Introduction to iPhone
iPhone is the most popular model series of smartphones launched in the technology market. It is well-known for its features, applications and the services provided to its customers. There is hardly any tech-savvy person who is not familiar with the iPhone and is unaware of its brand. The founder of Apple Incorporation - Steve Jobs, is a world-famous personality who revolutionized the tech market with the introduction of its products, among which the iPhone series became a huge hit.

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iPhone is a model of phone designed and developed by Apple Incorporation. As mentioned, it was a part of the top products launched by the company and the first iPhone was released in the year 2007 and by 2009, the products were available in all the major markets across the globe.
The initial development of the iPhone project was named “Project Purple” and was proposed by then CEO Steve Jobs to the hardware engineer Tony Fadell, software engineer Scott Forstall and design engineer Sir Jonathan Ive. The idea was to provide the functionality of Newton MessagePad in a new device with a supreme touch-screen as Jobs realized that after the launch of the iPod, the highest demand would be for a device which collaborates the essential functions of mobile phones along with the features of a music player. Over the years, with the introduction of new technologies such as lithium-ion batteries, multi-touch screens, powerful CPUs, etc., incorporating major functionalities demanded from a mobile device became possible, and the iPhone was created.
The beta production of the iPhone was created in 2004, and on January 9, 2007, Steve Jobs announced the first iPhone at the Macworld convention. The official release took place on June 29, 2007.
As impressive as it was, the iPhone series has upgraded its features over the years through modifications in the style, designs, operating systems and applications. The product is now associated with Apple’s brand tag, and the customer base has rapidly increased with time.
Now, let us discuss the interesting features of the iOS versions that were developed since the start and how these versions have been modified to provide a better and better user experience.
Introduction to iOS
iOS is a mobile operating system developed by Apple Incorporation exclusively for its hardware. The operating system was created in a way to provide seamless compatibility with Apple products and enhance the user experience through the development of the features deemed essential for Apple products.
This operating system powers most mobile devices and is the second-most widely installed mobile operating system other than Android. It also incorporated the versions running on iPads until 2019. It is also the basis for three other operating systems made by Apple: iPadOS, tvOS, and watchOS.
Initially launched in 2007 for the first-generation iPhone, it has since then extended support to other devices such as iPod Touch and iPad.
Generally, major versions of iOS are released annually, and the current stable version, iOS 15, was released on September 20, 2021.
Let us now discuss the various features of each version launched of iOS till date.
iOS 1.0/ iPhone

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This version was the first version of iOS to be released in 2007 and officially launched on July 15, 2008. It was named iPhone OS - the FIRST iPhone OS and not iOS. The features such as Visual Voicemail, Multi-Touch Screen and Integration of iTunes made a huge impact in the industry. This version lacked the functions to support features which are considered essential nowadays, such as Photos, Notes, Mails, etc.
This version supported the newly released model of the iPhone and was shipped pre-installed on the original iPhone. Version 1.1 of the first released operating system was the first version of the software, which was compatible with the iPod touch.
The highlighted features of this version are:
- Visual Voicemail
- Multi-touch interface
- Safari Browser
- Music application
iOS 2.0/ iPhone 3G

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After one year of the initial release of the iPhone and iOS 1.0, this version was released on January 27, 2009. The plan was to release updates along with the launch of the corresponding modified design of the iPhone to be released in that year. This iOS was made for iPhone 3G and the important feature introduced with this version was the App Store. Five hundred apps were made available on the App Store to be purchased and installed on individual iPhones. Other significant updates were podcast support and public transit, along with walking directions in Maps.
The essential features in iOS version 2.0 are:
- App Store
- Improved Maps app
iOS 3.0/ iPhone 3GS

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iOS 3.0 was launched on August 11, 2010, and supported iPhone 3GS. The new features introduced were copy and paste, Spotlight search, MMS support in the messaging application and the ability to record videos using the Camera app.
This was the first version of iOS to support the iPad.
Key features of iOS version 3.0 are:
- Copy and paste
- Spotlight search
- Recording videos
iOS 4.0/ iPhone 4

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With the release of this version, the name of the operating system was changed from iPhone version 4.0 to iOS 4.0 and was released on July 25, 2011, to support iPhone 4. Features which are now widely used were introduced with this version. They were FaceTime, multitasking, iBooks, Personal Hotspot, AirPlay and AirPrint.
Moreover, this was the first version to drop support for any iOS device.
The new features associated with this version are:
- FaceTime
- Multitasking
- AirPlay
- AirPrint
- iBooks
- Personal Hotspot
- Organizing apps into folders
iOS 5.0/ iPhone 4S
This version was highly popular as it took into account the growing popularity of wirelessness and cloud computing. It was released on May 7, 2012, for iPhone 4S. iCloud was the prominent feature in this version and included the ability to activate an iPhone wirelessly and syncing with iTunes via Wi-Fi.
New features upgraded with this version include:
- iCloud
- iMessage
- Notification Centre
- Wireless syncing and activation
iOS 6.0/ iPhone 5

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With the release of the iPhone 5, iOS 6.0 was released on February 21, 2014. This version introduced Siri, a technology of significant advancement and users could now directly use Yelp, Twitter, and Facebook, which were now integrated into Apple devices.
It also facilitated a much better integration of Apple ID and enhanced features like a reading list. This version incorporated the use of Passbook, which was an effort toward the payment applications.
Its key features include:
- Apple Maps
- Do Not Disturb
- Passbook (now Wallet)
iOS 7.0/ iPhone 5C

