Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone 16 years ago today
It has now been 16 years since Steve Job first introduced the iPhone to the world and changed the mobile phone industry forever.
Steve Jobs first launched the iPhone back in January 9, 2007 (January 10, 2007 Philippine time) during a MacWorld Expo in San Francisco, with Jobs declaring that their “revolutionary product” would “change everything.”
In a video of the keynote address that can be found on YouTube, Jobs first teased that the company would be launching “three revolutionary products”: a “widescreen iPod with touch controls,” “a revolutionary mobile phone,” and a “breakthrough internet communications device,” before revealing that the “three revolutionary products” is just one product - the iPhone.
Watch the part of the 2007 keynote address that introduces the iPhone below.
At the time, the iPhone was the only smartphone that got rid of the conventional QWERTY keyboards used at the time and also claimed to have software “[five] years ahead of any other phone.”
At the time, the first iPhone only had 12 icons and did not have iTunes, as it would only be launched in 2008. It had a 2-megapixel lens, which is a far cry from the iPhone 13 Pro's 12-megapixel telephoto, wide, and ultra wide lenses.
Since its introduction, the iPhone has become the standard for smartphones, with all phones eschewing the physical QWERTY keyboard for touchscreens.
The seismic shift it brought to the smartphone market can also be seen in the price people are willing to pay for a first generation iPhone. Back in August of last year, an unopened first generation iPhone sold for $35,414 or P1,941,572 at auction. The phone was one of several Apple historical items sold, which included the original “Apple Computer A Prototype” and a letter from Apple founder Steve Jobs.
In September last year, Apple launched the iPhone 14, which comes in different versions: the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The new phones also have features focusing on safety and security, such as Lockdown Mode that seeks to protects users against spyware, as well as Safety Check, which is meant to help victims of domestic abuse.
MEANWHILE, CHECK OUT SOME USE GADGETS YOU CAN BUY IN THE GALLERY BELOW.
