10 Years Ago Today: Steve Jobs Introduces the iPhone

[malexandria]

I was finally living my LA Dream and doing one of my dream jobs - working on an IT Project for one of the major studios, living in an expensive Corporate Apt and telecommuting 4 days a week. Of course it was one of the only times I literally lived pay check to pay check. LA is expensive as hell and I lived in DC and NYC! After taxes, rent, car and food, I literally only had $300 left over. But that's not why I remember the release of the iPhone.

I went to see Prince in a small venue and attended the after party that lasted until 6am in the morning! Tony (the rapper in NPG) yelled out "Happy iPhone Day!" (it was release day) at the end of the show. I didn't get the iPhone until the 3GS.

 

[cableguy84]

There will never be another Jobs.

 

[MacFan23]

Nope, I think my second iPhone was about $650 and my most recent one was around $1000 and the most recent iPhone 7 is $1229 and even if you account for currency fluctuations price is increasing

US Store?

It's showing as $649 for me

 

[JOHNGAETANO]

Loved it when he told the story about Wozniak and the TV.

 

[malexandria]

And they are so full of themselves and incapable of managing their product pipeline that they can't be ars'ed to announce the next iteration on the same day 10 years later.........because the difference between a game-changing innovation (then) and 'thinner' (now) would make them look even greater fools.

The next release of a product is almost NEVER announced on the same day as the original version was released. It's cliche and stupid. Normally the new announcement is made during an major anniversary YEAR, not the same day. Anniversaries are about celebrating what came before.

 

[rctlr]

10th Anniversary?
I must watch Futurama's Attack of the Killer App again.

 

[cyb3rdud3]

Hmmm, I never said I listened to headphones whilst driving, could think of nothing worse. My car has a 3.5mm jack for passing audio from the iPhone. It doesn't have bluetooth. Hence the reason I wanted the 3.5mm jack on the phone.
I also have sat nav while driving so need the phone to be charged at my destination. I'd like to be able to do both at the same time...

Fair enough

PS. You need a better car

 

[Jsameds]

Fair enough

PS. You need a better car

Or a simple bluetooth receiver (These plug into the car end and connect to iPhone via BT)

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=bluetooth+headphone+adapter

 

[cyb3rdud3]

Or a simple bluetooth receiver (These plug into the car end and connect to iPhone via BT)

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=bluetooth+headphone+adapter

Good suggestion whilst looking around for a better car, or just use Uber

 

[misterjrw]

Not getting onto the iPhone bandwagon until the 3GS, I'm curious to know, back in 2007 when Steve introduced the iPhone, were there the amount of rumours/speculation prior to the announcement (say back in 2006) to give us any idea that this was about to drop?

Obviously nowadays, the rumour mill is constantly churning out stuff about the 'next iphone' literally the day after the last iPhone release but back then, was it the same? Considering it was so revolutionary and groundbreaking.

 

[otternonsense]

My favorite product release, followed by the "flowerpot" iMac G4. You had to give it to Jobs to draw an exuberant standing ovation over a piece of clever gadgetry. I miss that kind of Apple that served as a technologist's dream escape from the dull CES recluse. I miss Steve's brilliance and charisma. And I miss the "tech/design saves the day" optimism that permeated the mid-noughts before that big financial meltdown flung us into slow-burning cynicism.

Hurts to see how 10 years later Tim Cook has turned the iPhone into a stodgy commodity, the Mac into a collector's item, and Apple into Ballmer's Microsoft #2.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

I was there. It was a decent keynote. Not the best.

I still remember all the idiots flooding into the MacWorld expo minutes later. "DOES YOUR PRODUCT SUPPORT THE THING THAT STEVE JUST ANNOUNCED MINUTES AGO?" No. "WELL THOSE GUYS OVER THERE SAY THEIRS DOES!" They're lying. The phone isn't even out for several months.

 

[AngerDanger]

Oh, you mean it's been 10 years already since the whole of humanity went full zombie?

Time flies, good.

Humanity has always been running full zombie, once you take your rose tinted retro glasses off. Heck, I bet you could even find a quote from Platon saying the same thing.

Right on, Fzang. Although I don't know exactly how old this sentiment is, the XKCD comic below shows that people have been bemoaning the same thing since the 1800s. My favorite of the bunch is "The age of leisure is dead, and the art of conversation is dying." It's from 1890, but sure, let's blame… smartphones.

