The evolution of the iPhone from 2007 to the present

The iPhone did not always exist, since it has been “only” since 2007. And although today we fondly remember the first generation and see it as the most groundbreaking, the truth is that at the time it was not perceived as such. We observe here the evolution of this smartphone over time and how the first one began to lay the foundations for one of the leading companies in the sale of smartphones.

Background of the first iPhone

2007 was the year of the pig according to the Chinese calendar. It was also the year that the countries of Bulgaria and Romania became members of the European Union. In our country, Spain, we were called to the polls to elect our municipal and regional representatives. And, across the pond, began what we could call Apple’s year 0.

Within the framework of the now extinct MacWorld Conference & Expo , the legendary Steve Jobs ventured to show us the original iPhone. The first generation iPhone. The iPhone 2G. The iPhone dry. Whatever we want to call it, but it was the first iPhone in history and that ultimately changed the course of the company.

That January 9, 2007, the attendees of that conference knew in advance that Apple was going to present a mobile because, like now, the rumors already existed. Of course, no one imagined what it would be like. Even when it was presented, there were those who called it an “anticipated failure” . Many did not understand that and could not see a future for a phone without a keyboard that worked with their fingers, no matter how much it could play music, surf the Internet or take photos.

From 2007 to 2010: the iPhone changed the world

The first three years of the iPhone were among the most hectic. With Steve Jobs becoming weaker due to his illness, his flagship device began to improve more and more to the point of being 4 or 5 years ahead of the competition.

iPhone (1st gen.)

The first iPhone, which would not really be released until June (and only in the United States), had a 3.5-inch capacitive touch screen that could be operated without a stylus. Hence the mythical moment of Jobs despising this type of accessories was born. Speakers, microphone, 2 megapixel camera and other features that, despite not being unique, combined perfectly with the revolutionary operating system of this equipment.

It is likely that those benefits were an embarrassment today. However, at that time many even saw it as a brick because of its size. Many did not imagine such large phones, although surely in these times they have had to evolve their thoughts (if not, they will take it raw with devices like the ‘Max’).

From Cupertino they were convinced that this device would be a revolution in the sector, something that actually happened. Although not without first having to adapt to the new way of seeing our phones. There were so many obstacles that not even the original iPhone could officially reach countries like Spain. The telephone companies exercised a fierce monopoly in the sale of mobiles, although Apple managed to win the first battle with its next generation.

The fact is that this first iPhone has become a relic, even reaching record sales figures years later by becoming a collector’s item . Logically, its technologies make it impossible for it to continue to be a usable device, or at least as we expect in these times, and proof of this is that it is officially classified as obsolete. However, its sentimental value is extremely high.

iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS

Precisely in line with a previous point, Apple achieved a milestone in countries like Spain and that is that the iPhone 3G, which did arrive in our country officially, eliminated the logo of the telephone company that sold it from its interface. Also thanks to this and the subsequent rise of Android, the first data plans began to be offered to navigate at high speed with the mobile when there was no WiFi connection.

This device incorporated novelties in the design, but above all in the software with what is known as iPhone OS 2.0, which incorporated the App Store with 500 applications, of which 125 were completely free. Thanks to this, the possibilities multiplied and the importance of security and privacy both for apps and for the system in general began to become clear.

Already in 2009 we saw the iPhone 3GS , the first ‘S’ generation in the history of this smartphone and which represented a natural evolution of the previous one. It was said that this letter responded to the acronym for “speed” (speed). And it is that inside it housed a larger RAM memory that gave it a considerably better performance. And although those 256 MB already seemed short at the time, it began to make clear that Apple’s software + hardware combination allowed them to optimize resources much better.

It also brought with it the first camera upgrade since the first generation. Not only did they improve the resolution, but it was also the first to allow video recording. As absurd as it seems in these times when Apple reigns in this area, the first two generations were exempt from this functionality.

Iphone 4

There are several reasons why the iPhone 4 was historic. And it is that before it was presented it was already leaked to the press when an Apple worker left it forgotten in a bar in Redwood City, a Californian city near San Francisco. That was already a very advanced prototype that came into the hands of Gizmodo, a well-known technology medium that completely gutted its features ahead of time.

This mistake cost the worker dearly, and he was fired from Apple. However, the company also presented it as if nothing had happened, being also the last one presented by Steve Jobs . Although from what is known today, whoever was one of the founders of the company had already practically closed three more generations of iPhone.

