This is the genesis! An iPod, internet navigator and a phone all rolled into one. That’s how Steve Jobs described the first-generation iPhone. In a world that was dominated by Blackberrys and Nokias, the iPhone was radical with its 3.5-inch touchscreen colour display that didn’t require a stylus to operate. It also had an operating system tailor-made specifically to optimise apps and webpages for the smaller display (although the App Store hadn’t arrived yet). It even had a 2-megapixel camera on the back for taking photos. At USD 499, it was a highly expensive mobile phone to own but then again, there wasn’t anything like the iPhone back in 2007. 

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3G marked the next generation of mobile internet in the late 2000s, promising faster download speeds. Hence, Apple updated the iPhone in 2008 with support for 3G connectivity. The iPhone 3G also marked the arrival of the App Store, which eventually changed the smartphone industry forever. Apple didn’t change the rest of the specifications, which, in 2008, was understandable considering no one had come up with the iPhone killer yet. Apple sold the iPhone 3G at a starting price of USD 599. 

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While 2009 saw the birth of Android as Google’s operating system for smartphones, it was Apple that continued to dominate the headlines. The iPhone 3GS was the first true upgrade to the original iPhone, slightly tweaking the design and updating the internals. It had a more capable PowerVR chipset, a 3-megapixel rear camera with autofocus, a digital compass and basic accessibility features. Apple also bumped up the storage capacity to 32GB, which was a lot for that time. The iPhone 3GS cost USD 599 at launch.  

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The iPhone 4 had a lot going for it, considering the upgrades on offer. It still had a miniscule 3.5-inch display but it used a higher resolution ‘Retina panel’. The camera on the rear was upgraded to 5 megapixels and was accompanied by an LED flash for better low-light photography. The iPhone 4 was also the first iPhone to feature a front camera for selfies and FaceTime video calls. It was also the first iPhone to use an Apple Silicon chip, called the A4, which was built on the 45nm node. 

Starting at USD 599, the iPhone 4 was still among the more expensive smartphones of its time. However, it ditched the plastic bodyshell in favour of a premium glass back and flat aluminium sides. It is the design that Apple reintroduced to the iPhone in 2020 with the iPhone 12. 

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The iPhone 4S had massive sales numbers and for good reason. While it retained the same design as the iPhone 4S, it got an upgraded A5 chip based on the 45nm node. The rear camera was also upgraded to an 8-megapixel sensor and could now record 1080p videos. Apple also expanded the internal storage to 64GB on the top variant, considering 1080p videos take up a lot of space. The iPhone 4S also debuted the Siri voice assistant, which was a first for any smartphone at the time.

The iPhone 4S had a starting price of USD 649 and was the last iPhone that Steve Jobs announced prior to his death, although it is said that he did work on the iPhone 5, iPhone 5S and iPhone 6. 

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The iPhone 5 was a big announcement from Apple in 2012, quite literally. For the first time in five years, the iPhone grew in size, accommodating a bigger 4-inch Retina display. It also ditched the glass-metal combo build in favour of a metal body design. It got a much faster 32nm A6 chip, a better 1.2-megapixel front camera and supported 4G connectivity. It also bid farewell to the 32-pin charging connector and introduced the faster Lightning port. The iPhone 5 was launched with a starting price of USD 649. 

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2013 marked the diversification of the iPhone into multiple models. There was the usual ‘high-end’ iPhone 5S and a more affordable iPhone 5C. The iPhone 5S got a much faster 28nm A7 chip that offered greater performance, a better 8-megapixel rear camera with TrueTone flash and a couple of new camera modes. Most importantly, it marked the arrival of fingerprint sensors on smartphones for better security. Called TouchID, the sensor was embedded into the Home button. Prices for the iPhone 5S started at USD 649. 

On the other hand, the iPhone 5C was built to appeal to the masses with a starting price of USD 549. It was essentially a refreshed iPhone 5 underneath. To cut costs, Apple ditched the premium metal body construction for a plastic unibody design. It also skipped the TouchID sensor and used the iPhone 5’s A6 chip. The iPhone 5C didn’t sell as expected and was withdrawn from the market in a short span of time. However, it did pave the way for the future iPhone SE. 

