Cellular phones have been rising in popularity over the last decade. Models have become smaller, lighter, and faster at an unbelievable rate. What once was, literally, a wireless telephone, has become a necessity in today’s fast-paced and technologically-savvy world. With this information on hand, companies from all over the globe are doing their best to cater to the demands of the people, all the while differentiating their products from the rest. In the past decade, especially the latter half, one product stood out which undoubtedly started the smartphone revolution:
the Apple iPhone 1g.
The iPhone 1g was in a class of its own.
It was released on June 29, 2007, greeted by massive lines of curious customers all over the United States who had gone to the location days prior to the launch. The hype was definitely at a maximum, and the iPhone 1g did not disappoint. All in all, the original iPhone went on to sell 6.1 million units, setting the stage for the future incarnations of this incredibly genius piece of technology.
The iPhone 1g would only go as far as the components used to build it, and thus extreme care was given to the selection of its pieces. The phone ran on an iOS 3.1.3 Operating System fuelled by Built-in Rechargeable 3.7V 1400mAa li-ion batteries. Its CPU was a Samsung 32-bit RISC ARM 1176JZ(F)-S v1.0 620 MHz Underclocked to 412 MHz. It had a storage capacity of either 4, 8, or 18 GB of flash memory and a 128 MB eDRAM. The audio and video were crisp, highlighted by a 3.5inch screen with 320×480 pixel resolution at 163 ppi 2:3 aspect ratio, 18-bit(262, 144-color) LCD, two speakers, a TRRS headphone jack, 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response, and a microphone. The input system of the iPhone 1g was where it really stood out, utilizing a multi-screen touchscreen display, 3-axis accelerometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, and microphone and headset controls. It also had advanced connectivity, with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a USB 2.0 connector, all making the appropriate Apple programs like the App Store, iTunes Store, MobileMe, and Safari that much easier to access. The dimensions only served to reiterate the unbelievable fact that the iPhone 16 packed so many features in such a mobile package. Sized 115mm x 61mm x 11.6mm and weighing an incredibly light 135g which is around quarter of a pound, this phone promised to change how cellular phones, the smartphone variety in particular, would be viewed and approached technologically in the future.
It has been four years since the iPhone 1g has been released, yet the impact it has had on the world of cellular phones, of technology even, is still evident in the designs seen today. Companies must not only meet the already-high standards set by this phone, but must attempt to surpass them as well.
