Who knew Project Purple would simplify our lives and kick-start the race to develop better smartphone technology? If you have heard about this secret project, you are an avid iPhone lover. There is also the possibility that you have a keen interest in technological advancements. One of the exciting aspects about Apple is that it might not intend to develop the most exquisite smartphone brand.
They were trying to retain their market position while developing innovative solutions. The tremendous success in the iPod segment motivated the company to explore other opportunities. Fueled by the vision of Founder Steve Jobs, the company initiated a new revolution in the mobile phone segment. Earlier, the phone was used only for talking and texting.
The company understood that people struggled to manage multiple devices for various purposes. They also knew that they had to act fast to retain their position. Therefore, they decided to design a device with iPod, phone, and internet connectivity features. This drive to develop innovative technologies has been instrumental in developing superior smartphones. The latest iPhone 12 design has various features that could fulfill most of the customer’s requirements in the segment.
However, this has been a long and tedious 15-year journey. The company has the policy to discontinue the older models after two years. This helps them to promote the latest models with upgraded technology. We want to dive into the company’s evolution and how this has motivated the progression of the smartphone industry.
Also Read: How to Hard Reset or Force Restart All iPhone 12 Models?
The Origin – Rokr EL
In the initial days, Apple did not manufacture its phone. Instead, the company partnered with Motorola to launch its first phone. The Rokr E1 had in-built iTunes that allowed customers to play songs. The downside is that this device can store only 100 songs.
The big step
Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, has the vision to design smartphones with glass displays and touch capability. Though this was unheard of, the company secretly developed the technology quickly.
Project Purple
The company formed a small team to convert this idea into the world’s first smartphone. This was developed secretly to keep it away from competitors.
Did you know?
The team was not given specifications about the project until they were chosen. They did not hire any external resources and hired an internal team.
The Gorilla Glass
Once the prototype was ready, the company announced the launch of the iPhone in June 2007. The company wanted to develop a tough glass that could withstand pressure. They realized that they were already shelved a similar project in this regard. So they adapted this model to fit the requirements. Thanks to this vision, we can ‘accidentally’ drop our phones at will. Once the basic details were sorted, the dawn of the iPhone generation began.
Innovation
One of the notable aspects of the Apple iPhone is that every latest model is launched with upgraded features. The team is focused on consistently improving the phone’s performance in every avenue. This defines the standard for not only the company but the entire industry. Here are some of the models and their characteristics.
The first iPhone – June 2007
On June 29th, 2007, the stores launched the iPhone model. Though the company has limited tie-ups with network providers, it did not deter phone sales. The brand was able to sell over million phones by September 2017. Though there have been particular challenges, the iPhone evolution has been quite progressive.
- Size – 3.5-inch display
- 2- megapixel photo camera
- iPod with touch controls
- Internet connectivity with browsing, search and map features
iPhone 3G / 3GS – June 2008 / June 2009
- New Design
- GPS feature
- 8GB and 16GB storage option
iPhone 4 – June 2010
- Retina display
- Micro sim card slot
- 5 mp camera
iPhone 5 – September 2012
- 4G LTE support
- Apple Maps
- iPhone 5s / iPhone 5c – September 2013
- Improvements to low-light camera performance
iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus – September 2014
- Bigger Screen – 4.7 inch and 5.5 inch
- Durable aluminum body
- Camera with autofocus feature
iPhone 6s / iPhone 6s Plus – September 2015
- New Display technology
- 3D touch system
- Better video recording quality
- Smart iPhone assistant
iPhone SE – April 2016
- four-inch Retina display
- advanced 64-bit A9 chip
- M9 motion co-processor
- 12-megapixel iSight camera with True Tone flash
- faster LTE and Wi-Fi
iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus
- Waterproof feature
- Dual Camera System
- Optical image stabilization
Apple iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus – September 2017
- OLED display
- Face ID system
- Apple A11 Bionic chip with a neural engine
- 64 GB and 256 GB storage options
iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max – September 2018
- AMOLED displays
- 2X zoom telephoto lens
iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max – September 2019
- Night Mode Camera
- Higher-quality AMOLED display
- iPhone SE – April 2020
- Economic Version
- Apple A13 chip
iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max – October 2020
- 5G connectivity
- Sleeker Look
- OLED display
- RAW capture
iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max
- Better battery capacity
- Photographic styles camera feature
- Cinematic Mode to record video
- Brighter and bigger screens
iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone SE – September 2022
- Apple A16 chip
- Dynamic Island feature
- 48MP main camera
iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Ultra – September 2023
- Super Retina XDR display
- A17 Pro chip
- 48MP Main camera
- Cinematic Mode for video recording
iPhone SE 4th Gen and the iPhone 16 Series (16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Ultra) expected in September 2024
Though the company has made great strides in upgrading the model, we have given limited features to denote the difference. You can check out the individual specifications of the models to know more about them.
The iPhone evolution
The essential characteristic that differentiates Apple from its competitors is that they are always focused on improving the customer experience. They keenly watch the needs and develop products to fulfill them. Of course, there are also instances in which specific features might not work as expected. However, this does not discourage them from innovating and developing better phones.