Among the novelties we find a new form factor with straight edges and rounded corners, a very stylized back with glass and available in two colors. In addition to being the first to incorporate a front camera . It also assembled for the first time Apple’s own chip , the A4.

Of course, it did not cease in its controversy and the AntennaGate will remain in history, a tedious error that made it lose coverage when putting a cover or holding the device in a certain way. Apple had to release several updates to the already renamed iOS, as well as free replacement programs, but the truth is that they never completely solved the problem.

From 2010 to 2016: the Cook era began

With the iPhone 4, the foundations of the iPhone were already more than established. Apple was still one step ahead of the competition, although Android devices were increasingly giving Californians a run for their money and the market was beginning to see stiff competition.

Iphone 4s

Second ‘S’ version of the iPhone in its history, although this time not so much for speed but for Siri. And it is that this iPhone 4s was the first to incorporate Apple’s intelligent assistant. A functionality that over time has found serious competitors, but at the time it was a revolution worth bragging about.

Although on a sentimental level there were those who associated the “4s” with the initials of “for Steve” (for Steve), since the former CEO of the company died just a few days after his presentation. Therefore, this was the first iPhone presented by Tim Cook , who asserted its good features and the long-awaited elimination of the AntennaGate that its predecessor had.

On an aesthetic level there were hardly any changes. In fact, there weren’t any and it’s practically impossible to tell an iPhone 4 from an iPhone 4s if you put them side by side. Inside, its A5 chip was worth mentioning and the possibility of choosing up to 64 GB of storage, a milestone at the time and which meant a capacity almost impossible to fill.

iPhone 5, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s

The market increasingly demanded larger phones and although Apple did not throw the house out the window with its iPhone 5 , it did make a significant change by being the first 4-inch phone. A size that was more in line with the needs of the moment and that did not prevent its correct use with one hand, as the company showed in various television commercials.

At the design level, this device remains today one of the most remembered for its excellent combination of glass and aluminum on the back. It also came in elegant colors that made it look like a total high-end, worthy of being imitated by the competition.

A year after the previous one we had, for the first time, two iPhones in the same year. The first of these was the iPhone 5c , which included components from the iPhone 5 with an aesthetic never seen before with full-color plastic materials that looked very striking.

Its cheaper price predisposed it to be a bestseller, focused on young audiences who wanted to venture to have an iPhone for the first time and with a very differentiating design. However, years later it is remembered as one of the biggest failures in the recent history of the Californian company.

More luck ran the iPhone 5s , which in its case what it inherited was the design of the 5, although it did implement considerable changes internally with the 64-bit A7 chip, improvements in photo resolution and the arrival of Touch ID , the fingerprint detector that would become a standard in the brand in the following years.

Although it was iOS 7 that literally broke the mold. It left behind the classic skeleton style of the system in favor of much more stylized icons and menus, with a more modern look and that forever changed the general aesthetics of the iPhone software.

iPhone 6/6 Plus and iPhone 6s/6s Plus

The largest iPhone in history was the ‘6’ at 4.7 inches and a form factor change in favor of curved edges. This change was already considerable to hold that record, although the truth is that it was not entirely like that. The iPhone 6 Plus was even bigger at 5.5 inches on the diagonal.

Apple set a precedent with them by introducing two iPhones of the same generation and different sizes in one fell swoop. Both had A8 chips, more than considerable improvements at the battery and camera level, and a storage capacity of up to 128 GB, double the previous one.

With this, Apple sought to satisfy the two trends of the moment: those who preferred smartphones that were more restrained in size and those who were already venturing to buy ever larger phones. In the end we saw that it was a master move that also served to make other companies imitate them.

A year later, the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus arrived, the two natural successors of the previous ones and which highlighted the trend of launching ‘S’ devices in odd years. At the design level, although they slightly increased their weight, they were identical except for that characteristic letter on their chassis and the pink color that was introduced in the generation.

And although at the level of cameras there were improvements, including the introduction of Live Photo , the most striking came with the introduction of the haptic engine that made 3D Touch possible. Basically, access to contextual menus or previews was allowed depending on the pressure exerted on the screen. And it is that at that time, unlike current iPhones, these gestures were detected that way and not by the time the finger was held down.

