passed since the original iPhone hit the shelves. During this time, smartphones have gone from luxury devices to necessities of everyday life. Let’s take a look back at how the iPhone changed the world.
1. It is the first modern smartphone
When the first iPhone debuted, it took the world by storm. But contrary to popular belief, the iPhone wasn’t the world’s first smartphone. Whether it’s BlackBerry, Palm, or Sony Ericsson, other manufacturers have been producing PDAs and smart devices for years.
While the iPhone wasn’t the world’s first smart device, it was definitely the first modern smartphone. At the time of its release, other manufacturers were still releasing clamshell phones and devices with slider keyboards. But the iPhone’s design was a complete 180-degree shift. As a true nod to minimalism, the original iPhone featured a flat design with only one button on the front.
Even compared to other touchscreen phones of the time, the original iPhone was revolutionary. Instead of operating with a bulky stylus, the iPhone is designed to be used with only fingertips, allowing users to use the phone naturally and intuitively.
The original iPhone design was revolutionary at the time, and 15 years later, Apple’s latest phone is still the evolution of the first iPhone design.
2. It puts the internet in our pockets
Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine a situation where we don’t start our day by looking at iPhone notifications and browsing our social subscriptions. But before the iPhone, most people went online through a home computer.
Without the iPhone, the internet would not have had such a big impact on our lives. Imagine having to go home and log in to your computer every time you want to check your email, or having to use a laptop every time you want to search for something online. Then, life will be completely different.
For many, especially in developing countries, a smartphone may be the first device they have that has access to the internet, or it may be their first exposure to the internet. As you can see, the iPhone paves the way for more people to access the Internet.
3. It turns all of us into photographers
When the original iPhone was introduced, it came with a 2-megapixel rear camera. That’s it. There are no telephoto lenses, macro lenses, and no wide angles. The original iPhone didn’t even have a selfie camera, and it couldn’t even record videos.
But it still caused a stir.
Because at the time, many people thought that the Motorola Razr V3, the king of mobile phones, only had a 300,000-pixel camera. The camera that the original iPhone came with was a huge leap forward. Today, we are used to being able to take high-quality photos and videos anywhere. But, imagine how different the last decade would have been without selfies, without food photos, or without Instagram.
Putting the camera in everyone’s pocket, not just entertains us, it also shapes world events. From live coverage of major events to be able to record interactions with law enforcement, there have never been so many photos and videos circulating in the world since the iPhone was released.
4. It Shaped Modern Social Media
Today’s social media is dominated by mobile phones. While you can still log in to most social media platforms from your computer, the vast majority of people access social media through mobile devices.
If you’ve been on Myspace or Friendster, you know that social media existed before the iPhone, but that’s not the kind of social media we know today. People didn’t post real-time or hourly updates at the time, and most people logged in once a day, or even once a week. Can you imagine how much Twitter would have changed if they had to drive home and log into their computers every time they wanted to tweet? If people didn’t have the ability to take photos anywhere and upload them in seconds, would Instagram still exist?
While the iPhone isn’t the only way to access social media, it’s still the most popular. Many people first came into contact with social media on the iPhone, and more than a few social media platforms started with apps created for the iPhone. So whether you’re a social media addict or have given it up entirely, there’s no doubt that modern social media wouldn’t exist without the iPhone.
5. It makes Apple the most valuable company in the world
Before the launch of the iPhone, Apple did a good job. After a slump that nearly ended in bankruptcy in the ’90s, Steve Jobs has begun to turn the company around. By 2006, Apple had a wave of success from products like the iPod and iMac. But it’s still not the giant it is today.
When Apple introduced the iPhone, that all changed.
Jobs knew that Apple’s future success would come from innovations and new products, not just the use of past successes. And he was right. The iPhone sold 270,000 units in the first 30 hours of the sale. Fast forward to today, Apple is the largest company on the planet by market capitalization. The iPhone is by far Apple’s best-selling product.
The World Will Never Be the Same
Smartphones are not without the criticism they deserve, but no one can deny the impact of the phones that turn it all on. The iPhone has brought us closer together than ever before and has driven a wave of innovation that puts smartphones in everyone’s pocket.
For better or worse, the iPhone changed the world forever.
