Iphone 1 (2g) Vs. Iphone 17 Pro Max: Look at 18 Years of Progress

Posted3 months agoActive3 months ago

ksec

9 points

8 comments

macobserver.comTechstory

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IphoneAppleTechnology Progress

Key topics

Iphone

Apple

Technology Progress

The article compares the original iPhone (2G) with the hypothetical iPhone 17 Pro Max, showcasing 18 years of technological advancements, with HN users discussing the rapid progress and its implications.

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Sep 28, 2025 at 6:36 AM EDT
3 months ago
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Discussion (8 comments)

Showing 8 comments

manoDev

3 months ago

1 reply

Inflation adjusted, the iPhone 17 price would be equivalent to $799 — almost double the $499 price of the iPhone 1 at launch.

dpark

3 months ago

1 reply

The iPhone 17 price is $799 on the Apple website right now. What inflation adjustment?

manoDev

3 months ago

1 reply

The model mentioned in the article (17 Pro Max) is mentioned having $ 1199 launch price.

dpark

3 months ago

Sure but it hardly seems fair to compare the current top of the line to the original model in terms of cost. Feels like comparing the Model T to modern cars and then noting that a Ferrari is so much more expensive even adjusted for inflation. The Pro Max is not the entry level.

The article might have been better to compare the standard iPhone 17, but I think they were making a point about tech and not price.

ksecAuthor

3 months ago

The actual iPhone 2G and 3G is bigger than iPhone 4. With 3G being slightly wider than 2G. If we had fitted latest technology screens on that body with same aspect ratio as current iPhone. We would get an 5.85" iPhone 3G size but slightly taller.

Since it is so thick at 12.3mm I am pretty sure we could fit a battery that is even larger than iPhone Air.

6510

3 months ago

Progress should be measured against competitors. It is much more impressive if one can get or stay ahead (on one spec). If you are falling further and further behind you are not making progress.

peterdstallion

3 months ago

The technological progress is astonishing. But so is the societal degradation that came with it.

rbanffy

3 months ago

It's a shame Apple doesn't have an entry-level phone at a constant price. OTOH, $599 is not that off if we think about inflation.

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