This article is about the line of smartphones by Apple.
The iPhone (
/ˈaɪfoʊn/ EYE-fohn) is a line of smartphones designed and marketed by Apple Inc. It runs Apple's iOS mobile operating system, originally named "iPhone OS". The first iPhone was released on June 29, 2007;[14] the most recent iPhone, the sixth-generation iPhone 5, was released on September 21, 2012.[15] The user interface is built around the device's multi-touch screen, including a virtual keyboard rather than a physical one. The iPhone has Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity (2G, 3G and 4G).
An iPhone can shoot video (though this was not a standard feature until theiPhone+3G" target="_blank">iPhone+3G" target="_blank">iPhone+3G" target="_blank">iPhone+3G" target="_blank">iPhone+3G" target="_blank"> iPhone 3GS), take photos, play music, send and receive email, browse the web, send texts, and receive visual voicemail. Other functions—games, reference, GPS navigation, social networking, etc.—can be enabled by downloading apps; as of 2012[update], the App Store offered more than 700,000 apps by Apple and third parties.[16]
There are six generations of iPhone models, each accompanied by one of the six major releases of iOS. The original iPhone was a GSM phone, and established design precedents, such as screen size and button placement, that have persisted through all models. TheiPhone+3G" target="_blank">iPhone+3G" target="_blank">iPhone+3G" target="_blank">iPhone+3G" target="_blank">iPhone+3G" target="_blank"> iPhone 3G added 3G cellular network capabilities and A-GPS location. TheiPhone+3G" target="_blank">iPhone+3G" target="_blank">iPhone+3G" target="_blank">iPhone+3G" target="_blank">iPhone+3G" target="_blank"> iPhone 3GS added a faster processor and a higher-resolution camera that could record video at 480p. TheiPhone+4" target="_blank">iPhone+4" target="_blank">iPhone+4" target="_blank">iPhone+4" target="_blank">iPhone+4" target="_blank"> iPhone 4 featured a higher-resolution 960 × 640 "retina display", a higher-resolution rear-facing camera and a lower-resolution front-facing camera for video calling and other apps.[17] TheiPhone+4S" target="_blank">iPhone+4S" target="_blank">iPhone+4S" target="_blank">iPhone+4S" target="_blank">iPhone+4S" target="_blank"> iPhone 4S added an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p video recording, a dual-core processor, and a natural language voice control system called Siri.[18][19][20] iPhone 5 features the new A6 processor, holds a 4-inch Retina display that is larger than its predecessor's 3.5-inch display, and replaces the 30-pin connector with an all-digital Lightning connector.
For some years, Apple and its manufacturing contractor Foxconn have received criticism due to poor working conditions at the assembly plant in China.
The iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad run an operating system known as iOS (formerly iPhone OS). It is a variant of the same Darwin operating system core that is found in Mac OS X. Also included is the "Core Animation" software component from Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard. Together with the PowerVR hardware (and on theiPhone+3G" target="_blank">iPhone+3G" target="_blank">iPhone+3G" target="_blank">iPhone+3G" target="_blank">iPhone+3G" target="_blank"> iPhone 3GS, OpenGL ES 2.0), it is responsible for the interface's motion graphics. The operating system takes up less than half a gigabyte.[125]
It is capable of supporting bundled and future applications from Apple, as well as from third-party developers. Software applications cannot be copied directly from Mac OS X but must be written and compiled specifically for iOS.
Like the iPod, the iPhone is managed from a computer using iTunes. The earliest versions of the OS required version 7.3 or later, which is compatible with Mac OS X version 10.3.9 Panther or later, and 32-bit Windows XP or Vista.[126] The release of iTunes 7.6 expanded this support to include 64-bit versions of XP and Vista,[127] and a workaround has been discovered for previous 64-bit Windows operating systems.[128]
Apple provides free updates to the OS for the iPhone through iTunes,[125] and major updates have historically accompanied new models.[129] Such updates often require a newer version of iTunes—for example, the 3.0 update requires iTunes 8.2—but the iTunes system requirements have stayed the same. Updates include bug fixes, security patches and new features.[130] For example,iPhone+3G" target="_blank">iPhone+3G" target="_blank">iPhone+3G" target="_blank">iPhone+3G" target="_blank">iPhone+3G" target="_blank"> iPhone 3G users initially experienced dropped calls until an update was issued.[131][132]
Version 3.1 required iTunes 9.0, and iOS 4 required iTunes 9.2. iTunes 10.5, which is required to sync and activate iOS 5, the current version of iTunes, Requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or Leopard on G4 or G5 computers on 800 MHz or higher; versions 10.3 and 10.4 and 10.5–10.5.7 are no longer supported.
