Apple iPhone 17 will be launched in just a few days with its design already leaked with a significant body change. This is not the first time Apple has made a big change to the iPhone. Below are the 10 big changes ever made since the iPhone was launched 18 years ago.
1. Apple iPhone (2007) – The Template of the Modern Smartphone
January 9, 2007 is a very important and historic date not only for Apple but also for the world of mobile phones. In the blink of an eye, the paradigm of a mobile phone design and the interface used changed. Phones no longer require physical buttons and small screens. Apple changed the face of the phone in the hand whose impact can still be seen after 18 years.
The iPhone popularized the touch screen that detects touch and scrolling. The pinch and zoom feature that is now done dozens of times every day can be traced back to the first iPhone. The era of a single smart device functioning as a phone, digital music player and web browser in the palm of your hand began. Indirectly, iOS also popularized the skeuomorphic interface design that the industry followed.
2. Apple iPhone 3G (2008) – The Era of App Store Begins
With the support of faster 3G networks, various tasks could be performed on an iPhone 3G. Another contribution of the iPhone 3G was the introduction of the app store and started the economic boom through apps. It is true that other operating systems also have their own app stores but the first App Store showed that huge profits could be achieved.
Software would be king on smartphones from now on and no longer hardware. The absence of mandatory applications such as Angry Birds, Instagram and Facebook on a smartphone caused smartphones to not sell in the market. The last ditch for Research in Motion, Ericsson and Nokia began to be dug in 2008.
3. Apple iPhone 4/4s (2010/2011) – First Body Change, Facetime and Siri
The iPhone 4 brought the biggest change 3 years after its launch. The smooth river rock-like design on the back was replaced with a flat body design on the sides and back. It was the first iPhone that could be placed flat on a table. The Retina Display screen was also introduced and the FaceTime feature was also introduced with the iPhone 4.
I lumped the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S together because they were two very similar mice. A year after the iPhone 4 was launched, the iPhone 4S came out and introduced the virtual assistant Siri. For the first time, users could talk to the phone and give commands using their voice. I still remember the first time I used Siri and it really felt like I was living in the future. Without Siri, the possibility of Google Assistant, Samsung Bixby, Amazon Alexa, and Google Gemini would not exist.
4. Apple iPhone 5/5s (2012/2013) – 16:9 Screen and Touch ID
The iPhone 5 ushered in the era of the 16:9 screen on the iPhone. Movies downloaded via iTunes and YouTube content could be watched on a widescreen in their true ratio. Then the iPhone 5s introduced the Touch ID system for biometric scanning.
Not only could the phone be unlocked with a touch, but app purchases and identity verification when logging in to sites could be done with Touch ID. Once again, Apple started a trend that other manufacturers followed. In addition, the iPhone 5s also started the 64-bit iPhone era
5. Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus (2014) – The Era of Different Screen Sizes and Apple Pay
Starting with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Apple began offering iPhones with two different screen sizes. The iPhone 6 with a 4.7-inch screen and the iPhone 6 Plus with a 5.5-inch screen. Initially, the iPhone 6 Plus received criticism from hardcore iPhone fans because the screen size was said to be too large to be used with one hand.
Three years earlier, the late Steve Jobs criticized the 5.3-inch screen on the Samsung Galaxy Note and after his death, Apple produced an iPhone with a larger screen. Also introduced with this phone was Apple Pay, which allows cashless payments to be made using an iPhone.
6. Apple iPhone 7/7 Plus (2016) – Dual Cameras and No More Audio Jack
After 7 years, the iPhone 7 Plus became the first to be equipped with dual cameras on the back. The combination of 12MP wide-angle and 12MP ultra-wide-angle lenses finally arrived on the iPhone after it was pioneered by the LG G5 in the same year.
2016 was also the first year to offer an iPhone with a different camera configuration because the iPhone 7 still only had a single main camera on the back. In addition, the iPhone 7 series was the first to not have a 3.5mm audio jack. Apple said it was a bold move to not include an audio jack, instead launching the new AirPods accessory. At first, Apple's move was a joke but later became standard.
7. Apple iPhone X (2017) – Hello Face ID, Goodbye Home Button
In conjunction with its 10th anniversary, the iPhone X was launched with the most drastic front “face” change since the iPhone 5. The Home button was replaced by an all-screen display on the front with It was also the first iPhone with an OLED screen
Face ID replaced Touch ID with a face scanned using a more secure 3D system. But the use of Face ID required the iPhone to have a large notch on the front. The big innovation made in the software was navigation using gestures and Memoji that followed the user’s facial expressions.
8. Apple iPhone 11 Pro (2019)- The Tri-Camera Era
Apple left the dual-camera era starting with the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max. The rear camera is now equipped with wide-angle, ultra-wide and telephoto lenses following the trend started by the Huawei P20 Pro a year earlier. With the introduction of the main tri-camera, the era of the large camera bump on the back of the iPhone also officially began with it getting bigger year after year,.
9. Apple iPhone 14 Pro (2019) – Goodbye Notch, Hello Satellite
The iPhone X’s large notch has been replaced by a large camera hole on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. This camera hole is hidden with the introduction of the Dynamic Island system that shows the music currently playing, additional AirPods animations and Live Activities.
All iPhone 14 series devices also have support for emergency text communication using satellite networks. Despite being launched almost 6 years ago, this feature has yet to be accepted by users in Malaysia.
10. Apple iPhone 15 (2023) – Action Button, Titanium and USB-C
Apple has finally complied with market demand by offering an iPhone with USB-C starting with the iPhone 15. With its launch two years ago, the iPhone, iPad, MacBook and AirPods can all be charged using the same cable. In addition, it also brings support for recording 4K ProRes video directly to an SSD connected directly to the device. In terms of design, it is the first iPhone with a titanium body that is lighter and more durable.
The Action Button replaces the adjustable mute button that iPhones have used since the first generation. This time, the button can be programmed to not only mute the iPhone 15 Pro series but also launch the camera, start a Voice Memo recording session, activate smart home systems and more.