Original iPhone's First Four Reviewers Reminisce About Getting Their Hands on It for the First Time

With the iPhone's tenth birthday coming up this week, CBS Sunday Morning aired a segment today taking a look back at the development and launch of the original iPhone.


The segment from David Pogue includes a roundtable session with Pogue, Walt Mossberg, Steven Levy, and Ed Baig, the four journalists who received review units of the iPhone in 2007 just prior to its launch.

"After three days," said Mossberg, "I was ready to throw this thing out of the window for trying to type on glass."

"It's ten years later," said Levy, "and half the emails I get still have a little message underneath saying, 'Typed on phone, forgive typos'!"

Pogue also sits down for a brief interview with Bas Ording, one of the key Apple engineers behind the first iPhone.

Part of what made the iPhone a hit was that objects in that touchscreen world have their own physics. You can thank Bas Ording for some of it, like how lists have momentum when you flick them, or how they do a little bounce when you get to the end.

"And now, a billion people are using your idea," said Pogue.

"Is it a billion? That's a lot!" Ording laughed.

"Did anyone, at the time, on this team, have any idea how big this could be?"

"Oh, no, not at all. I didn't, for sure."

The segment doesn't break any new ground on the background of the iPhone, but it's a nice piece highlighting the milestone anniversary of the device that changed the world.

Popular Stories

streaming black friday 2025

Black Friday Streaming Deals Include Big Savings on Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, and More

Monday November 24, 2025 8:03 am PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Three Breakthrough Features

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
General Apps Messages Redux

Singapore Orders Changes to iMessage by December

Tuesday November 25, 2025 6:39 am PST by
Singapore has ordered Apple to block or filter messages on iMessage that impersonate government agencies, requiring the company to implement new anti-spoofing protections by December as part of efforts to curb rising online scams, the Straits Times reports. Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that it had issued an Implementation Directive to Apple under the Online Criminal Harms...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
apple news banner

Apple News Loses CNN

Monday November 24, 2025 7:56 am PST by
American multinational news company CNN has abruptly pulled its content from Apple News, Semafor reports. CNN quietly removed its stories from Apple News over the weekend and there is no longer a feed from the network to subscribe to in the app. This effectively ends its distribution agreement with Apple while the two sides negotiate new terms. Discussions are apparently ongoing and CNN's...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Crease-Free iPhone Fold on Track for 2026 Launch as Development Advances

Monday November 24, 2025 10:25 am PST by
Apple is making progress on the development of the book-style foldable iPhone expected in 2026, according to a report from Chinese site UDN. The device has reportedly entered the engineering validation stage, and Apple is gearing up for mass production. Citing supply chain sources, UDN says that Apple has solved "the crease problem" that has plagued most foldable smartphones, and the...

Top Rated Comments

yanksfan114 Avatar
110 months ago
It really puts it in perspective watching this video just how much has changed since the iPhone came. Today we have phones that break over 100mbps on LTE, screens with such high resolutions that we can't see the pixels, sharing messages and photos with the tap of a finger, tapping on ANY song you want to listen to and have it play instantly, and taking pictures we would have never thought possible without a high-end camera. The iPhone truly has made the world a better place. Even with Android still in it ;) just kidding
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
robertpatryk Avatar
110 months ago
"how they do a little bounce when you get to the end."

I remember that as I got my first iPhone in 2008 and I immediately felt in love.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Hastings101 Avatar
110 months ago
ok, who here likes the original interface as opposed to iOS 7+ more?
I do, I'm not really a fan of the flat and lifeless trend anymore. I think Microsoft started it with Windows Phone and now it's everywhere. I will take glossy, colorful "skeuomorphism" over it any day.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BigHonkingDeal Avatar
110 months ago
I remember watching Steve's keynote and said if this thing can do half of what it promised I need to have one.... Was in line on day one and have not looked back. (well side ways maybe)
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sunny1990 Avatar
110 months ago
iPhone really changed the world.it was a class leading product of its time.

I do remember what it's was like to hold the original iPhone for the first time.:)
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
blueflame Avatar
110 months ago
I remember being there. I had a press pass. Was doing a macworld promo as it was one of the last.

Had to be in the hall at 3am backstage.

I could literally feel the tention. There was large food tables set up behind the the stage in a large loading area. Filled with breakfast coffee and juice.

About 5am, steve jobs came in witn phil schiller and john mayer. I didnt really know who mayer was at the time. I am not really musical.

All three sat at a table and shook hands.'talking. Not one of them took a drink or ate.

They were so focused. You could tell this was a big moment.

When by 6am. Long lines outside the center to get in. Tons of journalist. It was so special being back there. Before anyone else was let in for hours. Feeling it. Seeing the setup. EMpty display tables and a empty glass case.

I watched the keynote from the left side of the stage. Watched the reveal in awe.

Even being here that early, i never saw the phone until after the presentstion. Then led out to all the glass encased displays. You could tell. Even unfinished. This was a change in tech.

Really feel lucky to have been there for the reveal. This shifted communication for the rest of history.

Lookingn back it feels like inwas there for thr launch of the first manned mission to the moon.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)