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Insanely detailed graphic shows every technological breakthrough that made the iPhone possible

Published Nov 6th, 2014 10:35AM EST
Why Is The iPhone A Good Invention

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Apple may have revolutionized the mobile computing world with the launch of the first iPhone but it couldn’t have done it all by itself — in fact, as one incredible graphic shows, the iPhone was the culmination of thousands of years of human innovation that started with the first tally sticks and abacuses.

RELATED: This amazing graphic shows iOS’s evolution from original iPhone to iPhone 6

The graphic, which we found over at QuartSoft, details every major technological breakthrough that had to happen for the iPhone to be born, including the invention of the aforementioned abacus, the invention of the first astronomical clock by al-Jazari in 1206 CE, Ben Franklin’s discoveries on the powers of electricity, Samuel Morse’s invention of the telegraph, and, yes, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak’s invention of the Apple I in the late 1970s.

Taken as a whole, this graphic gives you an excellent overview not just of iPhone history but if science history and it shows how even the most radical innovations don’t come from nowhere, they come from the accumulated collection of human intelligence. Check out the whole graphic below and make sure to head over to QuartSoft to get a much more detailed breakdown of why all these innovations were so important to the iPhone’s development.

http://quartsoft.com/sites/default/files/iphone-tech-history-infographic.jpg
Source: QuartSoft

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.