Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007, transforming the smartphone market.
Apple unveiled the first iPhone on January 9, 2007, and released it in the United States on June 29 of that year. The device combined a mobile phone, an iPod, and an internet communicator in one touchscreen product.
The iPhone helped establish Apple as a major force in consumer electronics and later became the company’s best-known product line. Its software platform eventually developed into iOS, which supports a large ecosystem of apps and services.
A common mix-up is crediting Apple with inventing the smartphone itself. Smartphones existed before 2007, including IBM’s Simon and devices based on Palm or BlackBerry software; Apple’s major achievement was redefining the mainstream smartphone experience.