Ranking Every iPhone Model in Order of 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 17, 2017
iPhone X	November 3, 2017
iPhone 11	September 20, 2019
iPhone 12	October 23, 2020
iPhone 13	September 24, 2021
iPhone 14	8 September, 2022

iPhone Releases in Chronological Order

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 a 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 make 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.

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, 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 these days. 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: $599 USD

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 3-megapixel camera with higher resolution and video ability, and voice control.

Release date: July 11, 2008
Price: $699 USD

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: $699 USD, $999 AUD

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 has 1 GB memory, lightning connectors, slow-motion video capture, dual flash, touch ID, 4″ 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: $849 USD, $999 AUD

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 iPhone4. They were the biggest phones Apple had released to date, with a 5.5in 1080p display, meaning there was no longer a 4in iPhone option. We definitely remember the shock at the time!

Other features included a Retina HD display,128 GB storage, 5.5″ display(Plus), 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: $849 USD (iPhone 6), $949 USD (iPhone 6 Plus), $1,129 AUD (iPhone 6), $1,249 AUD (iPhone 6 Plus)

6. iPhone SE

The first iPhone SE came around in 2016, the prequel of many years to come as 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 pretty much all of the same features.

Release date: March 31, 2016
Price: from $299 USD (1st Gen), $719 USD (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, for $649.

Release date: September 16, 2016
Price: $849 USD (iPhone 7), $969 USD (iPhone 7 Plus), $1,379 AUD (iPhone 7), $1,569 AUD (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. As well to this, the phone had some more subtle improvements in software, running on a slightly more powerful CPU and improved true-tone display.

Release date: September 17, 2017
Price: $849 USD (iPhone 8), $949 USD (iPhone 8 Plus), $1,329 AUD (iPhone 8), $1,479 AUD (iPhone 8 Plus),

9. iPhone X

After ten incredible years of the iPhone, Apple came out with not a number, but a letter – X, for their newest 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, costing $999.

Release date: November 3, 2018
Price: $1,149 USD, $1,829 AUD

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 at $699, 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 $1199 AUD

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 $1,349 AUD

12. iPhone 13

The iPhone 13 is one of the last Apple iPhones in order of release to date, including the iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max variations. Whilst the design is more or less the same except for some new colour options, it’s a bit smaller and has a lot of significant updates internally. With a better camera, new processor, and improved battery – probably the thing we love most about this model.

Check out our feature article on the iPhone 13 here for all the technical specs.

Release date: September 24, 2021
Price: $1,229 AUD

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 remains unchanged from the equivalent iPhone 13 models.

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are currently available via the links below in deep purple, silver, gold, and space black in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage capacities, while the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will be available in midnight, blue, starlight, purple and RED in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage capacities.

• iPhone 14 – $1,399 AUD
• iPhone 14 Plus – $1,579 AUD
• iPhone 14 Pro – $1,749 AUD
• iPhone 14 Pro Max – $1,899 AUD

With the release of the iPhone 14 lineup, we sadly lost the Mini in the process.

More information on the iPhone 14 release can be found in our feature article here.

Release date: 16 September, 2022
Price: $1,399 AUD

Buy it here (iPhone 14) Buy it here (iPhone 14 Pro)

iPhone FAQs

When was the first iPhone released?

The first iPhone was released on June 29th, 2007.

What is the most successful iPhone in sales?

The iPhone 6 is the most successful iPhone in sales, selling 222.4 million units since its launch in 2014.

What is the least successful iPhone in sales?

The iPhone 12 Mini was the least successful iPhone in sales.

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