2007 iPhone

2007 iPhone
Name	iPhone (2007)
Developer	Apple Inc.
Manufacturer	Foxconn
Release date	June 29, 2007
Discontinued	July 15, 2008
Os	iPhone OS 1.0
Cpu	ARM11 620 MHz
Storage	4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB
Display	3.5-inch 320×480 multitouch
Camera	2 MP rear
Connectivity	EDGE, Wi‑Fi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0

2007 iPhone The 2007 iPhone was Apple's first smartphone, announced by Steve Jobs at the Macworld Conference & Expo and released to consumers in the United States in June 2007. It combined elements of the iPod, Macintosh, Safari, and Apple Store ecosystems into a single handheld device, catalyzing shifts across the telecommunications industry, mobile computing, and consumer electronics sectors. The device's launch intersected with players such as AT&T, Google, Microsoft, Nokia, and BlackBerry Limited in a rapidly evolving market.

Introduction

Apple Inc.'s entry into the smartphone market followed strategic developments at Apple Computer and corporate initiatives led by Jonathan Ive, Phil Schiller, and Tony Fadell under the leadership of Steve Jobs. Debuted during the 2007 Macworld keynote, the device promised an integrated experience drawing on work from teams that had built the iPod classic, Mac OS X, and the iTunes Store. Partnerships with AT&T Inc. and suppliers including Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Broadcom Corporation, and Cirrus Logic facilitated hardware and network integration. The product announcement reshaped narratives in contexts like Silicon Valley, the NASDAQ technology sector, and among legacy vendors such as Sony Ericsson, Motorola, and HTC Corporation.

Design and Hardware

The industrial design aesthetic was driven by Jonathan Ive and the Apple Industrial Design Group, featuring a glass front, aluminum back plate on later revisions, and a capacitive multitouch display developed with components from Corning Inc., Synaptics, and 3M. Internally, the handset used an ARM architecture CPU and memory parts from suppliers like Samsung and Toshiba Corporation. Audio codecs and sound processing drew on technology from Cirrus Logic and Wolfson Microelectronics. Radio and baseband functions were handled by vendors such as Infineon Technologies and Qualcomm for EDGE connectivity; Wi‑Fi employed chips compatible with IEEE 802.11 standards. The device included a 2‑megapixel camera module similar to parts used by OmniVision Technologies. Battery technology and power management invoked research traditions from Texas Instruments and STMicroelectronics. Physical controls like the home button and sleep/wake switch echoed earlier designs from Apple's Newton teams and influenced accessory makers including Belkin, OtterBox, and Griffin Technology.

Software and Features

The iPhone shipped with iPhone OS 1.0, a software stack derived from Mac OS X and Darwin, integrating a mobile version of Safari with support for HTML, CSS, and AJAX paradigms that echoed work highlighted by Tim Berners-Lee and Douglas Engelbart in historical computing debates. Built‑in apps included Mail, Calendar, Contacts, and iPod functionality linked to the iTunes Store. Text input used a virtual keyboard informed by touchscreen research from institutions like University of Cambridge human‑computer interaction labs and companies such as PalmSource. Third‑party development was initially constrained, prompting ecosystem responses from firms like Google with web apps and later influencing the creation of the App Store under Phil Schiller and Steve Jobs. Security, cryptography, and encryption debates involved stakeholders including RSA Security, OpenSSL, and academic groups from MIT and Stanford University.

Launch and Market Impact

Apple launched the device with a marketing campaign involving Apple Retail, Apple Stores, and media outlets such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, and Bloomberg L.P.. Carrier exclusivity with AT&T Mobility in the United States provoked regulatory and competitive reactions involving Federal Communications Commission discussions and commentaries from Sprint Corporation and Verizon Communications. The introduction affected handset strategies at companies including Nokia, Motorola Mobility, Samsung Electronics, and Research In Motion Limited (BlackBerry). Analysts from firms like Gartner, Forrester Research, and IDC tracked market displacement, while investors reacted on exchanges such as NASDAQ and New York Stock Exchange with coverage by Morningstar and The Economist.

Sales, Reception, and Criticism

Initial sales were marked by long lines at Apple Stores and inventory shortages discussed in reports from The Wall Street Journal and Reuters. Reviews by outlets including Wired, CNET, Engadget, and The Verge praised the user interface and design while critics noted limitations compared to devices from Nokia and BlackBerry Limited in areas like MMS support, third‑party apps, and network data speeds over EDGE versus emerging 3G networks championed by Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks. Consumer advocacy groups such as Public Citizen and commentators from Consumer Reports debated warranty and software update policies. Lawsuits and intellectual property disputes intersected with firms like Cisco Systems, Palm, Inc., and Eolas Technologies over web and interface patents.

Legacy and Influence on Future iPhones

The device established design and software conventions that influenced subsequent models developed by Apple teams led by Jony Ive and executives including Tim Cook, Scott Forstall, and Phil Schiller. Concepts introduced—capacitive multitouch, gesture‑driven UI, and integrated media/web services—reshaped platforms like Android from Google and prompted legal and market contests with Samsung Electronics, Qualcomm, and Huawei. The creation of the App Store ecosystem, developer relations outreach involving Apple Developer, and standards dialogues with organizations such as W3C and IETF traced roots to the original device's constraints and opportunities. Its impact is discussed in histories of Apple Inc., biographies of Steve Jobs, technology retrospectives from The Atlantic, and academic studies at Harvard Business School and Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Category:Apple hardware Category:Mobile phones introduced in 2007