Nokia was the leading mobile phone manufacturer a decade ago with its popular brand of devices such as the Nokia 3310 and 5110. Little did the company know that the next big thing in mobile devices has been lurking around, contemplating on how to introduce a product that would change everything.
In January 2007, the inevitable happened; Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone. It was a $499 device that has everything a person could ask for; a mobile phone that could play music and which also has internet capabilities.
The first iPhone went on sale on June 29, 2007, and has sold more than 1.2 billion units since then.
It truly revolutionized the mobile industry, so let’s take a look back on how this device changed everything.
The iPhone changed how people access the internet
Back in the day, the most common way of accessing the web was with a computer. The iPhone changed all of that and made it easier to browse the web using only a handheld device.
Internet access was made possible on-the-go assuming the user has a cellular network and does not rely anymore on a wired connection.
Third-party apps were introduced
The original iPhone didn’t have third-party apps. In fact, the App Store wasn’t even introduced until July 2008 when the iPhone 3G was released with its latest iPhone 2.0 software.
With the App Store, the iPhone became more popular as it now offered third-party apps from gaming to useful tools.
Also, the App Store was the reason why several companies became giants in their respective fields such as Instagram, for sharing photos and Uber, which carries passengers from point A to point B.
The iPhone change the mobile gaming industry
Before playing games on a phone became popular, people relied on controllers to play their favorite games.
However, thanks to games like “Angry Bird” on the iPhone, playing games using only fingers almost became a standard on mobile gaming.
In addition, payment methods have also changed with the introduction of in-app purchases. In this new payment scheme, the game itself is offered for free but comes with additional charges if a player wants to access new levels or new weapons, depending on the game.
This payment scheme proved to be highly lucrative for developers as the majority of the games available in the App Store are free to play but with in-app purchases.
The iPhone also made a few other subtle changes. People no longer carry around calculators or flashlights and physical maps have also become obsolete with the arrival of Google Maps and Apple Maps.
With all the new and cool capabilities of today’s iPhone, we can only imagine what features are possible to the handheld device in the next 10 years.
