June 16, 2010: Apple reports a massive surge of interest in its upcoming iPhone 4, with 600,000 sales on the first day of preorders.
The company calls the number “far higher” than expected. At the time, it’s the largest number of iPhone preorders Apple has ever taken in a single day. AT&T suffers server problems thanks to the demand — with 10 times the usual traffic on its website. It’s proof positive that Apple is onto a winner!
An important iPhone upgrade
Looking back, it’s easy to assume that the iPhone was always a massive hit for Apple. While it’s true that the device was always a critical and commercial success, it took a few years for it to become a true sales juggernaut. For example, it took the original iPhone 74 days to pass the 1 million sales mark.
Image: Business Insider
For many of my friends who aren’t totally into tech, the iPhone 4 was their “jumping on” point.
After a few years on the market, the iPhone had successfully crossed the chasm from early adopters to everyday users. Although iPhone sales headed in a positive direction from Day 1, the iPhone 4 sparked an explosion in consumer interest.
The device benefitted from a ton of good publicity for Apple, coming the same year the company launched the first-generation iPad.
On a sadder note, the iPhone 4 was the last iPhone ever introduced by Steve Jobs. He was no longer CEO when the following year’s iPhone 4s was announced. He passed away shortly after Apple showed off that device.
iPhone 4 launch: Features make it a hit
Along with a refreshed design, the iPhone 4 brought the introduction of FaceTime, an upgraded 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, a VGA-quality front-facing camera, a new Apple A4 processor and a RAM boost. A significantly upgraded Retina display meant a screen resolution that packed four times the pixels of its predecessor.
Less favorably, the iPhone 4 spawned Apple’s “Antennagate” scandal, which dragged on until 2012.
iPhone 4 shines with Jony Ive design
I’ve personally always been a big fan of the iPhones of this era. The 3.5-inch form factor, combined with the flatter, Braun-esque design (a whole 24 percent thinner than the iPhone 3GS), made it Jony Ive’s best iPhone design yet. At the time, Apple’s design style was shifting rapidly.
Did you rush out to buy the iPhone 4 upon its release? What was your first iPhone? Leave your comments below.
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