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

maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID Front camera in...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 Brings AirPods-Like Pairing to Third-Party Devices in EU Under DMA

Monday December 22, 2025 3:20 pm PST by
The European Commission today praised the interoperability changes that Apple is introducing in iOS 26.3, once again crediting the Digital Markets Act (DMA) with bringing "new opportunities" to European users and developers. The Digital Markets Act requires Apple to provide third-party accessories with the same capabilities and access to device features that Apple's own products get. In iOS...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Monday December 22, 2025 8:47 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple released iOS 26.2, following more than a month of beta testing. It is a big update, with many new features and changes for iPhones. iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. Below, we have highlighted a total of eight new features. Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen A new slider in the Lock...
top stories 2025 12 20

Top Stories: iOS 26.3 Beta, Major Apple Leaks, and More

Saturday December 20, 2025 6:00 am PST by
You'd think things would be slowing down heading into the holidays, but this week saw a whirlwind of Apple leaks and rumors while Apple started its next cycle of betas following last week's release of iOS 26.2 and related updates. This week also saw the release of a new Apple Music integration with ChatGPT, so read on below for all the details on this week's biggest stories! Top Stories i...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Features Leaked in New Report, Including Under-Screen Face ID

Tuesday December 16, 2025 8:44 am PST by
Next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with under-screen Face ID, and the front camera will be moved to the top-left corner of the screen, according to a new report from The Information's Wayne Ma and Qianer Liu. As a result of these changes, the report said the iPhone 18 Pro models will not have a pill-shaped Dynamic Island cutout at the top of the screen....
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Why Apple's Foldable iPhone May Be Smaller Than Expected

Tuesday December 23, 2025 5:21 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone, rumored for release next year, may turn out to be smaller than most people imagine, if a recent report is anything to go by. According to The Information, the outer display on the book-style device will measure just 5.3 inches – that's smaller than the 5.4-inch screen on the ‌iPhone‌ mini, a line Apple discontinued in 2022 due to poor sales. The report has led ...
iPhone Chips

Apple Clings to Samsung as RAM Prices Soar

Monday December 22, 2025 6:17 am PST by
Apple is significantly increasing its reliance on Samsung for iPhone memory as component prices surge, according to The Korea Economic Daily. Apple is said to be expanding the share of iPhone memory it sources from Samsung due to rapidly rising memory prices. The shift is expected to result in Samsung supplying roughly 60% to 70% of the low-power DRAM used in the iPhone 17, compared with a...
chatgpt year end

ChatGPT Now Has a 2025 Year-End Summary Feature Like Spotify Wrapped

Monday December 22, 2025 4:12 pm PST by
OpenAI added a year-end summary feature to ChatGPT, allowing users to get a personalized overview of their 2025 ChatGPT usage. The summary is similar to year-end wrap-ups from companies like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and other services. ChatGPT offers up an overview of themes discussed and chat stats, such as busiest chatting day, number of overall chats, messages sent, and more....

Top Rated Comments

yanksfan114 Avatar
111 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
111 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
111 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
111 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
111 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
111 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)