iPhone

This article is about Apple's smartphone line. For the original iPhone, see iPhone (1st generation). For other uses, see iPhone (disambiguation).

iPhone

The front face of an iPhone 14 Pro in Deep Purple
Developer	Apple Inc.
Manufacturer	Foxconn, Pegatron, Wistron (contract manufacturers)
Type	Smartphone
Units sold	2.2 billion (as of November 1, 2018)
Operating system	iOS
Storage	64, 128, 256, 512 GB or 1 TB flash memory
Sound	Bluetooth stereo speaker (iPhone 7 and up) microphone Lightning port
Power	Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Online services	App Store Apple One iCloud Apple Pay
Related	iPad (comparison)
Website	apple.com/iphone/

The iPhone is a line of smartphones designed and marketed by Apple Inc. These devices use Apple's iOS mobile operating system. The first-generation iPhone was announced by then-Apple CEO Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007. Since then, Apple has annually released new iPhone models and iOS updates. As of November 1, 2018, more than 2.2 billion iPhones had been sold. As of 2022, the iPhone accounts for 15.6% of global smartphone market share.

The iPhone was the first mobile phone with multi-touch technology. Since the iPhone's launch, it gained larger screen sizes, video-recording, waterproofing, and many accessibility features. Up to iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, iPhones had a single button on the front panel with the Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Since iPhone X, iPhone models have switched to a nearly bezel-less front screen design with Face ID facial recognition, and app switching activated by gestures. Touch ID is still used for Apple's currently-produced iPhone SE series.

The iPhone is one of the two largest smartphone platforms in the world alongside Android, and is a large part of the luxury market. The iPhone has generated large profits for Apple, making it one of the world's most valuable publicly traded companies. The first-generation iPhone was described as a "revolution" for the mobile phone industry and subsequent models have also garnered praise. The iPhone has been credited with popularizing the smartphone and slate form factor, and with creating a large market for smartphone apps, or "app economy". As of January 2017, Apple's App Store contained more than 2.2 million applications for the iPhone.

History of models

Main article: History of the iPhone

Development of an Apple smartphone began in 2004, when Apple started to gather a team of 1,000 employees led by hardware engineer Tony Fadell, software engineer Scott Forstall, and design officer Jony Ive, to work on the highly confidential "Project Purple".

Then-Apple CEO Steve Jobs steered the original focus away from a tablet (which was later revisited in the form of the iPad) towards a phone. Apple created the device during a secretive collaboration with Cingular Wireless (later renamed AT&T Mobility) at the time—at an estimated development cost of US$150 million over thirty months. According to Jobs in 1998, the "i" word in "iMac" (and therefore "iPod", "iPhone" and "iPad") stands for internet, individual, instruct, inform, and inspire.

Apple rejected the "design by committee" approach that had yielded the Motorola ROKR E1, a largely unsuccessful "iTunes phone" made in collaboration with Motorola. Among other deficiencies, the ROKR E1's firmware limited storage to only 100 iTunes songs to avoid competing with Apple's iPod nano. Cingular gave Apple the liberty to develop the iPhone's hardware and software in-house, a rare practice at the time, and paid Apple a fraction of its monthly service revenue (until the iPhone 3G), in exchange for four years of exclusive U.S. sales, until 2011.

Jobs unveiled the first-generation iPhone to the public on January 9, 2007, at the Macworld 2007 convention at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The iPhone incorporated a 3.5-inch multi-touch display with few hardware buttons, and ran the iPhone OS operating system with a touch-friendly interface, then marketed as a version of Mac OS X. It launched on June 29, 2007, at a starting price of US$499 in the United States, and required a two-year contract with AT&T.

Worldwide iPhone availability:

  iPhone available since its original release

  iPhone available since the release of iPhone 3G

On July 11, 2008, at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2008, Apple announced the iPhone 3G, and expanded its launch-day availability to twenty-two countries, and it was eventually released in 70 countries and territories. The iPhone 3G introduced faster 3G connectivity, and a lower starting price of US$199 (with a two-year AT&T contract). Its successor, the iPhone 3GS, was announced on June 8, 2009, at WWDC 2009, and introduced video recording functionality.

First iPhone on display under glass at the January 2007 Macworld show

The iPhone 4 was announced on June 7, 2010, at WWDC 2010, and introduced a redesigned body incorporating a stainless steel frame and a rear glass panel. At release, the iPhone 4 was marketed as the "world's thinnest smartphone"; it uses the Apple A4 processor, being the first iPhone to use an Apple custom-designed chip. It introduced the Retina display, having four-times the display resolution of preceding iPhones, and was the highest-resolution smartphone screen at release; a front-facing camera was also introduced, enabling video calling functionality via FaceTime.

Users of the iPhone 4 reported dropped/disconnected telephone calls when holding their phones in a certain way, and this issue was nicknamed "antennagate". In January 2011, as Apple's exclusivity agreement with AT&T was expiring, Verizon announced that the would be carrying the iPhone 4, with a model compatible with Verizon's CDMA network releasing on February 10.

The iPhone 4S was announced on October 4, 2011, and introduced the Siri virtual assistant, a dual-core A5 processor, and an 8 megapixel camera with 1080p video recording functionality. The iPhone 5 was announced on September 12, 2012, and introduced a larger 4-inch screen, up from the 3.5-inch screen of all previous iPhone models, as well as faster 4G LTE connectivity. It also introduced a thinner and lighter body made of aluminum alloy, and the 30-pin dock connector of previous iPhones was replaced with the new, reversible Lightning connector.

Bottom angle comparison between iPhone 5C (top), iPhone 5s (middle), and iPhone 4S (bottom).

The iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C were announced on September 10, 2013. The iPhone 5S included a 64-bit A7 processor, becoming the first ever 64-bit smartphone; it also introduced the Touch ID fingerprint authentication sensor. The iPhone 5C was a lower-cost device that incorporated hardware from the iPhone 5, into a series of colorful plastic frames.

On September 9, 2014, Apple introduced the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, and included significantly larger screens than the iPhone 5S, at 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch respectively; both models also introduced mobile payment technology via Apple Pay. Optical image stabilization was introduced to the 6 Plus' camera. The Apple Watch was also introduced on the same day, and is a smartwatch that operates in conjunction with a connected iPhone. Some users experienced bending issues from normal use with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, particularly on the latter model, and this issue was nicknamed "bendgate".

