How the iPhone developed through the years, from the long-lasting 2007 authentic to the approaching iPhone 17

• The unique iPhone, which debuted 17 years in the past, set the stage for the fashionable smartphone.

• Apple’s iPhone has since developed into a robust pc with professional-grade cameras and AI-focused chips.

• Here is a take a look at how the iPhone has modified since its launch in 2007.

About 18 years in the past, the expertise world modified perpetually.

When Apple’s cofounder and then-CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the unique iPhone on June 29, 2007, he known as it “an iPod, a telephone, and an web communicator,” multi functional. Though Jobs knew that the iPhone would change the way in which we talk and entry the web, maybe he could not have predicted precisely how impactful it will be.

The primary iPhone laid the muse for the fashionable smartphone, ushering within the period through which pocket-sized computer systems that may reply any query with the push of a button turned the norm.

The whole lot from the way in which we work, talk, store, journey, handle our funds, and expertise leisure will be completed by way of a smartphone — and for tens of thousands and thousands of individuals worldwide, that is the iPhone.

The system has turn into Apple’s money cow, with the tech big bringing in $45 billion in income from iPhone gross sales final quarter.

Apple is anticipated to quickly unveil the iPhone 17, a tool that has been the topic of rumors and theories from tech fanatics and business insiders. The corporate has turn into recognized for unveiling a brand new iPhone in September, and CEO Tim Cook dinner has teased this 12 months’s occasion.

Here is a take a look at how the iPhone has developed from 2007 to now.

The unique iPhone (2007)

Apple’s first iPhone from 2007 was the one which began all of it. It had a 3.5-inch display, a 2-megapixel digital camera, and topped out at simply 16GB of storage. It did not even assist third-party apps but.

Whereas these specs appear primitive in comparison with in the present day’s super-powerful smartphones, the unique iPhone was vital in setting the usual for cellular units for generations to return. Its multi-touch show, for instance, was essential in paving the way in which for the touch-based working techniques discovered on smartphones, tablets, and computer systems world wide.

iPhone 3G (2008)

With the iPhone 3G, Apple added vital new capabilities resembling a GPS sensor for location-monitoring, assist for 3G networks, and sooner efficiency.

However maybe most significantly, it launched the App Retailer, reworking the iPhone from only a cellular system able to accessing the web to a full-blown computing platform.

At this time, the App Retailer hosts almost 2 million apps, ushering within the booming app financial system that made it doable for the Ubers and Snapchats of the world to flourish.

iPhone 3GS (2009)

The iPhone 3GS launched additional refinements to Apple’s smartphone, providing enhancements like a greater 3-megapixel digital camera, voice management, and longer battery life.

The brand new software program that launched on the iPhone 3GS was additionally simply as vital — it launched options which have lengthy been the usual, resembling lower, copy, and paste actions, in addition to assist for multimedia messaging.

iPhone 4 (2010)

The iPhone 4 was the primary main redesign of the iPhone since its launch in 2007. It had a thinner profile and a sharper form than its predecessors. It featured a glass physique with chrome steel trim round its edges.

The iPhone 4 additionally launched the Retina show, which has turn into a trademark of Apple’s merchandise ever since. It was the primary iPhone to supply FaceTime video-calling.

Whereas the iPhone 4 was usually well-received, it wasn’t proof against criticism, most notably due to a name reception situation that turned referred to as “Antennagate.” Some iPhone 4 house owners skilled frequent dropped calls as a result of a difficulty with the antenna when the telephone was held a sure manner, an issue that prevented Client Reviews from recommending it in 2010.

iPhone 4S (2011)

The headlining function of the iPhone 4S was the introduction of Apple’s digital voice assistant, Siri.

At this time, Siri will be present in almost all of Apple’s merchandise, from the Apple Watch to the Mac and HomePod Mini.

iPhone 5 (2012)

The iPhone 5 represented one more vital redesign of the iPhone.

With the iPhone 5, Apple expanded its smartphone’s display measurement to 4 inches, a noticeable improve from the three.5-inch show discovered on its predecessors. That was particularly vital contemplating Apple was competing with Android units from Samsung and others that provided bigger screens.

