Article

iPhone

Overview

The original iPhone was announced in January 2007 and released in June 2007; it popularised capacitive touchscreens, mobile web browsing and a new-generation smartphone design that shaped the late 2000s and beyond.

Key Points

  • Launch: announced January 2007; first shipment June 2007.
  • Impact: changed expectations for mobile interfaces, accelerated mobile internet use and app ecosystems (App Store launched 2008).
  • Cultural: quickly became a status object and the interface through which many people consumed social media and music.

Writing Tips

  • Use the tactile feel of the touchscreen, the home button and app icons to evoke late‑2000s scenes.

See Also