29 June 2007: Apple’s iPhone goes on sale for the first time

Apple's iPhone went on sale for the first time on this day in 2007, revolutionising the mobile phone market.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs holds the iPhone in San Francisco, California
(Image credit: Kimberly White/Corbis via Getty Images)

Smartphones are now so ubiquitous that it's strange to think it's just been a few since the first one made its appearance.

But it is. The world's first real' smartphone, the Apple iPhone, went on sale on this day all the way back in 2007. There had been phones that did things smartphones do the Nokia Communicator, for example, which could send emails and browse the web; and a line of PDAs, (personal digital assistants, a sort of electronic Filofax) released by Palm and the like. But none had the desirability, usability and sheer impact of Apple's iPhone.

Subscribe to MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Sign up
Explore More
Ben Judge

Ben studied modern languages at London University's Queen Mary College. After dabbling unhappily in local government finance for a while, he went to work for The Scotsman newspaper in Edinburgh. The launch of the paper's website, scotsman.com, in the early years of the dotcom craze, saw Ben move online to manage the Business and Motors channels before becoming deputy editor with responsibility for all aspects of online production for The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday and the Edinburgh Evening News websites, along with the papers' Edinburgh Festivals website.

Ben joined MoneyWeek as website editor in 2008, just as the Great Financial Crisis was brewing. He has written extensively for the website and magazine, with a particular emphasis on alternative finance and fintech, including blockchain and bitcoin. 

As an early adopter of bitcoin, Ben bought when the price was under $200, but went on to spend it all on foolish fripperies.