Relive the iPhone launch exactly 18 years ago via this TV news report
Can you believe that the first iPhone launched exactly 18 years ago on June 29? Do you remember what you were doing that day? Oh hang on, maybe you weren't even born then.
The late Steve Jobs, then Apple's CEO, had unveiled the revolutionary smartphone five months earlier, in January 2007. In the intervening months, the company created enough hype to encourage hordes of people to descend upon Apple Stores in the U.S. and beyond to purchase the device that was to truly transform the fortunes of the California-based tech company.
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An old ABC News clip about the iPhone's launch day features tech writer Steven Levy, now editor-at-large at Wired, summing up the level of excitement that surrounded the iPhone's launch.
'There's been nothing like this in my memory,' Levy tells ABC News reporter John Berman. 'I've been covering technology for over 20 years and I can't recall the anticipation for a product like this has.'
Berman, meanwhile, has clearly been bedazzled by Apple's ad campaign, telling Levy: 'I consider myself at least of average intelligence, but they're in my head. Apple is in my head. Must get iPhone. Must get iPhone.'
Levy responds with a comment that's aged well: 'Apple has always, throughout its history, struck a chord among people who like technology, and like it done really really well … it's a religion almost, for some people.'
An unnamed contributor then takes up the religious theme: 'Steve Jobs — master marketer,' she says. 'The guy is incredible at bringing the Mac faithful to a fever pitch, and then those early adopters, those high-end geeks, go forth and spread the gospel of Apple.'
Jessica, a woman waiting in line outside an Apple Store in New York City on iPhone launch day, offered her own take, telling Berman: 'Steve Jobs is an innovator, he always comes up with new creative things before anybody thinks of them.' She adds that everything Jobs comes up with is 'top notch,' prompting the reporter to mention the Apple Lisa, the failed PC launched by the company in 1983. But Jessica has never heard of it.
Next, we see the Apple Store opening and the first customers heading inside to collect their brand new iPhone. Jessica buys two of them — one for her sister — and is shown counting out more than a thousand bucks for her purchase. 'I feel like I won the Olympic gold medal,' she says.
The original iPhone featured a tiny 3.5-inch display and a basic 2-megapixel camera and went on sale for $499 (4GB) and $599 (8GB). The iPhone has been an astonishing success for Apple, generating around $1.5 trillion for the company over the years. Many iterations of the device have come and gone, with Apple expected to release the iPhone 17 later this year.
Below is another news report from the same day, this one from CBS News:
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So whether you're feeling nostalgic for your own childhood favorite or just curious about what your kids are obsessed with now, scroll through for a playful walk down memory lane — and find out what was hot the year you were Little People first appeared in 1950 as part of the Looky Fire Truck. These small, peg-shaped characters became a staple in toddler toys and helped children develop imagination and storytelling through simple, durable Potato Head has the distinction of being the first toy ever advertised on TV. Kids originally used real potatoes to create goofy characters using the included plastic parts, making it a wildly novel and customizable toy when it on the original Slinky craze, Slinky Dog debuted in 1952 as a pull toy with a coiled metal body. It charmed kids with its springy, bouncing motion and wagging tail as it rolled across the not widely sold until later, early development of Chatty Cathy began around 1953. The talking doll amazed kids by saying recorded phrases when you pulled a string, a pioneering feature that made it one of the first interactive marketed and sold as a wallpaper cleaner, Play-Doh later sold as a colorful modeling compound in the '50s. Its fun texture and bright colors made it a hit with kids for creative Putty was actually invented during World War II, and became a favorite toy by the mid-1950s. It could bounce, stretch, break, and even lift comic strips off newspaper pages, captivating kids with its oddball, hands-on started out as a stop-motion TV character before he became a bendable green toy figure. Along with his horse Pokey, Gumby became a 1950s icon that encouraged imaginative their reusable vinyl stick-ons and bold, colorful backgrounds, Colorforms let kids create endless scenes and stories... with no mess. From basic shapes to licensed characters, these peel-and-stick sets sparked imagination and became a staple in mid-century