The history of the iPhone

When the original iPhone launched in 2007, it changed the mobile phone industry forever. In anticipation of the [[artnid:349289|Phone 4]] launch in late July, we take a stroll down memory lane to look at the history of the iPhone.

[[artnid: 187779|Apple iPhone]]

Announced by Apple CEO Steve Jobs in early 2007, the original iPhone went on sale on June 29, 2007, in the US. Described by some as "revolutionary", the iPhone popularised capacitive touchscreens, which are often considered more responsive than 'resistive' displays. The original iPhone was never sold in Australia.
[[artnid:252856|Apple iPhone 3G]]

Released in July 2008, the iPhone 3G brought high-speed Internet access to our fingertips. Other features included assisted-GPS via Google Maps, a 2-megapixel camera and a plastic backing to improve reception. The iPhone 3G was originally available in 8GB and 16GB models and users could choose between a black handset and a white one. It was the first iPhone sold in Australia and was eventually available through all Australian carriers — Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and 3.
iPhone Jailbreaking

The popularity of the iPhone made it an attractive target for hackers to 'jailbreak' it — jailbreaking an iPhone will let you run any software you want, offering access to apps that haven't passed Apple's approval process. Although jailbreaking voids Apple's warranty, some users have remedied this by simply restoring their iPhone to factory settings before returning the phone. Every iPhone to date can be jailbroken — many people will be waiting in earnest to see if the new Spirit jailbreak for iOS 4 will work for the iPhone 4.
Fake iPhone

Following the widespread popularity of the iPhone, fakes began to pop up around the world. Cheap Chinese labour was blamed for the influx of fake phones onto the market, such as the one shown above.
iPhone OS 3.0

A major software upgrade was delivered in 2009. iPhone OS 3.0 offered copy and paste capabilities, push notifications and landscape mode in text messaging, along with plenty of other features.
[[artnid:309245|Apple iPhone 3GS]]

Steve Jobs kept everyone guessing in 2009: Would there be an entirely new iPhone or just a slight upgrade? The iPhone 3GS was an upgrade but not a shabby one, with a faster processor and better battery life (one of the main problems with iPhone 3G). Video recording was added and the camera was beefed up to 3 megapixels with autofocus.
[[xref: http://gizmodo.com/5520164/this-is-apples-next-iphone|Gizmodo leak]]

Apple employee Gray Powell managed to lose a prototype fourth-generation iPhone in a German bar. Tech website Gizmodo managed to get a hold of it after shelling out US$5,000 and leaked the details to the world in April 2010, at least two months before Jobs was expected to announce the new device at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. The cat was let out of the bag.
Apple iOS 4

Originally named iPhone OS 4.0, the new version of the iPhone operating system promised multitasking, the iBooks store and home screen customisation as part of about 100 new features. The name change came about due to the [[artnid:342882|iPad]]; as it stands iOS4 is not yet available for Apple's tablet device, however.
[[artnid:349244|iPhone 4]]

Following the Gizmodo leak, there wasn't the usual air of mystery surrounding Apple's fourth iPhone. In June 2010 at Apple's WWDC conference, Steve Jobs unveiled the most radical transformation of the iPhone to date. The iPhone 4 features a 5-megapixel camera, HD video recording, Apple's A4 processor and a display that Apple claims is three times sharper than the iPhone 3GS's. [[artnid:349294|The iPhone 4 is set to launch in Australia in "late July."]]

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