It all started ten years ago when Apple CEO Steve Jobs took centre stage at MacWorld 2007 in San Francisco to introduce the first ever iPhone. 2017 is a big year for Apple as it marks the tenth anniversary of the revolutionary mobile device, but January 9 is even more special, as it is the day Jobs took the stage to unveil it for the first time ever. In commemoration, Apple has issued a press release highlighting the journey of what it claims is the "gold standard" in the smartphone industry.
Apple claims that since inception, the company has managed to sell over one billion units, and now CEO Tim Cook claims that the "best is yet to come."
Cook says, "iPhone is an essential part of our customers' lives, and today more than ever it is redefining the way we communicate, entertain, work, and live. iPhone set the standard for mobile computing in its first decade and we are just getting started. The best is yet to come."
Just to recap, the first iPhone was launched on this day 10 years ago, however it went on sale on June 29, 2007. It spearheaded the smartphone revolution, and was the first phone with a touchscreen 3.5-inch display. In its first year, Apple managed to sell as many as 6.1 million units. However, 2008 was the year of reckoning, as Apple managed to sell as many as 1 million units in the first week of the iPhone 3G launch. With the iPhone 3G, the company introduced 3G mobile network and GPS capabilities. It was also the first time Apple introduced the App Store and allowed third-party apps integration.
"It is amazing that from the very first iPhone through to today's newest iPhone 7 Plus, it has remained the gold standard by which all other smartphones are judged. For many of us, iPhone has become the most essential device in our lives and we love it," said Philip Schiller, Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing.
Celebrating its decade of success, Apple looks to create ripples this year as well with the iPhone 8. The smartphone has been heavily rumoured, and is expected to come in an all-glass display, sport wireless charging, feature three variants, lose the Home Button, and introduce a new Haptic feedback system.
But things are not as easy for Apple any more. iPhone sales are slowing down, with most mature markets showing signs of saturation. In China, Apple’s largest international market local rivals have caught up not just on trends but even technology, which dethroned the iPhone from the top three slots. In markets like India, the iPhone is just too expensive and it is mostly the older models that sell, supported by discounts and deals.
Then there is the thing about design and UI fatigue, with Apple dishing out evolutionary upgrades year after year and rivals managing to offer similar experiences. This was exactly the same state of the industry a decade ago, an opportunity that Apple capitalized upon. The likes of Xiaomi and OnePlus have managed to become who they are today because of that stagnancy in the industry. With Android’s domination and Google taking care of the OS, all it takes is one unknown startup with a killer idea to come up with an iPhone killer.
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