Jason Snell of Six Colors:
A few days later I managed to get my hands on one for a few minutes and was amazed by it.
On January 9, 2007, I was likely sitting in General Chemistry at the time of the keynote. And although I was already an Apple devotee, the rumors of an Apple phone leading up to that moment were probably lost on me. You see, as a college student, I was still on my parents’ phone service plan. And at the time, the concept of mobile data was a new one. Most everyone I knew dreaded the thought of paying more money on top of the already pricey voice-only plans Verizon offered (my parents included).
Thus, moving from my feature phone to an iPhone meant a significant monthly cost differential. So, before you lament my situation in 2007—having not been able to take part in all the specialness that was the original iPhone—know that I probably would not have wanted to take part even if I could, due to the cost expenditure between dumb / smart phone.
Still, present-day me wishes I could warp time/space, and place my 27-year-old self back in time to 2007. If I could have it my way, there would be no way I would not be one of the first people I knew to have that revolutionary device. Experiencing all the iterations iOS versions, hardware, etc. Sigh.