iPhone (first generation)
The 2007 phone with a multi-touch screen and no physical keyboard, sold for $499 or $599 with a two-year contract.
Apple announced the iPhone on January 9, 2007, and released it in the United States on June 29, 2007. It cost $499 with 4 gigabytes of storage or $599 with 8 gigabytes, and each price required a two-year contract with Cingular Wireless, now part of AT&T.
The 3.5-inch screen measured 480 by 320 pixels. A Samsung chip ran at 412 megahertz. The iPhone was the first mobile phone with multi-touch, which lets a person pinch and spread two fingers on the glass.
Why it matters
Apple sold its one millionth iPhone 74 days after release. The touchscreen design, with software apps added later, became the pattern for almost every phone that followed.
Key facts
- Announced January 9, 2007, and released June 29, 2007.
- $499 for 4 gigabytes or $599 for 8 gigabytes, with a two-year contract.
- 3.5-inch multi-touch screen of 480 by 320 pixels.
- Sold its one millionth unit 74 days after release.
- First mobile phone with multi-touch.
Sources
- Wikipedia, "iPhone (1st generation)", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_(1st_generation), accessed October 14, 2026.
- Mimms Museum of Technology and Art, "Exhibits", mimmsmuseum.org/exhibits/, accessed October 14, 2026.