More than 15 years have passed since the first Apple smartphone was announced. In 2007, Apple introduced a phone that was a first in many areas and somewhat represented the future. It's interesting after 15 years how much we know and what we remember about the first Apple iPhone. Here are our ten interesting facts related entirely to the iPhone 1st Generation (2007).
1. It didn't have an App Store
In 2007, the first iPhone had pre-installed applications such as notes, calendars, photos, calculators, weather, and several other basic applications. There was no official source or way to download applications. Almost a year later, on July 10, 2008, Apple officially opened the doors of the iPhone App Store, which has 500 pre-available applications and from which we download our iPhone applications to this day. The next day, on July 11, the company announced its second smartphone, the iPhone 3G, which had pre-loaded support for the App Store. To date, the App Store has almost 1.8 million apps available.
2. It didn't have a front selfie camera
Nowadays, selfies are the norm, but in 2007, no one imagined that they would be taking daily pictures with a front-facing camera. That's why at that time there were no cameras on the front, only on the back of the phones. In fact, the iPhone didn't have a front-facing camera until the release of the iPhone 4 in 2010 with the then-new FaceTime video calling.
3. It didn't have the option to make a video recording
While the latest iPhone models are largely portable video cameras for budget movies and can shoot great 4K video, 15 years ago smartphones couldn't shoot video in better than HD resolution. Therefore, Apple does not bet on video recording in its first smartphone; it can only take pictures with its rear camera. Video recording was introduced a little later in the iPhone 3GS in 2009.
4. It didn't have a flash or flashlight
Because the original iPhone didn't have an LED flash or a built-in flashlight. When the App Store launched, some flashlight apps were released that displayed a white screen at maximum brightness to mimic a flashlight. Apple first added an LED light to the back of its iPhone 4 in 2010 to be used when taking pictures with the rear camera. It wasn't until 2013 with the announcement of iOS 7 that a flashlight option was built into the operating system.
5. It didn't use a Lightning port
The first iPhone was equipped with a huge 30-pin connector, which also served conveniently for docking stations. Apple switched its smartphones to their smaller and optimized Lightning connector with the release of the iPhone 5 in 2012. The company has been using the Lightning port for 10 years now with the release of the last 14 series in 2022.
6. It didn't have a GPS sensor
The first Apple smartphone had a pre-installed Google Maps application, which was used for navigation. However, an interesting fact is that their first smartphone did not have a GPS sensor and the application served only as a map for information purposes. There was no option for the app to navigate you where to turn and which route the user should take, as the device did not have a GPS sensor. Apple introduced built-in GPS with the iPhone 3G in July 2008.
7. The first smartphone with 16GB internal memory
In 2007, most phones still have a memory that varies between 4MB, 64MB, 128MB, and so on up to 8000MB or 8GB. Nowadays, the approximate minimum standard of smartphones is 64,000MB or 64GB, which some users find insufficient. It is surprising that 15 years ago, 16GB of memory was enough for the typical consumption of songs and photos on the phone. Apple is the first to release a phone with 16GB of internal memory and innovatively their first smartphone.
8. The first smartphone with Gorilla Glass
15 years ago, all phones had plastic casings and displays. According to many sources, the CEO of Apple in 2007. Steve Jobs was annoyed that his prototype got scratched very quickly while sitting in his pocket. The company was working on alternatives, and so just weeks before unveiling the phone to the world, they replaced the plastic display with chemically reinforced glass, or what is now called Gorilla Glass.
9. He used a 2G mobile network
In 2002 and 2003, the standardization of the 3G network began worldwide. Although Apple announced its first smartphone years later, it decided to use the older 2G mobile network that dates back to 1991. Presumably, they bet on the more secure network, which was roughly 16 years old at the time, and there was nothing to go wrong. In 2007, there were already affordable phones that supported 3G networks, such as Nokia and Blackberry. At the expense of its slower mobile network, the smartphone has supported a wireless home network or WiFi 2.4GHz for faster Internet access.
10. Unpacked, it is estimated at about BGN 112,000
In February 2023, there was a public auction for an unwrapped, cellophane-wrapped unit of Apple's first smartphone from 2007. The phone was unboxed and x-rayed to confirm that the contents correspond to the original packaging. The standard price of the phone was $599 USD in 2007 at the time of its release. In 2023, an unpackaged unit with 8GB of internal memory sold at auction for $63,356 USD or approximately BGN 112,000.
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