This week, Apple announced that it officially sold its one billionth iPhone. That’s right, billion with a “b.” In honor of this historic event, CEO Tim Cook announced:

“iPhone has become one of the most important, world-changing and successful products in history. It’s become more than a constant companion. iPhone is truly an essential part of our daily life and enables much of what we do throughout the day. Last week we passed another major milestone when we sold the billionth iPhone. We never set out to make the most, but we’ve always set out to make the best products that make a difference. Thank you to everyone at Apple for helping change the world every day.”

While the news itself may have little or no impact on you personally, it’s important to reflect on exactly how much these smart mobile devices have come to impact just about every aspect of our lives throughout the past nine years.

  • Smartphones provide instant human connectivity, not only through calls but also through texts, video chats, apps and more.
  • These devices serve as a sort of external memory source, allowing us to search for and recall information in seconds.
  • The capabilities of these devices have minimized the need for (or even made obsolete) many other technologies, such as a feature phone, MP3 player, point-and-shoot digital camera, GPS monitor, alarm clock, flashlight, handheld gaming system, e-reader, voice recorder, dictionary and web-conferencing device.
  • These devices have created a mobile world and thereby shaped global culture on a political, economic, social and geographic scale.
  • The iPhone in particular has proven that brand loyalty exists and can remain strong, even in a closed architectural loop where Apple controls the hardware, operating system and app store its customers use.
  • Due to the heavy number of smartphones in use and the large role they play in our personal lives, these devices have infiltrated business and transformed how we think about work.

As we prepare for the next month, year and decade, it’s incredible to think about how much further these devices may take us or what we might be accomplish as the next 1 billion iPhones are sold. In the meantime, we congratulate Apple on its continued success and look forward to helping you get the most from your iPhone (or other mobile device) in a secure business environment.