Design Icons - Apple iPhone 3G

Whilst the original iPhone was greeted as the 'Jesus Phone' and was worshipped by a large number of (mostly American) owners, in truth it was not a great smartphone and lacked features which were required to allow it to change the world.

So when Apple introduced the iPhone 3G it fixed all the flaws of the original and laid the groundwork for a world-changing product. It is impossible to imagine what the world would look like if the iPhone 3G had never arrived.

The 3G was filled with new features, which allied to a newer and more friendly design, made it an instant - and worldwide, thanks to Apple opening it up to new markets - hit. 3G was a key enabler - it was even in the name. The original's GPRS radio was too slow to be viable as a carrier for the internet. 3G fixed that problem and allowed the iPhone to become the internet terminal which it needed to be.

The addition of the App Store - providing access to downloadable software for the first time - meant that developers were able to take advantage of that faster connection, as well as other iPhone 3G firsts like the accelerometer and GPS. The way that Apple managed the buying process and shared revenue with developers created a new business model which encouraged developers to create the huge catalogue of apps which we now take for granted. Hard to believe that the App Store packed just one hundred apps at launch.

Finally, Apple reduced the price of the iPhone 3G - a rare example of the company offering more for less - making it accessible to a much larger part of the market.

Finally the physical design of the iPhone 3G was a step ahead of anything which had come before. It felt and looked like a premium product, it fit the hand and all controls were within easy reach of the thumb of the holding hand. 

There have been iconic iPhone designs since, but the iPhone 3G was the most important and, therefore, the most iconic.

See other design icons here.