Apple iPhone 3G

From the Novus Vault: Apple iPhone 3G

For nearly two decades, Novus Labs has been constructing an extensive interoperability library and collecting remarkable devices. This week we pull the Apple iPhone 3G (model A1303) from the vault — the device that turned the iPhone from a novel product into a platform.

Announced June 9, 2008 and released July 11, the iPhone 3G introduced 3G data and assisted GPS to the iPhone line, and launched alongside iPhone OS 2.0 — the release that enabled the App Store and native third-party applications. Its signature curved plastic back replaced the original iPhone's aluminum shell to improve radio performance.

Highlights

• First iPhone with 3G cellular data (HSDPA) for meaningful mobile internet
• Assisted GPS (A-GPS) brought turn-by-turn navigation to iPhone
• Launched alongside iPhone OS 2.0 — the release that introduced the App Store
• Curved plastic back replaced the original's aluminum shell to improve radio performance
• Available in 8 GB and 16 GB storage configurations

Key Specifications

• Model: A1303
• 3.5-inch TFT touchscreen (320 × 480)
• iPhone OS 2.0 at launch · App Store support from day one
• HSDPA 3G cellular, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
• Assisted GPS
• Announced June 9, 2008 · Released July 11, 2008

Significance

The App Store era began here. iPhone OS 2.0 and the launch of the App Store fundamentally changed how mobile software was distributed, monetized, and experienced — reshaping not just the smartphone industry but the broader software economy.

While the original iPhone proved the concept, the iPhone 3G turned it into a platform. The ecosystem that followed — apps, developers, accessories, and a new model for mobile computing — all traces back to this device.