It was 17 years ago today-17 years!-when the late Steve Jobs stepped on stage at Macworld 2007 and literally changed the world. For on this date 17 years ago, Jobs introduced the iPhone to a boisterous crowd in San Francisco. And make no mistake about it, the executive knew exactly what he had in his pocket. “Every once in a while, a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything,” Jobs said as he started one of the most incredible new product announcements in history.
Say what you want about Steve Jobs, but the man was a master when it came to presenting new technology to the world. Just watch the January 9th, 2007 iPhone unveiling, still available on YouTube, and compare it with today’s pre-recorded announcements. By the end of the day, those who were lucky enough to attend the event and those who had heard about the device from the network news reports were drooling over the iPhone.
17 years ago today, Steve Jobs introduced the device that changed the world, the iPhone
Not that the original iPhone was perfect. Instead of 3G, it used EDGE which was AT&T’s slow-as-molasses cellular service. There also was no cut and paste, no MMS to send video; heck, there was no way to shoot video on the OG iPhone. One issue, thanks to EDGE, was that you couldn’t receive a phone call while using the browser. Of course, all of these flaws were eventually fixed with the iPhone gaining 3G connectivity the very next year
The influence of the OG model still can be seen today and every day wherever you go as people are looking down at their touchscreen phones, swiping, scrolling, and using multi-touch to zoom in or out of content on the screen. It’s amazing how the technology has improved over the years with the addition of app storefronts, virtual assistants, incredible cameras, long-lasting and quick charging batteries, and faster connectivity speeds.
No, what Steve Jobs said on this date 17 years ago was not hyperbole; the OG iPhone was a revolutionary product and the presentation made that day by Mr. Jobs showed us why the smartphone would quickly become the most important device we carry. Today’s phones not only allow you to make telephone calls and video chats, but they can save your life, summon help automatically when you need it, and tell you how to get from point “A” to point “B” safely and quickly.
Of course, there have been some negatives such as security issues, malware, smartphone addiction, and privacy concerns. But on the whole, 17 years later, the OG iPhone turned out to be exactly what Steve Jobs said it was-and more. The iPhone has become a revolutionary product that continues to get better every year.
