Who’s hyped for the iPhone 5? After months of speculation, ‘leaked’ designs, and a host of convincing fakes, the iPhone 5 is officially revealed today! To celebrate, let’s take a look at the humble beginnings of the phone that revolutionised the mobile world:
iPhone (2007) Original iPhone (via Apple) Whilst development had been ongoing since as long ago as 2004, the official announcement of the iPhone came on the 9th of January 2007, and it became available to the US public on the 29th of June, and in November for the UK. Steve Jobs marketed the iPhone as three devices in one—a mobile phone, an ‘internet communicator’, and a wide-screen iPod. “The iPhone is a revolutionary and magical product that is five years ahead of any other mobile phone. We are all born with the ultimate pointing device—our fingers—and the iPhone uses them to create the most revolutionary user interface since the mouse.” Steve Jobs, 9th January 2007 (via Apple) The response was phenomenal—hundreds of eager Apple fans queued for hours to get their hands on the latest in mobile technology. The touchscreen was dynamic and really followed the flow of your fingers - there was no need for a stylus. Then the app store was introduced, allowing third parties to create applications for use on the iPhone. Everything about the iPhone oozed coolness and sleekness. It also proved to be incredibly user-friendly, really resonating with the public. Like it had done with the Mac, and the iPod, Apple had hit the mark—designing a mobile phone championing both form and function in equal measure. Note: The original iPhone has been discontinued, but I personally really like the silver and black design on the back, which has been ditched in favour of a single-colour casing (boo!):
iPhone 3G (2008) iPhone 3G (via Apple) While the iPhone 3G made minor changes to its external casing and visual changes to the touchscreen, it was the addition of its namesake, 3G, that really set it apart from its predecessor. 3G promised to double the speed of internet connectivity, and limitations with the original iPhone meant that you were usually limited to connecting to WiFi, whereas 3G lets you quickly connect to a 3G network. Mobile internet connectivity was made much easier, and much faster. Mobile was truly mobile, and you could watch YouTube videos on the train, or use Safari to check out online prices whilst in-store. Connectivity varies, however, and sometimes loading a video or a website is painfully slow, like harkening back to the good old days of dial-up. But overall, 3G provides the best coverage. GPS sends more accurate location information to Google Maps, without the cursor jumping across the screen and suggesting you’ve disappeared into some random fields near the road you’re walking down, which is handy.
iPhone 3GS (2009) iPhone 3GS (via Apple) The iPhone 3GS should be seen as more of an upgrade of the 3G rather than a completely new phone model. The ‘S’ stood for ‘speed’, and the 3GS promised even higher speed. The camera got a pixel upgrade—from 2 to 3 megapixels, and a focus feature, meaning more detail, and less fuzz. You could also upgrade to 16 MB or even 32 MB, offering more space to store photos, videos, and music. It also improved the iPhone’s battery life, which is a great improvement. However, the use of 3G still eats away at battery life like a starved vulture. They also added a compass, just in case you ever get lost in the woods or want to communicate with a speaker of Guugu yimithirr (Google it).
iPhone 4 (2010) iPhone 4 (via Apple) If 3GS was the extended cut, then the iPhone 4 was the true sequel to the iPhone legacy. Before it’s even turned on, visually, it’s the first noticeable departure from the original model. It’s 24% thinner than its predecessor, but a little wider. It’s slicker and more compact. Once it’s been turned on, it’s clear to see the display (Known now as the Retina display) is sharper and crisper. It remains the same size but boasts of 4x the amount of pixels, apparently more than the human eye can actually see. It looks stunning. Jobs claimed a 40% improvement in battery life, meaning that the iPhone 4 lasts for 7 hours on 3G, which is pretty much a Godsend. The camera got yet another much-needed improvement—upgrading from 3 megapixels to 5, the ability to record HD video, and now sporting an LED flash. You may have been thinking, “Great, now I can take dingy nightclub photos!” But the flash isn’t that great. It’s sometimes more trouble than it’s worth, often blanketing the image in white light. But for other conditions, the iPhone 4 takes surprisingly detailed photos.
iPhone 4S (2011) Like 3GS, 4S could be seen as a refinement of its predecessor. For one, it looks the same—in fact, it’d be almost impossible to tell the difference if you placed the models side-by-side. But the most notable addition comes in the form of Siri. Siri is a voice-activation service that lets you do various things on your phone by simply speaking. You can send texts, make calls, send e-mails, or set reminders with just the touch of a button. Siri can even answer your questions, by searching the web for the answers. So if you’ve ever wondered, “How tall is David Beckham?” Ask, and Siri will find the answer. Siri talks back and even rejects your romantic advances. It’s a witty feature that can provide hours of fun (if you’re as easily amused as I am), as well as useful answers to questions.
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