list of iPhone models
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The Apple iPhone, first released in 2007, ushered in a new era of smartphone innovation. The first widely distributed touchscreen phone, the iPhone was created after two years of development and ran on the iPhone OS 1 (developed from Mac OS X) operating system. The main appeal of the device was its intuitive user interface, which was sleek (for its time), offering users a truly tactile experience. CEO Steve Jobs described the new product as “revolutionary” and “magical,” and compared the iPhone’s release to the invention of the computer mouse. Since its inception, the iPhone has evolved greatly, with each generation of the phone introducing new perks and features. Here is a chronological list of every iPhone model and what each version brought to the table.
iPhone
- Year released: 2007
The first iPhone allowed 16 gigabytes (GB) of storage and had a 2-megapixel camera. The first iPhone also allowed users to browse the Internet on the go.
iPhone 3G
- Year released: 2008
Named for the wireless Internet technology it used, the iPhone 3G sold one million units within the first three days of its debut. Apple strategically avoided naming the new device the “iPhone 2,” instead marketing its 3G wireless connection in the device name. The new camera offered a 3-megapixel resolution and could record digital videos. The App Store, which became available the same year, allowed users to download applications (apps) onto their phones.
Certain iPhone models feature letters added to their name, such as the iPhone 3GS. The S indicates that the model has been slightly upgraded but not drastically changed. Apple abandoned the convention after the iPhone XS model’s release in 2018.
iPhone 4
- Year released: 2010
Apple introduced its Retina display, touted as being the sharpest display on a smartphone, with the iPhone 4. The iPhone 4 also featured Apple’s first front-facing camera and allowed its users to video call each other using the FaceTime app. Its camera featured a 5-megapixel resolution. The iPhone 4S, released in 2011, had an 8-megapixel camera and came with Siri, a digital personal assistant program that can respond to verbal prompts to search the Internet and perform simple tasks.
iPhone 5
- Year released: 2012
The iPhone 5 featured a taller screen and incorporated aluminum into its design, making it lighter and thinner. The iPhone 5C, introduced in 2013, came in different colors (blue, pink, and yellow, among others), and had a high-definition (HD) camera for FaceTime. The iPhone 5S, also introduced in 2013, featured Touch ID, which allows users to unlock their phones with fingerprint technology. The iPhone 5 was also the first iPhone to come with iMessage, Apple’s proprietary messaging application.
iPhone 6
- Year released: 2014
The iPhone 6 was introduced alongside a larger counterpart, the iPhone 6 Plus. These phones were the first to feature Apple Pay, which allows users to tap their phones to pay at businesses using contactless card readers. The 6 Plus was significantly thinner than previous versions (which actually made it susceptible to bending if left in a user’s pocket too long). Before introducing the iPhone 7, Apple released the iPhone SE, which was a budget-friendly version iPhone featuring a 4-inch (10-cm) screen.
iPhone 7
- Year released: 2016
The 7 Plus featured a camera with portrait mode, in which a foreground subject is set in focus against a blurred background. In both the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, Apple eliminated the headphone jack (a hugely controversial move). Now, wired earbuds instead connected to the Lightning port (also used for charging cords). Apple also introduced wireless headphones called AirPods that could connect to the phone using Bluetooth technology.
iPhone 8
- Year released: 2017
The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus both had wireless charging capabilities. They also featured a new glass back, which Apple advertised as the “most durable glass ever in a smartphone.” The phones also had greater compatibility with augmented reality (AR) experiences. Following the iPhone 8, Apple choose not to include an iPhone 9 in its lineup, possibly because the iPhone turned 10 (hence the name “iPhone X”).
iPhone X
- Year released: 2017
The iPhone X featured a controversial design decision—the removal of the home button. Instead, the screen covered the entire front surface of the phone, and the FaceID feature was introduced. A biometricsystem, FaceID places tiny dots onto users’ facial contours to create a map of their features and compares the captured image with the existing facial mapping stored on the phone, which allows a user to unlock their phone with a glance. This also allows users to create animated emojis (“animojis”), which track users facial expressions to bring certain emojis to life.
iPhone 11
- Year released: 2019
At this point, Apple focused on making improvements mainly to the iPhone’s camera, screen resolution, and processing power. The iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max were the first models to have three cameras on the back, the third camera being able to take ultrawide-angle pictures. Apple also introduced Night mode for photos, which allows users to take improved pictures in dim lighting.
iPhone 12
- Year released: 2020
The iPhone 12 was introduced along with the iPhone 12 mini, which was touted as the “lightest 5G smartphone in the world.” Apple also added a new Ceramic Shield cover for the front of the phone, which made it more durable. The new wide camera (as opposed to the previous ultrawide camera) of the iPhone 12 further improved photo quality.
iPhone 13
- Year released: 2021
With only minor improvements, the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini came with longer battery life and more camera improvements, including an improved wide-angle camera with larger pixels. They also included a new cinematic mode for video narratives, which, similar to portrait mode, blurs backgrounds and adds a “depth-of-field” effect to bring a movielike quality to videos. Apple also emphasized that the iPhone 13 was designed to lessen the company’s carbon footprint.
iPhone 14
- Year released: 2022
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus (featuring a hefty 6.7-inch [17-cm] screen), came with improved safety features. For example, Apple’s new crash-detection feature calls emergency services if it senses that the user has been in a car accident (if the user does not respond to prompting). iPhone 14 models also introduced a “Photonic Engine”—technology that improved the quality of photos taken in low-light conditions.
iPhone 15
- Year released: 2023
In a milestone moment, Apple announced that the newest model, the iPhone 15, would begin using USB-C chargers and charging ports. The announcement came in the wake of increased pressure from European regulators to standardize phone chargers, arguing that the switch would lead to reduced digital waste. The iPhone 15 also featured higher-quality cameras and smaller screen borders.
iPhone 16
- Year released: 2024
With its iPhone 16, Apple reverted to using a previously-seen camera layout (last featured in the iPhone 12 models), with a vertically-arranged dual camera placed on the back of the phone. According to Apple, the new iPhone also has a vastly improved battery life and is optimized for artificial intelligence (AI) features, called “Apple Intelligence.” The iPhone 16 brings a new physical button to the phone called the “Camera Control” button, which can be pressed like a normal button but also outputs haptic feedback. The new button works similarly to a trackpad and allows users to adjust exposure, focus, and other features simply by applying different levels of pressure to the button. The button can also simulate the feeling of a camera shutter going off.