Wednesday, June 29th marked 15 years since the first iPhone went on sale, when Steve Jobs introduced it, he hyped the iPhone as three revolutionary products; an iPod a phone, and an internet Communicator. The first iPhone came in one size and the only decision you had to make was whether they get one with 4 gigabytes of storage or eight. At the time, the idea of carrying an iPhone instead of a flip phone and iPod was enough to convince many people to buy one. For others, the iPhone’s main appeal was the touchscreen which seemed unreal and futuristic.
15 years later, Apple sells eight, different models of the iPhone, five of which have been launched in the past 10 months. The iPhone is available in a ray of color sizes, finishes, and storage options that now top out at one terabyte. And, while the screen is where most of the magic happens, it’s no longer the main appeal of the iPhone. In fact, in 2022, the true appeal of the iPhone has hardly anything to do with the hardware. For better or worse. The iPhone has become home to our photos music, conversations, ideas, games, identity, work, social media, shopping, keys, and money. Let me explain!
All about the Apple Experience
Over the past decade and a half, what defines the iPhone has shifted away from just design and hardware specs. Instead, the iPhone in iOS has become a gateway into Apple services with features like iMessage, iCloud, FaceTime, Siri Apple Music, Apple Pay, and top-of-the-line cameras. Let’s also not forget the App store which has apps like Uber, TikTok Twitter, and WhatsApp. In 2022, the iPhone continues to extend beyond its slim metal and glass chassis into the world around us. It’s the backbone for products like the Apple Watch, and AirPods, and will likely play a role in the future Apple products, like rumored AR glasses.
It also serves as a foundation, for Apple’s digital services, which have become an increasingly important factor, that differentiates the iPhone from competing mobile devices. For example, FindMy– which started out as the find my iPhone tool in 2010 has grown into a network for finding Apple devices and pretty much anything. You can attach one of Apple’s, tiny air tags just weeks ago, at WWDC, Apple’s annual software developers conference. The company announced iOS 16 which expands services like Apple pay and the wallet app even more.
Now, keep in mind you need an iPhone to access or use most of these services. But for years, the iPhone’s premium price meant that it was inaccessible to many and it’s still true of Apple’s top-of-the-line iPhone Pro models. Today, the recently upgraded iPhone SE gives Apple the opportunity to expand its iPhone’s reach further. It’s the purest example of what defines an iPhone in 2022, because it showcases how iOS and Apple silicon become the foundation for everything you do on your iPhone, and at 429 dollars (UGX 1,6m), it’s currently the most affordable way to get people into Apple’s experiences.
Now obviously not every model in Apple’s iPhone lineup is equal. More expensive phones like the iPhone 13 Pro come with a contemporary design, a high refresh rate display, larger camera sensors, and tools like the U1 ultra-wideband chip and Ladar. These extra perks mean you can use your iPhone in more ways. For example, if you have the right car, you can unlock it and start it with your iPhone.
The repercussion of being Apple
Of course, all this growth has consequences, antitrust, concerns over the App Store, and mobile payments. Debates about screen time, Apple’s contentious dealings with the FBI, criticism that all these services are part of a strategy to lock people into Apple’s ecosystem, and more recently, privacy questions over air tags have because some of the concerns that have grown alongside the iPhones meteoric Success.
There are even questions as to whether Apple can launch another product that is even half as successful as the iPhone. And yet over 15 years, the iPhone has become omnipresent and helped Apple become a nearly three trillion-dollar company. And now I want to hear from you. What do you think about the iPhone turning 15?
