Other What year did you get your first iPhone? (Poll)

[aneftp]

I'm just curious as to when members here first started using iPhone.

It's been a pretty interesting 12 years since Jobs wowed the world with the original.

Obviously AT&T had the early monopoly which really limited the number of people that bought it because of those horrible termination fees the cellular industry used to slap us with.

I was lucky enough to have AT&T back then and started with the original and haven't missed a main model to this point.

I didn't add models like 2G, 3G, or 4 to the poll because Apple branched the iPhone line with the SE and XR models along with different screen sizes, so the year is main data point.

What horrible termination fee?

in 2008. It was $199 for a $599 iPhone.
ETF was $325 with ATT.
So if u terminated u were actually MAKING money.

 

[now i see it]

I resisted the vile devices for as long as possible until I was given an iPhone 4S in 2015. Then like everyone else, I became addicted to the damn things

 

[Steve686]

What horrible termination fee?

in 2008. It was $199 for a $599 iPhone.
ETF was $325 with ATT.
So if u terminated u were actually MAKING money.

For a college student that was a month's dorm rent or groceries(beer). Pretty horrible by perspective.

Glad everyone had money to throw around back then.

 

[Sorig]

iPhone 3G in 2008-2009. I don’t remember the year exactly.

Bought it in the US. It was locked to AT&T obviously so I had to use a turbo SIM to use it in my home country. Then I had to rely on jailbreaks unlocks to keep it working lol.

That phone was so much fun.

 

[Phazer]

iPhone 3G in 2008. Sold after 1 month and got a Nokia N95 8GB.
Then when the iPhone 3GS came out, I sold the Nokia and got the iPhone instead. Have been with iPhones ever since.

 

[oldmacs]

Got an iPhone 3GS in 2012 - had already had an iPod touch 4 since 2010

 

[ScreenSavers]

I got the 4 in 2011 after using an iPod touch (4th gen) for a few months. I skipped the 4S and got a 5, 5S, 6 Plus, 6S Plus, 7 Plus, 8 Plus, XS Max, and tomorrow iPhone 11.

I don’t regret any of them but the 6S plus will always be one of my favorites. Had loads of hardware issues with the half dozen 6 Plusses I went through.

 

[MrEcted]

I started with an iPhone 6 base model (16GB storage which seems absolutely paltry compared to today). It was certainly limited, even for its time, but it started the addiction. Even back then they had iMessage which if you're in the USA is really quite amazing. Very hard to go back once you get used to that.

 

[Dwood1970]

i don’t remember the year exactly but it was when Verizon got the 4. That was my first.

Same here

 

[Kram Sacul]

2017 with the X. Every iPhone before that was a joke.

 

[m0sher]

Before 4S I was an android user and since 4S I’ve never looked back.

 

[Jimmie Geddes]

Bought the original iPhone on June 29, 2007 and held on to it for nostalgia (it still works). Upgraded each year to latest flagship and moving to the 11 Pro Max in a few hours.

 

[Cruciarius]

My 1st iPhone was the 4s, which I really only got because I had a flip phone. Was in line some place & some little kids got in line behind me, all with smart phones. Figured it was time I upgraded.

 

[Michael383]

My first was an iPhone 5 in 2013.

 

[danilko1]

I have purchased the iPhone, each year since launch. My first one, my work actually bought it for me, I gave it to a coworker. The 3G, 3Gs, and 4, I held on to and finally sold all of them when I got the 4S... (S is for Steve, my wife says)

I jail broke the iPhone, 3G, and 3GS, for curiosity. Put Android on the 3G just to see if I could do it.

I have subsequently given a one year old iPhone to my wife over the same period of time. So she can boast the same

My brother joined me with each of us getting the 5. The 5S was my first Gold...


The 6 Plus was gold due to inventory contraints on pre-order night. 6S was Rosegold, which I never heard the end of it from my friends. (Pink Phone!) No it's copper!

7, X, XS... Jet Black, and subsequently Space Gray...

11 Pro, is now on it's way... Almost home.

 

[redheeler]

Gold iPhone 5s, 2013. Still have it as a backup, kept on older software (8.4.1). When the 6 Plus came out it suddenly became tiny, but I forced myself to wait a year to get the 6s Plus and it turned out to be a good decision.

 

[Joho2078]

2007. Never stopped buying an iPhone except the 3gs

 

[MsRandall]

I worked for Sprint 2 years and after I was no longer an employee I remained a customer. When Sprint finally received the iPhone 4s I got my first iPhone.

My oldest son had an iPhone from the original model so I always wanted one

Ironically the Sprint iPhone debacle (iPhone performing terribly on their network was my last straw with Sprint and prompted my move to Verizon).

 

[Expos of 1969]

3G in August 2008 on Finchley Road in West Hampstead from Carphone Wearhouse. Purchased one for me and one for my wife. Since then I have had a 5C and an SE. My wife went the Samsung route.

 

[Strelok]

January 2013. Swapped from my Galaxy S3 to the iPhone 5. Best decision of my life in regards to phone, I still have it although the power button doesn't work, battery is bad and screen is yellowing. I've tried android twice in between (Galaxy S6 and recently Galaxy Note 9) and was never satisfied. Will be getting the 11 Pro later today!

 

[soniasim]

2007 and I live in Greece, not the US, so it took some time to find and get it.

Remember the jailbreaking days, because the phone would be unusable without that in other countries...

I don't really miss them

 

[RhysoTDI]

I resisted the vile devices for as long as possible until I was given an iPhone 4S in 2015. Then like everyone else, I became addicted to the damn things

Similar story to me! Given a works iPhone 4 back in 2011 and haven't looked back

Had a 5, 6, 8 and now an XS

 

[iFone88]

2011 - The 4S was my first.

I briefly went to Android with a Galaxy S3 and then S5 around 2013 and 2014.

Then in 2015 I came back to apple with an iPhone 6 and have been with apple ever since;

2017 - 7
2018 - X
2019 - XS Max

Can't see myself going anywhere else now - Not becuase I'm a huge fanboy - There are perhaps better specced phones etc on the market but becuase of Apple's software mainly - It just 'works'. Apps and basic native apps are so much more appealing and better use on iOS than Android.

 

[Steve686]

Great replies and it really is interesting to read everyone’s paths to the iPhone.

I started from day one in 2007 getting rid of a Palm Trēo. After that, camped outside AT&T stores overnight to go 3 & 3GS. The 4 series started the 2-3 hour reservation line at Apple for me. Have had every premium model since but along the way tried the Blackberry Storm and Samsung S4 & S7.

Wasn’t going to upgrade this year but that little upgrade devil wouldn’t get out of my ear.

 

[anthdci]

<2008 Nokia N95
2008 3G
2009 3GS - didn't plan on getting it when announced but the speed difference convinced me
2011 4 - launch day
2013 5 - launch day
2015 6 plus - again didn't plan but my wife got a new one so i had to too, she couldn't have a better phone than me
2017 8 plus - launch, couldn't justify the X
2019 11 - should arrive this afternoon.