Can You Identify the iPhone Generation From an Image?

TECH

By: Beth Hendricks

6 Min Quiz

Image: Unsplash by Arnel Hasanovic

About This Quiz

Remember in school, when your teacher said, "You won't always have a calculator in your pocket?" Fooled them, didn't we? Fast-forward to the 21st century. Not only do we carry a calculator around with us all the time, but we also have a camera, video recorder, television, computer, music player, GPS system, flashlight and calendar in one neatly portable device. And, that's only part of the list.

You can thank Apple, in part, for the technological advances that have led to that handy little gadget in your pocket. Since the first iPhone dropped in the summer of 2007, every subsequent release has shown an evolution in what the iPhone is capable of: smarter cameras, better storage, advanced security features, simpler ways to track your health, easier ways of communicating, surfing the internet and listening to your favorite tunes.

If you're an Apple snob (and we use that term lovingly), you've probably been on the iPhone bandwagon from the beginning, right? So, let's put your fandom to the test! This quiz features a look at every iPhone model from the original to the 11 Pro Max. Can you recognize each of them from a clue and a screenshot? Worm your way through these Apple devices and show us what you've got!

Three cameras?! Who needs three cameras?! Owners of this model do, apparently. Which it is?

The newest edition to the Apple line-up, introduced in September 2019, has not one, not two, but three cameras. Apple calls these the wide camera, ultra-wide camera and telephoto camera, and they are present on the 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, but not the regular 11.

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We got the App Store in this iPhone model update. Which one was it?

If you had an iPhone before the iPhone had the App Store, you know the struggle. Today, thankfully, the App Store is an integral piece of software on the device, with more than two million apps available for iPhone users to download.

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Edge-to-edge displays gave this model an upgrade from its predecessor with a similar name. Which phone are we talking about?

Released in the X series of iPhones, this marked the first time the company used edge-to-edge displays instead of encasing the screen with a border. It gave iPhone users more landscape to do what iPhone users do: text, surf and play.

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You could put a whopping 16GB of data on this one – max. Which teeny-tiny model is it?

The iPhone that started it all didn't have any numbers or letters after its name; it was simply branded "the iPhone." Released in 2007, it was a game-changer in the way we communicate and consume information — though not too much, with only 16GB of storage space.

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There was no Apple device known as an iPhone 9. Which of these models took its place?

We're not sure what Apple's deal is with the number 9, but they opted to skip over it, going from the 8 Plus to the X to the XS and XS Max. Of course, true Apple fans aren't worried so much about the model number as they are the features packed inside.

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You can't beat wireless charging. Which of these models was the first to allow it?

Wireless charging emerged with the 2017 release of the iPhone 8. Thanks to its construction — a glass casing on the back of the phone — Apple fans who bought this version were able to charge with wireless pads instead of always having to find a cable.

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Oohhh, bendy! Which iPhone model suffered from "touch disease?" (Yes, that's a real term.)

Call it "touch disease" or "Bendgate," Apple users called it a problem. The iPhone 6 hit the market with a pretty significant problem: The ability for users to bend the body of the phone. Apple acknowledged the issue and rectified it with its next model.

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If you prefer a larger-sized phone, this model was your first opportunity to get it. Which iPhone model introduced it?

The "Plus" means it's bigger, and the iPhone 6 Plus was the first of the line to compete with the larger-sized phones that Samsung was putting out. The 6 Plus featured a 5.5-inch display, while the 6 held true to a smaller 4.7-inch version.

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This model was the first to come equipped with True Tone, saving our eyes from exposure to blue light. Which one was it?

The True Tone technology built into the iPhone was designed to help the display adjust to the lighting around it, which can be a savior for users' eyes. True Tone was first introduced with the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, released in fall 2017.

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We weren't sure what to call this model at first, which uses a Roman numeral in its title. Which is it?

Resist the urge to call it the iPhone X and refer to it as the iPhone 10. Of course, as Apple lovers, you likely already know this. The "X" was supposed to be special to mark the company's 10th anniversary, although the significance eluded some.

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This iPhone was Apple's last 4-inch model and, surprisingly, one of its cheapest ever. Which one are we referencing?

