The iPhone is a line of smartphones designed and marketed by Apple Inc. that use Apple's iOS mobile operating system. The first-generation iPhone was announced by then-Apple CEO Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007. Since then, Apple has annually released new iPhone models and iOS updates. As of November 1, 2018, more than 2.2 billion iPhones had been sold.
The iPhone has a user interface built around a multi-touch screen. It connects to cellular networks or Wi-Fi, and can make calls, browse the web, take pictures, play music and send and receive emails and text messages. Since the iPhone's launch further features have been added, including larger screen sizes, shooting video, waterproofing, the ability to install third-party mobile apps through an app store, and many accessibility features. Up to iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, iPhones used a layout with a single button on the front panel that returns the user to the home screen. Since iPhone X, iPhone models have switched to a nearly bezel-less front screen design with app switching activated by gesture recognition.
The iPhone is one of the two largest smartphone platforms in the world alongside Android, forming a large part of the luxury market. The iPhone has generated large profits for Apple, making it one of the world's most valuable publicly traded companies. The first-generation iPhone was described as "revolutionary" and a "game-changer" for the mobile phone industry and subsequent models have also garnered praise. The iPhone has been credited with popularizing the smartphone and slate form factor, and with creating a large market for smartphone apps, or "app economy". As of January 2017, Apple's App Store contained more than 2.2 million applications for the iPhone.
History and availability
Development of what was to become the iPhone began in 2004, when Apple started to gather a team of 1,000 employees led by hardware engineer Tony Fadell, software engineer Scott Forstall and design engineer Sir Jonathan Ive[15] to work on the highly confidential "Project Purple."[16][17]
Apple CEO Steve Jobs steered the original focus away from a tablet (which Apple eventually revisited in the form of the iPad) towards a phone.[18] Apple created the device during a secretive collaboration with Cingular Wireless (which became AT&T Mobility) at the time—at an estimated development cost of US$150 million over thirty months.[19]
According to Steve Jobs, the "i" word in "iMac" (and therefore "iPod", "iPhone" and "iPad") stands for internet, individual, instruct, inform, and inspire.[20][21]
Apple rejected the "design by committee" approach that had yielded the Motorola ROKR E1, a largely unsuccessful collaboration with Motorola. Among other deficiencies, the ROKR E1's firmware limited storage to only 100 iTunes songs to avoid competing with Apple's iPod nano.[22][23]
Cingular gave Apple the liberty to develop the iPhone's hardware and software in-house[24][25] and even paid Apple a fraction of its monthly service revenue (until the iPhone 3G),[26] in exchange for four years of exclusive U.S. sales, until 2011.[27]
Jobs unveiled the iPhone to the public on January 9, 2007, at the Macworld 2007 convention at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.[28] The two initial models, a 4 GB[a] model priced at US$499 and an 8 GB model at US$599 (both requiring a two-year contract), went on sale in the United States on June 29, 2007, at 6:00 pm local time, while hundreds of customers lined up outside the stores nationwide.[29] The passionate reaction to the launch of the iPhone resulted in sections of the media dubbing it the 'Jesus phone'.[30][31] Following this successful release in the US, the first generation iPhone was made available in the UK, France, and Germany in November 2007, an
On September 9, 2014, Apple revealed the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus at an event in Cupertino. Both devices had a larger screen than their predecessor, at 4.7 inches (120 mm) and 5.5 inches (140 mm) respectively.[51]
After the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus was released, some users started complaining about the 6 and 6 Plus bending from normal use. This trend became known as "Bendgate",[52] which later started "Touch Disease." However, they released the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, a more bend-resistant iPhone than the 6 and 6 Plus, to solve this issue.
On September 7, 2016, Apple unveiled the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, which added water and dust resistance, improved system and graphics performance, a new dual-camera setup on the Plus model, new color options, and featured the removal of the 3.5 mm headphone jack from the iPhone.[53]
On September 12, 2017, Apple officially unveiled the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, which features a new glass design, camera improvements, a True Tone display, wireless charging, and improved system performance. It also unveiled the iPhone X, which features a near bezel-less design, a facial recognition feature dubbed "Face ID" with facial tracking used for Animojis, an OLED screen with the highest pixel density on an iPhone, a new telephoto lens which works better in low light conditions, and improved cameras for AR.[54]
On September 12, 2018, Apple officially unveiled the iPhone XS, XS Max[55] and XR[56] at the Steve Jobs theater at Apple Park. The XS and XS Max feature an improved Super Retina Display with Dolby Vision and HDR10 support with the XS Max featuring a larger 6.5 inches (170 mm) display, improved cameras with Smart HDR, and the A12 Bionic chip. The iPhone XS and XS Max are IP68 water, liquid, and dust resistant which allow the devices to be submerged in up to 2 meters for a duration of 30 minutes, while iPhone XR retained the IP67 certification found in the first-generation iPhone X and also features an IPS LCD display instead of the OLED displays found in the higher-end models. The iPhone XS/XS Max's IP68 certifications were tested using various liquids such as chlorinated-water, saltwater, tea, wine, beer, and juices. Apple also announced the fourth generation of Apple Watch, the Apple Watch Series 4.
On September 10, 2019, Apple officially unveiled the iPhone 11 at Steve Jobs Theater,[57][58][59] along with the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro Max. All models gained a ultra-wide lens, allowing for a wider field of view. The Pro models gained a triple-lens camera arrangement, and a matte glass finish.[60][61][59]
The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro series were virtually announced on October 13, 2020, featuring a refreshed design, Super Retina XDR Displays across all models, and 5G connectivity. All models also feature MagSafe, allowing special magnetic accessories to easily snap on and off, while also allowing 15W wireless charging.[62][63]
The iPhone 13 and 13 Pro series were virtually announced on September 14, 2021, featuring improved cameras with sensor-shift stabilization for all models, a diagonal camera arrangement for the 13 and 13 mini, significantly larger camera sensors and an adaptive 120 Hz ProMotion display for the Pro models. All models also gained a battery size increase, and a reduction in width of the TrueDepth camera module.[64][65]
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