One could say that the iPhone is the quintessential smartphone, as its competitors focus on copying and surpassing its ideas. But to achieve this market dominance, Apple has had to work hard for years to achieve the technology and capabilities that the latest model available, the iPhone 14, has.
With the celebration of Apple Event 2023 this week, all eyes are on the next iPhone 15, but to get this smartphone that looks so good based on leaks, rumors, and predictions, many more versions had to appear beforehand.
That’s why, before the arrival of the flagship, we show you all its predecessors, from the first iPhone in 2007 to the last one that hit the market.
iPhone 1st generation (2007)
The first iPhone to hit the market only arrived in the US and was a completely different device than what we see today. With a screen of just 3.5 inches and a 2-megapixel camera, many called this model a brick when it was released. What will they think now?
iPhone 3G (2008)
After this first model, the following year Apple launched the iPhone 3G as well as another version called the 3GS, already made available to the world and finally arriving in Spain. With the same size as the previous model, this phone has improved in terms of speed, battery life, and RAM. It also has an App Store, which is something completely new.
iPhone 4 (2010)
Many consider it one of the most historic models for several reasons, firstly because it was the last one that Steve Jobs introduced, but also because it adopted a more rectangular shape; it was the first phone to introduce a front camera, and that was also the case with the first with an Apple-owned processor chip (A4).
iPhone 4S (2011)
This was the first post-Jobs iPhone, and as you can see, there were hardly any changes. The kicker and the reason the S has it is because it was the first iPhone to have the virtual assistant Siri.
iPhone 5, 5C and 5S (2012–2013)
The most notable change in this version is that the iPhone has made the jump to a 4-inch screen. What stands out in the 5C version are the new colors to choose from and the introduction of new materials that were very popular at the time.
As for the latest feature of the iPhone 5S, we must highlight the introduction of Touch ID, the fingerprint detector that is now standard on all smartphones.
iPhone 6/6 Plus and iPhone 6s/6s Plus (2014–2015)
In the years that followed, new versions of the iPhone came onto the market, with the 6 being the largest in history up to that point at 4.7 inches in the smallest version and 5.5 inches in the Plus version. These phones were also characterized by doubling the storage space (128 GB) and including important improvements in the cameras with Live Photo or the haptic engine for 3D Touch.
iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus (2016)
In the case of the iPhone 7, Apple continued to explore new colors for its smartphones, but the most notable was undoubtedly the introduction of the haptic home button, i.e., tactile recognition.
In return, the company ditched the 3.5mm jack, and the Plus version of this iPhone was the first to feature the dual camera and the well-known portrait mode.
iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus (2017)
In 2017, Apple didn’t put too much effort into it, and the reality is that the differences between this model and the other seven models are minimal. As a highlight, we note that the back of the smartphone becomes glass, with the intention of introducing wireless charging for the first time in these terminals.
iPhone X (2017)
It may seem that Apple didn’t have much interest in improving the iPhone 8, because the highlight came with the smartphone, which referenced the tenth anniversary of these phones. The iPhone
The first was the disappearance of the Home button, but the importance of the introduction of Face ID (facial recognition) or interaction using gestures should not be underestimated. It was again characterized by its 5.8-inch OLED screen.
iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max (2019)
After the success of the iPhone XR, Apple established this model as the standard. The most important innovations include new colors, a price reduction, and, in terms of the camera, the introduction of night mode and the introduction of the ultra-wide angle. Apple has installed the triple camera in the Pro and Pro Max versions.
iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max (2020)
Given the year of the pandemic, Apple has decided to introduce an iPhone in a mini version for the first time, highlighting the introduction of 5G connectivity in these terminals. In addition, the Pro and Pro Max versions are distinguished by increasing their minimum capacity to 128 GB, while less than five years ago this was the maximum.
iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max (2021)
As you can see, the changes in the different terminals in these years are minimal, with the improvements in battery and the introduction of Cinema mode for videos standing out. In the Pro versions, the introduction of up to 1 TB of storage is noticeable.
iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max (2022)
And Apple’s newest model to date, the iPhone 14, has hardly any changes compared to its predecessor. Apart from small improvements to the camera and the disappearance of the mini version.
However, when it comes to the Pro versions, the Dynamic Island appearance is one of the big advancements that is expected to become standard on the iPhone 15 and other upcoming generations.
