The very first Apple iPhones went on sale 10 years ago today, and that event forever changed the way we use technology.
Contrary to popular belief, the iPhone wasn’t the first smartphone. In fact, several other smartphones had already been in use for years before Steve Jobs took to the stage to unveil his newest innovation.
But those early smartphones were expensive and rarely found outside of government and corporate environments. The iPhone revealed to the masses that technology on such an incredible scale could actually be affordable.
Here’s a list of some of the things that smart phones have at least partially replaced since the first iPhone was sold:
- Landline Telephones
- Landline Internet Connections
- Laptops and Desktop Computers
- GPS Devices
- Fax Machines
- Cameras and Camcorders
- Radios and TV Sets
- Portable Music Players
- Audio Tape Recorders
- Printed Books, Magazines and Newspapers
- Electronic Calculators
- Flashlights
- Scanners (both the EMS Radio and Document types)
- Handheld Gaming Devices
- Board Games
- Barcode Scanners
- Credit Card Scanners
- Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Checks and Money Orders
- Walkie-Talkies and CB Radios
- Clocks and Watches
- Calendars and Timers
- Notepads
- Photo Albums
This is just a partial list as I’m sure I left out a bunch. And to think it all started just 10 years ago when the first iPhones went on sale!
Of course Apple doesn’t have a monopoly on the smart phone market. In fact, there are a lot more Android phones in use today than iPhones. But there’s no denying the impact the iPhone has had on the tech world in particular and our daily lives in general.
There are relatively few people who don’t own a smartphone these days, and that includes children. Yes, there are a few holdouts who have no desire to own one, but their number keeps dwindling by the day.
During Mr. Jobs’ introduction of the new iPhone, he described the device as “a revolutionary product that changes everything“. How right he was.
Bonus tip: Click here to reminisce about the golden era of the rotary telephone.
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