Which was the first iPhone? When was the iPhone invented? Who made the iPhone? How many iPhones have been made so far? The world’s best selling phone was 16 years old in 2023. In 2007, as the iPhone was first launched, Steve Jobs (the founder of Apple, but the founder of the iPhone is perhaps also appropriate) declared that Apple was going to redefine the word phone. Apple has done that and more in its decade and a half-long history of the iPhone. With the Mac and the iPad, Apple had already revolutionized two product categories. With the iPhone, Steve Jobs secured the third. The evolution of iPhones has been remarkable over the years, each one a classic product of its time. In this article, we will have a look at the history of iPhone models (and not the history of calls on iPhones or location history on iPhones – those tutorials are a separate post) and the iPhone’s evolution from 2007 to 2023.
In other words – we’re going to look at the fascinating progression of iPhones over time.
#1 – The First iPhone (2007-2008)
A narration on the evolution of all iPhones models will begin with the first iPhone, of course. It might be hard to believe that you could put only 16 GB of data in the original iPhone.
The first iPhone was launched in 2007. There was not much to be put on the phone, as there was no App Store yet. The phone could handle only 128 MB of memory, and the camera was only 2 megapixels. There were also no third-party apps, no GPS and no video recorder on the phone. The fact that you possessed a phone back in 2007 was enough luxury. First of all, the iPhone knocked down the physical keyboard, which was all the existing smartphones had to offer. It brought in touch screens. It had the pinch-to-zoom feature. You could just tap, and the screen would zoom in. This feature seemed to be nothing less than magic, something straight out of a movie. Moreover, the device had the multitasking feature, which enabled you to switch from mail to music to contacts and back.
Something that most of us don’t give a thought to is that there was no iPhone 2. Apple didn’t launch one with a ‘2’ in its name since since the next device in the iPhone evolution timeline was the iPhone 3G.
#2 – iPhone 3G (2008-2010)
The iPhone 3G was a step ahead in the evolution of iPhones. It wasn’t much different from the original iPhone in terms of internal specifications. The only difference was that 3G came into play. With this, you could access the internet at much faster speeds. Most importantly, there was an App Store now as iPhone 3G intended to make its distinct mark in the history of iPhones.
#3 – iPhone 3GS (2009-2012)
iPhone 3GS
With iPhone 3GS, Apple introduced the 32 GB option for the first time. With the introduction of the App Store in iPhone 3G, 16 GB of memory would soon be inadequate. There were new apps to check out, after all. Apple also added voice control in this model. The video recording feature was also added, and the camera was upgraded to 3.0 megapixels. The voice control was not called Siri yet. Also, with this, Apple initiated the tradition of adding an ‘S’ to the model name for an upgrade.
#4 – iPhone 4 (2010-2013)
iPhone 4
This was an even bigger step ahead in the progression of iPhones. The iPhone 4 was the first iPhone with a front camera. It also had a Retina Display. Apple had highly increased the pixels while keeping the screen size the same at 3.5 inches. It had a modern-day look with a bit sleeker shape. With 512 MB memory, the iPhone 4 model could handle a lot more than the 3GS, which had only 256 MB memory. The iPhone 4 was surely a milestone in the history of iPhones.
#5 – iPhone 4S (2011-2014)
iPhone 4s
The iPhone 4S didn’t differ much from the 4. The camera was upgraded to 8 MP from 5MP. The 64 GB option was also introduced for the first time. But the biggest upgrade was the arrival of SIRI, your personal assistant in it, which proves to be a really helpful feature today. Apple had sold 4 million units of this model in the first week. It took the evolution of the iPhone to the next level.
#6 – iPhone 5 (2012-2013)
iPhone 5
With the iPhone 5, the memory was upgraded all the way up to 1 GB. It was a big step in the history of iPhone models. The camera stayed the same. Move over along with 3G, the iPhone 5 had LTE connectivity. Also, Apple, for the first time, had increased the screen size by 0.5 inches. The previous models had a 3.5-inch display, and this model had a 4-inch display. Apple sold 5 million units of this model.
