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The iPhone’s evolution has led to some fun and quirky designs, along with features that have changed smartphones forever. Some models stand out more than others, and here, I’ll share my all-time favorites based on several years of using them.
1iPhone X: The First iPhone With Face ID
The iPhone’s Home button used to be so iconic that it was almost impossible to imagine what these devices would look like without it. However, since the iPhone X launched in late 2017, the design of Apple’s flagship smartphone has changed forever.
Apple ditched the Home button for a near-bezel-less display and paved the way for Face ID for biometric authentication.Face ID has several advantages over Touch ID, such as faster unlocking speeds and convenience.
The iPhone X, which celebrated the iPhone’s 10th anniversary, also had the biggest-ever iPhone screen up to that point (it was 5.8 inches).
The iPhone 4 was my first personal iPhone; I bought it just before starting university. It definitely feels bulkier than many subsequent models, but when it launched in 2010, the design was well ahead of its time.
We take front cameras for granted now, but the iPhone 4 introducing this feature was groundbreaking. The camera quality was nowhere near what it is now, but it did pave the way for future improvements.
The iPhone 4’s back was flatter than the iPhone 3GS’s, and its stainless steel lining was also an antenna. We’re used to Retina displays on Apple products these days, but the iPhone 4 was the first Apple smartphone to feature it.
3iPhone 13 Pro Max: Unrivalled Battery Life
I vividly remember how bad the battery life was on my earliest iPhones. I’m sure that part of this was down to me using my device more than I now do, but at the same time, iPhone batteries were worse than Android counterparts, even when you take that out of the equation.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max, which Apple released in 2021, was a huge step forward for better battery life.Apple claimedup to 95 hours of audio playback and up to 25 hours of video streaming. For non-streamed video playback, the iPhone 13 Pro Max was rated for 28 hours.
At the time, Apple claimed that the iPhone 13 Pro Max had the fastest-ever smartphone chip.Compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the 13 Pro Max still sported a notch, but it was smaller than the ones on the models that came before it.
4iPhone 5: The Introduction of Lightning
The iPhone 5 was one of my first iPhones, and in my opinion, it was the device that pushed iPhones into the modern era. The new charging port was its most recognizable change; while all the previous iPhones had the 30-pin-to-USB cable, the iPhone 5 was the first device with a Lightning connector.
All subsequent iPhones Apple released until the iPhone 15 lineup in 2023 featured the same connector. Another huge change introduced with the iPhone 5 was LTE support, which allowed users to browse the internet at faster speeds than before. Design-wise, it looked even better than the iPhone 4, thanks to its diamond-cut chamfered edges.
5iPhone 15 Pro: Action Button and Titanium Build
Although the iPhone 15 Pro looks similar to the iPhone 14 Pro at first glance, the former’s frame is made of titanium, which offers an extra layer of durability. The titanium frame also allowed Apple to make the device lighter overall.
The iPhone 15 Pro also ditched the iconic Ring/Silent switch that every iPhone that came before had with the Action button. You canuse several iOS shortcuts with the iPhone 15 Pro’s Action button, such as turning your home lights on and off.
Apple also finally replaced the decade-old Lightning charging port with a USB-C connector on all iPhone 15 models. However, only the iPhone 15 Pro models support USB 3.0 speeds via the USB-C port.
6iPhone 6S: The First iPhone With 4K Video
Apple has made significant moves toward making its devices appeal to more creative crowds. The iPhone 6S was the first iPhone with 4K video, and it made creating modern social media content more accessible for the average person.
You could shoot 4K videos at 30FPS, and it was possible to shoot 1080p at 30 or 60FPS. Like the iPhone 5S and 6/6 Plus models, the 6S and 6S Plus had Touch ID integrated into its Home button.
The iPhone 6S also received the most software support from Apple in terms of major iOS updates. A phone Apple launched in 2015 with iOS 9 was eligible for iOS 15 in 2021, which is unheard of in the Android community.
The iPhone has evolved significantly over time, and we’ll probably see plenty of other innovations in the coming years. All of the previously-released iPhones have helped the current models get to where they are today, with groundbreaking features like high-quality video and improved durability.
