History of Apple’s iPhone: Part 1, The Smartphone's Early Years

While Apple may not have been the first to develop a smartphone, the company’s iPhone has been the main driver in the development and acceptance of smartphones as a must-have device for many consumers around the world. Since its original introduction in June 2007, Apple’s iPhone has captured the hearts of the consumer with its ability to do far more than send and receive calls. The compact device is a do-it-all handheld computer that sends e-mails and text messages, takes photos and videos, plays music, tracks one’s whereabouts, and more.

The iPhone has continued to evolve over the years into an increasingly powerful and capable device, benefitting from myriad advances in processors, graphics, and of course Apple’s iOS. Each introduction of the a new iPhone version is almost always eagerly anticipated and often results in consumers lining up outside stores to be the first to get the latest devices. Apple recently introduced its iPhone 14 family of smartphones, and already there’s buzz about what Apple will do for its next iPhone, the 15.

In the meantime, it may a good time to look back at some of the key advances in the smartphone's first 15 years. In the first of a two-part series, we cover the iPhone models from the original through the iPhone 6, spanning the period from 2007 through 2015.

Related:Not All iPhone 14 Smartphones Are Alike

Spencer Chin is a Senior Editor for Design News covering the electronics beat. He has many years of experience covering developments in components, semiconductors, subsystems, power, and other facets of electronics from both a business/supply-chain and technology perspective. He can be reached at [email protected].