Apple iPhone (1st Gen)
For today’s entry in my “Zscaler Logo on a Weird, Old or Obsolete Device” series, I’m sitting here waiting for my new iPhone 15 Pro Max to be delivered, so I figured I’d showcase the ancestor of all modern pocket-sized supercomputers: the original iPhone!
This is my “launch day” iPhone, purchased in June 2007 and recently rediscovered in the bottom of a long-lost box. With 8GB of onboard storage and a 32-bit ARM CPU running at 412MHz, this 1st-gen iPhone is hilariously underpowered in comparison to the iPhone 15 currently making its way across town in a UPS truck. Nevertheless, I’m honestly really impressed by how it feels to use today. With iOS 3.1.3 installed it’s lacking virtually every significant “quality of life” enhancement rolled out over the past 16 years, but the interface remains intuitive and easy to navigate, and the whole system feels surprisingly snappy and responsive.
Even more than the software though, I’m deeply impressed by how *right* this device still feels in the hand. It’s far smaller than the Pro Max iPhones I’ve been using for years, but the smooth rounded edges, perfectly-balanced weight and overall sense of sophistication in the hardware is really surprising, especially given how much tighter the manufacturing tolerances are in all of Apple’s modern devices.
Sadly, this 1st-gen iPhone was limited to the old “EDGE” cellular network which no longer exists in the US, so it’ll never be usable as a phone again. Happily though, it hopped right onto my Eero wifi network and connected to the Internet without issue, although most modern websites run into SSL errors with this ancient version of Safari.
In any case, I’m delighted to have found this artifact of modern history. There are very few moments where you can clearly see a turning point in social evolution, and in hindsight, the release of this original iPhone in 2007 was one of those moments. This little gadget ushered in a new era of social and technological change, and for that, it will always have a safe place in the history books (and my collection).
Happy Friday to you all, and happy New iPhone Delivery Day to everyone who celebrates!
“An iPod, a phone, a breakthrough Internet communicator…”
