iPhone 4 Turns 10: 'Stop Me If You've Already Seen This' - MacRumors
Skip to Content

iPhone 4 Turns 10: 'Stop Me If You've Already Seen This'

Sunday marked the 10th anniversary of Steve Jobs introducing the iPhone 4 and FaceTime at WWDC 2010 in San Francisco.

A few months prior to the keynote, photos of a prototype iPhone 4 were leaked by Gizmodo after an Apple engineer accidentally left the device behind at a bar in Redwood City, California, leading Jobs to quip "stop me if you've already seen this."

105532 800x600 comp8
iPhone 4 featured an all-new design with a glass and stainless steel unibody and squared edges, with Jobs describing it as the thinnest smartphone ever at the time. It was also the first Apple product to feature a higher-resolution Retina display, with an average person unable to see individual pixels on the screen from an average viewing distance.

While its design was acclaimed, it was soon discovered that the iPhone 4 could experience signal drop when gripped in a way that blocked the antennas built into the frame. Jobs downplayed the issue in a press conference, noting that all smartphones have antenna weak spots, but Apple did offer a free bumper case to customers that helped to mitigate the problem. The following year, the iPhone 4S featured significant antenna upgrades.

steve jobs holding iphone 4
Later in the keynote, Jobs introduced FaceTime, which he demonstrated by having a video call with Apple's recently departed design chief Jony Ive. Apple initially planned to make FaceTime an open standard, but that never happened, with some reports having claimed that patent lawsuits are at least partly to blame.


Rumors suggest that squared edges will make a comeback on iPhone 12 models later this year — a fitting way to mark the 10th anniversary of the iPhone 4.

Popular Stories

iOS 28 AI

Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28

Sunday November 8, 2026 7:42 am PST by
Apple has made a change to its development process for iOS 28, macOS 28, and corresponding software updates, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, he said Apple separates development of each year's new operating systems into three major stages. Typically, he said each stage consists of four weeks of coding followed by a four-week "convergence" period where...
duo aquarium

More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try

Friday November 6, 2026 3:27 pm PST by
When the iPhone Duo launched, we shared a list of some of the fun apps developers created for the new form factor. Two weeks out, developers are continuing to come up with fresh ideas, so we thought we'd share some of our favorites. Games Marbles Unhinged ($2.99) - Marbles Unhinged is a marble maze designed for the Duo. When you fold it, the floor turns into a ramp. If you stand the top...
apple pro tell logo

Apple Launching Five New Products Today

Thursday November 5, 2026 12:59 am PST by
Apple is launching five new products on Friday, November 6, following pre-orders that opened last week, including its first touchscreen MacBook Pro models. The following new products will be available from today: iPad mini with OLED display and A20 Pro chip iMac with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with OLED touchscreen 16-inch MacBook Pro with OLED...

Top Rated Comments

boswald Avatar
84 months ago
Miss you, Steve.
Score: 52 Votes (Like | Disagree)
quagmire Avatar
84 months ago

Looks so outdated, at the time though it was the best looking phone one could get.
Still the peak of iPhone design IMHO. It wasn't until the iPhone X where an iPhone design has come close to matching the iPhone 4 era for me.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacDevil7334 Avatar
84 months ago
Still my favorite iPhone design to this day. The silver and black combo was so slick and I loved the little details like the +/- etching on the volume buttons or the black ring around the headphone jack. It just felt like such a massive step up from previous iPhones in pretty much every way.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
miketcool Avatar
84 months ago
I still have mine. It boots up and runs well!
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
otternonsense Avatar
84 months ago
Good times, when we've had a 2-year cadence of actually innovative iPhone releases under a visionary leader. It's a shame this powerhouse of a device got embedded in collective memory as the "you're holding it wrong" phone.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
84 months ago
It was stainless steel...not aluminium.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Apple Releases macOS Golden Gate 27.2.1
Apple Releases macOS Golden Gate 27.2.1
1 hour ago
Apple Releases iOS 27.2.1 With Bug Fixes
Apple Releases iOS 27.2.1 With Bug Fixes
1 hour ago
Apple Releases watchOS 27.2.1 and visionOS 27.2.1 With Security Fixes
Apple Releases watchOS 27.2.1 and visionOS 27.2.1 With Security Fixes
2 hours ago
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Gets $99 Amazon Discounts, Starting at $699.99
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Gets $99 Amazon Discounts, Starting at $699.99
2 hours ago
Apple Pay Ad Features Martial Arts Convenience Store Food Fight
Apple Pay Ad Features Martial Arts Convenience Store Food Fight
2 hours ago
Apple Continues to Say Some AI Features Will Have Fees for Extra Usage
Apple Continues to Say Some AI Features Will Have Fees for Extra Usage
2 hours ago
Apple Announces Türkiye Expansion Plans as Tim Cook Visits
Apple Announces Türkiye Expansion Plans as Tim Cook Visits
3 hours ago
Singapore Saved Apple $2.7 Billion in Taxes This Year
Singapore Saved Apple $2.7 Billion in Taxes This Year
3 hours ago
Apple Music's 2026 Artist of the Year is Olivia Dean
Apple Music's 2026 Artist of the Year is Olivia Dean
4 hours ago
This Could Be Your Last Chance to Pre-Order the HomeView at a Discount
This Could Be Your Last Chance to Pre-Order the HomeView at a Discount
4 hours ago
Some HomePod Mini 2 Buyers Returning Units Over Mac Speaker Issues
Some HomePod Mini 2 Buyers Returning Units Over Mac Speaker Issues
4 hours ago
MacBook Pro With PROLED XDR Display: Details You Might Have Missed
MacBook Pro With PROLED XDR Display: Details You Might Have Missed
4 hours ago
Satechi Offers MacRumors Readers 30% Off Select Accessories in Early Black Friday Sale
Satechi Offers MacRumors Readers 30% Off Select Accessories in Early Black Friday Sale
5 hours ago
Leaker Envisions a Shorter iPhone With a New iOS Layout
Leaker Envisions a Shorter iPhone With a New iOS Layout
5 hours ago
Apple to Give You More Control Over When Your Mac Passwords Lock
Apple to Give You More Control Over When Your Mac Passwords Lock
6 hours ago
Siri Is Getting a Better Memory
Siri Is Getting a Better Memory
6 hours ago
iPhone 18e Could Feature Bigger Display and Battery
iPhone 18e Could Feature Bigger Display and Battery
7 hours ago
Apple's Siri Boss May Leave - Here's Who Could Take Over
Apple's Siri Boss May Leave - Here's Who Could Take Over
7 hours ago
Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday
Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday
7 hours ago
Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed
Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed
16 hours ago
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
1 day ago
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
1 day ago
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
2 days ago
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
2 days ago
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
2 days ago
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
3 days ago
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
3 days ago
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
3 days ago
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
3 days ago
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
3 days ago