Regardless of whether one likes or dislikes Apple, the fact is that with the launch of the iPhone, it changed the mobile phone market forever, gave a new meaning to the word smartphone and charted a new course for anything portable electronic. The device was first unveiled on January 9, 2007 by Steve Jobs, while its latest version (the iPhone 5) was recently released in our country, setting a new sales record worldwide. So let's take a look at the most important moments in the history of this mobile phone so far..
Apple began to engage in the mobile market in 2005, when Steve Jobs showed great interest in the field of touchscreens for this category, but also for a new category that would replace cheaper laptops and netbooks. The first attempt to design the model was made after an approach to Motorola, with the two sides ending in disagreement. The decision to make the mobile phone in-house prevailed and so Cupertino got to work and left out any other manufacturer.
The first iPhone was unveiled on January 9, 2007, as part of MacWorld, and its sale began on June 29 of the same year. Several hundred users lined up outside Apple Stores in every state, while the mobile phone found its way to the main markets of Europe in November 2007. The device never came to Greece. Jobs, realizing how it should move in the mobile market, decided to put Apple on a strategy of growth and a new version every year. The reasons? Many. Both because the other players in the mobile phone market saw the big rival, but also because the company itself has shown that it follows this tactic with other product categories.
The second model, the iPhone 3G, was announced on June 9, 2008, and was released in 22 countries by July 11. The iPhone 3GS was announced on June 8, 2009, and was released on the 19th of the same month. 6.1 million devices reached consumers' hands in less than a year, and Apple's finances began to be strengthened tremendously by the success of the iPhone. In fact, at the end of 2008, Apple managed to surpass RIM and BlackBerry, reaching third place on the list of manufacturers, behind Nokia and Samsung. A year later, it was time for the iPhone 4. The device was released with a terrible problem in the lower left part of its construction, where when human skin came into contact with the antenna, the signal dropped and calls were lost. Apple decided to address the situation by distributing free cases for those who purchased the "problematic" models, in a way covering this important issue.
And in software, of course, developments were rapid if we consider that the first iPhone was released without the App Store. It may sound strange now, but the App Store made its debut in iPhone OS 2.0 in 2008 with the iPhone 3G. Steve Jobs had stated at the time that the iPhone software was at least five years ahead of the competition, and just by looking at the market map - iOS's only rival is Android, BlackBerry is slowly dying, and Windows Phone has still not gained a satisfactory market share - we can draw many conclusions.
Compared to last year, of course, the gap has closed, with iOS 6 disappointing many users both with its performance and with the infamous maps application.
Dimitrios Georgoulas @ GreekAppleNews
