The Evolution of the iPhone - From the Original to the XS Max

By Victoria Schmid

Apple recently unveiled the new iPhone XS and XS Max, its best (and largest) iPhones ever. To commemorate the event, let’s take a stroll down memory lane and look at how the iPhone has evolved from the original in 2007 to today’s all-screen beauty.

The Original iPhone — 2007

  • 3.5-inch screen
  • 2-megapixel camera 
  • 4GB and 8GB models

Looking back on the original iPhone, it’s hard to believe how far we’ve come (and how quickly). Though the 3.5-inch display is tiny by today’s standards, it was actually considered overly bulky by som

iPhone 3G — 2008

  • 3G connectivity
  • GPS and location services
  • Twice the storage for a much lower price

The second iPhone, iPhone 3G, brought some much-needed upgrades to the original. The iPhone was now capable of using 3G networks (remember those?), and GPS was included for the first time.

iPhone 4 — 2010

  • Retina display
  • Front-facing camera and FaceTime
  • New glass-and-metal design

The iPhone 4 was arguably the first major redesign of the iPhone, and it’s still considered by many fans to be the best design yet. It also introduced the high-resolution Retina display and the front-facing camera.

iPhone 5 – 2012

  • Larger, 4-inch display
  • Lightning connector
  • 4G LTE connectivity

iPhone 5 was the first iPhone to feature a larger display, bumping it up from 3.5 inches to 4. Like the 3G, it brought a major increase in wireless speeds, adding LTE connectivity.

iPhone 6/6 Plus – 2014

  • Larger, 4.7- and 5.5-inch displays
  • HD Retina display
  • Apple Pay

iPhone 6 marked another redesign, as well as the largest displays yet in an iPhone: 4.7 inches on the regular model and 5.5 inches on the Plus.

iPhone 7/7 Plus – 2016

  • Headphone jack removed
  • Dual cameras on Plus model
  • Solid-state home button

iPhone 7 and 7 Plus kept the same general design and look of the iPhone 6 but added some new color options. It was also the first iPhone to feature a dual-camera setup on the Plus model.

iPhone 8/8 Plus – 2017

  • Wireless charging
  • New glass-backed design
  • True Tone display

The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus kept the same general shape of the iPhone 7 but switched to a glass-backed design. This update also meant wireless charging was available for the first time on an iPhone.

iPhone X – 2017

  • All-screen design
  • New gesture navigation system
  • No more Home button

For the iPhone’s tenth anniversary, Apple unveiled the biggest design change yet. The Home button was gone, along with the top and bottom bezels, allowing the 5.8-inch screen to fill the entire front of the device.

iPhone XS/XS Max – 2018

And that brings us to Apple’s new iPhone XS and XS Max. These phones take everything great about iPhone X and make it better and faster. The XS Max increases the display to a whopping 6.5 inches—the biggest, most beautiful display ever in an iPhone. The new phones are also available in gold, and although there’s no 5G wireless, the modem is significantly faster in these new iPhones, allowing for much faster upload and download speeds.

Looking back at the history of the iPhone, it’s easy to see the progression from the original iPhone in 2007 to today’s bigger, faster XS Max. The XS is Apple’s ultimate vision for the iPhone, with cutting-edge tech that’s leagues ahead of older models.

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