The iPhone 5 was additionally the primary Apple smartphone to return with the Lightning charging port, which remains to be current on in the present day’s iPhones.

iPhone 5S (2013)

The iPhone 5S was Apple’s first smartphone with a Contact ID fingerprint sensor within the residence button. This function remained a staple on the corporate’s telephones till it launched Face ID on the iPhone X in 2017.

Contact ID represented a shift away from requiring that the person kind in a passcode every time they wished to unlock their telephone, that is continued all through the business within the years since.

 

iPhone 5C (2013)

Apple additionally launched the colourful iPhone 5C that 12 months, which was positioned as a cheaper different to the flagship iPhone 5S. It got here in an array of daring colours, like blue, inexperienced, and yellow, and was $100 cheaper than the 5S mannequin.

In comparison with the iPhone 5S, the iPhone 5C lacked a fingerprint sensor, ran on a previous-generation processor, and had a plastic physique in comparison with the iPhone 5S’ aluminum construct. It was vital as a result of it represented the primary time Apple gave iPhone customers a less expensive different to select from, probably setting a precedent for units just like the cheaper iPhone XR and iPhone 11 down the road.

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus (2014)

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus signaled one other essential turning level within the iPhone’s historical past.

The launch of the larger-screened iPhone 6 Plus represented one other growth of the corporate’s smartphone lineup, giving shoppers the chance to decide on between two completely different display sizes for the primary time. That was particularly vital contemplating Android smartphones had been providing more and more bigger display sizes whereas the iPhone’s show had remained at 4 inches for a number of years.

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus additionally sported a redesign that the corporate retained, for essentially the most half, till 2017, when it transitioned to the bezel-free look launched with the iPhone X. In any other case, the iPhone 6 launched a sooner processor and bigger storage choices.

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus (2015)

The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus had been minor updates to the iPhone 6 that added a brand new function known as 3D Contact. This function allowed customers to entry shortcuts by urgent extra deeply on the show.

In any other case, the telephone included a sooner processor and a greater 12-megapixel digital camera.

iPhone SE (2016)

Apple launched the iPhone SE in 2016, a less-expensive different for customers who wished an iPhone that was smaller and cheaper than the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6S.

The iPhone SE had a four-inch show just like the older iPhone 5 and 5S and ran on the identical processor because the iPhone 6S, which was Apple’s latest flagship on the time.

iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus (2016)

With the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, Apple marked the top of an period by eradicating the headphone jack. They had been Apple’s first pair of iPhones to return with out the three.5mm port and as an alternative required headphones to be linked by way of the Lightning slot. That 12 months, Apple additionally launched its well-liked AirPods wi-fi earbuds.

Apple could not have been the primary firm to launch a headphone jack-less smartphone, but it surely shortly turned the business normal following the iPhone 7’s launch. AirPods have skyrocketed in recognition since then too: the corporate bought 27 million pairs through the 2022 vacation season alone, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo estimated.

The iPhone 7 Plus was additionally the primary iPhone to incorporate a twin digital camera and Portrait Mode, which makes the topic of a picture look sharp in opposition to a barely blurred background. The iPhone 7 and seven Plus had been additionally Apple’s first smartphones to be waterproof.

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus (2017)

The iPhone 8 and eight Plus had been among the many first iPhones to incorporate wi-fi charging. Additionally they featured a brand new glass design that represented a departure from the aluminum-built telephones Apple had been promoting for years because the iPhone 5.

iPhone X (2017)

The iPhone X was a pivotal launch for Apple. Launched alongside the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, it was Apple’s first smartphone to incorporate an almost edge-to-edge OLED display, assist for facial recognition, and no residence button.

It set the precedent for the feel and appear of Apple’s present iPhones, and it was additionally Apple’s first smartphone to return with a $1,000 beginning value.

iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max (2018)

The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max had been the successors to the iPhone X, including a sooner new processor, higher water-resistance, and an improved model of Portrait Mode.

They weren’t drastically completely different than the iPhone X, however they offered additional proof that Apple deliberate to stay with the almost all-screen design launched within the iPhone X for its future flagships.

iPhone XR (2018)

Apple additionally launched the iPhone XR alongside the iPhone XS and XS Max. The iPhone XR got here in a variety of colours and value roughly $250 lower than the iPhone XS.

