Walk around any busy place, and you’ll notice most of the people around are talking, texting, and using social media on an iPhone. Since the iPhone emerged 10 years ago, its popularity grew and grew in large part thanks to many innovative features, but not all of these features helped the phone’s reputation. Here are some of the phone’s best and worst features included by Apple over the past decade.
The Good
Some of the iPhone’s best, most noteworthy, and memorable features over the last 10 years include some of the following:
- The introduction of multiple touch gestures, which were included with the very first iPhone
- Built-in GPA and location services, which were offered starting with the second iPhone
- The App Store, offered with the iPhone 3G
- Features that made it easier for users to make payments, including Apple Pay
- The iPhone 5s’ Touch ID feature that makes it easy for Apple users to unlock their iPhone
Another smart feature, the iPhone 10’s Raise to Wake feature, saves the user the trouble of having to touch the display to open up the screen on their phone.
The Bad
Although the iPhone is mostly known for its good, there are some features that haven’t been so great over the past decade. For example, one of the most memorable problems was the antenna location on the iPhone 4, which caused cellular performance problems for users. Following a PR fiasco, Apple issued free bumper cases to users to resolve the issue.
In a case of Apple designers simply deciding user priorities, the 3.5 mm audio jack was eliminated with the introduction of the iPhone 7. The decision continues to frustrate iPhone users since those with this model have to use wireless headphones to listen to media on their device.
Another not-so-stellar mistake made by Apple happened when the switch was made from the traditional 30-pin connector to the Lighting jack. All of a sudden, all the third-party docks, connectors, and power chargers iPhone users had purchased over the years became obsolete if they purchased the iPhone 5.
The Future of iPhone
Although iPhone has had its share of hiccups with the design and functionality of the iPhone over the years, it remains one of the most popular pieces of tech on the market. We’re excited to see where the iPhone heads in the next decade!