You've probably seen that today marks the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. Sometimes it can be hard to fathom that it's already been a decade since the original model launched, but then we look back at all the models of Apple's smartphone that have seen the light of day since, and, especially, how many competing products have made it out into the world. Smartphones existed before the iPhone, but it's impossible to ignore the impact that Apple has had on the market as a whole.
A moment of reflection: When the first iPhone launched I had just got out of selling phones, and I had actually just left AT&T's network. Unfortunately it had been long enough that getting back on the Big Blue network just wasn't a possibility --thanks contracts!-- so I had to live vicariously through a friend of mine. But, if I'm being honest, I don't think I was completely sold on the idea to start.
I was a huge fan of Windows Mobile back in the day, and getting me to switch was going to take a lot more than just an Apple brand on the back of a phone. But then my buddy let me play with the phone while we were waiting for a movie to start. It was that capacitive touchscreen that won me over. Pinch-to-zoom was too good to ignore, and it was pretty obvious, even right out of the gate, that both the feature and the touchscreen technology was going to be the future.
It would take me a bit longer to be convinced that a software keyboard was better than a hardware keyboard, though.
My first iPhone wasn't the original, or even the iPhone 3G -- it was the iPhone 3GS. I loved that phone, and it was great and all that, but my time with it wouldn't last. I found my way over to Android (again) and I'd be there for a while. I eventually found my way back to the Apple ecosystem with the iPhone 4S. I've left and returned, departed and came back, more times than I can count.
But my favorite iPhone up to this point, based entirely on the look of the hardware, is the iPhone 5.
The iPhone has come a long way over the years, both in hardware and its software. Some people might say it hasn't come far enough, and that it's still missing key elements, and in some areas I'd agree. For others though, the iPhone has been their go-to device that has fit the bill for what they need. Both camps aren't wrong. It all comes down to what you like using.
In light of the 10th anniversary I wanted to ask you which iPhone model was your first, and if you've used more than one variant over the years, which one has been your favorite? And, just because I'm curious, which iPhone model did you try and ultimately decide Apple's hardware/software combo wasn't for you? Let me know!