Today is June 29th which probably means nothing to you. But if you are a long-time smartphone fanatic, this date is very important. On June 29th, 2007, Apple released the first-generation iPhone. The device was introduced on January 9th, 2007 by the late Steve Jobs but Apple needed the time to manufacture enough units. After all, ever since Jobs unveiled the device back in January, everyone was talking about the iPhone.
If you weren’t around back then, you probably can’t grasp how exciting the iPhone was. With the touch screen and multi-touch, it was clear that Apple had a device that was going to change the world. Back in 2007, the process of buying an iPhone was a lot cruder than it is now. Starting a few days before the June 29th release, people started to wait in line overnight in front of Apple Stores.
18 years ago today, consumers could choose between the iPhone with 4GB of storage ($499) and 8GB ($599). In the States, both models required a two-year contract with AT&T. I bought a 4GB model not too long after it was released and I can clearly remember how slow
AT&T‘s EDGE network was. You see, the OG iPhone did not support 3G which means that the phone was connected to
AT&T‘s 2.5G EDGE network. When not in Wi-Fi range, the YouTube app was blurry and looked awful. You could not use the browser and receive a phone call at the same time. If you had Safari open, incoming calls would go right to visual voicemail.
Two months after the release date, Apple discontinued the 4GB variant and in February 2008 a 16GB model was released. Those who kept a 4GB model in the original box and never opened it are sitting on a goldmine. In July 2023, an unopened 4GB iPhone was sold for a record amount of $190,372.80.
The iPhone 3G, which brought 3G connectivity to the device, was introduced on June 9th, 2008 and was released on July 11th. Apple cut the price significantly charging $199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB variant which was available in black and white. Of course, a two-year AT&T contract was still required in the U.S.
The iPhone pretty much had the high-end of the touch screen smartphone market to itself for a couple of years despite several phones that were called iPhone killers. In hindsight, the first legit iPhone killer was the Motorola DROID, a Verizon exclusive and the first phone to run Android 2.0 Eclair. The DROID was released in November 2009.
While many celebrate January 9th as the anniversary of the OG iPhone, that is only half the story. It’s hard to believe but 18 years ago today was really the day that the world changed.
