With this weeks announcement of the long awaited Verizon iPhone, it might be fun to look back in time to see where it all started. You might find it hard to believe but the iPhone is only 3 1/2 years old! Yes, the product that quite literally changed the world (and put Apple on the path to world domination) is but a mere pup.

Where It All Began

On the 29th of June 2007 Apple released the iPhone. This was the same year that archeologists dug up a 2,100 year old watermelon (seriously, Google it!) and the Greeks were sweltering in their worst heatwave for 100 years. It was also the year that Boris Yeltsin, the first President of the Russian Federation died. But enough of that…

Apple released two variants of their original iPhone; the 4GB and the 8GB. The 4GB iPhone was promptly withdrawn in September 2007, just over 2 months after it was released and the 8GB version lived on until July 2008.

In February 2008 Apple released the 16GB version of the original iPhone and then withdrew it, as well as the 8GB iPhone in July 2008. 2008 is also the year that petroleum reached 0 a barrel, the US stared into a recession and Apple released the iPhone 3G.

The Next Phase

The next phase of the iPhone saw the product lifecycle shift from several months to a year. The iPhone 3G was born on July 11, 2008; the 16GB variant would survive for a whole 12 months to be withdrawn in June 2009, whilst the 8GB, cheaper variant, would live on for another 12 months until it was laid to rest in June 2010. The removal of the 16GB 3G in 2009 was to make room for the updated 3GS variant.

The iPhone 3GS was introduced in June 2009; the same year that Barack Obama became the 44th, and first African American, US President. It is also the year Michael Jackson died.

The Current Era

Who could forget the shaky introduction of the iPhone 4 in June 2010 (which is when the 16GB and 32GB 3GS variants were withdrawn)? Antenna and smashing glass issues dogged the introduction of the iPhone 4. However, by and large the consumer seemed to forgive Apple for sales of the iPhone in the last quarter of 2010 were double that reported for 2009! Indeed, Apple has managed to double the number of iPhones sold year on year for the past 3 years!

The Future

So what of the future for the iPhone? Well, the release of the much awaited iPhone 4 for the Verizon network will no doubt further embed the iPhone into the smartphone market. And, if history (3 years worth of history is a long time in the technology world!) is to repeat itself then we should see the introduction of an all-new iPhone in June this year.

Sam Grobart, personal technology editor for the Times, talks about the problems and promise for the new iPhone. Watch more videos at nytimes.com