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The iPhone 6 got bigger with a 4.7-inch display and if that wasn’t enough, the iPhone 6 Plus featured an even bigger 5.5-inch display. The Plus variant also introduced a bigger capacity battery, thereby solving battery requirements for power users. The A8 chip was more powerful and was better suited to the demanding needs of the modern iOS versions.

However, the design of these phones saw a drastic departure from the older models, adopting a slim profile with curved sides. The aluminium metal unibody design looked cool but it also gave rise to the ‘bendgate’ controversy. Nonetheless, the iPhone 6 went on to become a popular model over the years.  

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The iPhone 6S retained the same design as the iPhone 6 but opted for a stronger metal compound to improve its structural rigidity. While the A9 chip was faster, it was the 3D Touch feature that stood out. Users could now hard press the display to bring up contextual menus. Its new 12-megapixel camera could also record 4K videos at 30 fps. The iPhone 6S Plus offered all the same features but in a bigger package.  

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By 2016, iPhones were getting bigger and more expensive, which wasn’t a good formula for drawing in new customers. Hence, Apple launched the iPhone SE as a low-cost variant of the iPhone 6S. It used the same A9 chip as the iPhone 6S but the rest of the body and features were borrowed from the iPhone 5S. While it didn’t have good battery life, the iPhone SE became an instant hit with the masses.  

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Meet the most controversial iPhone Apple ever sold!

Apple’s ‘courageous’ decision to drop the headphone jack was a clever way to introduce the more expensive AirPods to the market but critics and fans looked down upon the ‘dongle life’. However, consumers still lapped up the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus like hot dogs once they went on sale. 

The iPhone 7 gained IP67 water and dust resistance, a cleaner design, up to 256GB storage and a beautiful Jet Black colour variant. The iPhone 7 Plus popularised the notion of a dual camera system, with the second camera offering better optical zoom and a portrait mode. The A10 Fusion chip also brought focus to the neural engine for improving AI performance. The Home button was no longer a physical button as Apple used capacitive touch and its famous Taptic Engine vibration motor to simulate a button press with better haptics. 

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The iPhone 8 can best be described as a send-off to the conventional iPhone package.

Apple gave the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus a glass rear panel, which allowed for wireless charging. The A11 Bionic chip promised greater performance while the battery life also saw an improvement. The iPhone 8 Plus also got portrait lighting, a feature that’s standard on all iPhones today. These phones also focused on AR features for their advanced cameras. 

Unfortunately, these phones were completely overshadowed by the launch of the iPhone X, speaking of which…..

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Introduced as the ‘One More Thing’ – a tagline that was just used for the Vision Pro at WWDC 2023 – the iPhone X was a huge leap in smartphone technology. It looked like nothing else we had seen before and would go on to set the standard for iPhones to come.

In terms of specs, the iPhone X used a bigger 5.8-inch OLED display that extended to the edges. A big notch on the top held the revolutionary FaceID facial recognition system that even worked in the dark. It also retained the dual camera system from the iPhone 8 Plus though the front camera could now take better portrait selfies.

Most importantly, the iPhone X marked the arrival of USD 1,000 priced smartphones. Despite the exorbitant price, consumers were willing to splurge money on this ‘experimental’ iPhone.  

Fun fact: This smartphone also introduced Animojis which became an instant hit.

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The iPhone XS and XS Max brought a couple of upgrades that cemented the iPhone as the gold standard of smartphones. The design didn’t change much though FaceID saw some significant improvements. The IP68 certification also meant that the smartphone was better protected against dust and water. The A12 Bionic was fast and introduced Gigabit LTE support, which allowed for faster download speeds. It also brought eSIM to the mix, thereby allowing users to have two SIM cards at once.  

There was also the iPhone XR, a more affordable version of the iPhone XS. It had a slightly bigger 6.1-inch LCD HD display along with FaceID, a single 12-megapixel rear camera and a bigger capacity battery. Thanks to the efficient A12 Bionic chip, the iPhone XR was the battery champ of its time. Apple also introduced a plethora of new colours on the iPhone XR and with a starting price of USD 749, it quickly became the go-to pick in Apple’s iPhone lineup in the years to come. 

