The rise of the smartphone: How Apple affected online casinos
First born in 2007, Apple has catapulted the iPhone into something of its very own phenomenon, making themselves the trailblazer in smartphone technology. Always in our bags, in our pockets, or in our hands – it’s impossible to think of a world before having our trusty cell phones. There were days when there would be few people with an Apple iPhone, but today, the realm of technology is so advanced that a classic iPhone is not classed as a special entity. Globally, there are 6.84 billion smartphones in use – meaning that around 85% of the 8 billion global population has a smartphone.
Smartphones are huge, but before the global conglomerate Apple broke into the scene on the 29th of April 2007, we were all using the phone simply for making calls and perhaps sending texts. Today, smartphones are universal computing devices that we would struggle to live without. They answer our questions on the go, let us scroll through social media (another phenomenon in its own right), and allow us to do things that were never thought of before the iPhone – including incredible things like online gambling. Who’d have thought you could essentially have a casino in your pocket wherever you went? All of this is thanks to the minuscule microprocessors that evolved mobile technology from a simple call or text to a tech giant that’s not going anywhere. Let’s take a look at when the first iPhone entered the world, and see how it affected the online casino space…
2007: The iPhone 2G
Although it wasn’t the first smartphone, the iPhone gave phone users access to the web like no technology company had ever done before. 17 years ago when the iPhone was first launched, it was declared as a revolutionary mobile, and marketed by then-CEO and tech giant Steve Jobs as a “widescreen iPod with touch controls” and a “breakthrough internet device.” In summary, that’s exactly what it was.
That phone was worlds away from the 5G internet that we see today, as this first generation only worked with a 2G data network, so it was not nearly as advanced as we are used to now. After one year, Apple went on to launch the Apple 3G and the app store that is still around today. By doing so, it revolutionized online gaming, gambling, and betting, reshaping the face of casinos as we know it. Gambling apps began to appear in abundance in 2008, making Apple one of the first phones to make gambling accessible at the touch of your fingertips.
2010-2012: The iPhone 4 and 5
There were a couple more additions before these years, but iPhones 4 and 5 brought some huge changes. The additions of the front-facing camera on the iPhone 4 saw Facetime being introduced. You could now Facetime people like a phone call, and see their faces as they spoke – an old thing for us tech lovers now, but for 2010, this seemed lightyears ahead of its time.
2011 and 2012 welcomed Siri – love it or hate it, it’s the tech addition that makes the iPhone what it is today. Sadly, the iPhone 5 was the last edition before Steve Jobs’ death, but he ensured that 4G was brought to life, and the worldwide possibilities of online gaming increased. Back in 2012, it was no longer just about being able to dive into some good online gambling with updated graphics – now, apps and websites were making crypto casino betting a whole new era, and captivating bettors on a global scale. At this point, there was no need to worry about the safety of your credit cards being compromised: virtual funds had become a reality.
2014 – 2023: The iPhone 6 onwards
Since 2014, when the iPhone 6 felt almost like a spaceship it was so far ahead of its time… we’re now at the iPhone 14. The phones came thick and fast through these years and offered us many models at a variety of prices – from the 5C, where there was a plastic, cheaper version for the younger audience, to the plus-sized (almost iPad-like) 7 Plus. We’ve seen phones with those super size screens, we’ve seen dual cameras, wireless charging, wireless headphones even – and guess what? It’s only getting bigger!
It’s been almost two decades since Apple made its mark on the world, and they have cemented themselves as the driver of the smartphone. Yes, there’s Blackberry or Android, but it was always Apple who was ahead of the game. The Apple App Store has over 1.7 million apps available for downloads, and we can only imagine how many of those are gambling, gaming, or fun-related choices. There are also apps related to health and wellness, sleep, meditation, scheduling, purchasing, and so much more.
Apple and the smartphone are the reasons behind the boom in the online gambling industry. No matter where you are across the globe, you’re a few clicks away from playing: games are always waiting, right there in the palm of your hand. The convenience is what people are paying for, and we can only imagine what will be here by the time Apple is in its third decade – so far, the journey has been very impressive.
