#History

On January 9, 2007, Steve Jobs stood on the stage at Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco and introduced three products in one: a widescreen iPod with touch controls, a mobile phone and an internet communicator. The audience understood the punchline only when he explained that these were not three devices but one, and that it was called iPhone.

The device had no physical keyboard and relied on a multi-touch screen, a technology that let users pinch, scroll and tap with their fingers rather than with a stylus. Apple also showed a version of its Safari browser that displayed full web pages instead of the cut-down mobile pages common on phones of the day. The operating system was a stripped-down relative of Mac OS X.

Apple introduced the first iPod on October 23, 2001. It stored 5GB, or about 1,000 songs by Apple's pitch, used a mechanical scroll wheel and connected through FireWire. It cost $399 and worked only with Macs at first.

Sales grew slowly until Apple widened the audience. A second generation worked with Windows, and the iTunes Store, opened in April 2003, offered legally licensed downloads at 99 cents a track. Together, hardware, software and store formed the model Apple would later repeat with other products.

The line then diversified. The iPod mini, a smaller aluminum player, arrived in 2004. The iPod shuffle, a screenless flash player, and the iPod nano followed in 2005.

The original iPhone of 2007 had a 2-megapixel rear camera with fixed focus, no flash and no video recording. It was serviceable for casual snaps and little more.

Progress came in steps. The iPhone 3GS added autofocus and video in 2009. The iPhone 4 in 2010 brought a 5-megapixel sensor, an LED flash and a front camera for FaceTime. The iPhone 5s introduced a two-tone flash in 2013, and the iPhone 6 Plus offered optical image stabilization in 2014.

In 2016 the iPhone 7 Plus added a second, telephoto lens, which allowed optical zoom and a software-driven Portrait mode that blurred backgrounds. The iPhone X in 2017 added Portrait Lighting effects, and the TrueDepth camera brought portrait shots to the front.

2001. Apple opened its first two retail stores on May 19, 2001, at Tysons Corner, Virginia, and in Glendale, California. Many commentators predicted they would struggle. The stores were designed around hands-on use, with products on open tables rather than behind glass.

2001 to 2002. The Genius Bar, an in-store support counter, became a signature feature. Apple expanded steadily across the U.S.

2003. The first store outside the U.S. opened in Tokyo's Ginza district. London's Regent Street flagship followed in 2004.

2006. The glass cube entrance on Fifth Avenue in New York opened on May 19, 2006, and quickly became a landmark. It operates around the clock.

Apple unveiled the Apple Watch in September 2014 and began selling it on April 24, 2015. The first model leaned on a paired iPhone and pitched itself as a communication, fitness and fashion device. Apple even sold a gold Edition model.

The second generation, in 2016, added built-in GPS and water resistance for swimming. Series 3, in 2017, offered optional cellular connectivity, which allowed calls and data without an iPhone nearby.

Series 4 in 2018 enlarged the display and introduced the electrocardiogram app, a milestone that turned the watch into a health-screening device in supported countries. Fall detection arrived at the same time. Series 5 in 2019 added an always-on display. Series 6 in 2020 added a blood oxygen sensor.

The original Macintosh of 1984 placed a menu bar along the top of the screen, with an Apple menu on the far left. Unlike Windows, where menus live inside each window, the Mac bar belongs to whichever app is active and always sits at the screen edge.

There is a practical reasoning behind that. A target at the edge of a screen is easy to hit, because the cursor stops there, so users can fling the pointer upward without careful aiming. Interface designers often cite this principle, known as Fitts's law, as a reason the top-edge menu is efficient.