The original iPhone first went on sale eight years ago today, on June 29, 2007 — a simpler time when Pixar released the movie Ratatouille, the NFL shut down its European league, Rihanna’s “Umbrella” topped the music charts, and Apple stock sold for a measly $17.43.
If only we knew then what we know today!
There’s little that can be said about the impact of the iPhone that hasn’t been said many times before, but what really amazes me when I look back is the speed at which Apple managed to change the world with the breakthrough device. Representing the world’s first true smartphone, today the technology is virtually ubiquitous around the globe.
Anyone who was following Apple rumors at the time could have predicted an Apple phone had the potential to be great, but few could have imagined that in less than a decade the handsets would become Apple’s main source of revenue — selling upwards of 726 million units to date.
To celebrate the iPhone’s birthday, here’s Jobs’ original iPhone introduction as re-imagined using Adobe Illustrator, After Effects and Premier by marketing agency Easy Explain Video.
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
3 responses to “iPhone first went on sale 8 years ago today”
The 6 actually pays a lot of homage to the original iPhone. Somewhat two tone back, Apple logo made of a separate part, the rounded shape. Some say it it copies other phones but I see it as an upgraded original iPhone.
I fully agree. It’s kind of fascinating how much it looks like a larger original iPhone.
All this for only $2180 every 24 months…what a deal