Related Articles
Editors’ note: This post has been updated with information about iOS features up to the current release.
Apple’s WWDC starts in about a month, and if Apple sticks to its usual schedule, we expect to hear an announcement for iOS 8 during the keynote. June will also mark the seventh anniversary of the iPhone, and it’s easy to see much has changed in the OS since that first unveiling.
Back in 2007, when the first iPhone hit stores, the OS wasn’t even called iOS. At the time, Apple said the phone was running a version of OS X, and was simply called the iPhone OS. This early operating system just had what we know today as the core apps — basics such as Safari, Mail, Maps, Notes, and a few others. It’s hard to believe, with how important the App Store is today, but it wasn’t until iPhone OS 2.0 that the iTunes App Store was even introduced and still took a while to really get off the ground as app developers experimented with the new device.
More about iOS
- Read our past review of iOS 4
- Read our past review of iOS 5
- Read our past review of iOS 6
- Read our review for iOS 7
A year later, iPhone OS 3.0 was released, and users began to get used to the idea that the smartphone operating system was an evolution that would continue to improve incrementally over time. The first iPhone had almost nothing beyond the fancy touchscreen interface, but starting with the name change of iOS 4, Apple slowly crossed off the items on our wish lists (while adding new features we hadn’t thought of along the way).
Even so, Apple fell behind the competition which had features such as copy and paste, and, later, multitasking. With subsequent updates we finally got many of these features, but we had to wait while other smartphones were pulling ahead.
iOS through the years (pictures)
+34 more
With WWDC only a month away, check out how it all began for the iPhone OS and the steps it took to get to where we are today. It’s important to note I’m not covering every release here, instead showing the features added by the time the next major version was released.
| OS version | Release date | Notable updates |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone OS 1.0 (initial release) | June 1, 2007 | Initial release for the first iPhone |
| Offered apps include the basics like Mail, Messages, Safari, Maps, YouTube, and Calendar. | ||
| iPhone OS 1.0.1 – 1.1.4 | Beginning in Sept. 2007 | Improved EDGE and Wi-Fi reception |
| iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store | ||
| Location awareness | ||
| Customizable Home screen | ||
| Multirecipient SMS messages | ||
| Web clips (Creating a home screen icon that goes to a Web page) | ||
| Support for iTunes movie rentals | ||
| iPhone OS 2.0 | July 1, 2008 | Support for iPhone 3G |
| Support for App Store and third-party applications | ||
| Support for Microsoft Exchange | ||
| Support for 3G data and GPS | ||
| iPhone OS 2.0.1 – 2.2.1 | Beginning in Sept. 2008 | Google Street View with directions |
| “Double tap” shortcut brings you to the first Home screen | ||
| Significantly better battery life for most users | ||
| Faster installation of third-party apps | ||
| Improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display | ||
| Genius playlist creation | ||
| iPhone OS 3.0 | June 2009 | Copy and paste |
| MMS: Text messages with photos and videos | ||
| New app: Voice memos | ||
| Landscape mode in mail, text, and notes | ||
| Voice Control of phone and iPod (iPhone 3GS only) | ||
| Renting and purchasing of movies, TV shows, and audiobooks over the air | ||
| Find My iPhone feature for lost phones via MobileMe | ||
| In-app purchases now supported | ||
| iPhone OS 3.1 – 3.2 | Beginning in Sept. 2009 | App Store Genius |
| New premade ringtones available for purchase | ||
| Support for iPad (iPhone OS 3.2) | ||
| Home screens can be customized on iTunes 9 | ||
| Fast-forward and rewind from headphones | ||
| Improved reception | ||
| iOS 4.0 | June 2010 | Multitasking |
| Folders for organizing apps | ||
| Unified email inbox and threaded e-mail conversations | ||
| Improved security and business features | ||
| iBooks for iPhone, iPod Touch | ||
| iAd | ||
| 100+ other fixes and features | ||
| Drops support for the original iPhone | ||
| iOS 4.1 – 4.3.5 | Beginning in Sept. 2010 | HDR Photos |
| Game Center | ||
| AirPrint wireless printing | ||
| AirPlay support | ||
