Before revolutionizing computing, two young electronics enthusiasts, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, embarked on an audacious and illegal experiment, marking the start of their long journey that would eventually lead to the creation of the Apple empire. In 2007, before the release of the iPhone, smartphones were already part of daily life, though the term "smartphone" was not widely known. Most people referred to them as mobile phones or simply "mobiles." These early devices were quite different from today’s models. Color screens had become common, but touch capabilities were rare, and when they existed, a stylus was usually required. Most devices used numeric keypads, a few function keys, and navigation arrows. BlackBerry devices were notable for their full keyboards, while others had flip covers or unique designs, like the Samsung SGH-E900 or the Nokia N95, which featured a sliding keyboard. At the time, there was no real standard, and each manufacturer tried its own unique design. January 9, 2007, marked a global turning point in technology when Steve Jobs appeared at Macworld wearing jeans and a black turtleneck and spoke about a device that would revolutionize the world. He was holding a product that would go down in history. Jobs first mentioned the first Macintosh from 1984 and the iPod from 2001, building suspense before revealing three devices: an iPod with a large touch screen, a revolutionary mobile phone, and an innovative Internet device. He then surprised the audience by revealing that they were all one and the same: the iPhone. Jobs criticized the cumbersome keyboards of existing smartphones, highlighting the iPhone’s 3.5-inch "large" touch screen, which could be manipulated with a finger thanks to a revolutionary multi-touch screen. Though not the first of its kind, the iPhone introduced new gestures like pinch to zoom. The prototype was not fully developed and had many bugs, but the presentation was carefully orchestrated to avoid showing these flaws and give the impression that the device was ready. The iPhone announcement caused a shockwave in the tech industry. Apple managed to offer a fairly complete product for the time, far more unified than the often-clunky devices of its competitors. However, it was still far from the iPhone as it is known today. The App Store, which would later host thousands of applications, launched in July 2008 with just 500 apps. Google quickly followed Apple’s lead, revealing the first version of Android in November 2007 and later introducing the Android Market, which would become the Play Store, in October 2008. At the time, there were other mobile operating systems, such as Windows Mobile, Symbian OS, and BlackBerry OS. These smartphones had cameras and multimedia features, and could access the Web and email, but their browsers were generally very basic and targeted more at professionals than the general public. Apple’s decision to target the general public with the iPhone was a key factor in its success. As Apple approached its 50th anniversary, CEO Tim Cook reflected on his arrival at the company and the legacy left by Steve Jobs. In an interview with CBS News, Cook spoke about the choices that shaped Apple’s history. The first iPhone, while groundbreaking, did not achieve massive success, selling only six million units. It was the iPhone 3G, released a year later, that experienced real success, selling 30 million units. The iPhone 3G introduced features like 3G connectivity and GPS, making it more accessible and practical for a broader audience. This marked the beginning of the smartphone era as we know it today, with Apple setting the standard for innovation, design, and user experience.