The first iPhone went on sale to the public on June 29, 2007. It seems like it's been with us forever, but the handset that changed the entire smartphone space is only just five years old today.
Its keyboard-touting competitors at the time, HP and RIM, are now dead or dying, while the upstart Android OS now duels Apple's iOS for market dominance, and late entrant Windows Phone vies for market credibility. But although the smartphone spaced has changed incredibly over these past five years, the iPhone continues to be a leader in terms of design and innovation, as well a top seller. In all, it's generated more than $150 billion in revenue for Apple.
The iPhone's simple rectangular form and multitouch capacitive display have garnered remarkable success (not to mention a host of doppelgängers) over the years -- and a bit of scandal in the process. Here's a look at some of the iPhone's most exciting historical moments.
Jan. 14, 2007: Bloomberg news columnist Matthew Lynn writes that the iPhone "will fail in a late, defensive move." "An iToaster that downloads music while toasting bread would probably get the same kind of worldwide attention," Lynn wrote of the media buzz around the announcement of the product shortly after its unveiling Jan. 9 of that month.
Sept. 10, 2007: The iPhone kickstarts the smartphone revolution, and shows naysayers it's nothing to laugh about. After debuting June 29, 1 million iPhones are sold 74 days after its initial launch.
April 23, 2008: A rap song from artist Riskay becomes (debatably) the first music video to feature the iPhone and its interface. The song is definitely NSFW, so peruse at your discretion.
July 11, 2008: The second-generation iPhone, the iPhone 3G, goes on sale and the App Store launches with 500 iOS applications. With 3G connectivity and GPS, the device, although in most other ways similar to its predecessor, starts to take on the functions and applications we've come to know now.
July 14, 2008: Apple sells 1 million iPhone 3Gs in its first weekend on sale, and App Store downloads reach over 10 million. The iPhone has made its mark on the early adopter set.
April 24, 2009: Our hunger for apps can't be satiated: A mere nine months after the App Store's launch, total downloads top 10 million. The success of the App Store would lead to competing mobile operating systems following Apple's model. It seems like everything from refrigerators to smart TVs have their own app markets now.
June 22, 2009: Third time's the charm for iPhone sales. On this date, Apple announces the new iPhone 3GS and it ends up selling over 1 million units its opening weekend.
April 19, 2010: Gizmodo gets its hands on a prototype iPhone 4 months before it's announced or released. The gadget blog paid $5,000 to acquire the device, which was left in a bar at the Gourmet Haus Staudt in Redwood City, California.
June 7, 2010: The Retina display-toting iPhone 4 is introduced, along with iOS 4, raising the bar for smartphone displays.
June 28, 2010: 1.7 million iPhone 4s are sold in its first three days on sale.
February 28, 2011: Actor James Franco, while co-hosting the Oscars, stares and smirks at his iPhone repeatedly while onstage. Was someone sending him naughty pictures?
July 1, 2011: Angry Birds in Space? No, iPhones in space! The first iPhone makes the trek into space aboard space shuttle Atlantis.
August 31, 2011: Not again! Apple reportedly loses another iPhone prototype in a bar, this time in San Francisco's Mission District. The phone never makes its way to the public eye, but the supposed finder was visited by badge-wielding "officers" and offered $300 to return the phone.
Oct. 4, 2011: The iPhone 4S lands, with Apple's virtual assistant Siri and iOS 5 in tow. Months later we start seeing competitors sporting their own voice-powered assistants.
Oct. 17, 2011: The iPhone 4S becomes the quickest-selling iPhone ever, with pre-orders topping 1 million in the first 24 hours and sales numbering 4 million in its first weekend.
Now, more than 217 million iPhones have been sold worldwide since 2007 and there are over 650,000 apps in the App Store. Demand and speculation surrounding yet-to-be-released iPhones is off the charts.
The next iPhone is expected to have a larger display and possibly NFC. Regardless of what features it ends up having, the next iPhone looks to continue to the craze -- and crazy demand -- we've seen in iPhones past.