#7 – iPhone 5S and 5C (2013-2016)
iPhone 5s
The 5C was nothing but an affordable version of the iPhone 5S. It had a plastic shell and was available in 4 different colours. The 5S brought with it the touch ID, slow motion video and the M7 motion coprocessor.
#8 – iPhone 6 and 6 Plus (2014-2016)
iPhone 6
The 6 marked a change in the design of the iPhone, taking the evolution of iPhones to the next level. The internal specifications were almost like the 5S, but it came with a significantly larger screen and an even larger one than 6S. The option of having 128 GB storage was made available for the first time while keeping the memory the same. The camera didn’t see any upgrade. Despite this model seeing no significant change, Apple sold 10 million units of this model in the first week itself, a record that the company keeps breaking every time a new launch comes around.
#9 – iPhone 6S and 6S plus (2015-2018)
As far as the look is concerned, these models seem exactly the same as the previous ones. Apple did, however, make quite a few changes to make these models remarkable in the history of iPhone. The camera was upgraded from 8 MP to 12 MP. The memory was also doubled. 3D touch was also introduced, but like any other technology, 3D touch is not being used to its full potential because it’s in its early days. Also, since iPhone 6 had some bending issues, Apple started giving these models 7000 series aluminium to prevent future issues.
#10 – iPhone SE (2016-2018)
iPhone SE 2016
If you’re wondering which model this is, then you’re probably not alone since the iPhone SE was just like the 6S. It had all its features but in a slightly smaller size. It also didn’t have the 3D touch. This was introduced as a more affordable version of the 6S, and many people loved it, while many people remain blissfully unaware of this model to date.
#11 – iPhone 7 and 7S plus (2016-2019)
iPhone 7
With the 7 & 7S plus, Apple dropped the base model with 16 GB storage. It was another revolutionary step in the history of iPhone models. These came with a base storage of 32 GB, going all the way up to 256 GB. The 7S proved to be a bigger success than all the other S models because of its dual camera. This made a very significant lossless zoom feature possible. It also had the portrait mode, which enabled you to click beautiful pictures. With this, Apple also introduced a stylish new jet black colour.
#12 – iPhone 8 and 8 plus (2017-2020)
In 2017, Apple released the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus with a new glass and aluminum design in three stunning colors made of the most durable glass. The iPhone 8 phones, unlike current iPhones, had an intuitive home button and a familiar design. The iPhone 8 series was one of the flag bearers of the evolution of the iPhone.
iPhone 8
The removal of the rose gold and jet black colour variants was notable. Inductive charging, a faster processor, and improved cameras and displays were also added to the models. The iPhone 8 had a 12 MP camera with autofocus, an aperture of f/1.8, and optical image stabilisation. The iPhone 8 Plus featured a wide-angle lens with up to 10 digital zooms or 2 optical zooms. The iPhone 8 Plus also included a secondary telephoto lens, similar to the one found on the iPhone 7 Plus.
https://www.kindpng.com/imgv/hJmimRx_iphone-8-plus-red-transparent-hd-png-download/
iPhone 8 Plus
#13 – iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max (2019-2020)
iPhone 11 series
Apple’s flagship 13th-generation iPhones, the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max, were released in 2019. Gold, Silver, Space Gray, and Midnight Green were the colours available for the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max. Midnight Green was a new colour never available earlier in the history of iPhone models. The Apple logo was now centred on the device’s back, with no text, and the glass had a frosted matte finish, as opposed to the glossy finish found on previous glass-backed iPhones. The A13 Bionic processor is found in both the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max. Samsung created the display for the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max. The Super Retina XDR Display was found on both models.