The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus were introduced on September 9, 2015, and included a more bend-resistant frame made of a stronger aluminum alloy, as well as a higher resolution 12-megapixel main camera capable of 4K video recording. The first-generation iPhone SE was introduced on March 21, 2016, and was a low-cost device that incorporated newer hardware from the iPhone 6S, in the frame of the older iPhone 5S.

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were announced on September 7, 2016, which introduced larger camera sensors, IP67-certified water and dust resistance, and a quad-core A10 Fusion processor utilizing big.LITTLE technology; the 3.5mm headphone jack was removed, and was followed by the introduction of the AirPods wireless earbuds. Optical image stabilization was added to the 7's camera. A second telephoto camera lens was added on the 7 Plus, enabling two-times optical zoom, and "Portrait" photography mode which simulates bokeh in photos.

The iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and iPhone X were announced on September 12, 2017, in Apple's first event held at the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park. All models featured rear glass panel designs akin to the iPhone 4, wireless charging, and a hexa-core A11 Bionic chip with "Neural Engine" AI accelerator hardware. The iPhone X additionally introduced a 5.8-inch OLED "Super Retina" display with a "bezel-less" design, with a higher pixel density and contrast ratio than previous iPhones with LCD displays, and introduced a stronger frame made of stainless steel. It also introduced Face ID facial recognition authentication hardware, in a "notch" screen cutout, in place of Touch ID; the home button was removed to make room for additional screen space, replacing it with a gesture-based navigation system. At its US$999 starting price, the iPhone X was the most expensive iPhone at launch.

Picture of the cameras on the iPhone 13 Pro. Newer iPhone models have been praised for their camera quality.

The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and XS Max were announced on September 12, 2018. All models featured the "Smart HDR" computational photography system, and a signficantly more powerful "Neural Engine". The XS Max introduced a larger 6.5-inch screen. The iPhone XR included a 6.1-inch LCD "Liquid Retina" display, with a "bezel-less" design similar to the iPhone X, but does not include a second telephoto lens; it was made available in a series of vibrant colors, akin to the iPhone 5C, and was a lower-cost device compared to the iPhone X and XS.

The iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max were announced on September 10, 2019. The iPhone 11 was the succeesor to the iPhone XR, while the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max succeeded the iPhone XS and XS Max. All models gained an ultra-wide lens, enabling two-times optical zoom out, as well as larger batteries for longer battery life. The second-generation iPhone SE was introduced on April 17, 2020, and was a low-cost device that incorporated newer hardware from the iPhone 11, in the frame of the older iPhone 8, while retaining the home button and the Touch ID sensor.

The iPhone 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max were announced via a livestream event on October 13, 2020. All models featured OLED "Super Retina XDR" displays, introduced faster 5G connectivity, and the MagSafe magnetic charging and accessory system; a slimmer flat-edged design was also introduced, which combined with stronger glass-ceramic front glass, added better drop protection compared to previous iPhones. The iPhone 12 Mini introduced a smaller 5.4-inch screen, while the 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max had larger screens of 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch respectively. The iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max additionally added a Lidar sensor for better accuracy in augumented reality (AR) applications.

The iPhone 13, 13 Mini, 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max were announced via a livestream event on September 14, 2021. All models featured larger camera sensors, larger batteries for longer battery life, and a narrower "notch" screen cutout. The iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max additionally introduced smoother adaptive 120 Hz refresh rate "ProMotion" technology in its OLED display, and three-times optical zoom in the telephoto lens. The low-cost third-generation iPhone SE was introduced on March 8, 2022, and incorporated the A15 Bionic chip from the iPhone 13, but otherwise retained similar hardware to the second-generation iPhone SE.

The iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, and 14 Pro Max were announced on September 7, 2022. All models introduced satellite phone emergency calling functionality. The iPhone 14 Plus introduced the large 6.7-inch screen size, first seen on the iPhone 12 Pro Max, into a lower-cost device. The iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max additionally introduced a higher-resolution 48-megapixel main camera, the first increase in megapixel count since the iPhone 6S; it also introduced always-on display technology to the lock screen, and an interactive status bar interface integrated in a redesigned screen cutout, entitled "Dynamic Island".

Production

Up to the iPhone 4, all iPhones and other iOS devices were manufactured by Foxconn, based in Taiwan. In 2011, new CEO Tim Cook changed Apple's manufacturing strategy to diversify its suppliers. The iPhone 4S in 2012 was the first model to be manufactured simultaneously by two stand-alone companies: Foxconn and Pegatron, the latter also based in Taiwan. Although Foxconn still produces more iPhones, Pegatron's orders have been slowly increased: the company made part of the iPhone 5C line in 2013, and 30% of iPhone 6 devices in 2014. The 6 Plus model was produced solely by Foxconn. In 2019, Apple investigated reports that some Foxconn managers had used rejected parts to build iPhones. In India, Apple pays Wistron, a Taiwan-based manufacturer with a plant near Bangalore, to assemble iPhones to sell in the region.

In 2022, Apple announced that a portion of iPhone 14 would be manufactured in Tamil Nadu, India, as a response to China's "zero-COVID" policy that has negatively affected global supply chains for many industries. Apple has stated that they plan to shift 25% of iPhone production to India by 2025.