Spoiler: Tall Image

The beginning of the end for social interactions and the era we pretended to strangers we actually gave a **** with a like button.

Irony explosion! You're complaining about a loss of social interaction… on social media (like the people in the photo) using a meme from another social media site. Wow. Now we just need a picture of you right as you posted that with the same "best party ever" caption.

 

[cheesyappleuser]

As far as TC is concerned, best is always coming. It's just that it's kinda hard to believe him, since it never comes. And when he introduces 'the best', he leaves a lot of people disappointed (iPhone 7, new MBP, etc.).

I don't think it will ever come. There are too many things happening in tech right now and Apple doesn't seem to board in.
Worse, their product lines right now are underwhelming, to say the best. I usually defend Apple and its products but Cook's leadership is underwhelming and apparently unsuitable for a company like this.

 

[MH01]

Yes but the point I think is that Microsoft then (and now) didn't understand that this phone would appeal to normal people. Microsoft for years held the view that the consumer space didn't want a smartphone and Balmer for having that view, is a moron.

Not at the price point it was released. Hence the quote from the video And price drop.

Apple even admitted it was over priced.

 

[villicodelirant]

Right on, Fzang. Although I don't know exactly how old this sentiment is, the XKCD comic below shows that people have been bemoaning the same thing since the 1800s. My favorite of the bunch is "The age of leisure is dead, and the art of conversation is dying." It's from 1890, but sure, let's blame… smartphones.

Note that that XKCD comic only proves that the quality of conversation and letter-writing has been monotonically decreasing since the 19th century, which is entirely consistent with it reaching 0 in the foreseeable future

(Also, it doesn't address the issues related to the rise of social media)

 

[Jax44]

Although we do know they're reducing the numbers they're manufacturing due to lower demand.

No we don't . We know some " source" says they reduced orders from the Holiday and launch peak by 10%, something any manufacturer would do.

 

[UKPoliticsGuy]

But the real question is, will it see another 10?!

 

[Solomani]

I still can't believe they banned all those realistic-looking SJ action-poseable dolls. I really wanted one!

 

[TechGeek76]

iPhone is the best smartphone in the world today.

In your opinion, you forgot that part.

 

[MarsViolet]

Oh, you mean it's been 10 years already since the whole of humanity went full zombie?

Time flies, good.

One of my favorite comments in a long time, and not just because I have never owned a smart phone.

 

[robotica]

This has to be one of my fondest memories of Steve... this and the interview he did with bill gates at all things digital.

Loved my original iPhone like no other.

 

[Medic]

I'd love to see this form-factor updated with today's technology...

Me too...I sometimes think of retrofitting iPhone 4 into original iPhone...don't think it's possible though.

It would be nice if Apple did just that for the anniversary edition! (i.e. modern internals in classic body)

 

[2010mini]

I remember when people reviewed iPhone 10 years ago-one complaint was the fact the 3.5mm headphone jack was recessed and required an adapter.

Now you require an adapter to listen to music etc because it's been removed!

Why do you need an adapter to listen to music??? My son has a 7 and when he plugs it into my wife's car, it plays music. When he uses the lightning headphones, it plays music. When he uses Bluetooth, it plays music. When he airplays to the Apple TV, it plays music.

So I'm a little confused as to why your iPhone needs an adapter to play music???

 

[Sam_S]

I used to love the iPhone and still do to some extent but haven't upgraded from the 6 to the 7 on my usual 2 year upgrade cycle because they removed the headphone jack - need to charge and use 3.5mm jack at same time in car etc.

Interesting that Apple removes the headphone jack and for the first time in 10 years they have a sales decline. Could be a correlation there.

I'm in the same boat! Annoying I can use my nice headphones without an adapter, or going out and buying a brand new Bluetooth version.

I'm hoping for refresh of the SE. An upgraded camera, internals, 128GB options and the same design. I want to go back to a smaller simpler phone that just works...
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Why do you need an adapter to listen to music??? My son has a 7 and when he plugs it into my wife's car, it plays music. When he uses the lightning headphones, it plays music. When he uses Bluetooth, it plays music. When he airplays to the Apple TV, it plays music.

So I'm a little confused as to why your iPhone needs an adapter to play music???

Some people still use 3.5mm headphones because they are much better then the garbage that Apple includes in the box.