Ten years ago today, June 29 2007, the very first iPhone hit stores in the US and everything changed. It was a milestone in the history of computing. Apple sold a million devices in just over two months.
10 years ago today, the world changed...
Did you know the first iPhone didn't even had an app store? For more than a year, until iPhone OS 2 came out in July 2008, there was no store to download and install new apps. The first iPhone was originally released with just 15 native apps, not even enough to fill the home screen. Apple was convinced "webapps" (single-serve websites, which could be saved to the home screen) were the future. Besides the lack of an app store, the device lacked 3G connectivity, the camera resolution was just two megapixels and its battery struggled to last a day.
"Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone" - Steve Jobs
And yet, Apple sold a million devices in just over 2 months. It wasn't because it was the first "smartphone" or the first phone with a camera. The iPhone just did what it said it would do, in a simple, easy manner. While most other phones had physical buttons back then, Apple’s touch interface made things much simpler. Right from the start, the iPhone had a full-colour, multi-touch screen and it had the same basic interface which is still in use today.
Video - A Nostalgic Look Back
For every dollar you had invested in Apple back then, your stake would now be worth $8.44, not including reinvested dividends. Unfortunately, I've missed that opportunity.
Happy 10th Birthday iPhone!