Support status, lifespan, launch prices

model	release(d)		discontinued	support				launch price ($US)
	with OS	date		ended	final OS	lifespan
						max	min
iPhone	iPhone OS 1.0	June 29, 2007 (2007-06-29)	June 9, 2008 (2008-06-09)	June 20, 2010 (2010-06-20)	iPhone OS 3.1.3	2 years, 11 months	2 years	$499/$599*
iPhone 3G	iPhone OS 2.0	July 11, 2008 (2008-07-11)	August 9, 2010 (2010-08-09)	March 3, 2011 (2011-03-03)	iOS 4.2.1	2 years, 7 months	6 months	$199/$299* $599/$699
iPhone 3GS	iPhone OS 3.0	June 19, 2009 (2009-06-19)	September 12, 2012 (2012-09-12)	September 18, 2013 (2013-09-18) (late, single update: February 21, 2014 (2014-02-21))	iOS 6.1.6	4 years, 2 months	1 year
iPhone 4	iOS 4.0	June 24, 2010 (2010-06-24)	September 10, 2013 (2013-09-10)	September 17, 2014 (2014-09-17)	iOS 7.1.2
iPhone 4S	iOS 5.0	October 14, 2011 (2011-10-14)	September 9, 2014 (2014-09-09)	September 12, 2016 (2016-09-12) (late, single update: July 22, 2019 (2019-07-22))	iOS 9.3.5 (9.3.6)	4 years, 10 months	2 years	$199/$299/$399* $649/$749/$849
iPhone 5	iOS 6.0	September 21, 2012 (2012-09-21)	September 10, 2013 (2013-09-10)	September 18, 2017 (2017-09-18) (late, single update: July 22, 2019 (2019-07-22))	iOS 10.3.3 (10.3.4)	4 years, 11 months	4 years
iPhone 5C	iOS 7.0	September 20, 2013 (2013-09-20)	September 9, 2015 (2015-09-09)	September 18, 2017 (2017-09-18)	iOS 10.3.3	3 years, 11 months	2 years	$99/$199* $549/$649
iPhone 5S	iOS 7.0	September 20, 2013 (2013-09-20)	March 21, 2016 (2016-03-21)	September 18, 2019 (2019-09-18) (late, single update: August 31, 2022 (2022-08-31))	iOS 12.4.1 (12.5.6)	5 years, 11 months	3 years, 5 months	$199/$299/$399* $649/$749/$849
iPhone 6 / 6 Plus	iOS 8.0	September 19, 2014 (2014-09-19)	September 7, 2016 (2016-09-07)			4 years, 11 months	3 years	$199/$299/$399* $649/$749/$849 Plus:$299/$399/$499* Plus:$749/$849/$949
iPhone 6S / 6S Plus	iOS 9.0.1	September 25, 2015 (2015-09-25)	September 12, 2018 (2018-09-12)	supported (bug fixes only)	iOS 15.7	7 years	4 years, 1 month	$199/$299/$399* $649/$749/$849 Plus:$299/$399/$499* Plus:$749/$849/$949
iPhone SE (1st)	iOS 9.3	March 31, 2016 (2016-03-31)	September 12, 2018 (2018-09-12)			6 years, 6 months	4 years, 1 month	$399/$499
iPhone 7 / 7 Plus	iOS 10.0.1	September 16, 2016 (2016-09-16)	September 10, 2019 (2019-09-10)			6 years, 1 month	3 years, 1 month	$199/$299/$399* $649/$749/$849 Plus:$319/$419/$519* Plus:$769/$869/$969
iPhone 8 / 8 Plus	iOS 11.0	September 22, 2017 (2017-09-22)	April 15, 2020 (2020-04-15)	current	latest iOS	5 years	2 years, 6 months	$699/$849 Plus:$799/$949
iPhone X	iOS 11.0.1	November 3, 2017 (2017-11-03)	September 12, 2018 (2018-09-12)			4 years, 11 months	4 years, 1 month	$549/$699* $999/$1149
iPhone XR	iOS 12.0	October 26, 2018 (2018-10-26)	September 14, 2021 (2021-09-14)			3 years, 11 months	1 year, 1 month	$749/$799/$899
iPhone XS / XS Max	iOS 12.0	September 21, 2018 (2018-09-21)	September 10, 2019 (2019-09-10)			4 years, 1 month	3 years, 1 month	$999/$1149/$1349 Max:$1099/$1249/$1449
iPhone 11	iOS 13.0	September 20, 2019 (2019-09-20)	September 7, 2022 (2022-09-07)			3 years	1 month	$699/$749/$849
iPhone 11 Pro / 11 Pro Max	iOS 13.0	September 20, 2019 (2019-09-20)	October 13, 2020 (2020-10-13)			3 years	2 years	$999/$1149/$1349 Max: $1099/$1249/$1449
iPhone SE (2nd)	iOS 13.4	April 24, 2020 (2020-04-24)	March 8, 2022 (2022-03-08)			2 years, 5 months	7 months	$399/$449/$549
iPhone 12 / 12 Mini	iOS 14.1 (12) iOS 14.2 (12 Mini)	October 23, 2020 (2020-10-23) (12) November 13, 2020 (2020-11-13) (12 Mini)	September 7, 2022 (12 mini)	current	latest iOS	1 year, 11 months (12) 1 year, 11 months (12 Mini)	1 month (12 Mini)	$829/$879/$979** Mini: $729/$779/$879**
iPhone 12 Pro / 12 Pro Max	iOS 14.1 (12 Pro) iOS 14.2 (12 Pro Max)	October 23, 2020 (2020-10-23) (12 Pro) November 13, 2020 (2020-11-13) (12 Pro Max)	September 14, 2021 (2021-09-14)	current	latest iOS	1 year, 11 months (12 Pro) 1 year, 11 months (12 Pro Max)	1 year, 1 month	$999/$1099/$1299 Max: $1099/$1199/$1399
iPhone 13 / 13 Mini	iOS 15.0	September 24, 2021 (2021-09-24)	()	current	latest iOS	1 year		$829/$929/$1129** Mini: $729/$829/$1029**
iPhone 13 Pro / 13 Pro Max	iOS 15.0	September 24, 2021 (2021-09-24)	September 7, 2022 (2022-09-07)	current	latest iOS	1 year	1 month	$999/$1099/$1299/$1499 Max: $1099/$1199/$1399/$1599
iPhone SE (3rd)	iOS 15.4	March 18, 2022 (2022-03-18)	()	current	latest iOS	7 months		$429/$479/$579
iPhone 14 / 14 Plus	iOS 16.0	September 16, 2022 (2022-09-16) October 8, 2022 (2022-10-08) (14 Plus)	()			1 month		$799/$899/$1099** Plus: $899/$999/$1199**
iPhone 14 Pro / 14 Pro Max	iOS 16.0	September 16, 2022 (2022-09-16)	()			1 month		$999/$1099/$1299/$1499 Max: $1099/$1199/$1399/$1599
Legend:   Discontinued and unsupported   Discontinued, though still supported, but not upgraded   Discontinued, but still supported and upgraded   Current or still sold *24-month contract required **$30 off with carrier special offers

Models

See also: List of iOS devices § iPhone

38 iPhone models have been produced. The models in bold are devices of the latest generation:

Current devices

• iPhone 12 (2020–present)
• iPhone 13 (2021–present)
• iPhone 13 Mini (2021–present)
• iPhone SE (3rd) (2022–present)
• iPhone 14 (2022–present)
• iPhone 14 Plus (2022–present)
• iPhone 14 Pro (2022–present)
• iPhone 14 Pro Max (2022–present)

