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  • The original iPhone set the stage for the modern smartphone, ushering in an era in which pocket-sized touchscreen computers are the norm.
  • Over the past 10 years, Apple's iPhone evolved from a mobile device capable of running basic apps to a powerful computer with professional-grade cameras.
  • Here's a look at how the iPhone has changed since its launch in 2007.

    • When Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the original iPhone in 2007, he called it "an iPod, a phone, and an internet communicator," all in one. Although Jobs knew that the iPhone would change the way we communicate and access the internet, perhaps even he couldn't have predicted exactly how impactful it would be.

    The first iPhone laid the foundation for the modern smartphone, ushering in the era in which pocket-sized computers that can answer any question with the push of a button became the norm.

    Now, everything from the way we work, communicate, shop, travel, manage our finances, and experience entertainment can be done through a smartphone. More than 5 billion people around the world use mobile services, according to estimates from GSMA Intelligence. In 2019, consumers in the United States will spend more time on their mobile devices than they do watching TV, according to eMarketer.

    Here's a look at how the iPhone, which is now more than a decade old, has evolved over the years.

    The original iPhone (2007)

    Apple's first iPhone from 2007 was the one that started it all. It had a 3.5-inch screen, a 2-megapixel camera, and topped out at just 16GB of storage. It didn't even support third-party apps yet.

    While those specifications seem primitive compared to today's super-powerful smartphones, the original iPhone was critical in setting the standard for mobile devices in generations to come. Its multi-touch display, for example, was crucial in paving the way for the touch-based operating systems found on smartphones, tablets, and computers around the world.

    iPhone 3G (2008)

    With the iPhone 3G, Apple added critical new capabilities such as a GPS sensor for location monitoring, support for 3G networks, and faster performance. But perhaps most importantly, it introduced the App Store, transforming the iPhone from just a mobile device capable of accessing the internet to a full-blown computing platform. Today,...

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