When the iPhone first went on sale on 29 June 2007, no one could have dreamed how it would change the world.
At the time, Apple’s chief executive Steve Jobs described it as three products in one – “a widescreen iPod with touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone and a breakthrough internet communications device”.
In the ten years since, the iPhone has evolved into an indispensable item in many people’s lives, replacing the need for maps, radios, cameras – and even cash, thanks to the ability to pay for goods instantly using your fingerprint.
Apple has sold more than a billion iPhones worldwide, and has become the most valuable company in the world.
Here are some of the innovations that could be coming down the line over the next decade.
Given the growing acceptance of tap and pay with a mobile phone, it doesn’t seem like much of a stretch to use your iPhone as the key to your hotel room, house or car.
Some hotel chains such as Hilton are already adopting this technology, and once people overcome their fears of cyber criminals hacking into their homes and vehicles, it could start picking up momentum on a wider scale.
Proof of identity
If you’ve got an e-Passport, you’re probably already used to the idea of your identity being stored on a microchip.
Now that you can store all your tickets and credit cards on your iPhone, the requirement for a physical passport or identity card seems positively archaic.
The iPhone already has the ability to scan your fingerprint, and Apple is rumoured to be working on other biometric technology such as iris scanning. The obvious next step would be for the iPhone to become your proof of identity.
High-tech housekeeper
Apple has already taken steps to become a hub for the “smart home” with the launch of its HomeKit software, which allows users to control their lights and heating with their iPhone.
Eventually garden hoses, pet food dispensers and robotic vacuum cleaners will all be controlled in the same way, so you can take care of all your household chores from the comfort of your sofa or while you’re at work.
“iPhone owners will likely find themselves sleepwalking into a situation where the iPhone becomes the remote control for their smart home,” said Ben Wood, analyst at CCS Insight.
Virtual secretary
Siri is already pretty smart, but as Apple continues to make improvements to its artificial intelligence technology, it will get even better at organising your life.
Eventually you may not even need to add appointments to your diary at all – Siri will scan your emails and messages, work out where you need to be and when, and either suggest the best route to get there or book you a taxi automatically.