Original Reactions to the 2007 iPhone Announcement

Reddit user, intensely, has posted a Web Archive link that shows how some folks reacted to the original 2007 iPhone announcement. Given that we’re just a few short weeks away from Apple Watch availability, I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at how many short-sighted people viewed the iPhone nearly 8 years ago.

Here are some of my favorite comments:

Apparently none of you guys realize how bad of an idea a touch-screen is on a phone. I foresee some pretty obvious and pretty major problems here.

I’ll be keeping my Samsung A707, thanks. It’s smaller, it’s got a protected screen, and it’s got proper buttons. And it’s got all the same features otherwise. (Oh, but it doesn’t run a bloatware OS that was never designed for a phone.)

Color me massively disappointed.

Touch screen buttons? BAD idea. This thing will never work.

Yay, the widescreen Video iPod is here….

But, yea, a touchscreen?

And, whats the battery life on that thing? Huge 3.5 inch display = no room for batteries = not good for battery life.

Only 8 GB???

I’m not impressed with the iPhone. As a PDA user and a Windows Mobile user, this thing has nothing on my phone. It sure is good at what it was designed for, a phone that entertains and talks… other than that, I dont see much potential. How the hell am I suppose to put appointments on the phone with no stylus or keyboard?! I can sync it with my computer, but when Im on the go, I cant do either!

It took apple how long to develop this ONE PHONE, Samsung and Motorola release new phones every few months lol, and constantly innovates and gets better. I’m sorry but if I’m sending text messages I’d rather have my thumb keyboard than some weird finger tapping on a screen crap.

Seriously, these are just a few of the comments that folks on Engadget said back in 2007. I wonder how many of them use an iPhone or an Android touchscreen smartphone today? (spoiler: all of them)

Will we be able to look back 8 years from now and laugh at the same people ridiculing the Apple Watch? Maybe, maybe not. But given Apple’s last 18 years or so of hit after hit, I don’t think it’s very wise to call the Apple Watch doomed or a flop.