It probably comes as no surprise that Apple has released a massive number of iPhones over the years, and like us, you feel like you’re constantly a few models behind the latest and greatest. In fact, Apple has released more than 40 iPhones since 2007, which is pretty crazy if you ask us. With so many different numbers, Plus’, Pro’s and S’s, it can get confusing, but we’ve broken down what we think are the most important tech devices in order.
How does one know which is the premier smartphone model in the entire iPhone lineup? Well, we’re here to find out once and for all with our ranking of every iPhone model in order of release.
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iPhone Model in Order of Release
The reason why the iPhone is so great is how it revolutionised phone technology. The iPhone pioneered innovative technology that had never been seen before in terms of functionality, as well as pioneering a new type of user interface that produced a rich mobile internet browsing experience, among many other capabilities. Some of the key features that made the first iPhone so great were its multitouch interface, a soft keyboard, and visual voicemail, not to mention, that everyone else had it!
The success of the iPhone is unparalleled and can be put down to two key reasons; how the iPhone intertwines with users’ lives, and its constant updates. For phone owners, iPhones are now almost an extension of oneself, being able to do so much with just one device. As well as this, the iPhone never dropped the ball when it came to updating to adapt to the times, constant technological developments and added features ensuring each model is better and improved with every release.
| iPhone Model | Release Date |
|---|---|
| iPhone | June 29, 2007 |
| iPhone 3G | July 11, 2008 |
| iPhone 4 | June 24, 2010 |
| iPhone 5 | September 21, 2012 |
| iPhone 6 And 6 Plus | September 19, 2014 |
| iPhone SE | March 31, 2016 |
| iPhone 7 And 7 Plus | September 16, 2016 |
| iPhone 8 And 8 Plus | September 22, 2017 |
| iPhone X | November 3, 2017 |
| iPhone 11 | September 20, 2019 |
| iPhone 12 | October 23, 2020 |
| iPhone 13 | September 24, 2021 |
| iPhone 14 | September 16, 2022 |
| iPhone 15 | September 22, 2023 |
1. iPhone
The OG iPhone shines a light on the phone’s humble, but still very impressive, beginnings. The first-ever mobile device released by Apple, it had a 3.5″ display screen, was 11.6mm thick, 128MB memory and had 16GB of storage, surprisingly, it was massive at the time, though it may not seem like it compared to the storage of iPhones these days.
In terms of features, the phone did not support 3G but instead ran on quad-band GSM with GPRS and EDGE, a 2MP camera and was touchscreen with no keyboard. The cost was just $599, which seems like daylight robbery by today’s standards. The phone was to be the first in a very long line, and at the time, was considered a reimagining of the traditional mobile device that would only continue to grow.
An Apple iPhone First Generation in a sealed box just fetched $50,000 at auction.
Release date: June 29, 2007
Price: USD$599
2. iPhone 3G
Next up in the iPhone release order is the iPhone 3G. Whilst much of the exterior design didn’t change, the iPhone model’s most notable advancement was its ability to access 3G mobile data. The iPhone 3G ran much the same software as its predecessor. It’s safe to say this was the iPhone that catapulted the phone into the market as the must-have mobile device.
The iPhone 3G was 12.3mm thick and had a 3.5″ display screen and a 2MP camera, along with a 128MB memory. Everyone seemed to love it as much as the anticipation built up – it sold a million units for $699 in the first weekend of its release, paving the way for the next iPhones that would only follow in its footsteps. A 3GS model would follow, with the ‘S’ standing for speed and including performance improvements, a three-megapixel camera with higher resolution and video ability, and voice control.
Release date: July 11, 2008
Price: USD$699
3. iPhone 4
Two years later came the iPhone 4, a year after the release of the iPhone 3GS, and it was well-received across the world for its crazy fast speed, a speed that had never been seen before on the old mobile. Apple introduced faster speed, bumping up both the CPU and the phone’s memory to make it faster. Other than this, its design was still pretty similar to its two predecessors, except for a few features.
It was the first iPhone to run on an Apple processor, the Apple A4 and updated features included a better-quality camera, up from 2MP to 3MP, and 480P video. This worked wonders in drawing people to the new release, and the phone was one of the best-selling phones of its era, selling millions, for the same price as the iPhone 3G.
