Sometimes, a brief keynote is all it takes to redefine the smartphone industry.
It all started on January 9, 2007, when a visionary walked on stage to showcase his company’s latest invention. Some critics published unforgiving headlines at the time, and takeoff was far from guaranteed. Today, the device has become by far the most influential of its category, with many users considering it the gold standard. This success can be traced back to a series of transformations the iPhone has undergone over the past two decades.
After launching the iOS App Store in 2008, Apple continued to meaningfully elevate the iPhone experience. Each year, it debuted significant hardware and software changes, enticing users to switch or upgrade. iPhones were introduced at WWDC through 2010, when Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone 4. It was to be Jobs’ last time headlining any event.
From 2011, iPhones began to be introduced in the fall, starting with Tim Cook’s introduction of the iPhone 4s. Naturally, some features, enhancements, and announcements stood out more than others. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit the 10 most iconic iPhone event moments of the Tim Cook era.MagSafe (iPhone 12)
Arguably, MagSafe is the most recent impactful iPhone introduction. Launched in 2020, the feature ported the fan-favorite Mac charging technology to iPhone 12 models. Notably, it addressed Qi wireless charging’s most irritating flaw. Thanks to the embedded magnets, the charging coils now align perfectly, sparing users from needing to precisely position their iPhones on the mat.
MagSafe also doubles as a universal base for accessories, letting users attach all sorts of add-ons to their iPhones’ backs. You’ve got wallets, grips, power banks, kickstands, and much more. The impact of MagSafe has transcended the Apple ecosystem, with newer Android phones now adopting the comparable Qi2 standard to unlock similar perks.Pro camera system (iPhone 11)
A year earlier, Apple announced its first Pro-branded iPhone, featuring high-end specs for power users. The most distinguishing factor of the iPhone 11 Pro was (and continues to be) the triple-rear-lens setup, which unlocks advanced photography and videography tools. While it didn’t support RAW photography and LOG video recording like newer models do, 2019’s iPhone 11 Pro marked the beginning of a new chapter for Apple’s mobile camera.