#14 – iPhone X, XS, XS Max and XR (2017-2021)
iPhone X series
Apple’s flagship 13th-generation iPhones, the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max, were released in 2019. Gold, Silver, Space Gray, and Midnight Green were the colours available for the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max. Midnight Green was a new colour never available earlier in the history of iPhone models. The Apple logo was now centred on the device’s back, with no text, and the glass had a frosted matte finish, as opposed to the glossy finish found on previous glass-backed iPhones. The A13 Bionic processor is found in both the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max. Samsung created the display for the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max. The Super Retina XDR Display was found on both models.
#15 – iPhone SE (2020-2022)
iPhone SE 2020
Following in the footsteps of the first-generation iPhone SE, Apple released the second-generation iPhone SE in 2020 to take the evolution of the iPhone to the next level. The iPhone SE had an aluminium frame and a glass front and back. It had the same physical dimensions and physical sizes as the iPhone 8 and is otherwise identical, with the exception of a centred Apple logo and the removal of the iPhone branding. The second generation of the iPhone SE, with a screen diagonal of 4.7 in (120 mm), was among the smallest mainstream in-production smartphones.
#16 – iPhone 12, 12 Pro, 12 Mini, 12 Pro Max (2020-Present)
iPhone 12 Series
Apple introduced the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini, which feature a Super Retina XDR OLED display rather than the Liquid Retina LED-backlit LCD IPS panel found on the iPhone 11 and XR. MagSafe was introduced on the iPhone 12 series. It was a revolutionary step in the history of iPhone models. Both iPhone 12 and 12 Mini use Apple’s A14 Bionic system on a chip (SoC), high-dynamic-range video Dolby Vision 4K up to 30 frames per second. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini are the first iPhone models in the history of iPhone models that do not include a power adapter or the EarPods headphones found in previous iPhone models. This was a notable change in the evolution of the iPhones and a controversial decision that sparked debate across social media. However, a USB-C to Lightning cable is included. This change was applied retroactively to other iPhone models sold by Apple.
The iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max also had 5G support, a LiDAR sensor, and ProRAW (DNG). With the new DNG v1.6 specification, users were able to capture high-quality lossless 12-bit images in the native photos app. The iPhone 12 series features the first significant redesign since the iPhone X. The iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max were available in Silver, Graphite, Gold, and Pacific Blue. Pacific Blue replaced Midnight Green as a new colour, while Graphite was renamed, Space Grey.
#17 – iPhone 13, 13 Mini, 13 Pro and 13bPro Max (2021-Present)
iPhone 13 Series
The fifteenth generation of iPhones included the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max. The A15 Bionic system on a chip, designed by Apple, is used in this series. The iPhone 13 and 13 Mini are equipped with a 6-core CPU, 4-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine and are also equipped with a 5-core GPU. The design of the iPhone 13 series has not changed significantly. However, due to the larger lenses, the rear camera module now covers a larger area. The Face ID and camera module on the front display, known as the ‘notch,’ is 20% smaller than in previous generations. With the iPhone 13 series, Apple took the evolution of iPhones to the next level, the epitome of luxury when it comes to smartphones as they are known in 2022.
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#18 – iPhone SE (2022)
iPhone SE 2022
Apple released the third generation iPhone SE in 2022. In 2023, this is no longer the latest in the progression of iPhones we’ve had. It is merely a part of the iPhone’s 15th generation.
The iPhone SE is built with an aluminium frame and a glass front and back. The iPhone SE comes in three colour options: Midnight, Starlight, and Product Red. Midnight and Starlight are used in place of Black and White. The Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) architecture system on a chip (SoC) includes an integrated motion coprocessor and a fifth-generation neural engine. The phone did not have the ultra-wideband capabilities enabled by the U1 chip found in the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro. Apple included its True Tone feature in this iPhone to help the screen colour match the environment.
That’s a wrap for the Phone evolution timeline from 2007 to 2023. Over the years, Apple has seen a lot of changes and evolution of iPhones has been remarkable. Despite the many criticisms the company faces daily, you’ve got to admit that they’ve continued reinventing the phone and revolutionised the smartphone industry. We’ll see you at the next iPhone launch. Let us know if you’d like to read about a history of iPhone apps next?