Apple’s iPhone turns 19 on June 29, 2026, and that date still matters. The first iPhone went on sale on June 29, 2007, and it helped set the rules for the modern smartphone. Apple priced the original 4GB iPhone at $499, while the 8GB model started at $599.
Apple introduced the iPhone on January 9, 2007, at Macworld in San Francisco. At the time, the company described it as “three products in one”: a phone, an iPod, and an internet device. That pitch sounds simple now, but it captured the core idea that shaped what you do on a phone today, including browsing full web pages and controlling music with your fingers.
The first iPhone launched with two storage options, and Apple sold both with a two-year contract in the United States. By today’s standards, 4GB and 8GB look tiny. Still, in 2007, those models landed as premium devices, and the pricing made that clear from day one.
Then Apple moved quickly. In early September 2007, Apple cut the price of the 8GB iPhone to $399 and said it would sell the 4GB model only while supplies lasted. If you bought early, that drop likely felt like a punch. Apple heard the complaints, and the reaction became part of the iPhone’s early history.
First iPhone Still Matters
The original iPhone mattered because it changed how you interacted with a phone. Apple centered the device around a large touchscreen and a touch-first interface that you controlled with your fingers, not a stylus. That approach pushed the rest of the industry to rethink hardware buttons, web browsing, and the look and feel of software on small screens.
When you use a modern iPhone, you still see echoes of the first release. You tap, swipe, and scroll through software that sits at the center of the product. You also expect Apple to update the phone every year, which helped turn the iPhone into a long-running platform rather than a one-off gadget.
As the iPhone reaches its 19th year on June 29, 2026, the timeline still tells a straightforward story. A phone that started at $499 in 2007 became Apple’s defining product. Along the way, it changed what you expect from the phone in your pocket.
