Apple’s iPhone was a trailblazer device that changed the way we live forever. It single-handedly helped Apple become the tech juggernaut it is today. IBM holds the title of making the first smartphone globally, but its iPhone became synonymous with the word smartphone.

This post is going to unravel some iPhone fun facts that you probably didn’t know. From its glorious history to its futuristic technology, we’ll tell you everything you need to know to become the ultimate iPhone fan.

iPhone Fun Facts You Probably Didn’t Know

Steve Jobs is the father of iPhones, and he is. Hundreds of people may have been behind the technology, but it was his vision that brought these fantastic devices into our hands.

Here are some fun facts:

iPhone wasn’t supposed to be a Phone at first

When Steve Jobs was working on the idea of the iPhone, it wasn’t actually about creating a phone distinctly. Instead his focus was creating a tablet with a touchscreen (hello iPad!).

He told the engineers to come up with a prototype for a touchpad, and when they did, he decided he wanted to turn it into a phone. He wanted to revolutionize what was already there, i.e., phones. So came the iconic iPhone as a result.

The first iPhone Came Out in 2007

When you think how far back 2007 was, you’d probably think not so far ago. But it was a whopping 14 years ago. That’s when the first iPhone, the original iPhone, was released to the world.

Much like the later events, Steve Jobs would head to introduce newer iPhone models, which was also pretty spectacular. It took place in San Francisco, California, which was the companies headquarters at the time.

He said in his address that he was introducing a device that would revolutionize phones, and boy was he right!

Verizon Turned Down Exclusive Rights to Sell iPhones

This is probably not so much of a fun fact for Verizon, but they turned down the rights to sell iPhones exclusively. Yes, today, you can buy iPhones with a Verizon plan, but there’s also T-Mobile and At&t. Things would have been a lot different, at least for Verizon, had they gone with the proposal.

Cisco Sued Apple for the Name iPhone

A company called InfoGear released a device called iPhone InfoGear back in 1998. Cisco later acquired the company. When Apple released iPhone, Cisco sued the company for using the title. In early 2007, the two companies settled the lawsuit.

Over 47 % of Smartphone Users in the US Have iPhones.

If you live in the US or have even visited it, you’d know how true this is. Apple has the majority market share in the smartphone market, with over 47 percent of smartphone users. That’s right, there are over 113 million iPhone users in the US alone, according to Statista.

This number will probably grow over the next few years as Apple’s reign in the smartphone market in the US doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.

It’s mainly because they’ve built iPhone into a brand of its own. And the quality and functionality of these iPhones don’t cease to impress.

9:41 Time Stamp

Did you know that all iPhone advertisements show the time as 9:41 on the iPhone’s screen? If you look at old advertisements, you’ll see the time 9:41. That’s because iPhone was announced around that time at 9:42 am.

The latest iPhone advertisements don’t show time as they feature vibrant art instead, which is the background image.

Over 350,000 iPhone Sold Per Day in 2012

Yes, in 2012, Apple sold 350,000 iPhones every day. That was groundbreaking then and helped Apple make massive revenue. The latest iPhone was the iPhone 5, which was a significant upgrade over the iPhone 4S in terms of technology and design.

iPhones Can’t Be Used to Make Weapons

Have you read Apple’s End User License Agreement (EULA)? Of course, you haven’t. The document is tens of pages long. However, towards the end, the agreement states that Apple’s devices and services cannot be used to create bombs, missiles, and other weapons.

Tens of Thousands of People Lined to Buy the First iPhone.

Every year people line up outside Apple stores to get their hands on the new iPhone when it’s released. It was the same story from day one when the first iPhone was released. Tens of thousands of people reportedly lined outside.

Apple Doesn’t Report iPhone Sales.

Starting from late 2018, Apple announced that they wouldn’t be releasing their sale numbers, so no one knows the exact number of iPhones sold after that.

However, some reports say that Apple sold over 2.3 billion iPhones from 2007 till 2018, when the new rule was announced.

App Store was the First Legal Application Store

We download apps all the time and use them all the time. However, did you know that iPhone user were the first ones to get an actual application store to download and buy apps legally?

It’s aptly called the App Store as it was the first feature of its kind that Apple introduced. Play Store and Windows Store came way after that.

Over 50 Apps Every Minute

One of the most interesting facts about the iPhone is that every minute iPhone users download over 50 apps. That amounts to millions of downloads every month.

50 iPhone 6 and 6S Sold Per Second

This is one of the more mind-blowing facts about Apple and iPhones. When iPhone 6 and 6S were released, the company sold 50 units every second over the weekend. That’s over 4.3 million units sold in a day.

The i in iPhone

Have you ever wondered what the i in iPhone stands for? Most Apple devices have it in their name, but the iMac had it for the first time back in 1998. When it was announced, Steve Jobs revealed that it meant the internet.

