Apple’s original iPhone can no longer be used as a phone
We’re not sure how many people, if any, are still out there using the original iPhone in a meaningful capacity, but cellular connectivity on the iconic device has been mercifully axed for anyone on AT&T, the iPhone’s original carrier.
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Per an AT&T press release, Ma Bell recently announced that it shut down its 2G wireless network at the beginning of the year. And seeing as how the original iPhone launched without any 3G connectivity, Apple’s 2007 iPhone has in effect been relegated to an iPod Touch.
Truth be told, AT&T shutting down its 2G network shouldn’t come as much of a surprise as the company has alluded to the inevitable transition for the past few years.
As to the underlying goal of the move, AT&T explains that shutting down its 2G network will serve to free “up more spectrum for future network technologies, including 5G.” Indeed, AT&T is already planning to “repurpose that spectrum for LTE” over the next few months.
For a device that was undeniably one of the most revolutionary and innovative products in history, the original iPhone — with its bulky form factor, non-Retina display and painfully slow 2G connection — looks comically ancient by today’s standards. That, of course, is a testament to how fast the landscape tends to shift in the technology realm. Indeed, it’s fair to say that the 2G network that Apple’s original iPhone relied on was already past its prime when the first iPhones hit store shelves in June of 2007.
On a related note, EverythingApple Pro recently posted a video pitting the original iPhone against the original Android smartphone. If you’re feeling nostalgic in the wake of the original iPhone’s 2G lifeline being turned off, you’ll certainly get a kick out of the video below.
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