This table highlights key differences between "generations" of the iPhone.
| Model | iPhone | iPhone 3G | iPhone 3GS | iPhone 4 | iPhone 4S | iPhone 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued | Discontinued | Available | Available | Available |
| Glass LCD display | 89 mm (3.5 in), 3:2 aspect ratio | 4 in, 16:9 aspect ratio | ||||
| 480 × 320 px (HVGA) at 163 ppi | 960 × 640 px at 326 ppi | 1,136 × 640 px at 326 ppi | ||||
| Storage | 4, 8, or 16 GB | 8 or 16 GB | 8, 16, or 32 GB | 16, 32, or 64 GB | ||
| CPU core | 620 MHz (underclocked to 412 MHz) ARM 1176JZ(F)-S[205] |
833 MHz (underclocked to 600 MHz) ARM Cortex-A8[11][206] |
1 GHz (underclocked to 800 MHz)iPhone_4_underclocked_207-0" class="reference">[207] Apple A4[208] |
1 GHz (underclocked to 800 MHz)iPhone_4S_underclocked_209-0" class="reference">[209] Dual-core Apple A5 |
1.3 GHz dual core Apple A6 | |
| GPU | PowerVR MBX Lite 3D[210] (103 MHz) |
PowerVR SGX535 (150 MHz)[11][206] |
PowerVR SGX535 (200 MHz)[211] |
PowerVR SGX543MP2[212] | PowerVR SGX543MP3 | |
| Memory | 128 MB DRAM[213] | 256 MB DRAM[11][206] | 512 MB DRAM[214][215] | 1GB DRAM | ||
| Cellular connectivity | GSM (850, 900, 1,800, 1,900 MHz) | GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1,800, 1,900 MHz) | GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1,800, 1,900 MHz) (GSM model only) | GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1,800, 1,900 MHz) | ||
| N/A | UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1,900, 2,100 MHz) | UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1,900, 2,100 MHz) (GSM model only) | UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1,900, 2,100 MHz) | UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1,900, 2,100 MHz) | ||
| N/A | N/A | N/A | LTE (Bands 4 and 17) (American GSM model only) | |||
| LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5) (International GSM model only) | ||||||
| LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5, 13, 25) (CDMA model only) | ||||||
| CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1,900 MHz) (CDMA model only) | CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1,900 MHz) | CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1,900, 2,100 MHz) (CDMA model only) | ||||
| New features | USB 2.0/dock connector, earphones with mic and button | Assisted GPS, | Voice control, digital compass (magnetometer), Nike+, camera tap to focus (iOS 4.0+), volume controls on earphones | 3-axis gyroscope, dual-microphone noise suppression, micro-SIM, rear camera LED flash | Siri (beta) voice assistant, GLONASS support | Larger screen, 4G LTE, Lightning connector, nano-SIM, Apple EarPods |
| Camera | 2.0 Megapixel, f/2.8 Still images only |
3.0 Megapixel, f/2.8 VGA video at 30 frame/s |
Rear: 5.0 Megapixel, f/2.8 720p HD video at 30 frame/s |
Rear: 8.0 Megapixel, f/2.4 1080p Full HD video at 30 frame/s |
||
| Front: 0.3 Megapixel (VGA) 480p VGA video at 30 frame/s |
Front: 1.2 Megapixel 720p HD video at 30 frame/s | |||||
| Materials | Aluminum, glass and black plastic | Glass, plastic, and steel; black or white (white not available for 8 GB models) |
Black or white aluminosilicate glass and stainless steel | Black or white glass and "slate" or "silver" colored aluminum | ||
| Dimensions | 115.0 mm (4.53 in) H 61.0 mm (2.40 in) W 11.6 mm (0.46 in) D |
115.5 mm (4.55 in) H 62.1 mm (2.44 in) W 12.3 mm (0.48 in) D |
115.2 mm (4.54 in) H 58.66 mm (2.309 in) W 9.3 mm (0.37 in) D |
123.8 mm (4.87 in) H 58.6 mm (2.31 in) W 7.6 mm (0.30 in) D |
||
| Weight | 135 g (4.8 oz) | 133 g (4.7 oz) | 135 g (4.8 oz) | 137 g (4.8 oz) | 140 g (4.9 oz) | 112 g (3.95 oz) |
| Power | Built-in, non removable, rechargeable lithium-ion polymer batteryiPhone_battery_216-0" class="reference">[216][217][218] | |||||
| Announced | January 9, 2007 | June 9, 2008 | June 8, 2009 | June 7, 2010 | October 4, 2011 | September 12, 2012 |
| Released | 4 and 8 GB: June 29, 2007 16 GB: February 5, 2008 |
July 11, 2008 | 16 and 32 GB: June 19, 2009 Black 8 GB: June 24, 2010 |
GSM (Black): June 24, 2010 CDMA (Black): February 10, 2011 White: April 28, 2011 8 GB: October 4, 2011 (Available from Oct 14, 2011) |
October 14, 2011 | September 21, 2012 |
| Discontinued | 4 GB: September 5, 2007 8 and 16 GB: July 11, 2008 |
16 GB: June 8, 2009 Black 8 GB: June 4, 2010 |
16 and 32 GB: June 24, 2010 Black 8 GB: September 12, 2012 |
16 and 32 GB (unlocked only): October 4, 2011 Black and White 8 GB: In production |
32 and 64 GB : September 12, 2012 Black and White 16 GB: In production |
In production |
| Model | iPhone | iPhone 3G | iPhone 3GS | iPhone 4 | iPhone 4S | iPhone 5 |
