Click To View Slideshow» In anticipation of Wednesday's iPhone 5 announcement, we present a visual history of the iPhone.
To know where you're going, you've got to first know where you've been. On Jan. 9, 2007, Apple's Steve Jobs announced the first iPhone at the MacWorld convention in San Francisco. It was promptly dubbed the "Jesus Phone" by a critical public that crucified it worshipped it like a gift from God itself.
And so it began.
This week, Apple is scheduled to announce what many expect to be the iPhone 5, the successor to the iPhone 4S, which many expected to be the iPhone 5. No matter. We've taken a crack at the rumors before: larger screen, LTE, improved Siri, a slot for connecting rainbows and fairy dust. But we'll find out soon enough what Tim Cook has up his sleeve.
The iPhone's success certainly stems from its hardware design. But Apple should be credited with developing the app ecosystem, convincing a world of developers to not only develop apps for the iPhone, but to cede Apple a cut of the profits, submit their apps to Apple's guidelines, and let Apple cut out possible competitors when it chooses. In all honesty, developing that apps ecosystem almost stands as a greater achievement than the phone itself.
Over the years, the iPhone has slimmed down, added an additional color, an additional antenna, some additional carriers, a friendly yet somewhat cheeky personal assistant, and yes, a few additional customers as well. Since Apple announced the phone, "antennagate" and "You're holding it wrong" have entered the tech lexicon, when an irascible Steve Jobs reluctantly announced the infamous bumper case promotion. Apple spent a few dollars worth of rubber to placate an irate public (and tech press) who, correctly or not, took issue with their $400 phone not working properly in areas of low signal. Meanwhile, the iPad entered the market, dismissed by many as just a larger version of the iPhone. We know how that turned out.
As you flip through the following pages, be sure to check out how the phone's basic design has been left unchanged. That has served Apple well, as the iPhone has remained an iconic slab of black (and white) against a sea of Android devices - several of which copied elements of Appe's design, according to a San Francisco jury.
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