Past devices

• iPhone (2007–2008)
• iPhone 3G (2008–2010)
• iPhone 3GS (2009–2012)
• iPhone 4 (2010–2013)
• iPhone 4S (2011–2014)
• iPhone 5 (2012–2013)
• iPhone 5C (2013–2015)
• iPhone 5S (2013–2016)
• iPhone 6 (2014–2016)
• iPhone 6 Plus (2014–2016)
• iPhone 6S (2015–2018)
• iPhone 6S Plus (2015–2018)
• iPhone SE (1st) (2016–2018)
• iPhone 7 (2016–2019)
• iPhone 7 Plus (2016–2019)
• iPhone 8 (2017–2020)
• iPhone 8 Plus (2017–2020)
• iPhone X (2017–2018)
• iPhone XS (2018–2019)
• iPhone XS Max (2018–2019)
• iPhone XR (2018–2021)
• iPhone 11 (2019–2022)
• iPhone 11 Pro (2019–2020)
• iPhone 11 Pro Max (2019–2020)
• iPhone SE (2nd) (2020–2022)
• iPhone 12 Mini (2020–2022)
• iPhone 12 Pro (2020–2021)
• iPhone 12 Pro Max (2020–2021)
• iPhone 13 Pro (2021–2022)
• iPhone 13 Pro Max (2021–2022)

