Whether you love it or hate it, Apple’s iPhone is without a doubt the most influential mobile device on the planet. And it just turned eight years old.
Yes, Apple first launched its app-toting touchscreen cellular on June 29, 2007, landing as the first of eight generations of immensely popular devices.
The first-gen iPhone was initially released in the USA on the local AT&T network, although it took the handset a further five months to make it to UK shores.
So what sort of hardware did Apple roll out with its fledgling handset? A paltry 3.5-inch display, for a start – good luck finding one of those these days.
What’s more, the screen had a 320 x 480 pixel resolution, working out at a 165 ppi pixel density. That’s just shy of Amazon’s £60 Kindle eReader, for contrast.
The Apple iPhone ran on a 412MHz ARM 11 chip, 128MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, and a 2-megapixel primary shooter. Selfie cameras weren’t even a thing in 2007.
Oh, and the thickness of the iPhone was a beefy 11.6mm, which is a far cry from the svelte 6.9mm profile of the current-gen iPhone 6.
Related: iPhone 6 vs iPhone 6 Plus
In its first five quarters after release, Apple managed to flog 6.1 million iPhone units. To put its popularity growth into perspective, the company sold 74.5 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus units in their first three months on sale.
Of course, the iPhone is a very different beast nowadays, and we’re mere months away from the full launch of iOS 9.
And then tomorrow brings the release of the Apple Music streaming service, which will land alongside the 24/7 Beats 1 radio station.
What are your fondest memories of the iPhone? Let us know in the comments below.
Also, check out our video review of the iPhone 6 to see how Apple’s flagship device has changed since the first-gen forerunner:
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
