June 24, 2010
iPhone 4 released
Apple began selling the iPhoneApple's smartphone line — touch-first mobile computing and the App Store ecosystem since 2007. 4 on June 24, 2010 — with a Retina display, front-facing camera, and stainless-steel antenna band.
What it was for
The Retina screen doubled pixel density to 326 ppi — designers and web developers started shipping @2x assets and `-webkit-device-pixel-ratio` media queries. FaceTime and the gyroscope expanded mobile app possibilities. The iPhoneApple's smartphone line — touch-first mobile computing and the App Store ecosystem since 2007. 4 cemented Apple's hardware lead and pushed mobile web design toward high-DPI layouts.
Companies
- Apple
Why it's here
The iPhoneApple's smartphone line — touch-first mobile computing and the App Store ecosystem since 2007. 4's Retina display forced the mobile web and app ecosystems to adopt high-DPI assets.
Why it mattered
It set the pixel-density bar every smartphone and responsive CSSCascading Style Sheets — the language for layout, color, and typography on web pages. workflow followed.
What it solved
Mobile screens looked pixelated next to print; users expected sharper text and images on phones.
Media
ImageIPhone 4Justin14, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Related
- iPhone goes on saleJune 29, 2007
- Steve Jobs introduces the iPhoneJanuary 9, 2007
- iPhone App Store opensJuly 10, 2008
- iPad introducedJanuary 27, 2010
- Apple M1 announcedNovember 10, 2020
- Apple A4 chip introducedJanuary 27, 2010
- Samsung Galaxy S releasedJune 4, 2010