First iPhone Release: How the iPhone Premiered at Apple Stores in 2007

The first iphone release took place on Friday, June 29, 2007, when the original Apple iPhone went on sale at 6 p.m. local time in Apple Stores and AT&T stores across the US. This article recaps how that launch day worked, what the first iPhone offered, and how to buy an iPhone at an Apple Store today.

Quick answer: The original iPhone went on sale in the US on June 29, 2007, at 6 p.m. local time. US Apple Stores stayed open until midnight, buyers could take home up to two phones, and prices were US$499 for 4GB and US$599 for 8GB, with AT&T as the only US carrier. Today you can buy an iPhone at any Apple Store, online from Apple, or through carriers and retailers.

How the first iPhone release day worked

Apple announced the iPhone in January 2007 and set the US launch for the evening of June 29. Its press release that week laid out the plan:

• Evening launch: sales started at 6 p.m. local time, and every US Apple Store stayed open until midnight.
• Purchase limit: customers could buy up to two iPhones each, first come, first served.
• Free help: from the next day, Apple Stores ran free iPhone workshops, offered support at the Genius Bar, and offered personal training through the then-new One to One program.

Long queues formed outside Apple Stores ahead of the launch, starting a tradition of launch-day lines that continued for years with later iPhones and the iPad.

What the original iPhone offered

Apple described the iPhone as three products in one: a mobile phone, a widescreen iPod and an internet device. Its multi-touch screen let you control the phone with a tap, flick or pinch, which was a big change from the keypads and styluses of other phones at the time.

• Price: US$499 for the 4GB model and US$599 for the 8GB model.
• Carrier: AT&T was the exclusive US carrier. Its iPhone plans started at US$59.99 a month and included unlimited data and Visual Voicemail.
• Syncing: the iPhone synced music, movies and TV shows through iTunes on a PC or Mac.

The first iPhone had no App Store. Apple opened the App Store in 2008, together with the iPhone 3G, and third-party apps became a core part of the iPhone from then on.

Buying an iPhone at an Apple Store today

Launches are much calmer now, because most people pre-order online. If you want to buy in person:

• Check stock and pick up: order on the Apple Store (external site) online and choose in-store pickup, so you skip the queue.
• Get set up in store: Apple staff can help you move data from your old phone when you collect it.
• Get help later: book a Genius Bar appointment through Apple Support (external site) for repairs and problems.
• Learn the basics: Apple Stores run free Today at Apple (external site) sessions on photography, video and other topics, the modern successor to the 2007 iPhone workshops.

The first iPhone outside the US

The original iPhone launched only in the US in 2007, with a few European countries following later that year. Many countries, including India, got their first official iPhones with the iPhone 3G in 2008. We covered that at the time in Apple iPhone in India on Airtel. For a look at the phones the iPhone competed with, browse the Nokia phone museum, and see the iPad launch queues for how the Apple Store launch tradition continued.

FAQ

When was the first iPhone released?

The first iPhone went on sale in the US on June 29, 2007, at 6 p.m. local time.

How much did the first iPhone cost?

It cost US$499 for the 4GB model and US$599 for the 8GB model, with a two-year AT&T contract.

Did the first iPhone have apps?

It came with Apple’s built-in apps only. The App Store opened in 2008, alongside the iPhone 3G.

Which carrier sold the first iPhone?

AT&T was the only US carrier for the original iPhone.