Featured article by Allen Brown, Independent Technology Author
When the first iPhone was released in 2007, it changed the whole industry forever. Fresh off the back of the success of the iPod, Apple created an all in one communications and entertainment gadget which would soon come to dominate the world on telecommunications. The newest model, the iPhone 12 Pro is light years ahead of the first-generation model, and yet the same iconic look has been retained. With the iPhone’s popularity showing no signs of waning, it seems certain that Apple’s dominance will continue long into the future.
Here are 7 important things you need to know about the iPhone.
1. ID Verification Has Improved with Each Model
Apple has made huge strides in the area of user ID verification since the first generation iPhone in 2007. This original model came with pin number security where the owner had to type in a 4 digit code like an ATM in order to unlock the phone. Since then, subsequent iPhone models have come equipped with various kinds of ID verification technology, from fingerprint scanners to face recognition software.
2. The Memory is Enormous
The iPhone 1 came with two memory options, 4GB or 8GB, with the 8GB option in particular seeming like an enormous amount of storage capacity at the time. This storage capacity has grown and grown as Apple has released new models of iPhone with the latest 12 Pro Max offering a gargantuan 256GB of memory. To put that into perspective, that is 64 times the memory of the original iPhone 1 4GB.
3. You Can Now Backup the iPhone to Protect Data
With so much capacity for files and data, it is vital that iPhone users have ways to backup and protect their data. There are various options now like Apple’s own iCloud, but users can now perform a backup to a completely external cloud. Known as “layered backup”, keeping your data in three places (your phone, your iCloud, and an external cloud) is the ideal way to secure your precious files and photos.
4. The Camera is Top of the Line
The first camera phones wowed users at the time but when we look back now it is clear to see that the photos were very poor quality. The iPhone’s camera has got better and better with each model, particularly since Samsung really emerged as a smartphone rival. The iPhone was criticized for having vastly inferior cameras to Samsung’s phones which provoked a notable reaction in later models. The 12 Pro Max has three rear cameras and one front-facing camera which are widely considered to be the best cameras ever on a phone.
5. The Screen Has Got Ever Bigger
The original first-generation iPhone had a screen size of 3.5 inches but that is dwarfed by the 12 Pro Max’s 6.7 inch screen. Furthermore, while the iPhone 1 screen has a 480×320 resolution, the newest model has a resolution of 1284 x 2778. With many people these days using their iPhones to watch everything from YouTube videos to entire movies, this increase in both screen size and resolution has been really important in the success of the iPhone.
6. The iPhone is Now Very Durable
Apple has experimented with various materials for the case of its iPhones. The original model was built with reinforced molded plastic and since then Apple has tried out both metal and glass casings. The last few models have all been made in strengthened glass which Apple claims is the strongest available for any smartphone and is next to impossible to break. Despite this, a cracked iPhone screen is still one of the most common and frustrating issues faced by users.
7. There is a Rainbow of Colors Available
The earliest iPhones came only in black until Apple started releasing white models too. These days, you can buy the newest iPhones in a rainbow of different colors from black and white to pink and rose gold. Before smartphones, most handsets came with changeable colors, and this was a feature which had been sorely missed. Now with different color options, customers are able to choose the phone which best matches their tastes and personality.
The iPhone is perhaps the most iconic piece of technology that has ever been developed. Over two billion models have been sold since the first iPhone was released in 2007, and Apple have improved their design model after model. With the release of the iPhone 13 set for this Summer, Apple addicts and tech enthusiasts alike are waiting with anticipation to see what Apple comes up with next.
