10 years ago today the very first iPhone was introduced to the world and the rest, as they say, is very touchy.
On 9th of January at the Macworld 2007 event in San Francisco, Apple co-founder and the then CEO of the company, Steve Jobs launched the first iPhone. And since then with every update Apple has redefined the modern day communication.
Still today Google, Samsung, Microsoft, HTC, LG and others are driven by the obsession to become the "iPhone beater". At this point when Nokia is struggling to make another worthwhile comeback, it is said that the company's downfall started when they dumped the touchscreen phone concept a few years before Apple's first iPhone launch.
Touchscreen phones were nowhere near the radar of the consumers when Apple launched its first smartphone with a 3.5-inch multi-touch display. It was, at that time, pitched as three products in one—a widescreen iPod with touch, a mobile phone and a breakthrough internet communications device.
The best part about iPhones is the more things have been updated throughout these ten years, the more they have remained the same.
Since it went on sale on June 29, 2007, in its first year Apple managed to sell as many as 6.1 million units. However, 2008 was the year of reckoning, as Apple managed to sell as many as 1 million units in the very first week of the iPhone 3G launch. With the iPhone 3G, the company introduced 3G mobile network and GPS capabilities. It was also the first time Apple introduced the App Store and allowed third-party apps integration. iPhone g3G was launched at a time, when the market demand for iPhone was at its peak.
In commemoration of its 10 years' journey, Apple has issued a press release highlighting the journey of what it claims is the "gold standard" in the smartphone industry.
"iPhone is an essential part of our customers' lives, and today more than ever it is redefining the way we communicate, entertain, work and live," Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, said in a press release. "iPhone set the standard for mobile computing in its first decade and we are just getting started. The best is yet to come."
Now the question is what's next?
Well, Apple is not here to disappoint you. Rumour has it that Apple is going to lunch their next big "thing" this year, namely the iPhone 8.
Apple is rumoured to be working on three versions of its next iPhone, including a 5-inch model to sit between its existing 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch handsets.
The 5-inch version is also rumoured to feature a dual-lens camera, with iSight modules arranged vertically instead of horizontally. It seems unlikely, in that case, that Apple will opt for the name iPhone 7s - as that would downplay the upgrade. It's more likely that it will be called the iPhone 8.
Apple may even decide to go for something completely different - the iPhone 10 perhaps, to mark the anniversary, or even the iPhone Air or iPhone Pro, to reflect the iPad lineup.
Features and Design:
- All-Glass: Apple is allegedly planning a major design overhaul for the iPhone 8. The company is said to be working on an all-glass version of its iconic iPhone , for release in 2017. Instead of the aluminium casing used in the iPhone 7, Apple will move to an all-glass enclosure. Though, this wouldn't be the first time Apple has used glass in its iPhones. The iPhone 4 and 4s had glass front and back panels, with a stainless steel band sandwiched between the two. However, these phones were plagued by durability issues, with many customers claiming their phones cracked too easily when dropped. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a track record of leaking accurate information on Apple products, said in a reportthat some investors are concerned that glass casing would be too heavy or fail a drop test, but said he believes that a return to glass casing will not be problematic for Apple.
iPhone 4 and 4s had glass front and back panels, with a stainless steel band sandwiched between the two - Red iPhone: It is said that the iPhone 8 will also come in a magnificent red coulour along with the standard colours of iPhone, i,e., black, white and grey.
- Curved OLED Display: At least one of the iPhone 8 prototypes is said to feature a new cutting-edge curved OLED display with practically no bezels - similar to that used on Samsung's Galaxy S7 Edge. In March 2016, Nikkei reported that Apple was planning to ditch LCD displays in favour of OLED screens, with the first OLED iPhone arriving in 2017. Then in April, The Korea Herald reported that Samsung had managed to bag the $2.59 billion manufacturing contract. The company is reportedly contracted to supply 100 million 5.5-inch OLED panels per year, starting from 2017. OLED displays are superior to the LCD panels currently used in Apple's iPhones because, rather than requiring a backlight, an OLED-based screen lights up individual pixels when necessary.
- No Home-Button: Rumours have been buzzing for some time now that Apple is planning to get rid of the traditional physical Home button and replace it with a touch-sensitive digital button. This was originally rumoured for the iPhone 7, but it's now looking more likely that it will be one of the major changes coming with the iPhone 8.
- Wireless Charging: A report in Bloomberg in January claimed that Apple was working on "cutting edge" wireless technology that would allow future iPhones and iPads to be placed further away from charging mats than current smartphones.
- Iris Scanner: One of the most stand out features of the latest Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was the Iris scanner, which is an eye scanning technology that allow users to unlock the phone by simply looking at it. Now claims are doing the round the Apple is incorporating this technology in their next iPhone.
- iPhone Pro: Originally rumoured for release in 2016, it now looks like the iPhone Pro will make its debut in 2017, featuring a massive 5.8-inch screen and 'Pro' features such as a Smart Connector, dual-lens camera and premium software.
- Hi-tech Processor: The iPhone 8 will, more than likely, feature an A11 chip, built on ARM's highly-efficient 10nm manufacturing process, and run the next version of Apple's mobile operating system, iOS 11. It will most likely come in 32BB, 128GB and 256GB storage options.
- Vertical Dual-Lens Camera: iPhones are best known for many techn brilliance and one of its best is the camera. Kuo believes that the dual-lens camera introduced in the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus will continue to be a feature exclusive to "high-end" iPhone models in 2017. He predicts a 4.7-inch iPhone with a single camera, a 5.5-inch model with a dual-lens camera, and an OLED model in an unspecified size with a dual-lens camera. According to Japanese site Mac Otakara, the high-end 5-inch iPhone Apple plans on introducing could adopt a new vertical dual camera arrangement instead of a horizontal dual camera system. Mac Otakara's information is sourced from a Taiwanese supplier and has not yet been corroborated by a second source.
- Waterproof iPhone: Apple's iPhone 7 is water-resistant to a depth of one metre for up to 30 minutes - a rating known as IP67, which is the same as the Apple Watch . It therefore makes sense that Apple would carry this through to the iPhone 8.
Expected Release Date:
For the last 10 years, Apple has released its iPhone updates in September, so we expect to see the iPhone 8 in September of 2017. Apple suppliers are already gearing up to start producing components for the iPhone 8. Foxconn is developing both glass casings and OLED displays in an effort to secure orders from apple.
In future iPhones, coming in 2018 and beyond, Apple could adopt foldable displays produced by LG. LG is planning to start mass-producing foldable displays for smartphones in 2018 and Apple is rumored to be a partner.
"It is amazing that from the very first iPhone through to today's newest iPhone 7 Plus, it has remained the gold standard by which all other smartphones are judged. For many of us, iPhone has become the most essential device in our lives and we love it," said Philip Schiller, Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing.
Last but not the least, let's take a nostalgia tour to that very day when stalwart Steve Jobs first launched his dream product, that is the single most important product in Apple's entire lineup, accounting for well over half of all of the company's revenue, and making Apple the most valuable company in the world.
Down memory lane:
