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[Lubricus]

I've never owned one, but I remember how excited people were when it came out. It certainly changed things. From CBS This Morning which aired on Sunday June 25.

Ten years ago this week, the iPhone arrived in stores -- and the world was never the same.

Because of the iPhone, we now take it for granted that we're on the Internet all of the time. Because of the iPhone, we have everything from an old Radio Shack ad in our pockets: Computer, calculator, camcorder, alarm clock, phone, music player, answering machine, and tape recorder.

Because of the iPhone, hardly anyone buys maps anymore, or pocket cameras, or watches.

In January 2007, Jobs took the stage to unveil it: "An iPod, a phone, and an internet communicator. ... Are you getting it? These are not three separate devices. This is one device. And we are calling it iPhone."

That iPhone wouldn't actually go on sale for another six months. During that time, nobody outside Apple was allowed to see the phone or touch the phone.

The iPhone "Hello" commercial which aired on Oscar night 2007:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmiWTKZzBLY&feature=youtu.be

It took another year for the App Store to start up.

A year after the iPhone came out, Apple introduced the App Store, a central catalogue of free or cheap little programs written by programmers all over the world. That's when iPhone sales really went through the stratosphere.
And just those apps have launched entire industries! Think of Uber, the ride-sharing company valued at $68 billion. Or Instagram, which Facebook bought in 2012 for a billion dollars

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-iphone-turns-10/

 

[Marion Cobretti]

A phone, an iPod, an internet communicator.

 

[SpartanN92]

I can't believe it's been so long.

In some form or another I've had every generation of iPhone since the 3G.

 

[Ceallach]

Your mom is 10 years old.


Only iPhone I ever had was the 3GS.

 

[giga]

A phone, an iPod, an internet communicator.

Are you getting it?

 

[AuthenticM]

or watches.

I will always be buying watches.

Any self-respecting man needs a good watch on his wrist.

 

[Vixdean]

And yet despite always using proprietary hardware with 1% of the compatibility concerns of Android makers, their software/OS is still buggy trash. Does Safari Mobile still crash all the time? I wouldn't know because I gave up on that crap 6 years ago.

 

[vordhosbn]

We went from nokia 3310 to iPhone in less than a decade, but since 2007 the difference doesn't seem much now. I know there's improvements but there was no real "jump".

 

[vicearseV]

And yet despite always using proprietary hardware with 1% of the compatibility concerns of Android makers, their software/OS is still buggy trash. Does Safari Mobile still crash all the time? I wouldn't know because I gave up on that crap 6 years ago.

I've been using iOS products since 2009, iOS 3 (iPod touch, iPad and iPhone), I can't even recall the last time Safari crashed on my devices...

 

[WaffleTaco]

And yet despite always using proprietary hardware with 1% of the compatibility concerns of Android makers, their software/OS is still buggy trash. Does Safari Mobile still crash all the time? I wouldn't know because I gave up on that crap 6 years ago.

It was 6 years ago...so the iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS? Uh yeah there has been some improvements...

We went from nokia 3310 to iPhone in less than a decade, but since 2007 the difference doesn't seem much now. I know there's improvements but there was no real "jump".

Compared the original iPhone to what we have now...trust me the jump is there.

 

[Skellig Gra]

The first one was so lame. The second iteration was the ground breaker.

 

[dallow_bg]

And yet despite always using proprietary hardware with 1% of the compatibility concerns of Android makers, their software/OS is still buggy trash. Does Safari Mobile still crash all the time? I wouldn't know because I gave up on that crap 6 years ago.

Uh yeah.
It's been fixed forever.

 

[AuthenticM]

Compared the original iPhone to what we have now...trust me the jump is there.

yeah lol

 

[Doffen]

Are you getting it?

And boy have we patented it.

 

[Stat Flow]

Changed the world.

 

[The Elite]

A revolution in personal communication and information access.

 

[formasymphonic]

And what a decade it's been...

Remember when Nokia, RIM, Motorola etc were on top of the world?

When HTC was a ODM with no real customer facing branding and only made windows mobile devices - they've risen and fallen again in that time.

Remember when phones used to come in all kinds of form factors? Then manufacturers all got afraid of the iPhone eating their lunch and so every phone is basically a touchscreen slate and that's it.

 

[jts]

Are you getting it?

Yes but only by the 3rd gen, when it gets a half decent camera with AF.

 

[bionic77]

And yet despite always using proprietary hardware with 1% of the compatibility concerns of Android makers, their software/OS is still buggy trash. Does Safari Mobile still crash all the time? I wouldn't know because I gave up on that crap 6 years ago.

Nothing better than a post that celebrates a willful ignorance with hyperbole and internet aggression.

 

[btrboyev]

It was 6 years ago...so the iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS? Uh yeah there has been some improvements...


Compared the original iPhone to what we have now...trust me the jump is there.

The hardware has improved. But functionality hasn't changed much since iPhone 4

 

[HeartlessNobody213]

IPhone didn't really catch my attention until the IPhone 4, but man 10 years? Doesn't even seem that long ago.

I didn't get one until the 4S and I'm really interested in the IPhone X/8 or whatever it's going to be called.

 

[frequency]

And yet despite always using proprietary hardware with 1% of the compatibility concerns of Android makers, their software/OS is still buggy trash. Does Safari Mobile still crash all the time? I wouldn't know because I gave up on that crap 6 years ago.

Just went from Android to iOS a couple weeks ago. Totally extreme opposite experience. Android stuff is significantly more buggy and crashy. iOS is rock solid and stable. After hopping from browser to browser on Android, not finding anything that worked well, Safari blew me away. It works great and ad blocking on it is super easy. It's faster and no crashes or hiccups of any kind.

I miss a lot of things with Android and to be completely honest if I bought another phone today, I'd go back to Android. iOS is simply just less capable. But it's way more polished and a better user experience (if you don't want to have any flexibility, which is the part I hate).

 

[jts]

And yet despite always using proprietary hardware with 1% of the compatibility concerns of Android makers, their software/OS is still buggy trash. Does Safari Mobile still crash all the time? I wouldn't know because I gave up on that crap 6 years ago.

Bizarro world called, they want their post back.

 

[¡HarlequinPanic!]

Celebrating by getting an SE on that new fancy virgin mobile iPhone only plan.

Though if I'm being really honest, I still miss the Windows Phone interface, too bad they never really got going.

 

[Pagusas]

And yet despite always using proprietary hardware with 1% of the compatibility concerns of Android makers, their software/OS is still buggy trash. Does Safari Mobile still crash all the time? I wouldn't know because I gave up on that crap 6 years ago.

And what crap did you switch to 6 years ago? Cause talk about buggy trash, Android was BAD out of the gate.

 

[Tobor]

I've been using an iPhone for nearly 10 years.(I bought one in August of 2007).

People forget how awful the phone market was pre-iPhone and really take it for granted. As someone who suffered for years with garbage phones I will never forget.

 

[BFIB]

It's made pooping a much more enjoyable experience. I got GAF instead of reading the back of an aerosol cleaner.

 

[snacknuts]

I have zero desire to ever use another iPhone, but the impact of the device can't really be overstated.

 

[iMax]

A phone, an iPod, an internet communicator.

Are you getting it?

These are not three separate devices.

 

[Tobor]

It's made pooping a much more enjoyable experience. I got GAF instead of reading the back of an aerosol cleaner.

I used to try and read GAF with a Motorola Razr. It was horrendous. Then I got a Samsung Blackjack which still sucked.

The day I got an iPhone and toilet browsed for the first time was a revelation.

 

[iMax]

And yet despite always using proprietary hardware with 1% of the compatibility concerns of Android makers, their software/OS is still buggy trash. Does Safari Mobile still crash all the time? I wouldn't know because I gave up on that crap 6 years ago.

Quite the opposite, with end-to-end hardware and software alignment their platform is far more optimised and efficient than Android, even with less powerful hardware. Check the benchmarks. iOS flattens the competition consistently.

Although, if you're comparing the latest Android device with an iPhone from 6 years ago, I can see how you may arrive at that conclusion.

 

[bionic77]

I have zero desire to ever use another iPhone, but the impact of the device can't really be overstated.

Challenge accepted.

The iPhone is bigger than Jesus, sliced bread and the invention of fire/farming all rolled into one. People feel closer to the iPhone than they do towards their children and it is simultaneously the greatest invention of all time but will also be the downfall of civilization.

 

[Tobor]

Challenge accepted.

The iPhone is bigger than Jesus, sliced bread and the invention of fire/farming all rolled into one. People feel closer to the iPhone than they do towards their children and it is simultaneously the greatest invention of all time but will also be the downfall of civilization.

I thought you were going to overstate? That all sounds right.

 

[borghe]

still the best (well, technically not the camera. but that's still near the top)

iphone 8 is going to be a juggernaut. The ad campaign will be insane.

 

[Gandie]

A great look at its development. Interesting read.

The world had never seen anything like the iPhone when Apple launched the device on June 29, 2007. But the touchscreen device that blew everyone’s minds immediately didn’t come about so easily.

The iPhone was the result of years of arduous work by Apple’s industrial designers. They labored over a long string of prototypes and CAD designs in their quest to produce the ultimate smartphone.

https://www.cultofmac.com/488008/jony-ive-book-excerpt-iphone/

 

[LosDaddie]

And the world would never be the same.

Personally, only iPhones allowed in my family. Same goes for iPads.

And yet despite always using proprietary hardware with 1% of the compatibility concerns of Android makers, their software/OS is still buggy trash. Does Safari Mobile still crash all the time? I wouldn't know because I gave up on that crap 6 years ago.

I hope you got all the attention you wanted from this post because I don't believe it was serious at all.

 

[moeman]

And yet despite always using proprietary hardware with 1% of the compatibility concerns of Android makers, their software/OS is still buggy trash. Does Safari Mobile still crash all the time? I wouldn't know because I gave up on that crap 6 years ago.

I've been on Apple's ecosystem for 3 years and never have I encountered a crash from Apple's apps.

 

[entremet]

What a game changing device. Not just as tech but as a cultural artifact. Go to any restaurant and you see people glued to smartphones in general.

It's tragic and fascinating at the same time.

It changed human behavior radically.

 

[Dishwalla]

Been using iPhones since 2009, love them and have had absolutely no issues with any of them. I have nothing against Android, but I see no reason to leave iPhone, so I won't.

 

[Skel1ingt0n]

I still have some pictures I took from the original launch. We were broke as all hell, and my single mother must've saved for two years to get me one as my HS graduation gift. Bless her heart - I never would have expected it, but man did it make me happy for like a full year. It was my very first cellphone.

[

[

 

[borghe]

OMG I forgot how small it was. I have a 4s sitting around

 

[SPDIF]

The iPhone absolutely had a huge impact on the world. This however, is a ridiculous thing to say:

Because of the iPhone, we have everything from an old Radio Shack ad in our pockets: Computer, calculator, camcorder, alarm clock, phone, music player, answering machine, and tape recorder.

So is this:

Because of the iPhone, we now take it for granted that we're on the Internet all of the time.

 

[Future]

The iPhone absolutely had a huge impact on the world. This however, is a ridiculous thing to say:



So is this:

Other phones had data plans, but the iPhone couldn't be sold without a data plan. It essentially forced users who always opted no in the past to get that internet communicator in their pocket

And while other phones had camcorders and what not, the iPhone was the first example of proper blend of those apps with the functionality of a phone. Jobs originally demonstration that showed seamless transition from listening to music to taking a call to looking at a map was what was lacking in a lot of devices at the time. So even if other phones had the ability, usage was crappy enough to make you not want to use it

 

[borghe]

The iPhone absolutely had a huge impact on the world. This however, is a ridiculous thing to say:



So is this:

I'm gonna go ahead and guess you are under 25? Not a criticism but an actual guess.

For anyone 35 and older, neither of those are hyperbole or in any way ridiculous. As someone who started using the internet in ~'90-91, and having to sit down at the computer, dial in, open up a terminal emulator, telnet to a site, etc.. then ~4-5 years later STILL having to do all of that, making sure your winsock was up to date, loading up Mosiac.. etc..

I had even used Blackjacks, HTC Heros and Tilts, Nokia 6620, etc. They were AWFUL internet experiences. and then came iphone where.. you wanted to view the web? No problem, just like at home. Check email? No problem, just like at home. Stream radio (with the 3G and App Store), no problem, even BETTER than home. etc

I get that kids are like "umm... there's wifi everywhere old man".. but for people who actually experienced the iphone-then-smartphone revolution of the late-70s... neither of those statements are ridiculous.

 

[The Giant]

Changed the world.

for the worse.

 

[Ovid]

Compared the original iPhone to what we have now...trust me the jump is there.

I disagree.

Processing power, RAM, camera and battery life improvements don't constitute a "jump".

The OG iPhone changed how we commuicate, single handedly created new business models and affected others.

Of the improvements made over the years, what has been a "jump" in your mind?

for the worse.

Oh, come on. You're being sarcastic right?

I'm gonna go ahead and guess you are under 25? Not a criticism but an actual guess.

For anyone 35 and older, neither of those are hyperbole or in any way ridiculous. As someone who started using the internet in ~'90-91, and having to sit down at the computer, dial in, open up a terminal emulator, telnet to a site, etc.. then ~4-5 years later STILL having to do all of that, making sure your winsock was up to date, loading up Mosiac.. etc..

I had even used Blackjacks, HTC Heros and Tilts, Nokia 6620, etc. They were AWFUL internet experiences. and then came iphone where.. you wanted to view the web? No problem, just like at home. Check email? No problem, just like at home. Stream radio (with the 3G and App Store), no problem, even BETTER than home. etc

I get that kids are like "umm... there's wifi everywhere old man".. but for people who actually experienced the iphone-then-smartphone revolution of the late-70s... neither of those statements are ridiculous.

WaffleTaco, this is why I don't consider recent improvements as "jumps".

The 1st gen iPhone was the "jump". Nothing major has happened since.

 

[KennyLinder]

Still watch parts of this from time to time, the original iPhone keynote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN4U5FqrOdQ&t=1794s

 

[Ovid]

Still watch parts of this from time to time, the original iPhone keynote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN4U5FqrOdQ&t=1794s

Me too.

Look at the reactions of the people who attended this presentation. They've seen nothing like this in their entire lives. It was a true game changer.

 

[SPDIF]

I'm gonna go ahead and guess you are under 25? Not a criticism but an actual guess.

For anyone 35 and older, neither of those are hyperbole or in any way ridiculous. As someone who started using the internet in ~'90-91, and having to sit down at the computer, dial in, open up a terminal emulator, telnet to a site, etc.. then ~4-5 years later STILL having to do all of that, making sure your winsock was up to date, loading up Mosiac.. etc..

I had even used Blackjacks, HTC Heros and Tilts, Nokia 6620, etc. They were AWFUL internet experiences. and then came iphone where.. you wanted to view the web? No problem, just like at home. Check email? No problem, just like at home. Stream radio (with the 3G and App Store), no problem, even BETTER than home. etc

I get that kids are like "umm... there's wifi everywhere old man".. but for people who actually experienced the iphone-then-smartphone revolution of the late-70s... neither of those statements are ridiculous.

Nah. Pre-iPhone I was using devices like this:

This was around 2005 I think.

And like the iPhone, if you wanted to browse the web (using 3G too), you just opened the browser and started browsing. Checking email was a similar experience. Satnav? No problem. Admittedly, I used a stylus, not my finger, but it's not like the experience differed that much. If anything it would have been worse on the original iPhone since it didn't even support 3G.

 

[Servbot24]

And yet despite always using proprietary hardware with 1% of the compatibility concerns of Android makers, their software/OS is still buggy trash. Does Safari Mobile still crash all the time? I wouldn't know because I gave up on that crap 6 years ago.

To this very day the OS is buggy junk!*



*this day 6 years ago