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We compared hardware specs for every iPhone ever made

We compared hardware specs for every iPhone ever made

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Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus camera with lenses
Photo by James Bareham / The Verge

This week marks the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, and what better way to celebrate than by taking a look back at how the hardware in Apple’s iconic smartphone has changed and evolved over time?

We’ve gone back and tabulated the specs on all 10 generations of iPhones (plus a couple of spinoffs) for your viewing pleasure. Obviously, the modern iPhone 7 and 7 Plus win out across the board when it comes to almost any metric, but this is less of a competition and more a retrospective — one that highlights what’s become one of the key components of Apple’s success.

The fact of the matter is that none of the iPhone models have ever been the best smartphone when it comes to pure hardware. And even looking at raw numbers, it’s oftentimes hard to pinpoint differences between successive generations. Apple’s strength has always depended on the company’s ability to optimize its hardware and software together for incredible performance. This allows each iPhone version to keep up with — if not surpass — their contemporaries, despite lacking the base firepower of competitors on paper.

It’s hard to say for sure what the next 10 years of iPhones will bring, but if the incredible gap in hardware from the original iPhone and the iPhone 7 is anything to go by, the iPhone of 2027 could be surprisingly similar and yet dramatically more capable.

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iPhone Specification Comparison

SpecificationiPhoneiPhone 3GiPhone 3GSiPhone 4iPhone 4SiPhone 5iPhone 5SiPhone 5CiPhone 6iPhone 6SiPhone SEiPhone 7iPhone 7 Plus
Display3.5 inches3.5 inches3.5 inches3.5 inches3.5 inches4 inches4 inches4 inches4.7 inches4.7 inches4 inches4.7 inches5.5 inches
Resolution320 x 480320 x 480320 x 480960 × 640960 × 6401136 × 6401136 × 6401136 × 6401334 x 7501334 x 7501136 x 6401334 x 7501920 x 1080
ProcessorAPL0098 (412 MHz)APL0098 (412 MHz)APL0298 (533 MHz)Apple A4 (800 MHz)Apple A5 (800 MHz, dual-core)Apple A6 (1.3 GHz, dual-core)Apple A7 (1.3 GHz, dual-core)Apple A6 (1.3 GHz, dual-core)Apple A8 (1.4 GHz, dual-core)Apple A9 (1.85 GHz, dual-core)Apple A9 (1.85 GHz, dual-core)A10 Fusion (2.34 GHz, quad-core)A10 Fusion (2.34 GHz, quad-core)
RAM128MB128MB256MB512MB512MB1GB1GB1GB1GB2GB2GB2GB3GB
Storage4GB, 8GB, 16GB8GB, 16GB8GB, 16GB, 32GB8GB, 16GB, 32GB8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB16GB, 32GB, 64GB16GB, 32GB, 64GB8GB, 16GB, 32GB16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB 16GB, 64GB, 128GB16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB32GB, 128GB, 256GB32GB, 128GB, 256GB
Rear camera2 megapixel2 megapixel3 megapixel5 megapixel8 megapixel8 megapixel8 megapixel8 megapixel8 megapixel12 megapixel12 megapixel12 megapixel12 megapixel, 12 megapixel (wide)
Front cameraN/AN/AN/A0.3 megapixel0.3 megapixel1.2 megapixel1.2 megapixel1.2 megapixel1.2 megapixel5 megapixel1.2 megapixel7 megapixel7 megapixel
Battery1,400mAh1,150mAh1,220 mAh1,420 mAh1,432mAh1,440mAh1,560 mAh1,510 mAh1,810mAh1,715mAh1,624mAh1,960mAh2,900mAh
Weight0.30 pounds0.29 pounds0.30 pounds0.30 pounds0.31 pounds0.25 pounds0.25 pounds0.29 poounds0.28 pounds0.31 pounds0.25 pounds0.30 pounds0.41 pounds
Dimensions (in.)4.5 x 2.4 x 0.464.55 x 2.44 x 0.484.55 x 2.44 x 0.484.54 x 2.31 x 0.374.54 x 2.31 x 0.374.87 x 2.31 x 0.304.87 x 2.31 x 0.304.90 x 2.33 x 0.355.44 x 2.64 x 0.275.44 x 2.64 x 0.284.87 x 2.31 x 0.305.44 x 2.64 x 0.286.23 x 3.07 x 0.29
Connector30-pin30-pin30-pin30-pin30-pinLightningLightningLightningLightningLightningLightningLightningLightning
Cellular support2.5G networks3G networks3G networks3G networks3G networks3G and LTE3G and LTE3G and LTE3G and LTE3G and LTE3G and LTE3G and LTE3G and LTE
Starting price$499$599$599$599$649$649$649$549$649$649$399$649$769
Release dateJune 29th, 2007July 11th, 2008June 19th, 2009June 24th, 2010October 14th, 2011September 21th, 2012September 20th, 2013September 20th, 2013September 19th, 2014September 25th, 2015March 31st, 2016September 16th, 2016September 16th, 2016
Misc.No third-party apps, brought multitouch touchscreen to marketIntroduced the App Store with iPhone OS 2, first iPhone with 3GImproved camera and faster processorIntroduced high-pixel density "Retina Display"First iPhone with SiriTaller 4-inch screen was a first for iPhone line, as was LTEIntroduced Touch ID fingerprint sensorCheaper, plastic variant of the iPhone 5 released alongside the 5SAlso available in larger 5.5-inch Plus model, which features a larger battery“3D Touch”, also available in larger 5.5-inch Plus model, which features a larger batteryFingerprint sensorIP67 water resistance, "Force Touch" home button, no headphone jackDual-camera system, IP67 water resistance, "Force Touch" home button, no headphone jack

Correction: iPhone 4S release date and the spelling of ‘Lightning’ have been fixed.