The iPhone XR was positioned as a less-expensive different to Apple’s flagship iPhones, providing a full-screen design at a value that is simpler to digest than the $1,000 iPhone XS. It lacked the OLED display and twin digital camera discovered on Apple’s iPhone XS, however was in any other case fairly much like its pricier sibling.

iPhone 11 (2019)

The iPhone 11, with its comparatively low $700 value level and wide selection of colour choices, was basically Apple’s successor to the iPhone XR.

It featured a brand new dual-camera system that features an ultra-wide-angle lens and assist for night time mode, plus a sooner processor and a higher-resolution front-facing digital camera.

 

iPhone 11 Professional and iPhone 11 Professional Max (2019)

Apple’s pricier iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Max had been the primary iPhones with a triple-lens digital camera: a wide-angle, ultra-wide-angle, and telephoto lens. When saying the telephone throughout its annual September occasion, the corporate positioned it as the last word cellular digital camera for skilled photographers and videographers.

The telephone additionally got here with a brand new matte end and an overhauled digital camera sensor, representing a slight redesign in comparison with the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.

iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini (2020)

The iPhone acquired a design refresh as soon as once more with the debut of the iPhone 12 in 2020.

Gone had been the rounded steel edges Apple had used on the iPhone 6 — of their place was a modern, squared-off design paying homage to a few of Apple’s earlier iPhones. Apple additionally added its higher-end OLED show to the usual iPhone, in addition to digital camera enhancements, 5G connectivity, and compatibility with its MagSafe equipment.

The iPhone 12 additionally got here in a less expensive Mini measurement, seemingly a callback to the beloved iPhone SE.

iPhone 12 Professional and iPhone 12 Professional Max (2020)

Like the usual iPhone 12, Apple’s Professional fashions acquired a design improve that 12 months, giving them a trendy, high-end really feel.

The pricier fashions additionally acquired bigger screens than their predecessors, the iPhone 11 Professional and Professional Max, in addition to an improved triple-lens digital camera system, augmented-reality capabilities, a sooner processor, and higher battery life.

iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini (2021)

In contrast with the design revamp of 2020, Apple’s base-model iPhones in 2021 provided incremental enhancements: specifically, a brighter show, new digital camera modes, and higher digital camera efficiency.

Maybe the most important improve over earlier fashions was the battery life. The iPhone 13 got here with a much bigger battery, a more-efficient show, and higher energy effectivity because of its improved processor.

iPhone 13 Professional and iPhone 13 Professional Max (2021)

The iPhone 13 Professional acquired a battery-life improve in 2021 that made it able to streaming video for over 16 hours, based on Enterprise Insider’s check. In any other case, the 13 Professional and Professional Max provided speedier efficiency and best-in-class digital camera high quality.

 

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus (2022)

Apple’s iPhone 14 Plus acquired a brand new, bigger 6.7-inch display, which is similar measurement as that of the iPhone 14 Professional Max. Each the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Plus have higher battery life, improved cameras, and have transitioned to a no-SIM card tray.

The iPhone 14 lineup can be debuted with a brand new emergency satellite tv for pc SOS system that lets customers connect with satellites and alert emergency providers, in addition to a crash detection perform that acknowledges whenever you’re in a collision.

They begin at $599.

iPhone 14 Professional and iPhone 14 Professional Max (2022)

The notch on these two fashions is pill-shaped, a major transfer for Apple, which has traditionally opted for a extra rectangular form.

The notifications additionally look completely different and seem on the notch in what the corporate known as Dynamic Island.

The digital camera incorporates a 48-megapixel sensor as an alternative of a 12-megapixel one, a primary for Apple.

The Professional fashions debuted at $999.

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus (2023)

Whereas the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are the identical measurement because the 2022 iterations, they acquired some substantial updates, together with a sooner processor, a 48MP principal digital camera, Dynamic Island, and a show with the next brightness stage for sunny days.

Its redesign is refined — it has softer edges in comparison with the final three generations and a frosted matte rear glass — however the colour choices have noticeably lightened to pale pastels.

