On June 29, 2007, a device launched that would redefine what we expect from a phone. Today marks 18 years since Apple officially released the first-generation iPhone. 
While the unveiling happened earlier that year on January 9th, it wasn’t until this day that customers could finally get their hands on the revolutionary device that Steve Jobs promised would combine a phone, an iPod, and an internet communicator in one.
Back then, smartphones were mostly used by business professionals. Devices like BlackBerrys, Treos, and Windows Mobile iPAQs dominated the space, while the average user stuck to flip phones like the Motorola Razr or chirpy Nextels. The iPhone changed that, pulling everyday people into the smartphone era with a sleek touchscreen interface, no physical keyboard, and a software experience that felt like magic.
Buying an iPhone in 2007 was a different beast. Customers camped outside Apple Stores days in advance, eager to shell out $499 for a 4GB model or $599 for the 8GB version – both locked to a two-year AT&T contract. The OG iPhone didn’t even support 3G. Instead, users were stuck with AT&T’s 2.5G EDGE network, which made watching YouTube or loading websites a blurry, sluggish experience unless you were on Wi-Fi.
Just two months after release, Apple discontinued the 4GB model, and in early 2008, they introduced a 16GB version. That rare 4GB edition? If you somehow still have one sealed in its original box, you might be sitting on a small fortune. In July 2023, one was sold at auction for a jaw-dropping $190,372.80.
Apple quickly followed up with the iPhone 3G in 2008, which finally introduced proper 3G connectivity. The price dropped too – $199 for the 8GB and $299 for the 16GB (in black or white), still with that AT&T contract in the U.S. Though the iPhone had little serious competition at first, things started to shift with the launch of the Motorola DROID in 2009. Running Android 2.0 and exclusive to Verizon, it was the first phone many considered a true rival.
While some people commemorate January 9th – the day the iPhone was announced – as its birthday, it’s June 29th that marked the true beginning of a new era. It wasn’t just a phone release; it was the spark that brought smartphones to the masses.