The History of iPhone

When the iPhone was released on June 29, 2007, it was the most innovative cell phone available in the United States. There were lines of hundreds of customers outside of Cingular stores waiting to get their hands on one. Cingular has since rebranded itself as AT&T. Since the release of the iPhone many cell phone developers have been trying to keep up with this modern day innovation. The iPhone uses a SIM card and its U.S. phone service is only available through AT&T.

History

Upon its release there were two models available to choose from: an 8 GB for $599 and a 4 GB for $499. On July 11, 2008, the iPhone 3G went on sale at $199 for 8 GB and $299 for 16 GB. The iPhone 3G S was released on June 8, 2009, and included a 16 GB version for $199 and a 32 GB version for $299.

Function

The iPhone allows users to download a wide variety of applications for use on their phone. Application categories range from games, education, utilities and lifestyles. The iPhone application store contains tens of thousands of applications that are downloadable directly into your iPhone and many applications are free. The iPhone 3G and 3G S have integrated GPS and you can download applications for turn-by-turn directions. The iPhone also has a touch screen for typing, scrolling and resizing.

Controversy

On September 5, 2007, the price dropped to $399 for the 8 GB first-generation iPhone and the 4 GB was discontinued. Those who had purchased an iPhone within the 14-day grace period were eligible for a $200 rebate. The price drop left early adapters outraged. They felt it was unfair to have a larger-than-normal price drop in such a short period of time. Apple responded by giving everyone a $100 credit toward Apple products online or at an Apple retail store. Another issue consumers have had with the iPhone is that it's only available with AT&T service, and they would prefer if it were available with other carriers as well.

Jailbreaking

In order to download an application to your iPhone, you have to download it from the application store on your iPhone or through Apple's iTunes. Applications have to be Apple approved to be available for download. However, software has been developed to "jailbreak" your iPhone, which makes it possible to download applications that are not Apple approved. Jailbreaking your iPhone will also allow you to customize your iPhone beyond standard iPhone settings.

Warning

Jailbreaking your iPhone will void your warranty.

References

• iPhone Store