It’s not surprising that iPhone was the one-of-a-kind phone that utilized the internet and truly made smartphones as standard as they are today. It’s safe to say that the move was so essential but also brilliant.

iPhone’s Focus More on User Experience Than Anything

This is pretty evident from iOS. Apple’s main focus with virtually all its devices, including iPhones, is to give the best user experience.

This is the main reason why when the phone first came out; users adopted it like a duck to water.

That focus has continued to this day as the company innovates its software to provide the best user experience there is.

Project Purple 2

One of the less known iPhone fun facts is that the project for developing this pioneering device was called Project Purple 2. While the first model was released in 2007, it started two years earlier, back in 2005.

Another related fact is that it was a super-secret project. Only select engineers inside the company knew about it and were working on it.

iPhones in Brazil are Twice the US Price

It’s not news that iPhones abroad are generally more expensive because of the import tariffs and taxes, but the prices in Brazil are almost twice that in the US. It’s cheaper to buy the same product within the US than to buy in a South American country.

Nevertheless, iPhones are still super popular in Brazil and the rest of the world. Even with the significant price difference, people are willing to buy this device.

All Siri Interactions are Recorded

Did you know that anything you say to Siri is recorded and sent to Apple for analysis? Siri is the smart voice-command system that comes built-in in into Apple devices.

The good thing is that these recordings are assigned a random identifier and can’t be traced back to the original Apple ID. So you can go ahead and ask Siri all those crazy and embarrassing questions without worrying about them being recorded.

The purpose of recording and analyzing our interactions with Siri is to help make the service better. It has improved over the years, so one can say that this provision is beneficial.

Samsung has Made Chips for iPhones.

In the smartphone world, the biggest rival to Apple is undoubtedly Samsung. The Korean tech giant has the most significant market share globally, but Apple still beats it when it comes to profits. However, you probably didn’t know that Samsung is a manufacturer of Apple’s chips in the iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc.

Recently, Apple has moved more towards TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) and would likely make it the sole supplier. However, Samsung has produced a fair share of the processors for Apple’s mobile devices in the past, including iPhone.

iPhone Survived a 13,000 Feet Fall

This has to be one of the most interesting facts about the iPhone. A skydiver named Jarrod McKinney dropped his phone from 13,000 feet above the ground while jumping. When the phone was located using GPS, it was still working, albeit with a broken screen.

If you need proof of the iPhone’s durability, this incident alone should convince you. Although iPhones are sometimes called out for being somewhat fragile, this case proves otherwise.

Parts for iPhone Come from All Over the World.

Yes, most of the components that go into an iPhone are made in Asia, mainly in China and Taiwan. However, the raw material for many of those components comes from different parts of the world. For instance, it uses Boron from Turkey, Copper from Chile, and Tantalum from Rwanda.

So what you hold in hand is a complex union of many small parts and materials sourced from all over the world. That’s truly amazing, considering how small this device is.

iPhone Responsible for Most Revenue

Apple was a computer manufacturer at first producing the Macintosh line. Now, it has a strong presence in the mobile world, as well as wearable tech. While it’s venturing into new areas with recent rumors about an Apple car on the horizon, its most revenue comes from iPhones.

More than 50 percent of its revenue comes from iPhone and everything associated with it, like accessories and apps.

Over 200 Patents

Over the years, as iPhones developed and released, their maker has filed for over 200 patents. Just that number alone is an indicator of how revolutionary and trailblazing this technology has been. The engineers and designers behind iPhone have achieved great success with their unique ideas.

iPhone Release Season

For years Apple has announced the new iPhone every September. Although the exact date differs but Apple’s big event traditionally takes place in September. So people know when to expect the release of a new iPhone and a bunch of other new stuff from the company.

2020 was the only year when Apple delayed the announcement and subsequent release of new iPhones. This was because of the production delays caused by the pandemic. Even when they did announce it, it was an entirely virtual event, streamed from Apple’s website because of the coronavirus restrictions on public gatherings.

First Trillion-Dollar Company

In 2018, Apple became the first-ever trillion-dollar company in the world. It has since crossed the two-trillion mark already, but the one-trillion mark in itself is a significant achievement. The IPhones played a big part in this role as its stock prices depended on the release and sale of iPhone models.

iPhone Will Be Carbon Neutral By 2030

Apple stores, offices, and data centers are already relying on renewable energy. However, the company is also trying to make its production line carbon neutral by 2030. This means that by the end of this decade, iPhone production will have no carbon footprint.

This is massive, considering how common iPhones are. They recently made a move not to include adapters and earphones with iPhones to save the environment. However, the move was met with a mixed response.

Final Words

The iPhone truly is an impressive device that has played a big part in making technology available to the masses, although often at a hefty price. With a journey expanding nearly two decades, there are many interesting facts about the phone that many people don’t know. Well, now you know!