iPhone 3G
In 2008, a year after iPhone debut Apple organized the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with 147 sessions. Packed with new features, announcements 62 sessions were already devoted to the latest product - iPhone.
A significant milestone achieved before the conference was the iPhone 2.0 software platform, which unveiled the highly anticipated Software Development Kit (SDK). The SDK empowered developers with native APIs, Xcode for coding, Interface Builder for UI design, and the iPhone Simulator for testing, streamlining application development. Within a mere 95 days of launching the iPhone developer program, over a quarter million SDK downloads were recorded. Notably, a third of Fortune 500 companies participated in beta testing, proving the iPhone’s robust entry into the enterprise sector. Several companies that participated in the iPhone developer program were invited to showcase their applications built using the new SDK at WWDC.
Sega demonstrated Super Monkey Ball, highlighting the game’s tilt control and the ease of development. eBay presented their auction application, emphasizing the integration with eBay’s web services and the ability to bid on items directly from the iPhone. Loopt, a social mapping service, showcased their application that combined location-based services with social networking. More specifically, users could see where their friends were and what they were doing, making it easy to connect with people nearby. TypePad, a blogging service, revealed their application that allowed users to create and publish blog posts with photos directly from their iPhone.
The Associated Press presented their mobile news network application, which provided local news from trusted sources. They showcased the app’s ability to cache content for offline reading and the integration with the iPhone’s location services to deliver relevant news. Pangea Software demonstrated two games, Enigmo (physics based game) and Cro-Mag Rally (a 3D caveman racing game), that were ported from Mac OS to the iPhone. They highlighted the ease of porting the games using the SDK and the unique game play experiences enabled by the iPhone’s accelerometer.
In the medical community, the iPhone has seen a surge in interest as well. Modality introduced a medical app designed for students and professionals. It offered interactive anatomy lessons, medical reference materials, and quizzes. The app aimed to enhance learning and provide a valuable resource for medical education. MIMvista’s medical imaging app allowed doctors to view and manipulate medical images on the iPhone. It supported various imaging modalities, including MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and CT (Computed Tomography) scans. The app aimed to improve diagnostic capabilities and provide a portable solution for medical professionals.
All those new mobile applications was the very beginning of the Apple App Store announced during the conference. Surprisingly the most popular app categories in the App Store are still related to games, business and education, while the most profitable categories correlate with games, entertainment, social media, finance and health.
During the conference Steve Jobs elaborated on a critical new feature - the push notification service for developers. By maintaining a persistent IP connection, the service allowed third-party developers to send alerts directly to users, enhancing the immediacy of notifications in applications like instant messaging and e-commerce. This innovation underscored Apple's commitment to user engagement and paved the way for future application developments.
The announced MobileMe was a cloud-based service designed to provide users possibility to sync email, contacts, and calendars across devices. Later Steve Jobs recognized the fact that “the launch of MobileMe was not our finest hour.” Eventually, MobileMe was replaced by iCloud in 2012.
The WWDC event culminated with the highly awaited announcement of the iPhone 3G. The original iPhone despite it shortcoming was a big success, with 90% customer satisfaction rate and the high usage of features like mobile browsing, email, and text messaging. Apple sold 6 million iPhones in the first year. However, several obvious challenges needed to be addressed with the next generation iPhone, including 3G networking, enterprise support, third-party apps, iPhone availability in many more countries, and its affordability there. The new iPhone 3G solved these issues - it
had faster 3G networking, with download speeds approaching the WiFi speeds
featured extended battery life for browsing, video, and audio, along with built-in GPS for improved location services, map guided navigation
integrated with many enterprise software solutions like Microsoft Exchange and Cisco VPN services
had a ready SDK, the Apple Developer program and the announced App Store for third-party applications
was priced lower - $199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB model to make it more affordable and accessible worldwide
The new iPhone 3G appeared in stores on July 11, 2008 with the very first iPhone model discontinued four days later. Today one could still buy the iPhone 3G model on the reselling platforms like eBay.