The Progression of the iPhone Models Over the Years

2007

$499-$599

The phone was one of the most anticipated phones of all time, offering a 3.5” screen, a 2-megapixel camera, and tons of new technology. It was lauded as the “next big thing” by many critics – and they weren’t wrong. At the time, it was by far the most powerful phone with the most memory. One drawback? There were no third party apps allowed.

2008

$199-$299

Tapered glass edges gave this phone its unique look. This is the first iPhone that allowed geo-tagging of photos and assisted GPS. This was really the first phone that made the iPhone brand take off.

2009

$99-$299

While many people weren’t impressed with the minimal changes, they really helped. The 3.2 MP camera could take pictures and videos in high quality. There was more storage and voice control. The phone was slightly bigger as well, coming in at 3.5” and 320×480 pixels. This was also the start of the zoom function, reverse background color scheme, and digital compasses.

2010

$199-$299

This marked the first arrival of the high-res Retina screen. It also brought about a very early version of FaceTime, which meant video calls and front cameras. GarageBand and the GameCenter also made the phone more user friendly. iMovie first becomes available for video editing on the iPhone 4. 2010 marks the first year that Apple faced extreme competition in the smart phone market.

2011

$199-$399

This was the first phone to introduce Siri. It also had a new dual-core processor that made it much faster than previous phones. A 64GB version was considered the “luxury” version of the phone because it could hold so much more music. Another development is iMessage and the iCloud. Finally, there was more integration with social media.

2012

$199-$399

The iPhone 5 was light on the upgrades. The phone itself was lighter and thinner. It allowed for LTE and Passbook. The antenna in the phone allowed for better calls.

2013

$199-$399

The iPhone 5S marked the first time Apple allowed Touch ID to unlock the phone. It was also a bit faster and had motion detection capabilities, which allowed for the panorama camera and motion burst camera.

2013

$99-$199

This phone came in four different colors: green, pink, yellow, and blue. It was also the first phone that was readily available to more people thanks to its lower asking price.

2014

$199-$399

This phone is large, having a 4.7” screen. It has the new A8 processor that is noticeably faster than previous models. The cameras were upgraded and so was the fingerprint technology. Most importantly, Apple Pay rolled out on the iPhone 6.

2014

$299-$499

This phone is large, having a 4.7” screen. It has the new A8 processor that is noticeably faster than previous models. The cameras were upgraded and so was the fingerprint technology. Most importantly, Apple Pay rolled out on the iPhone 6.

2015

$299-$499

There weren’t all too many changes with this phone, but there are new colors: rose gold (2015), silver, gold, and space grey. It has 3D touch and a camera that can shoot up to 4K video.

2015

$299-$499

Many of the same features of the 6S, but with a bigger screen.

2016

$399-$499

This phone is the most powerful phone of them all. It has a 12MP camera and can take some of the most beautiful pictures and 4K videos. This new phone introduced Live Photos. Most importantly, it has better battery life.