Release date: June 24, 2010
Price: USD$699, AUD$999
4. iPhone 5
After the release of the iPhone 4s in 2011 came the iPhone 5, which we can bet at least one of your mates still has today. While it may have looked just like the iPhone 4s at the time it came out, it came with some pretty big updates and differences. Not only was it thinner and lighter, but it was the first iPhone to support 4G LTE.
On top of that, it boasted improved performance thanks to the new A6 processor it ran on. It had 1 GB memory, lightning connectors, slow-motion video capture, dual flash, touch ID, 4-inch display, and an 8.0 MP camera. It also sold well, raking in an impressive 2 million pre-orders in the 24 hours after it was launched and selling 5 million units in its first week. Newer versions of this model– the 5C and 5S– were released roughly a year later in September 2013.
Release date: September 21, 2012
Price: USD$849, AUD$999
5. iPhone 6 and 6 Plus
In the order of iPhones to be released, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were one of the most significant changes from a visual point of view since the update to the design that came along with the iPhone 4. They were the biggest phones Apple had released to date, with a 5.5-inch 1080p display, meaning there was no longer a 4-inch iPhone option. We definitely remember the shock at the time!
Other features included a Retina HD display,128 GB storage, 4.7-inch (iPhone 6) and 5.5-inch (iPhone 6 Plus) displays, a 12MP camera and 2GB memory, improving on every aspect technology-wise in comparison to its iPhone 5 counterparts. As a result, Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus remain one of the company’s best-selling models of all time.
Release date: September 19, 2014
Price: USD$849 (iPhone 6), USD$949 (iPhone 6 Plus), AUD$1,129 (iPhone 6), AUD$1,249 (iPhone 6 Plus)
6. iPhone SE
The first iPhone SE appeared in 2016, and it would go on to become the favoured iPhone among millions of loyal Apple consumers. After the release of the biggest iPhone yet with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Apple turned things down a notch by releasing this much smaller, compact iPhone. It was also more affordable, with many of the same features as its more expensive brethren.
Release date: March 31, 2016
Price: from USD$299 (1st Gen), USD$719 (3rd Gen)
7. iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
Things took a major turn with the release of the iPhone 7 and 7 plus. Whilst running on the same CPU, Apple’s A10 Fusion, this iPhone model boasted some huge updates. These updates included a 16GB base option, 32 GB and 256 GB storage, the very first dual-lens camera complete with OIS and 2X optical zoom, and a new jet-black colour.
Another big change was the removal of the headphone jack to replace earbuds with EarPods and a wireless converter. We’re not going to sugarcoat things and say this didn’t upset a few people at the time including us) but nevertheless, the iPhone was still a massive success, selling in the millions.
Release date: September 16, 2016
Price: USD$849 (iPhone 7), USD$969 (iPhone 7 Plus), AUD$1,379 (iPhone 7), AUD$1,569 (iPhone 7 Plus)
8. iPhone 8 and 8 Plus
Not too much changed with the release of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, except for some slight aesthetic and user-experience updates like the glass cover on the phone’s back, wireless charging and photo editing and photo filtering. In addition to this, the phone had some subtle improvements in software, running on a slightly more powerful CPU and improved true-tone display.
Release date: September 17, 2017
Price: USD$849 (iPhone 8), USD$949 (iPhone 8 Plus), AUD$1,329 (iPhone 8), AUD$1,479 (iPhone 8 Plus)
9. iPhone X
After 10 incredible years of the iPhone, Apple came out with not a number, but a letter – X, for its next release. If this wasn’t enough to excite people at the time, the radical changes certainly were. Apple’s iPhone X was completely different in terms of how it looked and its new, epic features.
The iPhone X introduced OLED displays, replaced the home button with Face ID, and introduced portrait mode and an extra front-facing camera. There were a few iterations of this, The iPhone XS and XS Max with Super Retina HD display, and the iPhone XR. This massive step in phone technology did come at a price, however.
Release date: November 3, 2018
Price: USD$1,149, AUD$1,829
10. iPhone 11
The iPhone 11 came with a range of releases including the 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max and was cheaper than its predecessor, which was just one of the reasons it was so popular. Some of the added features included triple-lens cameras and improved camera performance, as well as a Super Retina XDR display. The phones ran Apple’s A13 chipset, a hugely powerful SoC, which made the iPhone 11 even more loved by consumers.
