Apple’s first iPhone was launched in the United States 17 years ago today, with off-duty police officers hired to prevent theft at the company’s physical retail locations.

Steve Jobs officially unveiled the first iPhone on January 9, 2007, which is said to have begun development in 2005 as part of a top-secret collaboration of Apple engineers and designers. While the press and everyone else present at the grand unveiling were completely impressed by the device Jobs showed off, it took the company several months to roll it out to retailers across the United States. Fortunately, the first domestic launch took place on January 29, and we take a stroll down memory lane and look back at an event that happened 17 years ago and changed the course of an entire industry.

Despite its ridiculous starting price of $499 at the time, thousands of customers lined up outside Apple retail stores to pick up the first iPhone.

The release of the first iPhone would not have been possible without Apple signing a deal with Cingular Wireless, now part of AT&T. The development cost reportedly cost $150 million, with Apple given the freedom to develop the iPhone’s hardware and software by its talented teams. However, almost a month and a half before its release, the handset’s plastic screen was replaced with glass, as the prototype in Steve Jobs’ possession was easily scratched by his keys, which greatly upset him. With Foxconn handling the manufacturing, all the parts were in the right place.

On January 29, 2007, the first iPhone arrived in the United States, starting at $499 for the 4GB storage version and $599 for the 8GB variant. In retrospect, this was a huge amount of money to spend on a smartphone, but the price didn’t stop thousands of people from waiting for hours in front of Apple sales outlets to buy one. The iPhone grew in popularity with such ferocity that reports quickly made the rounds claiming that stock was sold out within the first hour of availability. Thousands of potential buyers also increased the risk of theft, so Apple posted off-duty police officers to guard stores at night.

After all, the company was well aware of the PlayStation 3 launch, and the lack of security personnel led to break-ins. In the first week, around 270,000 iPhones were sold, and after just 74 days, the tech giant shipped the millionth unit. By October 2007, the iPhone had become the fourth best-selling phone in the United States, and to get customers excited, a 16GB storage version was launched on February 5, 2008, for $499, the original price of the 4GB model. Ultimately, the first model was discontinued later that year, with the device cementing its position as a commercial success by generating over six million sales.

As most of you know, the rest is history. Apple is currently preparing to launch its iPhone 16 later this year, with four models boasting specs and features that far eclipse the original model. However, if the first one hadn’t come to fruition, our future wouldn’t have looked like it does today.