Fred Vogelstein's Essay 'Let There Be An Iphone'

Fred Vogelstein’s essay, “And Then Steve Said, “Let There Be An Iphone,” was surprisingly pleasing for me to read. Although the story seemed to be a more eye opening account of how the iPhone came to be, there was a sense in realization from me the reader. I’ve had heard that Steve Jobs was a stern working man that did not like to take no for an answer. The iPhone would be the golden standard of smartphones if they could present it without any glitches. Unfortunately, during rehearsal there were many errors while practicing to present the product. These men that worked on the phone to watch the practice realized that their jobs could be on the line. To their relief, the demo of the iPhone was a success. After reading this excerpt, I’d decided
to look up the unveiling of the first iPhone to get a visualization on the events being described. The quote “The impact has been not only economic but also cultural” (qtd. NR 619) is something that resonates around the world to this day. Smartphones are practically everywhere, whether an individual uses an Android or iPhone. It has become a social norm for people to use their smartphones as cameras, task managers, alarm clocks, and even books. Reading that Steve Jobs did not want to make the iPhone in the first place was shocking to me. There is a sense of wonder of what would today be like without the evolution of smart phones. Apple is a big contribution to the revolution of the smart phone, and personally I could not see the world without the iPhone. Although, there is a sense that I think we as human beings need to take a step back from our smartphones and try to enjoy the real world and not be sucked into a digital one.