The iPhone Model Hall of Fame

John Gruber makes his picks for the iPhone Hall of Fame:

1. iPhone (original)
2. iPhone 4
3. iPhone 5S
4. iPhone X
5. iPhone 17 Pro

Ok, my turn. Here’s my iPhone Hall of Fame:

1. iPhone (original)
2. iPhone 4
3. iPhone X
4. iPhone 12 Mini
5. iPod Touch

Notes:

• How do you not put the OG iPhone at the top spot? It’s like doing a Mount Rushmore and not putting the first president first. It’s gotta be George.
• Aesthetically, the 4 was the best. Just an absolute beauty to behold (and use, so long as you held it right).
• Aesthetically, the X was a close second to the 4. But in terms of form, X was best. (Shout out to the 3GS, that curved back felt great in the palm.)
• The Minis (12/13) stand as proof that commercial success doesn’t always equate with greatness. Ahead of their time, those ones.

Oh, and you’re probably wondering: “The Touch? That’s not even an iPhone!”

I disagree. The Touch was The iPhone For The Rest of Us™.

When you couldn’t get one of those early iPhones (because of price, because of geographic location, because of ___) the Touch was your gateway drug.

For me, it was price. I was a poor kid in college in 2007, and the iPhone was $ (and it was on AT&T, which was even more $).

Eventually, I was able to get an original iPhone on eBay (and jailbreak it for T-Mobile — remember Cydia?). But the Touch was my first taste of iPhone.

That’s my Hall of Fame list. What’s yours?

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