It all started on January 9, 2007, when a visionary walked on stage to showcase his company’s latest invention. Some critics published unforgiving headlines at the time, and takeoff was far from guaranteed. Today, the device has become by far the most influential of its category, with many users considering it the gold standard. This success can be traced back to a series of transformations the iPhone has undergone over the past two decades.
After launching the iOS App Store in 2008, Apple continued to meaningfully elevate the iPhone experience. Each year, it debuted significant hardware and software changes, enticing users to switch or upgrade. iPhones were introduced at WWDC through 2010, when Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone 4. It was to be Jobs’ last time headlining any event.
From 2011, iPhones began to be introduced in the fall, starting with Tim Cook’s introduction of the iPhone 4s. Naturally, some features, enhancements, and announcements stood out more than others. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit the 10 most iconic iPhone event moments of the Tim Cook era.
Apple
MagSafe (iPhone 12)
Arguably, MagSafe is the most recent impactful iPhone introduction. Launched in 2020, the feature ported the fan-favorite Mac charging technology to iPhone 12 models. Notably, it addressed Qi wireless charging’s most irritating flaw. Thanks to the embedded magnets, the charging coils now align perfectly, sparing users from needing to precisely position their iPhones on the mat.
MagSafe also doubles as a universal base for accessories, letting users attach all sorts of add-ons to their iPhones’ backs. You’ve got wallets, grips, power banks, kickstands, and much more. The impact of MagSafe has transcended the Apple ecosystem, with newer Android phones now adopting the comparable Qi2 standard to unlock similar perks.
Pro camera system (iPhone 11)
A year earlier, Apple announced its first Pro-branded iPhone, featuring high-end specs for power users. The most distinguishing factor of the iPhone 11 Pro was (and continues to be) the triple-rear-lens setup, which unlocks advanced photography and videography tools. While it didn’t support RAW photography and LOG video recording like newer models do, 2019’s iPhone 11 Pro marked the beginning of a new chapter for Apple’s mobile camera. We’ve reached a point where Pro iPhones are now being used to shoot entire Apple keynotes.
Face ID (iPhone X)
In 2017, Apple celebrated its smartphone’s tenth anniversary with the iPhone X. The device boasted a complete exterior overhaul, featuring an edge-to-edge OLED panel and a stainless steel frame. Notably, it retired Touch ID in favor of the more convenient and secure Face ID scanner. The TrueDepth camera powering Face ID then expanded to iPad Pro, and MacBooks could adopt it down the road. Gone are the days of trying to type in passwords when our fingers are too moist for the fingerprint sensor to recognize them.
Apple
Moment of ‘courage’ (iPhone 7)
A year before that, Apple made yet another controversial change that continues to impact how we use our phones to this day. 2016’s iPhone 7 ditched the headphone jack, disrupting how users listen to music. To soften the blow, Apple bundled a relevant dongle with the iPhone 7 and offered the original AirPods as a premium alternative for those willing to spend more.
Apple’s Phil Schiller said it came down to one word: “courage.” He said Apple had “The courage to move on, and do something new that betters all of us.”
The company was soundly mocked at the time, but Android phone manufacturers followed suit, and the true wireless earbud market boomed. At this point, we’ve got multiple AirPods tiers with varying features and price points, along with a ton of third-party alternatives.
Apple
Live Photos (iPhone 6s)
With the 2015 iPhone 6s launch, Apple announced a camera feature dubbed Live Photos. For those unfamiliar, the perk records 1.5 seconds of video before and after each photo you take. While the Camera app still outputs a regular still shot, if you tap and hold on it, the short video plays. This helps you remember the context of a moment and hear the voices or sounds captured at the time.
With Live Photos, you can also effortlessly create GIFs with multiple effects, as well as long-exposure images. Apps like Instagram support the feature too, letting you get more creative with the Stories you post. It’s one of those smaller additions that might seem like a gimmick at first (there’s a reason why the iPhone 11’s Slofies aren’t on this list), but Live Photos turned out to be a surprisingly useful feature iPhone users can’t live without.
Apple Pay (iPhone 6)
During 2014’s iPhone 6 event, Apple Pay was announced as a revolutionary way to shop without your physical wallet. The feature utilizes the NFC chips embedded in recent iPhones and Apple Watches, letting you securely make contactless payments without carrying your bank card. I still silently acknowledge how futuristic the entire concept feels every time I bump my wrist into a card reader to pay.
Go big or go home (iPhone 6)
Apple Pay wasn’t the sole significant announcement during 2014’s keynote. The iPhone 6 itself kickstarted the era of serious media consumption on iOS by stretching the screen from 4 inches to 4.7 inches. More importantly, it offered the first Plus iPhone variant, packing a 5.5-inch display. Plus iPhones then took a hiatus from 2018 to 2022, and Apple may be doing away with them again on September 9.
Apple
Meet Apple Watch (iPhone 6)
That’s not all for the iPhone 6 event. There was one more thing. During the September 2014 keynote, the iPhone maker publicly demonstrated the Apple Watch for the first time. While the wearable’s direction has since changed, it’s become one of the best-selling smartwatches—and certainly the most popular. Thanks to the company’s deep ecosystem integrations, the Apple Watch’s utility extends beyond mere fitness tracking. You can answer phone calls, send texts, stream music, interact with iOS notifications, and do much more with the latest watchOS.
Touch ID (iPhone 5s)
In the preceding iPhone event, Apple introduced Touch ID. 2013’s iPhone 5s was certainly not the first smartphone to embed a fingerprint sensor. Its execution, however, surpassed whatever unintuitive Frankensteining was happening on the other side. I recall when early Samsung Galaxy phones had you swipe vertically to authenticate. Touch ID, on the other hand, would work when gently resting your finger on its reader.
Apple
Siri is born (iPhone 5)
Despite aging like milk, we can’t not mark the day Siri was born. On October 4, 2011, Apple launched the iPhone 4s, along with the infamous virtual assistant. While Siri is now considered the dumbest mainstream voice assistant, it used to shine back in the day. If Apple’s vision materializes, the assistant may become smarter and more conversational in the coming years.
