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world’s first iPhone
2007 was a game-changer for smartphones. Steve Jobs announced the <anchor>world’s first iPhone</anchor> at January’s Macworld convention. The first iteration included a touchscreen, iPod, camera, full internet access capabilities (a first!) and a wide LCD screen designed for video. It was sleek, lightweight and available in 4GB ($499) and 8GB ($599) models.
Steve Jobs debuts the iPhone | January 9, 2007 | HISTORY
Steve Jobs debuts the iPhone \| January 9, 2007 \| HISTORY

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# Steve Jobs debuts the iPhone

![](https://www.history.com/editorial/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.editorial.aetnd.com%2Fhistory-article-default.desktop.jpg&w=3840&q=75)![](https://www.history.com/editorial/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.editorial.aetnd.com%2Fhistory-article-default.desktop.jpg&w=3840&q=75)

On January 9, 2007, Apple Inc. CEO [Steve Jobs](https://www.biography.com/people/steve-jobs-9354805) [unveils the iPhone](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2007/01/09Apple-Reinvents-the-Phone-with-iPhone/)—a touchscreen mobile phone with an iPod, camera and Web-browsing capabilities, among other features—at the Macworld convention in [San Francisco](/topics/san-francisco). Jobs, dressed in his customary jeans and black mock turtleneck, called the iPhone a “revolutionary and magical product that is literally five years ahead of any other mobile phone.” When it went on sale in the United States six months later, on June 29, amidst huge hype, thousands of customers lined up at Apple stores across the country to be among the first to purchase an iPhone.

In November 2007—by which point more than 1.4 million iPhones had been sold—Time magazine named the sleek, 4.8-ounce device, originally available in a 4GB, $499 model and an 8GB, $599 model, its invention of the year. The iPhone went on sale in parts of Europe in late 2007, and in parts of Asia in 2008. In July 2008, Apple launched its online App Store, enabling people to download software applications that let them use their iPhones for games, social networking, travel planning and an every growing laundry list of other activities. Apple went on to over 10 updated models of the iPhone.

The iPhone helped turned Apple, which Jobs (1955-2011) co-founded with his friend Stephen Wozniak in [California](/topics/us-states/california) in 1976, into one of the planet’s most valuable corporations. In 2012, five years after the iPhone’s debut, more than 200 million had been sold. The iPhone joined a list of innovative Apple products, including the Macintosh (launched in 1984, it was one of the first personal computers to feature a graphical user interface, which allowed people to navigate by pointing and clicking a mouse rather than typing commands) and the iPod portable music player (launched in 2001), that became part of everyday modern life.

[![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)](/news/iphone-original-size-invention-steve-jobs)

[**Steve Jobs Originally Envisioned the iPhone as Mostly a Phone** \
The origin story of the first iPhone reveals that Jobs was just trying to make a really cool phone.\
\
Read more](/news/iphone-original-size-invention-steve-jobs)

[![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)](/news/they-cant-all-be-iphones-the-story-of-apples-forgotten-flop)

[**They Can’t All Be iPhones: The Story of Apple’s Forgotten Flop** \
June of 2017 marked the 10‑year anniversary of the release of Apple’s iPhone, a device that not only revolutionized the way the world communicates, but also helped catapult Apple into a global economic and technological powerhouse. At a time when an estimated 700 million users around the world currently enjoy the fruits of Steve Jobs’ \[…\]\
\
Read more](/news/they-cant-all-be-iphones-the-story-of-apples-forgotten-flop)

By: [History.com Editors](/author/history)

[HISTORY.com](http://history.com/) works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Articles with the “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including [Amanda Onion](https://www.history.com/author/amanda-onion), [Missy Sullivan](https://www.history.com/author/missy-sullivan), [Matt Mullen](https://www.history.com/author/matt-mullen) and Christian Zapata.

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## Citation Information

Article TitleSteve Jobs debuts the iPhone

Author[History.com Editors](/author/history)

Website NameHISTORY

URL[https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/steve-jobs-debuts-the-iphone](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/steve-jobs-debuts-the-iphone)

Date AccessedSeptember 13, 2024

PublisherA&E Television Networks

Last UpdatedJanuary 8, 2024

Original Published DateAugust 29, 2012

## Fact Check

We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, [click here](mailto:support@history.zendesk.com?subject=Fact%20Check%20-%20Steve%20Jobs%20debuts%20the%20iPhone&body=%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%0AReferring%20URL%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.history.com%2Fthis-day-in-history%2Fsteve-jobs-debuts-the-iphone%0A%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94) to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.

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