The iPhone Turns 5

Five years ago today Steve Jobs and Apple released a device called an 'iPhone' and it truly changed everything--Us included.

Every smart phone and tablet now owes their existence to that original iPhone--whether Android users admit it is a different story. I remember watching that original Apple conference in awe. Steve Jobs demoed a beautiful and demure device that made owning a mobile phone a joy and privilege rather than a frustration. It was everything that we expect from a smart phone now, five years ago.

Now we have iPhones, iPads, Android devices, and Windows phones, but before that...? I know Brad was rockin' a Blackberry, but all I had was a crummy little Motorola flip phone that barely made phone calls and used T9 to text. Truly it was the dark ages.

I didn't get my first iPhone until a year ago--a 32gb Verizon iPhone 4 and it has become my "ExoBrain", external brain, and I don't think I could function without it. It pretty much runs my life now, which is both good and bad. It keeps my life in order, offers me unparalleled access to information, movies, music, and other media, but the dark side of that is that I'm connected all the time, if I want to be or not.

Still, the iPhone is everything that Apple promised: beautiful, simple, and it just works. Happy Anniversary iPhone! Here's to many, many more!