The iPhone 15 lineup additionally launched a USB-C port that joins the remainder of the Apple ecosystem’s normal charging.

They debuted at $999, however presently begin at $699.

iPhone 15 Professional and iPhone 15 Professional Max (2023)

The Professional lineup moreover rolled out a brand new A17 “Professional” processor, a titanium body, and a 5x zoom digital camera for the iPhone 15 Professional Max.

Apple additionally changed its ring/silent aspect change, a function current in each iPhone because the first era, with a customizable motion button — the primary new button added to the system in 16 years. Together with nonetheless having the ability to flip the ringer on and off, the motion button may also open different functions like voice memos or the digital camera.

It was additionally introduced in 2024 that this Professional line will be capable of assist Apple Intelligence, Apple’s new AI.

They debuted at $999.

iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus (2024)

Whereas Apple’s iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus provided some minor {hardware} updates, essentially the most vital addition is, in fact, its emergent AI service, Apple Intelligence. The upcoming iOS 18 options embody Writing Instruments, AI-generated emojis, a brand new Picture Playground app for prompt-generated pictures, and the digital camera’s “Visible Intelligence” capabilities.

Siri was additionally revamped to turn into extra deeply built-in into the system and extra succesful with voice instructions, together with on-screen consciousness.

The bottom fashions moreover launched ultrawide digital camera autofocus, refreshed its vertical oval digital camera design, and elevated battery life that may playback 22 hours of video, in comparison with the iPhone 15’s 20 hours.

Apple additionally launched the Digital camera Management button to your complete iPhone 16 sequence. The button permits a number of digital camera capabilities together with zoom management, video recording, taking a photograph, and finer controls like depth of discipline.

They begin at $799.

iPhone 16 Professional and iPhone 16 Professional Max

Whereas all iPhone 16 fashions run on Apple’s latest A18 processor, the Professional lineup runs on a higher-powered A18 Professional variant — which suggests the Professional telephones are additionally able to some Apple Intelligence “distinctive” to the high-end fashions. The corporate additionally stated that the Professional fashions have the very best iPhone battery life ever: the iPhone 16 Professional and Professional Max assist 27 and 33 hours of video playback, respectively — 4 hours greater than the iPhone 15 Professional line.

Apple additionally modified the Professional show sizes for the primary time since 2020. The iPhone 16 Professional’s show elevated to six.3 inches from the iPhone 15 Professional’s 6.1 inches, and the iPhone 16 Professional Max’s show elevated to six.9 inches from the iPhone 15 Professional Max’s 6.7 inches, with barely slimmer bezels.

The Digital camera Management button on the Professional fashions additionally switches between lenses and photographic kinds. They’ll additionally seize Spatial Audio on units that assist it, like AirPods.

They begin at $999.

The iPhone 17 is coming quickly.

Since its predecessor’s launch, the iPhone 17 has been the topic of theories and rumors. Apple is gearing as much as introduce new units on September 9, 2025, and its potential kind issue is a scorching matter within the tech neighborhood.

Potential sightings of the iPhone 17 being examined in public have been reported, and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported {that a} slimmer “Air” telephone will probably be added to the upcoming lineup.

Whereas the iPhone 17 is not anticipated to flip or fold like some fashions from Apple’s opponents, analysts and Apple insiders have reported {that a} foldable iPhone is within the works.

“Apple will wait and see and will not be afraid to be a follower within the foldable market if it detects a possibility,” Forrester analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee advised Enterprise Insider in August.

Over the previous a number of years, Apple has additionally been working to shift some iPhone manufacturing out of China to cut back its reliance on the nation and keep away from geopolitical dangers. Previous to President Donald Trump’s announcement of steep tariffs on international locations like China, Apple explored India as a substitute for iPhone manufacturing.

In July 2025, Cook dinner stated a majority of the iPhones bought within the US originated in India. He stated the vast majority of different merchandise bought within the US, just like the Mac, iPad, and Watch, originated in Vietnam

Amid Trump’s stress, Apple has additionally ramped up its funding in US manufacturing. In August, Cook dinner gifted the president a panel of Apple-made glass produced in Kentucky.

Lisa Eadicicco contributed to an earlier model of this text.

Learn the unique article on Enterprise Insider