Model	Release date	Display type	Display size	Display resolution	SoC	GPU (Integrated with SoC)	RAM	Internal Storage	Camera		Battery	Operating System
									Rear	Front		Initial	Latest
iPhone	June 2007	TFT With Corning Gorilla Glass	3.5"	320x480px (HVGA, ~165 ppi)	ARM1176JZ(F)-S 412 MHz	PowerVR MBX	128 MB (eDRAM)	4 GB 8 GB 16 GB	2 MP	N/A	1400 mAh (Li-Ion)	iPhone OS 1.0	iPhone OS 3.1.3
iPhone 3G	July 2008							8 GB 16 GB			1220 mAh (Li-Ion)	iPhone OS 2.0	iOS 4.2.1
iPhone 3GS	June 2009				Samsung S5PC100 600 MHz	PowerVR SGX535	256 MB (DRAM)	8 GB 16 GB 32 GB	3 MP		1400 mAh (Li-Ion)	iPhone OS 3.0	iOS 6.1.6
iPhone 4	June 2010	IPS LCD With Corning Gorilla Glass		640x960px (~330 ppi)	Apple A4 1 GHz		512 MB (LPDDR)		5 MP	0.3 MP	1420 mAh	iOS 4.0	iOS 7.1.2
iPhone 4S	October 2011				Apple A5 2x 1 GHz	PowerVR SGX543 MP2 @200 MHz	512 MB (DDR2 SDRAM)	8 GB 16 GB 32 GB 64 GB	8 MP, f/2.4		1432 mAh	iOS 5.0	iOS 9.3.6
iPhone 5	September 2012		4.0"	640x1136px (~326 ppi)	Apple A6 2x 1.3 GHz	PowerVR SGX543 MP3 @325 MHz	1 GB (LPDDR2)	16 GB 32 GB 64 GB		1.2 MP, f/2.4	1440 mAh	iOS 6.0	iOS 10.3.4
iPhone 5C	September 2013							8 GB 16 GB 32 GB			1510 mAh	iOS 7.0	iOS 10.3.3
iPhone 5S					Apple A7 2x 1.3 GHz	PowerVR G6430 @450 MHz	1 GB (LPDDR3)	16 GB 32 GB 64 GB	8 MP, f/2.2		1560 mAh		iOS 12.5.6
iPhone 6	September 2014	IPS LCD	4.7"	750x1334px (~326 ppi)	Apple A8 2x 1.4 GHz	PowerVR GX6450 @533 MHz		16 GB 32 GB 64 GB 128 GB		1.2 MP, f/2.2	1810 mAh (Li-Po)	iOS 8.0
iPhone 6 Plus			5.5"	1080x1920px (FHD, ~401 ppi)				16 GB 64 GB 128 GB			2915 mAh (Li-Po)
iPhone 6S	September 2015		4.7"	750x1334px (~326 ppi)	Apple A9 2x 1.85 GHz	PowerVR GT7600 @600 MHz	2 GB (LPDDR4)	16 GB 32 GB 64 GB 128 GB	12 MP, f/2.2	5 MP, f/2.2	1715 mAh (Li-Po)	iOS 9.0	iOS 15.7
iPhone 6S Plus			5.5"	1080x1920px (FHD, ~401 ppi)							2750 mAh (Li-Po)
iPhone SE (1st)	March 2016		4.0"	640x1136px (~326 ppi)						1.2 MP, f/2.4	1624 mAh (Li-Po)	iOS 9.3
iPhone 7	September 2016	Retina IPS LCD With strengthened glass	4.7"	750x1334px (~326 ppi)	Apple A10 Fusion 4x 2.34 GHz	PowerVR GT7600 Plus @900 MHz	2 GB (LPDDR4)	32 GB 128 GB 256 GB (NVMe)	12 MP, f/1.8	7 MP, f/2.2	1960 mAh (Li-Ion)	iOS 10.0.1
iPhone 7 Plus			5.5"	1080x1920px (FHD, ~401 ppi)			3 GB (LPDDR4)				2900 mAh (Li-Ion)
iPhone 8	September 2017		4.7"	750x1334px (~326 ppi)	Apple A11 Bionic 6x 2.39 GHz	Apple-designed 3 core	2 GB (LPDDR4X)	64 GB 128 GB 256 GB (NVMe)			1821 mAh (Li-Ion)	iOS 11.0	iOS 16.0.3
iPhone 8 Plus			5.5"	1080x1920px (FHD, ~401 ppi)			3 GB (LPDDR4X)		12 MP, f/1.8 + 12 MP, f/2.8 (telephoto)		2691 mAh (Li-Ion)
iPhone X	November 2017	Super Retina OLED	5.8"	1125x2436px (~458 ppi)	Apple A11 Bionic 6x 2.39 GHz			64 GB 256 GB (NVMe)	12 MP, f/1.8 + 12 MP, f/2.4 (telephoto)		2716 mAh (Li-Ion)	iOS 11.0.1
iPhone XS	September 2018				Apple A12 Bionic 2x 2.5 GHz + 4x 1.6 GHz	Apple-designed 4 core	4 GB (LPDDR4X)	64 GB 256 GB 512 GB (NVMe)			2658 mAh (Li-Ion)	iOS 12.0
iPhone XS Max			6.5"	1242x2688px (~458 ppi)							3174 mAh (Li-Ion)
iPhone XR	October 2018	Liquid Retina IPS LCD	6.1"	828x1792px (~326 ppi)			3 GB (LPDDR4X)	64 GB 128 GB 256 GB (NVMe)	12 MP, f/1.8		2942 mAh (Li-Ion)
iPhone 11	September 2019				Apple A13 Bionic 2x 2.65 GHz + 4x 1.8 GHz		4 GB (LPDDR4X)		12 MP, f/1.8 + 12 MP, f/2.4 (ultrawide)	12 MP, f/2.2	3110 mAh (Li-Ion)	iOS 13.0
iPhone 11 Pro		Super Retina XDR OLED	5.8"	1125x2436px (~458 ppi)				64 GB 256 GB 512 GB (NVMe)	12 MP, f/1.8 + 12 MP, f/2.0 (telephoto) + 12 MP, f/2.4 (ultrawide)		3046 mAh (Li-Ion)
iPhone 11 Pro Max			6.5"	1242x2688px (~458 ppi)							3969 mAh (Li-Ion)
iPhone SE (2nd)	April 2020	Retina IPS LCD	4.7"	750x1334px (~326 ppi)			3 GB (LPDDR4X)	64 GB 128 GB 256 GB (NVMe)	12 MP, f/1.8	7 MP, f/2.2	1821 mAh (Li-Ion)	iOS 13.4
iPhone 12	October 2020	Super Retina XDR OLED With Ceramic Shield glass	6.1"	1170x2532px (~460 ppi)	Apple A14 Bionic 2x 3.1 GHz + 4x 1.8 GHz		4 GB (LPDDR4)		12 MP, f/1.6 + 12 MP, f/2.4 (ultrawide)	12 MP, f/2.2	2815 mAh (Li-Ion)	iOS 14.1
iPhone 12 Pro							6 GB (LPDDR4X)	128 GB 256 GB 512 GB (NVMe)	12 MP, f/1.6 + 12 MP, f/2.0 (telephoto) + 12 MP, f/2.4 (ultrawide)
iPhone 12 Mini	November 2020		5.4"	1080x2340px (~476 ppi)			4 GB (LPDDR4)	64 GB 128 GB 256 GB (NVMe)	12 MP, f/1.6 + 12 MP, f/2.4 (ultrawide)		2227 mAh (Li-Ion)	iOS 14.2
iPhone 12 Pro Max			6.7"	1284x2778px (~458 ppi)			6 GB (LPDDR4X)	128 GB 256 GB 512 GB (NVMe)	12 MP, f/1.6 + 12 MP, f/2.0 (telephoto) + 12 MP, f/2.4 (ultrawide)		3687 mAh (Li-Ion)
iPhone 13	September 2021	Super Retina XDR OLED With Ceramic Shield glass	6.1"	1170x2532px (~460 ppi)	Apple A15 Bionic 2x 3.23 GHz + 4x 2.01 GHz		4 GB (LPDDR4X)	128 GB 256 GB 512 GB (NVMe)	12 MP, f/1.6 + 12 MP, f/2.4 (ultrawide)		3240 mAh (Li-Ion)	iOS 15.0
iPhone 13 Mini			5.4"	1080x2340px (~476 ppi)							2438 mAh (Li-Ion)
iPhone 13 Pro		Super Retina XDR OLED, 120 Hz With Ceramic Shield glass	6.1"	1170x2532px (~460 ppi)		Apple-designed 5 core	6 GB (LPDDR4X)	128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB (NVMe)	12 MP, f/1.5 + 12 MP, f/2.8 (telephoto) + 12 MP, f/1.8 (ultrawide)		3095 mAh (Li-Ion)
iPhone 13 Pro Max			6.7"	1284x2778px (~458 ppi)							4352 mAh (Li-Ion)
iPhone SE (3rd)	March 2022	Retina IPS LCD With strengthened glass	4.7"	750x1334px (~326 ppi)		Apple-designed 4 core	4 GB (LPDDR4X)	64 GB 128 GB 256 GB (NVMe)	12 MP, f/1.8	7 MP, f/2.2	2018 mAh (Li-Ion)	iOS 15.4
iPhone 14	September 2022	Super Retina XDR OLED With Ceramic Shield glass	6.1"	1170x2532px (~460 ppi)		Apple-designed 5 core	6 GB (LPDDR4X)	128 GB 256 GB 512 GB (NVMe)	12 MP, f/1.5 + 12 MP, f/2.4 (ultrawide)	12 MP, f/1.9	3279 mAh	iOS 16.0
iPhone 14 Pro		Super Retina XDR OLED, 120 Hz With Ceramic Shield glass		1179x2556px (~460 ppi)	Apple A16 Bionic 2x 3.46 GHz + 4x 2.02 GHz		6 GB (LPDDR5)	128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB (NVMe)	48 MP, f/1.8 + 12 MP, f/2.8 (telephoto) + 12 MP, f/2.2 (ultrawide)		3200 mAh
iPhone 14 Pro Max			6.7"	1290x2796px (~460 ppi)							4323 mAh
iPhone 14 Plus	October 2022	Super Retina XDR OLED With Ceramic Shield glass		1284x2778px (~458 ppi)	Apple A15 Bionic 2x 3.23 GHz + 4x 2.01 GHz		6 GB (LPDDR4X)	128 GB 256 GB 512 GB (NVMe)	12 MP, f/1.5 + 12 MP, f/2.4 (ultrawide)
Model	Release date	Display type	Display size	Display resolution	SoC	GPU (Integrated with SoC)	RAM	Internal Storage	Rear	Front	Battery	Initial	Latest
									Camera			Operating System

Timeline of iPhone models
See also: Timeline of Apple Inc. products

Source: Apple Newsroom Archive

Hardware

Main article: iPhone hardware

Apple directly sub-contracts hardware production to external OEM companies, maintaining a high degree of control over the end product. The iPhone contains most of the hardware parts of a typical modern smartphone. Some hardware elements, such as 3D Touch and the Taptic Engine, are unique to the iPhone. The main hardware of the iPhone is the touchscreen, with current models offering screens of 4.7 inches and larger. All iPhones include a rear-facing camera; the front-facing camera dates back to the iPhone 4. The iPhone 7 Plus introduced multiple lenses to the rear-facing camera. A range of sensors are also included on the device, such as a proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, accelerometer, gyroscopic sensor, magnetometer, facial recognition sensor or fingerprint sensor (depending on the model) and barometer.

