iphone, this is your life
The history of the Apple iPhone – from revolutionary concept to industry benchmark
TEN years on from the iPhone's release, it is easy to see the incredible impact Steve Job's brainchild has had on the smartphone industry.
Ahead of the release of the iPhone 7, we took a look back at the history of Apple's most celebrated product.
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The original release
2007 saw the launch of what was to become the most popular Apple product in the company's history.
The iPhone set out to "reinvent the phone", according to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
With a touchscreen and capabilities similar to a computer, the introductory model set the standard for smart phones - despite not yet including third-party applications, GPS or video recording.
The 3G edition
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A year after its initial release, the updated 3G model hit the shelves, featuring the fast data speed of any phone available at the time.
It was launched at the same time that Apple launched the App Store, and the iPhone really began to gain traction in sales.
In 2009, Apple released the updated 3GS.
The "S" was due to stand for speed, and would go on to b e added to the end of each updated proceeding model.
The first "S" model introduced video recording capabilities to the device, as well as adding Voice Control - later to be known as Siri.
Then there was 4
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The 4 model was the largest step forward for the gadget since its introduction.
The 2010 release had a squarer, more modern look and the screen incorporated the first Retina display.
This was also the first time the iPhone came with a front-facing camera and introduced the concept of multi-tasking.
The 4S came out in 2011 with an upgraded 8 megapixel camera and the early version of digital assistant, Siri.
Half a decade on
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Five years after the iPhone was released, it had changed remarkably.
The 2012 iPhone 5 had the longest screen of any model to date, allowing for an additional row of icons on the home screen.
Model 5 also saw the introduction of the lightning cable and added the lighter aluminium casing to the phone's exterior.
Updates to iOS also saw Apple Maps replace Google Maps as the default navigator.
A year later, the 5C model saw a trend that did not last for future versions of the phone.
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It was essentially the same as the regular 5 model but featured a choice of five brightly coloured exteriors.
The 5S was released around the same time and offered a more upmarket version to its colourful relative.
Touch ID appeared for the first time, and a revolutionary 64-bit A7 processor was added to the brain of the gadget.
Apple also used the opportunity to launch their newest operating system - iOS 7.
Into the sixes
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Versions 6 and 6 Plus came out late in 2014, with the standard 6 increasing the display size to 4.7 inches, while also upgrading camera and visual capabilities.
The Plus followed a timely trend towards the min-tablet type smart phones, with a giant 5.5 inch display - it is the biggest iPhone to date.
Then, in 2015, the 6S was born, but showed very little cosmetic differences to the flagship model.
On the operating side however, the changes were dramatic.
The S introduced a new way of touching your phone with Force Touch as well as the concept of Live Photos, to name a few.
The most recent predecessors
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Just last year, we saw two new versions of the iPhone released, with the SE and the 7
While the SE simply returned to the size of the 5 model and slashed the sale price, the 7 came with a new camera, better battery life, more colourful display, better speakers, and most impressive, was splash and water resistant.
The iPhone 7 Plus came out earlier this year in a stunning red model to raise money for AIDS.
Rumoured to be dubbed the iPhone X, Apple's next model promises to feature some of the best upgrades yet.
The release of the newest iPhone will coincide with the launch of iOS 11.
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