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iOS 7 was developed by the efforts of Jony Ive and was released in 2013 with the new iPhone 5C as well as iPhone 5S. The modified version included the enhancements in the user interface and introduced features like Touch ID and Activation Lock.
Key features include:
- Activation Lock
- AirDrop
- CarPlay
- Control centre
- Touch ID
iPhone OS 8.0/ iPhone 6/6 plus

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iOS 8.0 was seen as a more consistent and reliable version of the operating system. It was launched on August 13, 2015, with the release of the iPhone 6 and 6 plus. The major features delivered in this version include Apple Pay for making secured transactions and the Apple Music subscription service. Additionally, Dropbox-like iCloud Drive, iCloud Photo Library, and iCloud Music Library were also added.
The important features of this version are:
- Apple Music
- Apple Pay
- iCloud Drive
- Handoff
- Family Sharing
- HomeKit
iOS 9.0.1/ iPhone 6s/6s plus/ SE

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Released in 2015, this version included features like Night Shift, Public Beta Program and Lower Power Mode. Passbook application became Wallet with the release of the iPhone 6s.
A major round of improvements was made in the line of responsiveness, stability, speed, and performance.
New features included:
- Night Shift
- Low Power Mode
- Public Beta Program
iOS 10.0/ iPhone 7/7 Plus

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With the launch of the iPhone 7, Apple brought advancements in existing applications and focused on developing them. iOS 10.0 was released in July 2019 and focused on customization and communication between applications.
Essential advancements included:
- iMessage Apps
- Deletion of built-in apps
iOS 11.0/ iPhone 8/8 Plus/ iPhone X

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The iOS version 11.0 was originally developed to run on the iPhone 8/ 8 Plus and it has been expanded to support the iPod touch and iPad. The major focus of this version is on turning the iPad Pro series models into legitimate laptop replacements for some users. Therefore, changes were made to make this OS more like a desktop operating system.
Additionally, Apple introduced an Apple Pay Cash Card, which enables users to shop online and inside the application, and gives them the ease to transfer money to their personal bank accounts.
New changes in the version are:
- Augmented reality
- AirPlay 2
- Enhancements on iPad
iOS 12.0 - iPhone XS/ XS Max/ iPhone XR

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This version was released in 2018 and added improvements which weren’t focused on additional features but on making refinements. Some of the modifications included improvements to Siri, enhanced Augmented Reality with ARKit 2, and giving users ways to monitor and control their device use with Screen Time.
Essential refined features include:
- Grouped Notifications
- Screen Time
- Memoji, a personalized kind of Animoji
- ARKit 2
- Siri improvements - Siri Shortcuts and multi-step actions
iOS 13.0 - iPhone 11/ 11 pro/ 11 Max

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iOS was launched on September 19, 2019. The biggest change this version included was that it no longer supported iPad due to the release of iPadOS. In addition, features that showed up in this version are faster launching of apps, unlocking devices with Face ID, and overhauling pre-installed apps like Reminders, Notes, Safari, and Mail.
New features upgraded with this version include:
- System-wide Dark Mode
- Sign In With the Apple user account system
- New Portrait Lighting options
- New privacy and security options
- New, improved Siri voice
- Look Around feature for Apple Maps
- Overhauled stock apps like Reminders and Notes
- Dark Mode
iOS 14.0 - iPhone 12/ 12 Pro/ 12 Mini/ 12 Pro Max

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iOS 14.0 was released with iPhone 12 in 2020, and it is a collection of changes made to the user interface. Most noteworthy changes are advanced customizations with the inclusion of Homescreen Widgets, the ability to choose default apps in some cases, and improved privacy controls.
The highlighted features of this version are:
- Homescreen Widgets for customized home screens and shortcuts.
- Smart Stacks that deliver different Homescreen Widgets at different times of the day based on your habits.
- Setting third-party apps as default for email and web browser apps.
- Picture in picture mode
- App Library
- App Clips
- Improved privacy features to block tracking online.
- Built-in language translation for 11 languages.
- Spatial Audio for AirPods
- Changes in group texts in iMessage, including threaded replies and mentions.
iOS 15.0 - iPhone 13/ 13 Pro/ 13 Pro Max/ SE

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This is the latest version of iOS and was released on September 24, 2021, with the launch of the iPhone 13. This version also focuses on improving the features rather than adding new impactful ones. The major improvements are increased security and privacy, blocking more ad tracking, improved Siri and the camera application, etc. Many features were improved by considering the new remote-work environment, such as FaceTime audio, support for FaceTime conferencing on the web and Android, improvements to the Messages app, and more.
Improvements in the FaceTime application include:
- SharePlay allows people on a FaceTime video call to watch a video or listen to Audio together and share screens.
- Spatial Audio
- Enhanced Mic Modes
- Portrait Mode brings this amazing still-photos feature to video to blur your background.
- Cross-Platform support for FaceTime calls where people with a link can join from a web browser or Android device.
Enhancements in the privacy of the applications include:
- App Privacy Report lets you know what permissions each of your apps has, how often it accesses your data, and what third-party domains the app has contacted.
- Mail Privacy Protection blocks tracking pixels, hides your IP address from marketers, and blocks the connection of your data from email with other data sources.
- On-device Siri means that Siri recordings are no longer sent to or stored in the cloud. Siri works completely on your iPhone and now works offline.
Other additional features are:
- Support for the iCloud+ service that adds new Homekit and VPN-style features.
- Improved driving directions in Maps.
- Notifications scheduling and summary.
- A redesigned feature for managing tabs and groups of tabs in Safari.
- Live Text
- Visual search