Ten Years of iPhone
As we approach the tenth anniversary of the iPhone release, it's worth reflecting on how life has changed since that time.
How do you feel when you misplace it?
When the iPhone was released, I didn't see it for what it was. I still saw it as a telephone with a larger screen, worse battery life and a challenging on-screen keyboard.
It took me to four more years to realize that the development of the iPhone was a fundamental turning point in human history. We can now hold our computer in our hands and carry it with us just like we've done with other core human innovations in the past: the pen, purse, sword, gun, compass and flask.
Today, a smart phone is a fully functional computer. Having it in your pocket gives you on-the-go access to:
- The bulk of all human knowledge. (Wow!)
- Access to all personal information including but not limited to finance, tax, health, location, communication and images.
- Near infinite supply of creative content including but not limited to, music, short and long films, books, articles, blogs in almost all active languages.
In just ten years we've made significant strides eliminating the concepts of:
All new pleasures can lead to addiction. As I commute to work each morning I like to look at what people hold in their hands. Looking at what (or who) people hold in their hands gives you a good sense of what people value. The two most common objects in our hands these days seem to be our smartphone (mostly iPhones) or a coffee.
The iPhone often outcompetes for hand time with a highly addictive drug like caffeine or the hand of our loved ones. We should be wary of addiction.
Dutch electro house duo, Blasterjaxx masterfully captured both my concern and optimism.
While the internet is captivating, the world is beautiful.