Jan. 9 marks nine years since Apple unveiled the first iPhone on the same date in 2007, and saying that the smartphone has come a long a way since then would probably still be considered an understatement.
On Jan. 9, 2007, Steve Jobs walked into a stage to give a keynote presentation on the iPhone, which turned out to be possibly the most important keynote that the late Jobs has ever given in his illustrious career.
iPhone
In the presentation of the first-generation iPhone, Jobs knocked down the keyboard and the stylus, features that were popular among the high-end mobile phones of the time by BlackBerry, Motorola and Palm, and replaced it with a multitouch interface. The first iPhone only featured a 3.5-inch screen with 320 x 480 pixel resolution, a 400 MHz processor, 128 MB of RAM, a 2-megapixel camera and up to 16 GB of storage. It also only operated on AT&T's EDGE networks instead of 3G, and was priced at $499 for the 4 GB model and $599 for the 8 GB model.
However, despite the limitations, the iPhone is now considered a massive breakthrough.
iPhone 3G
To follow up the 3G-less first-generation iPhone, Apple's next version of the smartphone incorporated the communication technology. The iPhone 3G, announced in June 2008, was said to be twice as fast as the first iPhone, at half the price of only $199 for the 8 GB model and $299 for the 16 GB model. The iPhone 3G also replaced the aluminum chassis of the first iPhone with a plastic back.
Apple also upgraded then software of the iPhone to version 2.0, and introduced the App Store, which offered over 900,000 apps for the smartphone.
iPhone 3GS
When it was announced a year later in June 2009, the iPhone 3GS pushed the envelope even further, with claims that it is twice as fast as the iPhone 3G with longer battery life and a 3-megapixel camera. The new model also includes iPhone OS 3.0, which was what the mobile operating system was called before. The price of the 16 GB model was $199 while the 32 GB model was $299.
iPhone 4
The iPhone 4 was unveiled in June 2010, which replaced the plastic of the previous iPhones with a glass front and back and a stainless steel frame. The iPhone 4 featured the Retina display, which had a resolution of 960 x 640, an 800 MHz A4 chip, a 5-megapixel camera and iOS 4.
The smartphone, however, saw controversy as Apple's decision to have its frame also serve as its antenna backfired as users complained of weaker signals when holding the lower left edge of the device. Apple released a software update to correct the signal indicator and offered free bumpers to all iPhone 4 owners that were affected by "Antennagate."
iPhone 4s
Apple cemented the tradition of appending the letter S to its iPhone models with the announcement of the iPhone 4s on October 2011. The iPhone 4s looked very similar to the iPhone 4, but it included a lot of improvements internally such as a dual-core A5 processor and an 8-megapixel camera.
Along with the iPhone 4s, voice recognition assistant Siri, cloud storage service iCloud and iOS 5 was introduced.
iPhone 5
The iPhone 5 was introduced in September 2012, featuring an aluminum design and a 4-inch Retina display while powered by the A6 chip and iOS 6. The smartphone packed 1 GB of RAM, which helped it perform twice as fast as the iPhone 4S.
The iPhone 5 also introduced the Lightning connector, which is smaller and more durable than the previous connector used for Apple's devices.
iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c
Apple unveiled the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c on September 2013, with the iPhone 5s featuring a 64-bit A7 processor and the Touch ID fingerprint scanner technology, along with iOS 7 and the M7 motion coprocessor.
The iPhone 5c, on the other hand, is a budget-minded version of the smartphone released by Apple that is powered by the A6 chip and features a 4-inch Retina display. Despite its lower price, the smartphone was also running by the iOS 7.
iPhone 6 And iPhone 6 Plus
The iPhone 6 and its larger sibling the iPhone 6 Plus were unveiled by Apple in September 2014. The devices featured Retina HD display measuring 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches, respectively, with both powered by Apple's A8 chip, the M8 motion coprocessor and iOS 8.
The smartphones also introduced the mobile payment system Apple Pay, along with the Health app.
iPhone 6s And iPhone 6s Plus
The smartphones once again get the S treatment with the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, which were announced in September 2015. The smartphones are powered by Apple's A9 chip and the M9 motion coprocessor, along with iOS 9.
The devices also introduced the 3D touch technology, which senses pressure on the smartphone's screen to enable new gestures, and Live Photos, which bring images to life.
iPhone 7
So what will Apple have in store for the iPhone 7? The company has not confirmed anything yet, but rumors are claiming that the next version of the smartphone will have an aluminum alloy or liquidmetal body, will be waterproof, and that the home button will be removed to better highlight 3D Touch.
The iPhone 7 is also expected to be powered by 3 GB of RAM and Apple's A10 chip.
The smartphone will most likely be announced by Apple in September, when it will be adding one more chapter to the history of the iPhone.
