Timeline of the iPhone
The iPhone from its 2007 launch through the App Store, custom processors, biometric security, mobile payments, new connectors, and Apple’s own cellular modem in 2025.
- Category
- Engineering & Technology
- Events
- 19 events 2007 – 2025
- Generated
- by gpt-6
2007: Apple launches a multitouch smartphone
Apple introduced the iPhone in January and began selling it in the United States on June 29. A capacitive multitouch display combined phone, media-player, and web-browsing functions; the original model supported web applications rather than a public native-app store.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_(1st_generation)2008: The App Store opens to native software
Apple opened the App Store alongside the iPhone 3G launch. Developers could distribute native applications through Apple’s store, while the new phone added third-generation cellular networking and satellite-based location support.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/App_Store_(Apple)2009: The iPhone 3GS adds video recording
The iPhone 3GS improved processor performance and added video recording, voice control, and a digital compass. Its release helped extend the phone from still photography and navigation toward more capable mobile media applications.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_3GS2010: The iPhone 4 introduces Retina and FaceTime
Apple’s iPhone 4 combined a higher-resolution Retina display with the Apple A4 chip and a front-facing camera. FaceTime made video calling part of the platform, while the chip continued Apple’s move toward more control over device silicon.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_42011: Siri becomes part of the iPhone
Apple launched the iPhone 4S with Siri, a voice assistant for requests such as messages and reminders. The phone also gained the A5 chip and an improved camera, while iCloud and iOS 5 reduced dependence on synchronizing with a computer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_4s2012: The iPhone 5 adopts LTE and Lightning
The iPhone 5 added Long-Term Evolution cellular networking, a taller display, and the Lightning connector. Replacing the earlier dock connector changed the accessory ecosystem while faster cellular data supported more demanding mobile services.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_52013: The iPhone 5s adds Touch ID and 64-bit processing
Apple introduced Touch ID fingerprint authentication and the 64-bit A7 chip in the iPhone 5s. The Secure Enclave isolated sensitive authentication work, making biometric unlocking an integrated part of the device’s security design.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_5s2014: Larger iPhones support Apple Pay
The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus expanded screen sizes and added near-field communication hardware. Apple Pay launched in the United States shortly afterward, combining payment tokens and biometric authorization for supported purchases.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_62015: Live Photos extends the captured moment
The iPhone 6s added Live Photos, capturing brief movement and sound around a still image, and 3D Touch pressure-sensitive interaction. The release experimented with richer media and additional gestures within the existing touchscreen interface.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_6s2016: The iPhone 7 removes the headphone jack
Apple removed the analog headphone socket from the iPhone 7 and introduced water resistance. The larger 7 Plus added a dual-camera system, while wired audio shifted toward Lightning accessories and adapters.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_72017: The iPhone X replaces Touch ID with Face ID
The iPhone X replaced the home button with gesture navigation and used Face ID facial authentication. An edge-to-edge organic light-emitting diode display and depth-sensing camera system changed both the interface and biometric hardware.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_X2019: Pro models add a third rear camera
Apple introduced the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max with wide, ultrawide, and telephoto cameras. The broader lens selection and Night mode expanded the role of computational photography in mobile image capture.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_11_Pro2020: The iPhone 12 adopts 5G and MagSafe
The iPhone 12 family added fifth-generation cellular networking and a magnetic MagSafe accessory system. Apple also expanded organic light-emitting diode displays across the main lineup, while network speeds depended on local coverage and supported bands.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_122021: App Tracking Transparency changes permission prompts
Apple released iOS 14.5 with App Tracking Transparency, requiring apps to request permission before tracking users across other companies’ apps or websites. The change made a previously less visible advertising-data practice an explicit operating-system choice.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identifier_for_Advertisers#App_Tracking_Transparency2022: Emergency messaging extends beyond cellular coverage
The iPhone 14 family introduced Emergency SOS via satellite, initially activated in the United States and Canada in November. Compatible phones could send limited emergency messages in locations without cellular or Wi-Fi coverage under suitable sky conditions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_142023: The iPhone 15 switches to USB-C
Apple replaced Lightning with USB-C across the iPhone 15 family. The connector aligned charging with many other devices, although data-transfer capabilities differed between the standard and Pro models.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_152024: The iPhone 16 adds a dedicated camera control
Apple introduced Camera Control on the iPhone 16 family, adding a physical interface for launching the camera and adjusting supported settings. The new phones also expanded the set of devices capable of running Apple Intelligence features as those features rolled out.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_162025: Apple’s first cellular modem reaches an iPhone
The iPhone 16e introduced Apple C1, the company’s first cellular modem to ship in an iPhone. The component extended Apple’s control of the phone’s hardware beyond its application processors and other custom chips.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_16e2025: The iPhone Air introduces a thinner design
Apple released the iPhone Air as a new model focused on a thinner enclosure. The phone used the A19 Pro chip, Apple’s C1X modem, and eSIM connectivity, making its design and component tradeoffs distinct from the standard and Pro models.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_Air