Apple Unveils The First iPhone at MacWorld

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Earlier today, January 9, 2007, Apple CEO, Steve Jobs unveiled a new smartphone called the iPhone at the MacWorld Expo in San Francisco. The first iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple and designed by Jonathan Ive.

Among some of its more distinguishing features is the ability to play YouTube Videos, use apps from the iTunes App store, and take photos with the built-in camera.

Development of the iPhone began way back in 2005 with Apple CEO Steve Jobs‘ direction that Apple engineers investigate touchscreens. He also steered the original focus away from a tablet, like the iPad, and towards a phone. Apple created the device during a secretive collaboration with AT&T Mobility (Cingular Wireless at the time) at an estimated development cost of US$150 million over thirty months.

Apple rejected the “design by committee” approach that had yielded the Motorola ROKR, a largely unsuccessful collaboration with Motorola. Instead, Cingular gave Apple the liberty to develop the iPhone’s hardware and software in-house and even paid Apple a fraction of its monthly service revenue (until the iPhone 3G), in exchange for 4 years of exclusive U.S. sales, until 2011.

I would highly recommend the iPhone to anyone looking for a state-of-the-art smartphone with lots of features.