THE RECORD
What changed
The 2007 iPhone integrated existing smartphone technologies into a consumer platform, followed by app stores and Android.
EVIDENCE
What remains
Devices, software, sales, network use and everyday records document rapid adoption.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
It combined cameras, maps, banking and media while binding attention, privacy and labour to platforms.
OPEN QUESTION
Where interpretation begins
2007 was not the invention of the smartphone; mining, assembly labour and e-waste remain hidden costs.