playrooms.A simple plastic ring became a full-blown national obsession in 1958. The Hula Hoop, popularized by Wham-O, had kids spinning, twirling, and competing in backyard battles across the country. At its peak, millions were sold each month, proof that the best toys don't need the iconic Barbie made her debut in 1959, it was nothing short of a revolution in the doll world. With her glamorous outfits, high heels, and grown-up lifestyle, Barbie offered a new kind of imaginative play — one where kids could dream big about grown-up life. She wasn't just a doll; she was a fashion model, astronaut, doctor and more paving the way for decades of role play and reinvention (not to mention a blockbuster movie decades down the road).Part toy, part drawing tool, Etch A Sketch let kids create art with just two knobs — no pencils or paper needed. The red-framed screen felt like magic, erasing instantly with a quick shake. It became an instant classic and a must-have for budding artists or everyday its smiling face, spinning dial, and wobbly wheels, the Chatter Telephone made talking on the 'phone' endlessly fun for toddlers. It encouraged pretend play and early communication skills. Plus, pulling it around by its string made it feel like a friendly little their wild hair and wide-eyed grins, Troll dolls were weird, whimsical and wildly popular. Originally created by a Danish woodcutter, these quirky little figures became a surprise hit in the U.S., sparking a full-blown craze that would return again and again over the decades (eventually as a huge movie franchise).Baking got kid-sized with the Easy-Bake Oven, which used a simple lightbulb to 'cook' mini cakes and cookies. It gave kids a taste of independence in the kitchen... and a warm, sweet treat to show for it. The nostalgia factor to this day? Still piping as the first 'action figure,' G.I. Joe marched onto the scene in 1964 and redefined toys marketed to boys in that era. With movable joints, military gear, and a backstory for every figure, G.I. Joe sparked a new kind of imaginative play centered around adventure, bravery, and buzzy board game turned the seriousness of surgery into silly fun. Players used tweezers to remove tiny 'ailments' from Cavity Sam without touching the edges, or risk setting off that iconic red nose and startling buzzer. Operation combined laughter and anticipation with a steady-hand challenge that kids turned math concepts (boring for kids!) into mesmerizing art (super fun for kids!). Using gears, rings, and colored pens, kids could draw endless looping patterns and intricate designs. It was part creativity, part precision and totally captivating once you started let kids create glowing masterpieces by plugging colorful pegs into a backlit screen. 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These egg-shaped figures with weighted bottoms were a toddler favorite in the early '70s. No matter how far you tilted them, they always bounced back, making them endlessly entertaining and nearly impossible to to learn and play but full of surprises, Uno quickly became a family game night favorite. The colorful cards, wild rules and satisfying 'Draw Four' moments made it a hit across generations and a staple in every toy drawer even to this Alive brought pretend play to a new level with a doll that could eat, drink and even needed a diaper change. Kids loved the lifelike caregiving experience while parents loved watching their little ones eager to take on Magna Doodle debuted in 1974, captivating kids with its mess-free magnetic drawing magic. Using a special magnetic pen children could sketch pictures or write messages that appeared like magic on the screen — then swipe the slider to erase it all instantly. 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Bundled with Tetris, the Game Boy became an instant classic, captivating players of all ages and laying the foundation for handheld gaming as we know In 1990, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures were everywhere — from toy store shelves to school backpacks. Fueled by the hit cartoon and live-action movie, the toy line let kids collect all four pizza-loving heroes (Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael), plus villains like Shredder and breakout hit toy brought 16-bit gaming magic to living rooms in 1991 setting a new standard for home consoles. With classics like Super Mario World, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and Street Fighter II, the SNES delivered richer graphics, deeper gameplay and iconic soundtracks. It became a defining game console of the '90s and solidified Nintendo's legacy in the 1992, the Barbie Dreamhouse had evolved into a full-blown pink palace — complete with working lights, a ringing telephone and stylish plastic furniture. 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