iPhone turns 16 years old | What the Tech?

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (WHAT THE TECH?) — This Friday marks the iPhone’s sweet 16, as it’ll be 16 years since Apple unveiled the world-changing iPhone.

For better and/or worse, the gadget changed so much of what we do daily. Here are a few ways:

• It put the Internet in our pockets

Before 2007, we actually had to go home or the office to get on a computer to access the Internet. Can you imagine that? You can now access almost anything online with your phone.

• It made us all photographers

Everyone has a camera in their hands at all times. We never miss moments with friends. Everything that happens, good or bad, gets posted somewhere online and saved for eternity.

• It made it easy to stay in touch with friends through social media

Without a smartphone, we’d have to sit down at a computer to catch up. Now, we’re always connected through Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat – and wasting hours each day scrolling Instagram and TikTok

• It made it too easy to shop and spend money

Before 2007, we did our shopping in stores or on computers, meaning we had time to think before making a purchase.

• It made many other gadgets obsolete

No one really buys alarm clocks, CD players, fuzz busters, answering machines, GPS, camcorders, calculators or maps. All those things are now on our phones.

When Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone in 2007, he boldly stated, “Today, we’re going to make some history.” Maybe he didn’t even envision how different the world would be in 2023 as the iPhone turns 16.

In those 16 years, Apple has sold more than 2.3 billion iPhones around the world. They’re now the world’s most valuable company, earning more than $400 billion a year.

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