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For 2019, the iPhone 11 carried on the strengths of the iPhone XR but with a few upgrades. While the design remained essentially identical, it featured a 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel dual rear camera system. The camera also relied on AI post-processing to add more details and improve HDR performance. The battery life also improved and the A13 Bionic chip proved stable and capable, outclassing every other smartphone in its price bracket. 

For those willing to spend over USD 1,000 on an iPhone, Apple introduced the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max. The Pro variants got better camera sensors, a third telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom and higher resolution OLED displays. 

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The iPhone SE got a reboot in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Recycling the old formula, Apple essentially picked up the discontinued iPhone 8 and put the A13 Bionic chip in it. As a result, the iPhone SE was mighty powerful but easy on the wallet. The 2020 iPhone SE had some standout features for its price segment, which included a premium water-resistant glass-metal body, wireless charging, flagship-class performance and good cameras. The TouchID was also a luxury for those used to the old-school iPhones of the past. 

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Delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the iPhone 12 came in late 2020 with some notable upgrades and one big downgrade (the omission of the in-box charger). The regular iPhone 12 saw a price hike to USD 799 but it got a high-resolution OLED display with Dolby Vision support, improved 12-megapixel rear cameras, a bold new design with flat sides, support for 5G connectivity and MagSafe wireless charging. For USD 100 less, the iPhone 12 Mini was aimed at those seeking a compact high-end iPhone, albeit with a smaller display and battery.  

The iPhone 12 Pro was largely similar to the regular iPhone 12, except for the triple camera system and a LiDAR-based autofocus system. The iPhone 12 Pro Max got all the bells and whistles, including the best camera sensors and the biggest battery.  

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The iPhone 13 series was a refinement of the iPhone 12 series. While the design remained largely similar, Apple shrunk the display notch, introduced sensor-shift stabilisation to the rear camera, a faster A15 Bionic chip and much-improved battery life on the regular models. All iPhone 13 models also got the Cinematic Video mode that applied an artificial blur to the background. This was also the last year for the ‘Mini’ iPhone.  

The iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max’s display got a variable refresh rate that could go up to 120Hz, which drastically improved the user experience. The A15 Bionic chip in the Pro models also had a 5-core GPU for improved gaming performance while the telephoto camera got an upgrade to 3X optical zoom. Finally, the iPhone 13 Pro Max scored brownie points for delivering the best battery life on any smartphone to date. 

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In 2022, the iPhone SE got the 5G treatment to keep its relevance in the highly competitive mid-range smartphone market. The A15 Bionic chip from the iPhone 13 gave it more power too, resulting in an optimal performance package in the midrange segment. However, the iPhone SE is still based on the dated iPhone 8 and that doesn’t help Apple garner massive sales figures. Additionally, the iPhone SE is plagued with poor battery life and the higher starting price of USD 499 doesn’t help its cause. 

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The iPhone 14 series came up with a radical new approach to the lineup. The iPhone 14 Plus replaces the Mini variant as a larger variant of the iPhone 14, complete with a 6.7-inch display and a large capacity battery. This, along with the iPhone 14, uses the older A15 Bionic chip as well as the older camera hardware from the iPhone 13 Pro. Apple didn’t even change the design for the iPhone 14. The starting price of USD 799 also initially irked most buyers though sales eventually picked up. The entire iPhone 14 series got Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via Satellite. It also got rid of the physical SIM card tray. 

The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max brought revolutionary changes. These phones got rid of the notch in favour of a Dynamic Island pill to mask the cameras and sensors. The A16 Bionic chip offered slight performance gains and the battery life improved by some margin. The main rear camera also saw a 48-megapixel sensor that improved low-light photography. These phones also got a controversial Always-On display feature that dimmed the lock screen, although Apple later added an option to show just the time and notifications.  

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This brings us to the iPhone 15 series. These iPhones are yet to launch but rumours suggest massive upgrades are on the cards. Apple is expected to ditch the Lightning port in favour of a USB-C port, owing to mandatory EU regulations. The Dynamic Island will become a standard feature on all models and so will the 48-megapixel main camera, although the Pro variants will use a new Sony sensor and a 5x optical zoom camera. The 3nm A17 Bionic chip is also expected to bring major performance gains to the Pro variants.  

(Image Credits: Courtesy Ian Zelbo, 9To5Mac)