The Original iPhone Is Dead



Image: Getty / Apple / Gizmodo

The original iPhone has died. AT&T, the phone’s only carrier, decided to end its support for 2G cellular networks, thus rendering the original iPhone useless. This means that iPhone can no longer make calls or send text messages. He was just nine and a half years old.

Even before its birth in June 2007, iPhone seemed destined for greatness. Pre-ordained the Jesus Phone, iPhone was one of the most anticipated gadget conceptions of all time. iPhone’s splashy arrival—it adorned the front pages of newspapers and magazines and was the subject of intense TV news coverage—ushered in a new way of looking at technology. Even before its birth, the world knew that iPhone would change everything the public knew about smartphones, and gadgets in general.

And yet, its delivery wasn’t without criticism. Despite a gleaming touch screen and single-button design, iPhone was mocked by some early on for his lack of QWERTY keyboard and inability to send MMS text messages, display Flash web content, and connect to 3G networks. For the first year of its life, iPhone’s lack of native apps or games was cause for consternation.

iPhone also had a rocky relationship with its sole carrier partner, AT&T. Despite only working on 2G “Edge” networks, AT&T had a difficult time supporting the millions of iPhone users in major cities such as San Francisco and New York. Fortunately, iPhone had built-in wi-fi which allowed him to still play YouTube videos even when the network was down.

At one year of age, iPhone received a major operating system transplant, giving it the ability to run third party apps and play games such as Super Monkey Ball. iPhone also started to grow a business mind, gaining support for more types of mail servers, plus the ability to send BCC mail messages.

It would take until 2009 for iPhone to gain the ability to copy and paste, send MMS messages, and record video. For a lesser phone, these deficiencies might be laughable, but for iPhone’s legions of fans, gaining the ability to do something Palm had offered since the early 2000s was cause for celebration.

iPhone received its last major software revision in February 2010, although it continued to receive technical support until late 2012. Even in retirement and old age, iPhone continued to survive for its owners, just at a slower pace. Eventually, many of iPhone’s apps, including YouTube and Maps, stopped working, when its benefactor Google moved on to more robotic pastures. Until its last day, iPhone’s web browser, Safari, continued to load web pages, albeit at a more aged pace.

iPhone is is pre-deceased its mother, Lisa. It is survived by father, Mac, its spouse iPad, and their many children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren: iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, and iPhone 7 Plus.

On this topic: ( from category )

    Leave feedback

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    *
    *

    one + 9 =

    Top