It was the 29 June 2007 when the cousin iPhone, designed by Steve Jobs, co-founder and CEO of Apple, was launched on the market. Presented to the public on January 9 of the same year, the iPhone was initially only available in the United States and in some selected countries. It arrived in Italy only in 2008 with the second version.
The arrival of the iPhone was thebeginning of the revolution of telephony. In fact, until 2007, the mobile market was dominated by devices with physical keyboards and fragmented operating systems. The industry leaders were Nokia, BlackBerry and Motorola, which offered phones with limited functionality by today's standards. The concept of the smartphone as we know it today was still in its infancy. Touch screen devices were rare and often had cumbersome user experiences. The iPhone, however, represented the big news.
iPhone: an instant success
Il The iPhone's success was immediate: Apple Stores and authorized AT&T outlets (the exclusive operator of the iPhone in the United States) were stormed. The first generation of Cupertino smartphones were sold at price of 399 dollars for the 8GB version and $499 for the 16GB version (which debuted only in 2008). The long queues of customers waiting to purchase the new device testified to the enormous interest and desire for the product. Many shoppers spent the night outside stores to be among the first to own the iPhone. In the first 24 hours after it went on sale in the United States, over 400.000 examples were sold.
Curiosity: the first official purchase of the first iPhone launched 17 years ago, it was performed by Gregory Packer. Packer lined up outside the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in New York 110 hours before sales began.
The announcement and the wait for the launch of the iPhone
La presentation The very first iPhone during the Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco has become legendary. Steve Jobs announced that he had three revolutionary devices in his hands: a widescreen iPod with touch controls, an innovative cell phone, and an internet communication device. At the end of the demonstration, it became clear that these were not three separate products, but one single device: the iPhone.
Il original project of Jobs dates back to 1998, but only with the advent of technologies such as the touchscreen and 3G networks was the project able to materialize. The Apple team worked secretly for years, maintaining maximum confidentiality about the device's features. The end result was a phone that went beyond simple calling and messaging functions: the iPhone was a real portable computer, with the ability to surf the internet, watch videos, listen to music, play games and download applications.
Jobs' announcement generated aenormous anticipation and speculation. The marketing operation was so successful that, according to a survey, six out of ten Americans knew the release date of the iPhone even before its release. Tech media, gadget enthusiasts, and even less technophilic consumers were captivated by the promise of a device that would change the way we interact with technology. And Apple succeeded perfectly in maintaining high attention until the launch date. “This is only the beginning. Apple reinvents the phone“, was the slogan for the launch of the smartphone.
The features of the first iPhone
Il cousin iPhone it had a minimalist design with one screen from 3,5 inches and a single physical button (the Home button). Equipped with 8 GB of memory and a display with a resolution of 480x320 pixels, it measured 115 mm in height and 61 mm in width, with a weight of approximately 135 grams. The operating system was iOS (initially called iPhone OS), which offered innovative touch screen interaction, including gestures such as pinch-to-zoom.
The device used quad-band GSM Edge technology and, in subsequent versions, adopted UMTS, HSDPA and 4G LTE. The camera was 2 megapixels, adequate for the time. Integration with iTunes allowed for simple management of music and videos, transforming the iPhone into an advanced media player.
The iPhone supported the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, but not 3G networks. Pre-installed applications included Safari for web browsing, Mail, Photos, and a mobile version of Google Maps. The real app revolution came the following year, with the introduction of the App Store in 2008.
Appreciated around the world especially for its design, the iPhone quickly became a cult object.
A collector's item
Those who still own a 2007 iPhone, especially the 4 GB model, might ayou have a fortune in your hands. A 2007 iPhone was sold in 2023 at an auction in the United States for 190 thousand dollars. This phone, new and still in the box, is considered by collectors to be the “Holy Grail” of cell phones, as few 4GB models were produced that year.
The Beginning of a new era
The launch of the iPhone marked the ithe beginning of a new era for mobile telephony. The innovations introduced by Apple quickly became industry standards, with competitors seeking to emulate the device's design, user interface, and functionality. The iPhone not only changed the cell phone market, but also had a major impact on other industries, such as that of software and digital services.
The success of the first iPhone was just the beginning. Over the years, Apple has continued to innovate and release new models, constantly improving its hardware and software. In 2023, Apple launched the iPhone 15, demonstrating the continued relevance and success of the product line.
Today, 17 years after its launch, the iPhone is still the best-selling phone in the world (iPhone 14 is the best-selling smartphone in the world in 2023). According to estimates, over 2,2 billion iPhones have been sold to date. An extraordinary success that demonstrates Apple's ability to innovate and anticipate consumer needs.