The usual “Hey Siri” also arrived with this generation. A new way to invoke the assistant without having to press any buttons. A small and overlooked feature, but years later we find it essential to talk to Siri when we can’t (or don’t want to) interact directly with the iPhone.

iPhone SE (1st generation)

That the iPhone 5s left its mark is evident with the launch of this first-generation iPhone SE . Dubbed ‘Special Edition’, this device was an absolute joy for 4-inch phone fans who were reluctant to embrace larger phone trends.

Except for the new pink color, it shared a design with the iPhone 5s , adopting its own improvements from the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. It was not better than the latter, but it had the same chip, it had improved its battery and also at the RAM level it increased compared to that phone on which it was based.

In fact, its popularity was such that years later several reconditioned units went on sale and in a few minutes they sold out. It may look like an old-fashioned device these days, but whoever owns one still keeps it with great memories and in fact it can still be fully functional these days.

iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus

Again Apple returned to post for two similar formats with sizes of 4.7 and 5.5 inches. The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus brought few aesthetic novelties beyond new finishes, the visual change of the cameras and having moved the antennas to the top and bottom of the device keeping them more hidden.

There was also a detail regarding the main button and that is that this Home button was not really a button , but rather a haptic button that emitted vibrations that gave the sensation of actually activating a button. Although in the end, for practical purposes, this did not mean a change in terms of its functionality.

The great improvement of that year came with the first double camera that the ‘Plus’ introduced, now having a telephoto lens that not only provided an optical and digital zoom not seen before in the brand, but also brought with it the already extended portrait mode . Being able to take photos with the background out of focus became a trend with this device.

Going back to the design line, we must say that the new matte black and glossy black colors were extremely popular on the market. The first for the soft touch it involved and the elegance it provided. The second for providing a very particular high-end product sensation with its glass finish, although it was scratched and dirty just by looking at it.

2017 to present: hello to the future

In 2017 it was already clear that Apple was not leading the sector. Or at least not alone. Innovation was becoming more and more complicated and the bet was to create phones with an increasingly sophisticated design with the main screen and very small bezels. Apple did not want to be late and complied with a device that carried a slogan ‘Say hello to the future’ (Say hello to the future).

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus

In 2017, in the same presentation of the iPhone that would change everything again, Apple presented the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus. Sorry… we meant the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus . It is not trivial that we have made this joke, since for practical purposes there were very few changes with respect to its predecessors, so it would not have been unreasonable for the ‘S’ version to appear.

At the design level, the form factor or the idea of the form factor did not change, but the rear glass was given way in all versions. And this was not accidental either, since it was (and is) the only way that exists to allow wireless charging , since only plastic and these allow it to be produced.

And although the A11 Bionic processor was new and brought better performance and more efficient consumption of resources, it really was not a significant change for an iPhone 7 user to make the leap. Perhaps even those who came from an iPhone 6s did not need it either, unless they made the leap to the ‘Plus’ model due to the double camera.

iPhone X

Presented moments after the previous ones, this one did come to completely change the range. It was the biggest change in the history of the iPhone , skipping the first, of course. This device, pronounced as “ten” in reference to being the tenth anniversary, changed the way of interacting with these smartphones at all levels.

It eliminated the Home button and highlighted the trend of mobile phones with very small frames , altered only by the particular notch in which the Face ID sensors are housed, the facial recognition that in the end has been gaining ground in unlocking by footprints.

The 5.8-inch OLED screen, with very balanced colors and at the forefront of trends, forced the user to operate the phone by gestures . Something that we already have very much in mind these days, but that at the time even looked strange.

Its double camera , now in a vertical position, improved the iPhone 7/7 Plus and 8/8 Plus, but not excessively. In the front camera we did see changes with the introduction of portrait mode, something also common in these times and that at that time was only typical of the main lenses.

iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max

If you look at an iPhone XS and an iPhone X, unless you have chosen the gold color for the first, it will be difficult for you to see the differences. It was once again an ‘S’ generation with few cosmetic changes. Now, the iPhone XS Max is the one that justified this generation, leaving with it what was then the largest iPhone in history at the screen level.

Both devices came with a design inherited from the previous one, but with an A12 Bionic chip that, for the first time, included the Neural Engine . This coprocessor was in charge of managing calculations related to artificial intelligence, thus relieving the main chip and further enhancing its performance.

