It is hard to imagine what our world would be like without the innovations and connectivity of smartphones allowing us access to the internet – and to many other things and people – with just a phone that is in our pocket.
The iOS (the iPhone operating system that makes the iPhone able to work the way it does) was first launched with the original iPhone back in 2007 – and it was a very different beast to the devices we have today, but still instantly recognizable as the first modern smartphones.
You can now play some of the best casino games, check your emails, watch brand new movies and catch up with the latest happenings on social media using the apps on your iPhone, but the original phone was a bit less sophisticated.
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When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, his focus was on consumer electronics, and that is where the iMac release came in. The ‘90s were not kind to Apple, and there was a real change needed to stop the company from going under – and that really came from innovative devices like the iMac, the iPod, and eventually, the iPhone.
The iPhone Environment
Smartphones in the mid-2000s were dominated by Blackberry users, the corporate machine that allowed users to be able to make calls, write messages, and access their emails. Take a look at the TV shows of the time and the Blackberry was the go-to device for the smart, young professional.
Other mobile telephone companies were focusing on stylistic aspects like a flip function, or a slide out keyboard – so the iPhone was a complete departure just from the design.
The Original iPhone
This device was essentially a thin, flat rectangle with a single button. The touch-screen could be used with a finger rather than a stylus, there was a fully featured web browser, you could email, call, and send a text message, and it came with a few native apps – but that was it.
There was no App Store, no third-party apps were available, and it was eye-wateringly expensive – more than $2,000 per unit – but that didn’t stop them from selling 270,000 units in the first 30 hours.
The operating system was known as the iPhone OS from the first iteration through to the third – and then became known as the iOS as it also worked with the iPad and the iPod.
A Quick Timeline of iOS Developments
Each iOS has been released since iPhone OS 1 about once a year, with patches and bug fixes released as and when necessary. Below is a brief overview of the major features of each release.
iPhone OS 2 – 2008
This OS was launched alongside the new iPhone 3G, with improved connectivity – and was the first OS that had an App Store. Entrepreneurial software developers had been ‘jailbreaking’ devices to add their own apps, so the Apple developers created APIs and other software for third-party developers to make their own apps (and Apple to take a third of the profits).
iPhone OS 3 – 2009
This added video capability and MMS messaging.
iOS 4 – 2010
This OS added functionality in things like multitasking as well as custom wallpapers and folders (in an attempt to compete with Android devices).
iOS 5 – 2011
This was a much larger update in comparison with earlier ones, and included things like:
- Siri
- Notification Center
- iMessage
- iCloud
- Downloadable software updates (instead of having to plug into iTunes to download and install.
iOS 6 – 2012
- Apple Maps
- FaceTime available over cellular networks
- Panoramic photos
iOS 7 – 2013
This was the first iteration of the iOS that was a major departure from the design of the original iPhone, with icons becoming more flat and abstract.
Other additions included:
- CarPlay (with wired USB connection)
- AirDrop
- Control Center
- App switcher
iOS 8 – 2014
- Apple Music
- Continuity
- Handoff
- QuickType (predictive typing)
- Family Sharing
iOS 9 – 2015
- Night Shift (changed color temperature)
- Low power mode
- Drawing tool in Notes
iOS 10 – 2016
- Added stickers in iMessage.
iOS 11 – 2017
- Animated wallpapers
- Redesigned control center
- Document scanner in Notes
- Basic Files management
- Do Not Disturb mode while driving.
iOS 12 – 2018
- Screen Time monitor added.
- Memoji added to iMessages.
iOS 13 – 2019
- iPad OS launched.
- New privacy measures, specifically regarding location services
- Dark more
- Faster FaceID
- Additional storage can be accessed through the lightning port.
iOS 14 – 2020
- Design update – Compact UI
- App Library launched.
- Other apps updated and improved.
iOS 15 – 2021
- SharePlay – enjoy content simultaneously.
- Visual Lookup (similar to Google Lens)
iOS 16 – 2022
- Lock Screen customization similar to iWatch
- Dynamic Island (Pro) disguising front camera and sensors.
The Future of iOS?
It is likely that we will return to the naming of the operating system back to iPhone OS, considering that there is already iPad OS, iMac OS, iWatch OS and more – but when it comes to innovation and real changes in the performance and abilities of the iPhone and how it will develop, it’s really in the hands of Apple and their team of developers.