Software

Main articles: iOS and iOS version history

The iPhone runs iOS (formerly iPhone OS). It adopted macOS's Darwin and many of its userland APIs, with Cocoa replaced by Cocoa Touch, and AppKit replaced by UIKit. The graphics stack runs on Metal, Apple's low-level graphics API. The iPhone comes with a set of bundled applications developed by Apple, and supports downloading third-party applications through the App Store.

Apple provides free updates to the operating system for the iPhone, via OTA or through Finder and iTunes on a computer. Major iOS releases have historically accompanied new iPhone models.

Supported OS release

OS release	Generation
	(1st gen)	(2nd gen)	(3rd gen)	Apple A4	Apple A5	Apple A6		Apple A7	Apple A8	Apple A9		Apple A10	Apple A11		Apple A12		Apple A13			Apple A14		Apple A15				Apple A16
	1st	3G	3GS	4	4S	5	5C	5S	6 / 6 Plus	6S / 6S Plus	SE (1st)	7 / 7 Plus	8 / 8 Plus	X	XR	XS / XS Max	11	11 Pro / 11 Pro Max	SE (2nd)	12 / 12 Mini	12 Pro / 12 Pro Max	13 / 13 mini	13 Pro / 13 Pro Max	SE (3rd)	14 / 14 Plus	14 Pro / 14 Pro Max
iPhone OS 1		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
iPhone OS 2			—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
iPhone OS 3				—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
iOS 4		4.2.1			—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
iOS 5						—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
iOS 6							—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
iOS 7									—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
iOS 8										—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
iOS 9											9.3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
iOS 10													—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
iOS 11														11.0.1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
iOS 12																	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
iOS 13																			13.4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
iOS 14																				14.1 / 14.2	14.1 / 14.2	—	—	—	—	—
iOS 15																								15.4	—	—
iOS 16

App Store and third-party apps

See also: iOS SDK and App Store

At WWDC 2007 on June 11, 2007, Apple announced that the iPhone would support third-party Ajax web applications that share the look and feel of the iPhone interface. On October 17, 2007, Steve Jobs, in an open letter posted to Apple's "Hot News" weblog, announced that a software development kit (SDK) would be made available to third-party developers in February 2008. The iPhone SDK was officially announced and released on March 6, 2008. The App Store was launched with the release of iPhone OS 2.0, on July 11, 2008.

Apple requires all third-party apps to be downloaded from the App Store, with exceptions for ad-hoc apps used within enterprises. Developers must pay a yearly $99 fee as part of Apple's Developer Program; if their membership expires, their apps are removed from the App Store, though existing users retain the ability to redownload the app. Developers can release free apps, or paid apps for which Apple takes a 30% cut of proceeds. Developers earning less than $1 million in annual sales qualify for the App Store Small Business Program, with Apple only taking a 15% fee.

Though iOS has far lower market share than Android, its app ecosystem has been described as superior, with higher-quality apps, and more iOS-exclusive releases. Android's version fragmentation, less uniform hardware, and lower app revenues have been cited as key factors.

All apps must pass Apple's app review process before being distributed in the App Store. Apple may also stop distributing apps it deems inappropriate. For example, in 2009, Apple rejected the Newspapers app due to The Sun's "obscene" topless Page 3 girls. In 2018, Apple removed Tumblr from the App Store, citing illegal content, causing Tumblr to ban all adult content from their platform. The App Store's review process has been criticized by developers as "frustrating", "anti-competitive", and "asinine".

Users can also install native apps outside of the App Store through jailbreaking. Jailbreaking may cause security issues, and is not supported by Apple.

As of October 2013, Apple has passed 60 billion app downloads. As of September 2016, there have been over 140 billion app downloads from the App Store. As of January 2017, the App Store has over 2.2 million apps for the iPhone.

Accessibility features

Starting with the iPhone 4S, Apple added an accessibility feature to optimize the function of the iPhone with hearing aids. Apple released a program of Made for iPhone Hearing Aids. These hearing aids deliver a power-efficient, high-quality digital audio experience and allow the user to manage the hearing aid right from the iPhone. Made for iPhone hearing aids also feature Live Listen. With Live Listen the iPhone acts as a remote microphone that sends sound to a Made for iPhone hearing aid. Live Listen can help the user hear a conversation in a noisy room or hear someone speaking across the room.

The Braille Displays for the iOS program was announced by Apple coinciding with the release of the iPhone 3GS, iPad and IPod Touch (3rd generation). This program added support for more than 50 Bluetooth wireless braille displays that work with iOS out of the box. The user only needs to pair the keyboard to the device to start using it to navigate the iOS device with VoiceOver without any additional software. iOS supports braille tables for more than 25 languages.

iPhone lets the user know when an alert is sent to it, in a variety of notice methods. It delivers both visual and vibrating alerts for incoming phone and FaceTime calls, new text messages, new and sent mail, and calendar events. Users can set an LED light flash for incoming calls and alerts or have incoming calls display a photo of the caller. Users can choose from different vibration patterns or even create their own.

The iPhone can enlarge text to make it more accessible for vision-impaired users, and can accommodate hearing-impaired users with closed captioning and external TTY devices. The iPhone 3GS also features white on black mode, VoiceOver (a screen reader), and zooming for impaired vision, and mono audio for limited hearing in one ear. Apple regularly publishes Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates which explicitly state compliance with the U.S. regulation "Section 508".

AssistiveTouch helps to adapt the Multi-touch screen of an iOS device to a user's unique physical needs. This can be of great assistance to those who have difficulty with some gestures, like pinch, one can make them accessible with just a tap of a finger. The user can create their own gestures and customize the layout of the AssistiveTouch menu. If the user has trouble pressing the Home button, it can be set so that it can be activated with an onscreen tap. Gestures, like rotate and shake, are available even when if the iOS device is mounted on a wheelchair.

Guided Access helps people with autism or other attention and sensory challenges stay focused on the task (or app) at hand. With Guided Access, a parent, teacher, or therapist can limit an iOS device to stay on one app by disabling the Home button and limit the amount of time spent in an app. The user can restrict access to the keyboard or touch input on certain areas of the screen.

In 2022, Apple added satellite technology to the iPhone, with the release of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro.

Marketing

The original iPhone was heavily rumoved before its official announcement, creating buzz and anticipation. Upon its release, it was marketed heavily in television, web and print ads created in partnership with TBWA/Chiat/Day.

Repairs

Apple takes numerous measures that make third-party repairs difficult. Only Apple and service providers / independent repair providers explicitly authorized by Apple are able to perform genuine replacements.

