Developers Look Back at 10 Years of iPhone Fever

The iPhone, arguably the most iconic product of the century (so far), had it’s 10th birthday this week. For iPhone app developers, it’s hard to believe it’s been a full decade since that first announcement — you know, the one with Steve Jobs pacing the stage in his trademark black turtleneck, pitching the smartphone concept with the zeal and passion of a true master marketer.

Sure, now we know that the first version had more than a few major bugs, and that it took a miracle of magicianship to pull off that presentation without hitting a glitch.

The important part, however, is that it didn’t. It was a moment that undeniably ushered in the so-called “mobile revolution,” “App Age,” or whatever other handle you care to attach to mobile-driven modernity. For anyone over the age of 20, it’s hard to imagine life without the iPhone, even if you never had one. It’s simply a part of the cultural landscape.

From unveiling the eye-roll-worthy “iPad with rotary pad” to playing clips from The Office on the big screen, it’s a classic presentation. Certainly, any NYC app developer who’s ever pitched a product has hopefully watched it closely. Steve Jobs was a rare talent in many ways, and one of those ways was the art of the pitch. In the marathon one hour and nineteen-minute speech, he seemingly breaks every rule in the tech pitch rulebook: for example, when he pulls the iPhone casually out of his pocket before explaining the device, then tucks it away to continue dissecting the current state of “smartphones.”

There are also a few surprises iOS app developers might not remember from their original iPhones, like the “merge calls” feature, which at the time was revolutionary.

There’s a reason people camped out overnight outside Apple Stores across the country to acquire this revolutionary product. It’s a testament to the power of mobile apps that the iPhone still produces such excitement to this day, a full decade later. Happy 10th, iPhone — we’ll be sticking around for many more.