The original announcement
Apple introduced the iPhone in January 2007 as a combination of phone, music player, and internet device. Its original announcement is a primary source for that positioning. Reading it today helps separate what Apple initially presented from capabilities associated with much later models.
The App Store changed the starting point
By July 2008, Apple was preparing the iPhone 3G launch alongside an App Store offering more than 500 native applications, according to its launch announcement. That created a different discovery problem: people could choose software that changed what their phone was useful for.
An application directory therefore served a practical role. It helped readers notice unfamiliar tools, understand a small app’s purpose, and decide which download deserved attention. The directory was part of the experience of learning what the platform could become.
Read early coverage on its own terms
A browser-based tool from 2007 and a native app from 2009 did not start from identical platform conditions. Comparing them only by modern expectations can hide the problem each developer was attempting to solve.
For historical research, keep the device, software version, announcement date, and actual release date distinct. Preserve the product name and original publisher when possible. Avoid retroactively giving an early app features that appeared years later.
Why this history remains useful
The most durable app stories are about a task becoming easier: communicating, finding a place, capturing an idea, or making something creative. Hardware specifications explain part of that change, but the software choices explain how people used it.
This is a new historical overview at an old URL, not a recovered transcript of the 2009 article or a claim to have witnessed every milestone firsthand.