In the past (with models as early as the iPhone 6), there have been reports such as denial of operation if the home button is detected to have been tampered with, upon which an Error 53 is indicated instead. There have also been issues caused by swapping a display made by one manufacturer with one made by another, as Apple uses multiple suppliers for its displays.

In more recent models (starting with the iPhone XR), Apple displays non-removable warnings if the battery, display, or camera is replaced by a third party. Additionally, features are disabled upon detection of a "non-genuine" replacement such as disabling true tone or hiding the battery health feature. iFixit notes that a proprietary, cloud-linked System Configuration tool is required to "complete" a part repair, meaning that even replacing a genuine part with another genuine part will fail Apple's "genuine parts" check unless said tool is used.

Apple loses more money than it makes on repair services in the US.

Restrictions

See also: Hardware restrictions § Apple devices

Apple restricts the installation of unapproved third-party apps and does not allow full access to the iPhone's filesystem. Many carriers also SIM lock iPhones sold on contract, though iPhones purchased from Apple are unlocked. According to Jonathan Zittrain, the emergence of closed devices like the iPhone has made computing more proprietary than it was in the PC era. These restrictions have been bypassed by the hacker community. Jailbreaking allows users to install apps not available on the App Store, modify basic functionality, and bypass SIM locks without carrier approval.

Unapproved third-party apps and jailbreaking

Main article: iOS jailbreaking

iOS is designed to only run software that has an Apple-approved cryptographic signature. This restriction can be overcome by jailbreaking the phone, which involves replacing the iPhone's firmware with a slightly modified version that does not enforce the signature check. Doing so may be a circumvention of Apple's technical protection measures. Apple, in a statement to the United States Copyright Office in response to Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) lobbying for a DMCA exception for this kind of hacking, claimed that jailbreaking the iPhone would be copyright infringement due to the necessary modification of system software. However, in 2010, jailbreaking was declared legal in the United States under the DMCA. Jailbroken iPhones may be susceptible to malware, but few such incidents have been reported. In the United States, Apple cannot void an iPhone's warranty solely due to jailbreaking.

In 2007, 2010, and 2011, the iPhone Dev Team released a series of tools called JailbreakMe that used security vulnerabilities in Safari rendering to jailbreak the device. Each of these exploits were quickly fixed by iOS updates from Apple. Theoretically these flaws could have also been used for malicious purposes.

In July 2011, Apple released iOS 4.3.5 (4.2.10 for CDMA iPhone) to fix a security vulnerability with certificate validation.

Following the release of the iPhone 5S model, a group of German hackers called the Chaos Computer Club announced on September 21, 2013, that they had bypassed Apple's new Touch ID fingerprint sensor by using "easy everyday means." The group explained that the security system had been defeated by photographing a fingerprint from a glass surface and using that captured image as verification. The spokesman for the group stated: "We hope that this finally puts to rest the illusions people have about fingerprint biometrics. It is plain stupid to use something that you can't change and that you leave everywhere every day as a security token."

SIM unlocking

Many iPhones bought through a monthly carrier contract are SIM locked, restricting their use to one particular carrier. While the iPhone was initially sold in the U.S. only on the AT&T network with a SIM lock in place, various hackers found methods to bypass that SIM lock. More than a quarter of first-generation iPhones sold in the U.S. were not registered with AT&T. Apple speculated that they were likely shipped overseas and unlocked, a lucrative market before the iPhone 3G's worldwide release. Today, many carriers either remove the SIM lock automatically after a certain period, or do it upon request, either for free or for a small fee. iPhones bought from Apple are not SIM locked. Many carriers also sell the iPhone unlocked when purchased outright.

Privacy

Location tracking controversies

Around April 20, 2011, a hidden unencrypted file on the iPhone and other iOS devices was widely discussed in the media. It was alleged that the file, labeled "consolidated.db", constantly stores the iPhone user's movement by approximating geographic locations calculated by triangulating nearby cell phone towers, a technology proven to be inaccurate at times. The file was released with the June 2010 update of Apple iOS 4 and may contain almost a year's worth of data. Previous versions of iOS stored similar information in a file called "h-cells.plist".

F-Secure discovered that the data is transmitted to Apple twice a day and postulate that Apple is using the information to construct their global location database similar to the ones constructed by Google and Skyhook through wardriving. Nevertheless, unlike the Google "Latitude" application, which performs a similar task on Android phones, the file is not dependent upon signing a specific EULA or even the user's knowledge, but it is stated in the 15,200-word-long terms and conditions of the iPhone that "Apple and [their] partners and licensees may collect, use, and share precise location data, including the real-time geographic location of [the user's] Apple computer or device".

The file is also automatically copied onto the user's computer once synchronized with the iPhone. An open-source application named "iPhoneTracker", which turns the data stored in the file into a visual map, was made available to the public in April 2011. While the file cannot be erased without jailbreaking the phone, it can be encrypted.

Apple gave an official response on their web site on April 27, 2011, after questions were submitted by users, the Associated Press and others. Apple clarified that the data is a small portion of their crowd-sourced location database cache of Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers which is downloaded from Apple into the iPhone for making location services faster than with only GPS, therefore the data does not represent the locations of the iPhone. The volume of data retained was an error. Apple issued an update for iOS (version 4.3.3, or 4.2.8 for the CDMA iPhone 4) which reduced the size of the cache, stopped it being backed up to iTunes, and erased it entirely whenever location services were turned off. The upload to Apple can also be selectively disabled from "System services", "Cell Network Search." Regardless, in July 2014, a report on state-owned China Central Television labeled the iPhone a "national security concern."

The "Frequent Locations" feature found in "Settings" under "Location Services" stores commonly visited locations locally on the device. This feature is said to help the accuracy of the GPS and Apple Maps since it can log information about the locations the user has frequently visited. However, this feature also keeps track of the number of times that the user has been to that location, the dates, and the exact times. Media outlets have publicized instructions on how this can be disabled for concerned users.

Security

Encryption

It was revealed as a part of the 2013 mass surveillance disclosures that the American and British intelligence agencies, the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) have access to the user data in iPhones, BlackBerrys, and Android phones, respectively. They can read almost all smartphone information, including SMS, location, emails, and notes.

According to an article in The New York Times titled "Signaling Post-Snowden Era, New iPhone Locks Out N.S.A.", Apple has developed a new encryption method for iOS 8, described as "so deep that Apple could no longer comply with government warrants asking for customer information to be extracted from devices."

