08 Jan 2017, 05:26 PM IST 1/11 Apple iPhone through the agesText: Agencies The smartphone continues to change the world a decade after the debut of the iPhone, even as Apple is under pressure to come up with a new wonder. The iPhone -- introduced by late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007 -- set the stage for mobile computing and an entire industry revolving around it. Here's a look at its evolution over the years. 2/11 Introducing the iPhoneThe first model debuts in 2007, ushering in the era of smartphones. While other devices had featured touchscreens, Apple's was the first to package the technology so that it worked seamlessly. 3/11 iPhone 3G & iPhone 3GSThe iPhone gets its first upgrade, with 3G offering faster wireless connections. The newly-launched App Store is a key element in enhancing the capabilities of the device. iPhone 3GS The iPhone 3GS in 2009 isn't a major upgrade, offering only marginal improvements in speed. The iPhone 4, which debuts in 2010, is Apple's first radical redesign of the device. The launch also results in Antennagate: the design of the case leads to some dropped calls and forces the company to offer free antenna bands to mitigate the problem. The ‘S’ in 4S stood for Siri, a 4S-exclusive intelligent personal assistant. The phone offered an 8MP camera and debuted with iOS 5. The iPhone 4S is another minor upgrade, helping to solve the antenna issue and boosting performance. The iPhone 5 in 2012 marks Apple's move toward bigger screens and proves a smash with consumers, delivering rapid revenue growth for Apple. The iPhone 5S upgrade isn't a surprise. This variant, with a hard-coated polycarbonate shell instead of aluminium, had a redesigned home button with Touch ID It's the introduction of the more affordable iPhone 5C that raises eyebrows; designed to appeal to emerging markets, it doesn't prove to be a big hit. The debut of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in 2014 is the right move at the right time. Thy phones came with larger 4.7-& 5.5-inch displays and upgraded cameras. The bigger smartphones wow customers in Asia and put Apple into the top spot in China. The iPhone 6S upgrade doesn't change much-a bit faster, a bit better. This revision of the iPhone 6 came with similar design, updated hardware, a 12MP camera and improved fingerprint reader Earlier this year, Apple surprises by reviving the iPhone 5's size and shape in the form of the iPhone SE. A cheaper, mid-range phone, it sells better than expected in places such as Latin America, but isn't enough to reverse a revenue decline. 11/11 iPhone 7 and 7 PlusThe iPhone 7 is a break from Apple's two-year upgrade cycle, with the size and shape almost unchanged from its predecessor. It sports a better camera, faster performance and, in a new twist, gets rid of the headphone jack. |