On January 9, 2007, Steve Jobs officially announced to the world that Apple would launch three new product models, the iPod, cell phones and internet-connected devices.
And surprisingly not three products were launched. But one device that has three functions of playing music, can be used to make calls and can be used to surf the internet.
Steve Jobs called the device the iPhone. The cell phone that changed the world.
Since the announcement, most of Apple's revenue has been generated from the iPhone. According to data revealed by Francisco Jerinomo, VP for Data & Analytics - Device IDC, Apple has sold 2.32 billion iPhones since 16 years ago.
Before the first iPhone was born, phones at the time had smaller screens, physical buttons. While those that offer touch screens are still counted on the fingers.
Soon after Apple launched the first iPhone, it didn't take long for giants like Google and Microsoft to create their own multitouch-enabled software.
The Google Android operating system has developed rapidly to date. Unfortunately, Microsoft failed to popularize Windows Phone even though it has partnered with Nokia.
In fact, Nokia's decision to use Windows Phone brought it to the brink of collapse. The crown as the king of cellphones after so long has been won by competitors, and now it is still trying to rise in the midst of fierce competition.
Coming back to the iPhone, this Apple phone has grown a lot and is reaching more and more users. Screens have gotten bigger, there are multiple cameras that offer multiple functions, and battery life is decent.
Even so, there are some changes that are not appreciated by many people. For example, the removal of the 3.5mm audio jack in 2016 forced Android phone makers to do the same, much to the displeasure of customers.
Last year, Apple started selling iPhone 14 models in the US without a physical SIM, and many believe that in the coming years this change will be implemented in other countries and other smartphone manufacturers.
Thankfully, this year Apple was finally able to do away with the Lightning port, replacing it with USB-C for all iPhone 15 models. The first iPhones didn't even have a Lightning port and relied on a 30-pin charging port.