10 Ways the iPhone Forever Changed Our Productivity

Ten years ago today, Steve jobs introduced the iPhone on stage. It is still one of the best keynote speeches of all time. (You should watch it.)

I don’t think it can be overstated that, “The iPhone forever changed the world.”

It flipped so many industries on their head, from telecom to music to software to video games to entertainment to photography.

And of course, it forever change our lives. How we work, how we play, and how we relate to each other.

iPhone Changed the Phone

The direction that Steve Jobs gave to the iPhone development team was to, “Make a device that people will never leave home without.”

And we don’t. You may leave without your watch, or your umbrella, or even your lunch. But, if you forget your phone, you turn around and go back and get it.

“The iPhone forever changed the definition of the word phone.”

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Our phones used to be for calling people, especially the ones that were attached to walls. (My kids are still trying to understand that.)

Now, our phones are the center of our lives. They are our “Star Trek communicators,” that can do anything and everything. Interestingly, when Jobs introduced the iPhone he said it was three things: A widescreen iPod w touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone, and a breakthrough internet communicator. Most of us didn’t realize how true the third point was until much later.

Our phones are usually the last things we touch before going to bed, and the first things when we get up.

Phones taking over our lives hasn’t all been positive. You can quickly point out that our phones have had many negative impacts. Wasted time, always on communications, and constant distractions. Some people seem to spend more time with their phones than with their loved ones.

However, what I wanted to recognize today, are all of the positive ways that the iPhone forever changed our productivity. It has given us super powers that we didn’t have before. We can do things that were undreamable, even 10 years ago. And we can get work done more efficiently than ever before.

Here are 10 Ways that the iPhone Forever Changed Our Productivity:

1. Getting Us Where We Want to Go – What did we do before maps on our smartphones? Paper maps, getting lost, stopping for directions… these are all ancient memories. We are able to get to wherever we need to be simply be asking Siri to take us there.
2. Instant Access to Information – Having the Internet in your pocket is like carrying every reference than mankind has produced with you. Mind-boggling if you think about it. Wikipedia in your hand.
3. A New Kind of Phone – Just like in Star Trek, we now have a voice communicator with us at all times. Yes, mobile phones existed before that. But, iPhone has extended what it means to be a phone. Visual voicemail, controlling who can ring your phone, and even the ability to make video calls. FaceTime forever changed remote communications.
4. New Ways to Chat – Prior to the iPhone, text messages were clunky and hard to send. (T9 anyone?) We are still expanding what Steve Jobs meant by “Internet Communicator.” iMessage, Facebook, Instagram and more have forever changed how we communicate with others. In fact, most people would rather send a text than make a call.
5. Work from Anywhere – While smartphones have created a leash for many jobs, they have also given us the ability to work from anywhere. I can be literally anywhere and get work done. Not that you would want to, but you could work from the beach if needed.
6. Synced Calendars, Todo, Lists and More – Our smartphones have given us the ability to keep our information synced across all of our devices. When I add something to my iPhone it is instantly synced with my desktop, laptop, etc. No more multiple lists, calendars, and reference documents.
7. Apps for Anything – The are millions of apps in the App store. You can find a productivity app to help you do anything from tracking your flight to reminding you to take your medicine.
8. Reading and Learning – What we read and consume has forever been changed by the iPhone. It is now possible to carry more books in your pocket than you could have ever lugged around. As well, you can watch videos and take courses right in the palm of your hand. The iPhone has forever change how we learn. (If you want more confirmation of this, look at schools today. Students learn more from their phones and the Internet than from textbooks.)
9. Sharing Information with Others – Our lives are more connected in every way. Our phones now let us share information with friends and family such as grocery lists, family calendars, and even our locations.
10. Taking Pictures of Everything – We all now carry a camera in our pocket at all times. From capturing white boards at the office, or the image of something you need to remember, we use cameras in ways that we have never before. You could argue that the iPhone also changed what it means to be a “camera.”

The World in your Pocket

With any great power, comes great responsibility. Used for good, the iPhone has forever changed how we get our work done.

Many of the developments I mention above came about as the iPhone evolved into what it is today. Yet, there is no denying that 10 years ago today, our perception of the phone forever change.

Thank you to Steve Jobs, Apple, and the entire army of people who worked behind the scenes to give us the iPhone. Our lives have never been the same.

Question: How has the iPhone changed your life? You can leave a comment by clicking here.