The original iPhone unveiled in 2007 was described as a phone, iPod and an internet communicator. Steve Jobs didn’t focus on the camera at all when the original iPhone was introduced. The camera seemed more like an afterthought. No autofocus, no video and only 2MP photos of questionable quality. Fast forward to 2021, the iPhone is ubiquitous with photography for most people, having replaced their point and shoot cameras.
It is the device that is almost always with us that we use to document our lives. The small unobtrusive companion that allows for photographers like myself who photograph life, to document moments in a way that doesn’t bruise or contaminate a scene.
I constantly ask myself what is about the iPhone that gives it this place in the cultural pantheon? Is it some magical, inexpressible quality that competitors have never been able to access? A magical spell that Steve Jobs infused in the company DNA which the competition lacks? Is it chip wizardry that the competition simply cannot catch up too?
Or is it carefully thought out combination of hardware and software developed by teams that have always strived to make computers for the rest of us? Design that takes into account real world usage aimed at delighting and not just demoing gimmicks with no real application.
The original iPhone was a minimalist tool which democratised photography. When competitors were throwing megapixels at the problem, the iPhone saw very few jumps in resolution. Instead the team at Apple focused on improving image quality, dynamic range and reducing shutter lag. Real world application was the priority, not confusing non-tech savvy consumers with specs and numbers.
For most, the iPhone is their only camera and rightfully so. An all in one personal computing device that goes everywhere with you and allows you to photograph and share the most intimate moments in your life. All without intimidating those who you photograph.
Simple and unobtrusive.