| Free Find My iPhone service | ||
| Assign unique tones to individual SMS senders | ||
| Support for Verizon | ||
| No longer backs up location data during sync | ||
| Improved Safari performance with “Nitro” JavaScript engine | ||
| iOS 5.0 | Oct. 2011 | Support for iCloud and iTunes Match |
| iMessage replaces Message app | ||
| Systemwide Twitter integration | ||
| Siri (iPhone 4S only) | ||
| Notification Center and updated lock screen to include notifications | ||
| New app: Reader | ||
| New app: Reminders | ||
| New app: Newsstand, for reading magazines purchased through the App Store | ||
| Addition of a camera shortcut to the lock screen | ||
| Use the volume-up button to take photos | ||
| Game Center app adds support for turn-based network games | ||
| iOS 5.1 | March 2012 | Genius Mixes and playlists for iTunes Match |
| Support for third-generation iPad | ||
| Updated camera app for third-generation iPad | ||
| Updated Camera shortcut from lock screen | ||
| iOS 6 | Sept. 2012 | New app: Apple Maps |
| Turn-by-turn navigation with voice | ||
| New app: Passbook, for storing boarding passes, coupons, loyalty cards, and more. | ||
| Siri updated to deliver better restaurant results, dictates Twitter and Facebook updates | ||
| Facebook integration | ||
| Make FaceTime calls over cellular | ||
| iOS 6.1 | Jan. 2013 | Larger “Report a Problem” button in Maps. |
| New music controls on lock screen | ||
| Use Siri to buy movie tickets through Fandango | ||
| iOS 7 | Sept. 2013 | Complete design overhaul with flattened graphics affecting all core apps |
| AirDrop functionality added, letting you quickly send files to people nearby | ||
| App Store adds section for “Near Me” letting you see what apps are popular in your area | ||
| Camera app gets new design, burst mode, and live filters when taking shots | ||
| New Control Center lets you get to most used settings and other tools with a swipe | ||
| iTunes Radio debuts as part of the Music app for ad-supported listening | ||
| Multitasking gets a new look and lets apps update in the background | ||
| Spotlight accessible on any page of the home screen with a swipe downwards | ||
| iOS 7.1 | March 2014 | Siri lets you hold down home button to talk or ask a question then release to get answer |
| New search box at the top of iTunes Radio for creating streams | ||
| Calendar displays event list within month view | ||
| Camera adds “HDR Auto” feature |
What’s next? (iOS 8)
Apple’s iOS 8 will likely be released to the public this fall, but we won’t know for sure what features the OS will have until Apple takes the stage at the WWDC keynote. Recent news hinted that we may not get many of the features that have been rumored in iOS 8, and instead will get some in the fall, and more in iOS 8.1, early next year. With that said, there have been several rumors surrounding Apple’s latest iPhone OS.
One of the new additions, reportedly, is an app called Healthbook, which will focus on wellness through measuring steps taken in a day, caloric intake, blood sugar levels, and more, relying on third party apps and devices to gather the information (or perhaps sensors in the iPhone 6). Another rumor is that iTunes Radio will get its own app, which makes sense so you won’t have to dig around in the Music app and can start listening much more quickly.
I’ve heard we’re also going to see improvements to Apple’s Maps app, with public transit information finally returning to the fold along with indoor navigation and augmented reality that will give you information about what you’re looking at through the iPhone camera.
Siri is supposed to get an update as well, possibly integrating the music identifying technology you get with the popular Shazam app. Obviously, being able to simply ask “Siri, what song is playing?” is much easier than finding and opening Shazam then scanning for a song.
There are several other rumored changes in iOS 8 such as a more streamlined Notification Center, a revamped Voice Memo app, and several other upgrades, but there’s no telling if all will make it in to iOS 8 or if Apple wants to wait to add them to iOS next year. One thing is certain: with a new iPhone presumably on the way, iOS 8 will probably have surprises nobody could have guessed, making this year particularly exciting for fans of iOS and the iPhone.
Now playing:
Watch this:
iOS’ most significant moments
4:00
