7 Years Of iPhone
It's been seven years and the iPhone is still kicking just as hard – or even – harder than the day it launched. Speaking of the launch – do you remember exactly where you were on that historical day? I remember clearly where I was: at the Cube Apple store in Manhattan where I'd been queued up in a long line along with thousands and thousands of eager iPhone enthusiasts. I was number eight.
I know there are few people out there reading this who are likely to be new to either iPhone or the iOS operating system that powers it, so instead I'll account for my personal experience with it over the past seven years. As a tech reviewer I normally carry more than one device with me, and the iPhone is one I always have in one of my pants pockets. It's not because I was required to, but because it simply works and helps me stay productive.
Being productive isn't possible without the copious amount of quality apps available. I've witnessed more self-made millionaires because of the iPhone over the past years than I can recall, with iOS opening up a gateway to new and established developers for what has become a second age of software. Smartphone apps have become the fastest-moving arena for software, and it's a pattern we've seen repeated across the board.
My day to day iPhone use is easy. iMessage keeps me connected with my team ,and FaceTime lets me do face to face chat with my young kids when I'm on the road: it's great, because it's simple enough for them to call me. While others may not be on the iPhone, because of the numerous apps available we're still able to connect and video chat through services like Google Hangouts and Skype.
Other apps that I've been increasingly relying on include iMovie and iPhoto, along with a slew of news readers to keep me caught up with what's going on around the world. With the iPhone 5 and 5s, the camera technology is now at a point where, when I'm working remotely at an event, I can shoot great pictures as well as high-resolution videos and process them right there in the moment, then upload them for the frontpage of SlashGear all without touching a laptop.
Though I enjoy the compactness of the iPhone 5s, I do look forward to a larger display iPhone. Bigger isn't always better, but I'm trusting Apple will increase the size of the display but still keep the form-factor compact and reasonable for one-handed usage, something I've appreciated about iPhone amid increasingly large "phablets" that can so often demand two hands.
There's no doubt that the smartphone segment is polarizing. Even at the height of the Mac versus Windows argument, I don't recall it being so heated and so divisive as the battle lines that have been drawn between phone platforms. Far more interesting for me is how manufacturers inspire and take inspiration from the industry as a whole, making for a better experience for me, the end-user, and the people who expect me to recommend the "best" phone for them.
What else is on the horizon? Well, all signs point to another historical event coming up: the birth of what everyone has dubbed the iWatch. I'm torn between wanting to follow the rumor machine and find out what Apple is working on, and wanting to keep the sense of surprise when Apple officially announces its wearable strategy. It makes the event that much more interesting.
The smartphone space has become one of the most interesting in the tech industry today, and the iPhone has had a central role in that. Those seven years have passed quickly, and I'm eagerly awaiting the next step in the iPhone's journey. [All iPhone coverage on SlashGear]
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