Before the iPhone, every smartphone on the market had a little screen, a tiny thumb keyboard, and a user interface that confused even the experts. Then, in June of 2007, everything changed. In the three years since the introduction of the first iPhone, we’ve seen a tremendous change in the way that people work with smartphones and computing devices in general. Most smartphones have emulated the touch screen and gesture-based user interface of the iPhone in an attempt to cash in on the success of the device. It’s estimated that Apple has sold more than 100 million iOS devices (which includes the iPhone, the iPod touch, and the iPad), making the platform a roaring success. But the iPhone has continued to evolve in those three years. In 2008, the iPhone 3G was released, linking the iPhone to a much faster data network and providing true geolocation through the addition of a built-in Global Positioning System receiver. In that same year, developers were given the tools with which to create new applications to run on the device, and the App Store opened to rave reviews. Suddenly, purchasing games, utilities, and other apps became as easy as browsing an electronic store and pushing a Buy button.
