Apple’s launch of the original iPhone in 2007 was a game changer—the company turned the smartphone into a mainstream consumer device through great hardware design and an intuitive user interface.
Since its launch, Strategy Analytics estimates that Apple’s global wholesale iPhone revenues now exceed three-quarters of a trillion U.S. dollars while shipment volumes have reached 1.25 billion units.
A new report from the User Experience Strategies (UXS) group at Strategy Analytics, Apple iPhone: 10 Years of UX Innovation, looks back at the key UX highlights and innovations of the Apple iPhone since its launch 10 years ago.
“In recent times, other smartphone OEMs have typically been the first to bring new hardware and features to the market. But, in the rush to get these features to market, there are all too often sacrifices in quality, usefulness, and/or usability,” said Paul Brown, report author and director of UXS at Strategy Analytics, in a news release. “By delaying implementation of these features into their devices, Apple can spend longer working on their quality and usability, maintaining their superior user experience.”
Key findings include:
- Apple’s key innovations over the last 10 years have included the launch of the Apple App Store, Siri, Touch ID, Apple CarPlay, Apple Pay, Apple Watch and 3D Touch.
- Over time however, there has been a perception that Apple has become less innovative; but Strategy Analytics does not believe this to be the case. Instead, many of Apple’s innovations are the ones that go unnoticed or unreported; but are extremely important in providing the seamless user experience that Apple has become known for.
- To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Apple launched the iPhone X. Bringing an edge-to-edge display to Apple, facial recognition software and removing a physical home key, the iPhone X features some of the biggest design changes of any iPhone in recent times.
“In the future, Strategy Analytics expects Apple to continue in provide a superior user experience in its smartphones—all while looking to launch innovative new products in emerging categories such as augmented reality,” added Kevin Nolan, VP of UXIP, in the release.
