Definition: iPhone

The Apple device that revolutionized mobile computing and caused an explosion of smartphones worldwide. With more than a billion sold in less than a decade, the iPhone has been one of the greatest product success stories in history, catapulting Apple to the world's most valuable company.

For many people in the U.S., iPhone is often just another word for smartphone. However, Android phones are just as widely used and are the dominant smartphone worldwide. See how to select a mobile device.

The latest iPhones comprise four models in the iPhone 14 line (see iPhone 14). Also available from Apple are the 13, 13 mini, 12 and SE (see iPhone 12, iPhone 13 and iPhone SE). See iPhone versions and iPhone vs. Android.

Quite a Frenzy
No cellphone ever created so much buzz. Enthusiasts camped out overnight to be first in line when it debuted in 2007 even though it had little more than a dozen built-in apps and no expansion. App development was soon opened to third parties, and a year later, Apple's App Store took off like a rocket. In a few years, more than a million apps became available.

Apple started the craze, and Android followed, eventually outselling iPhones worldwide by a large margin. In the U.S., iPhones and Androids are more or less tied. See smartphone, how to select a mobile device, mobile compatibility and mobile device vendor control.

Specifications and Data Service
Powered by an ARM processor (like every other smartphone), the iPhone is a 4G or 5G cellphone that uses iOS, a custom version of the Mac operating system with flash storage up to 1TB. iPhones were the first to use sealed batteries, which became the norm. See iOS, ARM, smartphone features, carrier data plans, iPod, iPod touch, iPad, iBricking and iClone.

One of the First iPhones

This interface mesmerized millions of people when it launched in 2007, because it was such a departure from the common cellphone. (Image courtesy of Apple Inc.)