A day before the launch of the iPhone 15 line, CNN took a look back at every iPhone that came before it. , starting with the original 2007 iPhone. It got me thinking about my favorites and wondering: what are yours?
When Steve Jobs introduced the first-ever iPhone – with his famous “iPod, phone and Internet communicator… did you get it?” reveal – he said it was a magical product that was five years ahead of everything else on the market…
Since then, Apple has continued to focus on the “magic ” side is an attempt to ensure that the iPhone provides a better experience than any other smartphone – but not an attempt to beat the market. Indeed, Apple has become a conservative company when it comes to smartphone innovation, preferring to “get it right” rather than be first to market.
This approach continues with the iPhone 15, where only tomorrow Apple will enable periscope lens in the top-end Pro Max model, much later than competitors did.
But revolutionary or not, we each probably have our favorite iPhone models – the ones we still use we remember with love. Here's a quick overview…
2007: the first iPhone
Smartphones were nothing new, but the iPhone abandoned the ubiquitous stylus in favor of a user interface designed for finger control and a hardware keyboard in favor of a software one. Both solutions resulted in a device that looked and was more comfortable to use than previous smartphone models.
2008: iPhone 3G h2>
Half price, much faster connection and App Store.
2009: iPhone 3GS
The camera resolution has been increased from 2 MP to 3 MP, and now it can take not only photos, but also video.
2010: iPhone 4
A much thinner device with a flat design and an additional front-facing camera for selfies and FaceTime.
2011: iPhone 4S
Siri! The camera has also been upgraded from 5 MP to 8 MP and has the ability to shoot 1080p video.
2012: iPhone 5
Huge 4-inch screen instead of 3.5 inches; LTE connection; and replacing the 30-pin connector with Lightning.
2013: iPhone 5S
The main feature was Touch ID, as well as the ability to shoot slow-motion video and dual flash.
The iPhone 5C was also released, essentially a cheaper iPhone 5 with a plastic body in bright colors.
2014: iPhone 6 and 6 Plus
The iPhone 6 Plus in particular caused a huge surge in sales, launching Apple into what was then called the “phablet” market: a phone with a screen size approaching that of some tablets of the day. It also received a higher resolution screen and additional memory of 128 GB.
2015: iPhone 6s and 6s Plus
There are no external changes, but the camera has been upgraded from 8MP to 12MP, and the model has 3D Touch.
2016: iPhone SE
The iPhone SE was the iPhone 6s (without 3D Touch) for those who wanted a more compact device, a return to the flat design of the iPhone 4 or lower price. I liked it so much that I downgraded my iPhone 6s.
2016: iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
New luxury Jet Black finish, water resistant and a solid-state Home button. But the biggest improvement here is the iPhone 7 Plus, which features a dual-camera setup and portrait mode that simulates shallow depth of field. What is controversial is that both models lack a headphone jack, forcing people to use wireless headphones. Courage.
2017: iPhone 8 and 8 Plus
Home a feature was wireless charging, another long-awaited development. It took Apple so long to introduce this that some wondered if the company was waiting for long-distance charging, but that didn't happen. Models also received a True Tone display.
2017: iPhone X
But the big New product of 2017 was, of course, the iPhone X. It is this model brought Apple into the era of screenless design as the company ditched the Home button and introduced Face ID. The front camera also received a portrait mode.
2018: iPhone XS and XS Max
The big news is the XS Max, which brings a new design language to the big-screen device. It also added dual-SIM support, stereo audio recording for videos, and improved water resistance.
This year also saw the release of the iPhone XR, intended to bring screenless design to a wider market.
2019: iPhone 11 series
An ultra-wide-angle lens has appeared, as well as several new vibrant colors for the base model. The 11 Pro has a third camera, and the Pro Max has the same features but with a much larger screen.
2020: iPhone 12 series
Notable for the release of the iPhone 12 mini, the successor to the iPhone SE, which aimed to provide similar capabilities to the flagship models but in a smaller size.MagSafe was the main feature this year, and Pro and Pro Mag received increased optical zoom and a LiDAR scanner used for night mode. Photographers and videographers get RAW mode and Dolby Vision. Goodbye, included chargers.
2021: iPhone 13 series
Smaller notch and The main hardware changes were doubling the base memory capacity, and the main features were cinematic mode and photographic styles. For the first time, Apple has offered videographers a 1 TB storage tier.
2022: iPhone 14 series
Best comment by Jason Boyce
The iPhone X is the release I probably liked the most I was worried and it was the only iPhone I kept for over a year. Otherwise it will be the iPhone 4S because it was the first iPhone I bought.
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Key features here include satellite SOS emergency assistance, and on Pro models a new 48MP sensor, the introduction of Dynamic Island and an always-on display. In the US, the physical SIM card tray has been replaced by an eSIM.
Which ones were what are your favorite iPhone models?
For me, the original iPhone SE definitely stands out, providing greater compactness and a return to the flat design that I preferred over the rounded edges of the iPhone 6 series. The iPhone X, of course, was a huge achievement. iPhone 12 is also a significant upgrade with Night Mode and RAW photography.
What models do you have that stand out? Please take our survey and share your reasons in the comments.
Photo: Daniel Romero/Unsplash