People fell in love with the iPhone SE, which holds a couple of superlatives for the tech giant. Released in March 2016, it was Apple's last 4-inch iPhone and was introduced at a price point that had many consumers breathing a sigh of relief: Just $399.

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Bend it like Beckham ... or don't. Which iPhone model was introduced in 7000 series aluminum alloy to resolve previous bendy issues?

Following the, er, problems with the bendy iPhone 6, Apple remedied the issue with its next release, the iPhone 6S. Released in September 2015, the 6S and 6S Plus featured 7000 series aluminum alloy to help rectify its previous design flaw.

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Need to step your selfie game up? Which of these iPhone models introduced us to Portrait mode?

True selfie fans know that capturing the perfect shot is all about the lighting and setting up the perfect shot. iPhone X solved that pressing problem by rolling out Portrait mode in iPhone X's camera. Portrait mode allows you to focus your photo on your most important subject — you — while blurring the background.

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We never knew we needed a coral iPhone until it became available with this model. Which is it?

Occasionally, Apple gives us a rainbow of colors to choose from when we're debating our next iPhone purchase. In 2018, with the release of iPhone XR, they gave us the most choices to date, including coral, turquoise, yellow, red, white and black.

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Goodbye 16GB! Which iPhone model was the first to have a minimum of 32GB of storage?

With the introduction of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, Apple finally eliminated its 16GB base model and bumped all of us up to a minimum of 32GB. The introduction of the newest iPhone, the 11, in 2019, saw a base model of 64GB. We're moving on up!

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The first iPhone to venture beyond 16GB of storage space was this one, released in 2009. What model are we talking about?

Until the release of the iPhone 3GS in June 2009, you couldn't buy an Apple device with more than 16GB of storage space. Apple remedied that with the 3GS, giving consumers the option to stick with either 8GB or 16GB or to splurge on 32GB.

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All hail LTE! Which iPhone model was the first to speed things up?

Remember when we were thrilled about 3G? The introduction of LTE, which sped up internet surfing and connectivity, had us feeling like "The Jetsons" living in the future. Apple sprung that on us with the iPhone 5 in 2012.

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Hey, Siri! We first met our favorite digital assistant with which of these models?

If you can make it through your day without saying, "Hey, Siri!" at least once, we don't know what you're doing. Apple's favorite digital assistant, Siri, came to us with iPhone 4S and we've never looked back. Hey, Siri, what do you think of this quiz?

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You could express your individuality with this model's blue, green, yellow and red variations. Which model was it?

The candy-colored versions of the iPhone 5C – blue, green, yellow and red – featured a plastic outer shell and a cheaper price tag. It was meant to be a more affordable alternative to the 5S, which gave us Touch ID.

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Apple touted this phone as having five hours more battery life than its other models. Which addition to the line-up are we talking about?

Part of its most recent model introduction, the iPhone 11 Pro Max has it all: Triple the cameras, a larger display and extended battery life. In fact, Apple is marketing it as having up to five hours more battery life than previous iPhones.

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Rose gold love! Which iPhone model was the first to introduce this trendy shade?

You have to be in love with all the rose gold love going around! (You are, aren't you?) Apple cashed in on this trend early, introduced it as a color option with the iPhone 6S model in 2015. Look at Apple; always paving the way for the latest trends!

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Selfie queens (and kings) rejoiced when this model came equipped with a front-facing camera. Which was it?

Ugh, remember that awful period of time before the iPhone 4 when we had to turn our phones around and HOPE we were capturing our best angles? Apple heard our pleas and gave us a front-facing camera, and we've all lived happily ever after.

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Headphone Jack-Gate? Which of these models famously came without a headphone jack?

If there's one thing Apple isn't afraid it, it's to shake up the status quo. And that's exactly what they did with the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, removing the (gasp!) headphone jack that had been on all its previous models. Now we're all connected wirelessly ... and lovin' it.

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The first time the iPhone screen got larger was with this model that sold five million units in its first week. Which version are we referencing?

Before the iPhone 5 came along, we were all rocking iPhones with a 3.5-inch screen. Behold, the iPhone 5, which gave us an additional half-an-inch! The iPhone 5 was the first model at that time to undergo a size increase. Turns out, bigger really is better.

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