Release date: September 20, 2019
Price: from AUD$1199
11. iPhone 12
Next up in the iPhone models timeline is the iPhone 12. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini came with some cool new features like edge-to-edge Super Retina XDR displays and a new Ceramic Shield cover. The camera also received yet another update, the dual-camera system capable of shooting HDR video on Dolby Vision on an Ultra-Wide camera and a new Wide camera, boasting the best video quality of any smartphone at the time. Also a first for iPhones, it was the first phone that enabled 5G connectivity.
Release date: October 23, 2020
Price: from AUD$1,349
12. iPhone 13
The iPhone 13 was released alongside iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max variations. Whilst the design was more or less the same except for some new colour options, it was a bit smaller and had a lot of significant updates internally. With a better camera, new processor, and improved battery – probably the thing we loved most about this model.
Check out our feature article on the iPhone 13 here for all the technical specs.
iPhone 13 price guide:
- iPhone 13 Mini – from AUD$1,199 (discontinued)
- iPhone 13 – from AUD$1,099
- iPhone 13 Pro – AUD$1,699 (discontinued)
- iPhone 13 Pro Max – AUD$1,849 (discontinued)
Release date: September 24, 2021
Price: from AUD$1,199 when released
13. iPhone 14
The Apple iPhone 14 was released on Friday 16 September 2022 with a new chipset, camera, and ‘dynamic island’ in the Pro models to replace the notch. When it comes to the iPhone 14 pricing it surprisingly remained unchanged from the equivalent iPhone 13 models.
While the new iPhone 15 has been released, this means prices have been discounted across the iPhone 14 range with the iPhone 14 and iPhone Plus currently available via the links below. Interestingly, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have been discontinued and are not available for purchase on the Apple website.
More information on the iPhone 14 release can be found in our feature article here.
iPhone 14 price guide:
- iPhone 14 – from AUD$1,299
- iPhone 14 Plus – from AUD$1,499
- iPhone 14 Pro – AUD$1,749 (discontinued)
- iPhone 14 Pro Max – AUD$1,899 (discontinued)
With the release of the iPhone 14 lineup, we sadly lost the Mini in the process.
Release date: 16 September, 2022
Price: from AUD$1,399
14. iPhone 15
For the release of the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro on the 22nd of September, 2023, Apple introduced USB-C to its phones for the first time and increased prices by AUD$100 across the model line-up.
In terms of improvements over the iPhone 14, Apple turned things up a notch again, introducing Titanium casing and a new action button to the Pro models. The latest A17 Pro chip made its way into the Pro and Pro Max while the standard iPhone kept the A16 Bionic chip from the iPhone 14. Peak outdoor brightness was increased up to 2000 nits (twice the previous generation) while both the Pro and standard models got improved audio quality on phone calls with new ‘Voice Isolation’.
Cameras for both model grades were increased to 48MP with 24MP as default, improved Night Mode and Smart HDR. The Pro models also received Log encoding for professional video and the ability to connect an external hard drive when shooting for storing these super-sized files. Finally, and most notably, 5x optical zoom was introduced into the Pro Max exclusively and the ability to capture ‘Spatial Video’ (three-dimensional video) for use with Apple Vision Pro in the future.
More information on the iPhone 15 release can be found in our feature article here.
iPhone 15 price guide:
- Apple iPhone 15 128GB – from AUD$1,499
- Apple iPhone 15 Plus 128GB – from AUD$1,649
- Apple iPhone 15 Pro 128GB – from AUD$1,849
- Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max 256GB – from AUD$2,199
Release date: 22 September, 2023
Price: from AUD$1,499
A Brief History of the iPhone
Looking back into the archives, it’s hard to imagine a world without the iPhone. It’s been more than 15 years since the late Steve Jobs stood in front of the world and proclaimed the future was in the palm of our hands, the categoric success of the smartphone has surpassed all expectations. The story of how it came to be is just as interesting, starting way back in 2004. As the former leader of Apple, Jobs, along with design engineer Sir Jonathan Ive, Software engineer Scott Forstall, and hardware engineer Tony Fadell gathered a group of 1,000 employees to begin work on a secret project known only as ‘Project Purple’ writes The Verge.
iPhone FAQs
The first iPhone was released on June 29th, 2007.
The iPhone 6 is the most successful iPhone in sales, selling 222.4 million units since its launch in 2014.
The iPhone 12 Mini was the least successful iPhone in sales.
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