Feature Articles

How the iPhone changed the world

By James Lu - 20 Nov 2017

How the iPhone changed the world

Note: This article was first published on 27th October 2017.

The iPhone X is officially available for pre-order today, making it the 18th smartphone to bear the iPhone name over the past decade. 

Looking back at the very first iPhone, which was unveiled on 7th January 2007,  it's amazing to see how much smartphones have evolved in just ten years. While the first iPhone wasn’t the first smartphone, it leapfrogged the competition, and for the past decade Apple has continued to be at the forefront of smartphone innovation.

Whether you use an iPhone or an Android device today, you can thank Apple for many of the features we now take for granted in a modern smartphone.

 

The iPhone put the internet in everyone’s pocket

When Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone, he described it as “a revolutionary mobile phone,” a “widescreen iPod with touch controls” and a “breakthrough Internet communications device.” While the first iPhone didn’t even have 3G connectivity, its webkit-based internet browser made it one of the first smartphones to deliver a smooth and optimized mobile internet experience.

When the second-generation iPhone 3G rolled out with both 3G connectivity and, more importantly, the App Store, there was no longer a need to sit at your desktop computer or laptop to access the internet, everything was available on your phone.

 

The iPhone turned everyone into a photographer

Photographer Chase Jarvis once said, “the best camera is the one you have with you.” For millions of people, the iPhone became their go-to camera, always within reach to capture the perfect moment. While the iPhone started with just a 2-megapixel rear camera, and no front camera, it was enough to almost single-handedly kill the digital compact camera market.

The iPhone’s internet connectivity and the simultaneous rise of social media apps like Instagram and Twitter in turn, gave people a place to share their photos. According to market research firm, KeyPoint Intelligence, 1.2 trillion digital photos will be taken this year, and 85 percent of those will be with a smartphone. That’s up from 400 billion digital photos taken in 2011.

 

The iPhone revolutionized software development and distribution

The App Store was launched in 2008 alongside the second-generation iPhone 3G. At launch, it had 500 apps. There are now 2.2 million apps on the App Store and there have been more than 180 billion downloads in the past decade. Together with Google’s Google Play store, apps have created endless possibilities for smartphones, turning them into gaming devices, flashlights, barcode scanners, digital maps, music players, image and video editors and more.

More and more software developers have shifted their focus to app development rather than traditional computer software. In the first quarter of 2017, the combined publisher revenue for downloads and in-app purchases in the App Store and Google Play store grew to US$10.5 billion. The App Store also paved the way for indie and solo developers to publish their work. Vietnamese developer, Dong Nguyen is a famous example of a solo developer achieving success on the app store.  At one point Nguyen’s game Flappy Bird was earning US$50,000 a day in in-app advertising.

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