Who Founded Apple and What Is the iPhone
Apple was co-founded on April 1, 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in Cupertino, California, with the mission of making personal computers accessible according to Forbes. The iPhone, introduced by Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007 and launched on June 29, 2007, transformed Apple from a computer company into a mobile ecosystem leader per Apple's official newsroom.
Steve Jobs served as Apple's CEO from 1997 until August 2011, when Tim Cook took over as CEO, while Jobs remained as Chairman until his death on October 5, 2011 Forbes reports. Under Cook, Apple expanded the iPhone lineup with models such as the iPhone SE, iPhone 14, iPhone 15, and iPhone 16 series, maintaining a direct-to-consumer sales model alongside carrier partners Apple Newsroom.
iPhone Revenue, Market Position, and Financial Impact
Apple's fiscal 2024 total revenue reached approximately 391 billion dollars, with the iPhone segment contributing the largest share of that figure SEC filing. As of mid 2025, Apple remains one of the most valuable publicly traded companies by market capitalization, with the iPhone installed base exceeding 1.5 billion active devices globally Apple.
The iPhone operates within Apple's broader ecosystem of services, including the App Store, Apple Music, iCloud, Apple Pay, and Apple TV+, with services revenue growing steadily alongside hardware sales SEC 10-K. Apple's gross margin has remained above 45 percent in recent fiscal years, driven by premium iPhone pricing, strong brand loyalty, and supply chain efficiency Apple.
Key iPhone Milestones and Founder Legacy
iPhone Models and Innovation Timeline
The original iPhone introduced a multi touch interface, visual voicemail, and a mobile Safari browser, replacing stylus driven devices with a finger first design Apple. Subsequent models added features such as the App Store in 2008, the Retina display in 2010, Face ID in 2017, and dynamic island integration starting with the iPhone 14 Pro in