Throughout 2015, prosecutors in the United States argued for the U.S. government to be able to compel decryption of iPhone contents. After the 2015 San Bernardino attack, the FBI recovered an iPhone 5C that was issued to one of the shooters by his employer, and iCloud backups of that phone from a month and a half before the shooting. (The shooters had destroyed their personal phones.) The U.S. government attempted to obtain a court order under the All Writs Act compelling Apple to produce an IPSW file that would allow investigators to brute force the device passcode. Tim Cook responded on the company's website, outlining a need for encryption, arguing that if they produce a backdoor for one device, it would inevitably be used to compromise the privacy of other iPhone users. On February 19, Apple communicated to journalists that the password for the Apple ID for the iPhone had been changed within a day of the government obtaining it, preventing Apple from producing a workaround that would only target older devices. See FBI–Apple encryption dispute.

The GrayKey, manufactured by Grayshift, can unlock iPhones, even if they are disabled. As a countermeasure, Apple implemented USB Restricted Mode.

As of April 2016, Apple's privacy policy addresses requests from government agencies for access to customers' data: "Apple has never worked with any government agency from any country to create a 'backdoor' in any of our products or services. We have also never allowed any government access to our servers. And we never will." In 2015 the Electronic Frontier Foundation awarded Apple five out of five stars "commend[ing] Apple for its strong stance regarding user rights, transparency, and privacy."

Apple iOS in combination with their specific hardware uses crypto-shredding when activating the "Erase all content and settings" by obliterating all the keys in 'effaceable storage'. This renderes all user data on the device cryptographically inaccessible.

Reception and legacy

The original iPhone has been described as "revolutionary" a "breakthrough handheld computer", and "the best phone that anybody has ever made." It is now Apple's bestselling product, has been credited with helping to make Apple one of the world's most valuable publicly traded companies by 2011. Newer iterations have also received praise and awards.

Before the iPhone, smartphones were mostly used for texting, calls, and email; more advanced functions were harder to use and inconvenient on a small screen. They were also hard to develop for, and lacked a thriving app ecosystem like the App Store (released in 2008). Many phones were heavily customized by mobile carriers, which led to feature fragmentation and prevented these phones from turning into thriving software platforms. In contrast, Apple's iPhone SDK provided a wide range of APIs, made mobile development far more accessible, and was instrumental in turning the iPhone into a "Swiss army knife" with a wide range of features and apps.

Successive iPhone models have generated significant fan enthusiasm, with many customers queuing up in front of Apple Stores on launch day. As of 2021, the iPhone has higher brand loyalty than any other smartphone.

The iPhone's success has led to the decline of incumbents Nokia, BlackBerry, and Motorola. RIM, Symbian and Microsoft all attempted to develop more modern operating systems to compete with the iPhone, like Maemo, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry 10; all were unsuccessful. Google successfully started over on their Android project, and designed it for mass adoption by carriers and phone hardware manufacturers. Today, the iOS and Android account for 99% of smartphones used worldwide.

Sales

Steve Jobs's initial target was to reach 1% of phone market share. Apple sold 6.1 million units of the original iPhone between Q3 FY2007 and Q4 FY2008, and 11.3 million units of the iPhone 3G in Q4 FY2008 and Q1 FY2009. In 2008, the iPhone reached 1.1% of worldwide mobile phone market share, and 8.2% of the smartphone market.

iPhone sales have grown continuously year-over-year since its introduction until Q2 FY2016. The iPhone briefly surpassed BlackBerry in Q4 FY2008, and permanently overtook it starting in Q3 FY2010. By 2011, Apple sold 100 million iPhones worldwide, and became the largest mobile phone vendor in the world by revenue, surpassing long-time leader Nokia. Q1 FY2012 marked Apple's best quarterly earnings in its history, with 53% of the company's revenues coming from iPhone sales. Phone sales are strongly seasonal, peaking in the holiday season (Apple's Q1). With the release of the iPhone 13 in Q1 FY2022, Apple temporarily topped Samsung, with 84.9 million units shipped compared to Samsung's 68.9 million. In most quarters, Apple is the second largest smartphone vendor by units.

Today, Samsung and Apple dominate the smartphone market, with 21.8% and 15.6% worldwide market share respectively. Due to Apple's small lineup, Apple often dominates the list of bestselling smartphone models. Despite its lower market share, the iPhone's premium positioning has led it to capture nearly half of global smartphone revenue, and 80% of global smartphone profits, with Samsung taking the other 20%. Carriers compete with each other to subsidize iPhone upgrades, which is seen as a significant factor in iPhone sales, though this has reduced carrier profits. On July 27, 2016, Apple announced that it had sold their 1 billionth iPhone.

Compared to other high-tech products, a greater proportion of iPhone users are female. The iPhone has been adopted by both consumers and business users. iPhone users are wealthier and spend more time on their phones than Android users on average. The iPhone is especially popular in the U.S., where it has a 50% market share, and is used by 87% of teenagers. Worldwide, the iPhone accounts for 78% of the high-end ($1,000+) smartphone market.

Android overtook the iPhone's installed base in 2010, according to NPD Group. During Apple's earnings call on January 27, 2021, Tim Cook said that 1 billion iPhones were being actively used worldwide.

Emerging markets

While other manufacturers make separate entry-level phones, Apple's entry-level phones are the previous years' models, part of an effort to increase its market share in emerging markets without diluting its premium brand. It also considers emerging market tastes in its product designs; for example, it introduced a gold iPhone after finding that gold was seen as a popular sign of a luxury product among Chinese customers. In 2017, Apple started manufacturing previous years' iPhone models in India; in 2022, began manufacturing the current iPhone 14 there too. Analysts have speculated that this was partly caused by Apple's desire to reduce its dependence on China, and to overcome Indian import duties.

Retail strategy

Since 2013, iPhone buyers can obtain a trade-in discount when buying a new iPhone directly from Apple. The program aims to increase the number of customers who purchase iPhones at Apple Stores rather than carrier stores. In 2015, Apple unveiled the iPhone Upgrade Program, a 24-month leasing agreement, which Fortune described as a "change [in] iPhone owners' relationships with mobile carriers".

See also

• History of the iPhone
• Newton (platform), an early personal digital assistant and the first tablet platform developed by Apple
• Pocket-sized computer

External links

• Video of Steve Jobs announcing the iPhone at Macworld 2007 on YouTube
• Evolution of iPhone at TechEngage, February 3, 2021