19 years ago, the first iPhone was released — the smartphone that changed the entire market

On June 29, 2007, Apple released the first iPhone, and from that day on, a new era in mobile tech began. The 4 GB model set you back $499, while the 8 GB version went for $599. Lines outside stores started forming the day before, with fans camping out overnight just to be the first to get their hands on one. That's exactly when the tradition began: every year, ahead of new model launches, Apple devotees queue up well in advance, stretching lines for miles.

By today's standards, the original iPhone was pretty bare-bones: a 3.5-inch multi-touch display with a density of 166 ppi, a single 2 MP camera, proximity and ambient light sensors, all running on OS X. It had no front-facing camera, App Store, or even video recording capabilities.

After its release, other manufacturers quickly jumped on the capacitive multi-touch bandwagon, and touchscreen interfaces soon became the industry norm. Feature phones all but vanished, making way for new form factors. However, back in 2007, experts and journalists were pretty lukewarm about it. Many called the iPhone limited in functionality, dismissing it as a "flawed product" and predicting certain failure. Microsoft's CEO, Steve Ballmer, was especially blunt in his assessment.

Later on, the skeptics had to eat their words. Many experts came to call the iPhone a "marvel of engineering" and acknowledged that it was Apple that set the trends that still define the smartphone market to this day. Over the past 19 years, Apple has released 19 generations of iPhone.

Do you agree that the launch of the very first iPhone was the most significant milestone for mobile devices in the last 20 years? Drop your thoughts in the comments!