In cameras we saw few improvements, such as greater brightness in night photos . However, it could not yet be considered a night mode as such. At the battery level, the ‘XS’ did not improve the ‘X’ excessively, although the ‘Max’ model did manage to position itself as a good phone in this section, despite falling behind the one that was the star of that 2018.

iPhone XR

It came as a companion to the ‘XS’ and with the iPhone 5c fiasco as a long shadow. However, this colorful device managed to become the world sales leader for several years. And it is that the iPhone XR was the one that ultimately served Apple to differentiate between cheap and popular devices compared to ‘Pro’ models.

It stood out especially, as we already indicated, for its price and colors. It mounted an LCD panel that was obviously far from the benefits of the OLEDs, but with its 6.1 inches and a standard resolution it seemed not to be an obstacle. And it is that it also had unexpected benefits such as being the one with the best battery of the three new iPhones.

Internally it also mounted the A12 Bionic chip and the Neural Engine. It even had Face ID and a camera capable of taking photos in portrait mode , something unheard of to date in Apple smartphones with a single camera.

iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max

Thanks to the success of the ‘XR’, Apple understood that this should be its standard model and with it came the iPhone 11 . Except for its LCD screen, again 6.1 inches, none of us would have been surprised that it was the top of the range of that 2019.

Again it was dressed in bright colors and even lowered the price compared to its predecessor. It mounted a double camera that included improvements such as night mode and an ultra wide angle capable of giving new perspectives to the always demanding users who are looking for a good companion with which to immortalize moments in their smartphone.

The iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max followed in the footsteps of the ‘XS’ and ‘XS Max’ at the design level and with the same A13 chip as the iPhone 11 and all its improvements. Of course, it had additions such as a triple camera that for the first time combined the wide angle with a telephoto lens and an ultra wide angle.

Of course, these already began to make clear some deficiencies that showed that Apple was no longer at the forefront. They came without 5G, without a 120 Hz refresh rate and with a minimum capacity of 64 GB, which was already falling short if the most advanced users were considered. However, they improved the sales figures of their predecessors.

iPhone SE (2nd gen.)

This new iPhone SE was to the iPhone 8 what the first-generation model was to the iPhone 5s. It incorporated a design inherited from the latter, only adding the Apple apple in the central part as the iPhone 11 already did.

Precisely from these it inherited the A13 chip, although it shared more specifications with the ‘XR’ at the camera level. It was a very controversial device because it was also very outdated in aesthetics, since the trend was no longer the same as when the first generation model came out.

Having a really small battery didn’t really help either. However, it has remained in the Apple catalog as an affordable option for very little advanced users who want to enjoy the iOS operating system without spending a lot of money.

iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max

The first year of the COVID-19 pandemic ended as the one with the most iPhones in all of history with a total of 5. The first of them was the aforementioned ‘SE’, the other 4 were these and divided into two ranges .

On the one hand, the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 , both with 5.4 and 6.1-inch OLED panels and an aesthetic typical of the iPhone 4, with straight sides and curved corners that made them much more compact. Available in various colors, these brought with them interesting improvements compared to their predecessors, improving photos in night mode and with 5G technology finally present.

As more advanced models were the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max , maintaining the same prices that had already been a trend since the ‘X’ and ‘XS’. Also, the ‘Max’ model was the largest ever, once again with a 6.7-inch diagonal panel. In addition, they increased their minimum capacity to 128 GB.

At the camera level, it introduced high-resolution formats such as Apple ProRAW , also sharing a considerable improvement at the computational level with the A14 Bionic chip. However, again the absence of features such as 120 Hz weighed heavily on them.

iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max

The so far most recent iPhone could also be called ’12s’ according to its few changes. The iPhone 13 and 13 mini were practically a carbon copy of the previous models, although yes, there was the first reduction of the notch since 2017.

They also considerably improved the battery section, in addition to expanding the minimum capacity to 128 GB as the ‘Pro’ models did last year. Although in the end its most outstanding novelty was the introduction of the cinema mode for video , allowing you to create impressive scenes of your own cinema with background blur. Although above all, what was most striking was being able to change these parameters even when the video has already been recorded.

Although in essence they continued to start from the same idea as the previous ones, the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max did comply on this occasion with requests that had been on the table for years. The 120 Hz panels are absolute protagonists and, despite the fact that they generate higher consumption, they also greatly improved their autonomy (especially the ‘Max’).

And in addition to the cinema mode that the standard models also had, the ProRes format for video was added to these, giving a higher quality to the final results. Having lenses that move by sensor shift was also a notable change to reduce noise in photos.

Cover image originally created by Safari Geek