15 Things We Take for Granted about Having an iPhone

Continuity of Messages

Thanks to the Messages app, you can talk to pretty much any one of your contacts in a matter of seconds, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

With iMessage, you can pick up a conversation you had years ago, and your iPhone will still remember what the last message you sent was. You'll have this continuity even if you've switched iPhones recently. Now compare that to the limited number of messages you could have in the first telephone, and you'll be amazed.

Your Pictures Last Forever

Most of us who are a bit older probably remember how tough it was to take pictures back in the day. Not only did you need to have a camera with you, but you also didn't know how the pictures would turn out. You had to wait another couple of days to develop the film, and only then would you know if the picture you took was great.

Not only that, but do you still have every picture you took? Probably not. But if you've had an iPhone all your life, you probably still have a lot of pictures from over 10 years ago.

Thanks to the magic of iCloud and the Apple ecosystem, you can safely store all your photos on your iPhone or in the cloud. You can also share them at a moment's notice and get rid of any picture you don't like that much.

You Have Concerts at Your Fingertips

Long gone are the days when you had to sit by the radio to listen to your favorite music. Now all you need is an iPhone and an internet connection and you can see your favorite artists perform live from your couch.

You also have access to millions of songs for every mood. You may want to listen to classical music one day and then vibe with reggae the next day, and your iPhone will just give you any song you want — no questions asked.

It seems Steve Jobs fulfilled his promise when he said he would put thousands of songs in our pockets.

You Can Use Your iPhone Underwater (Be Careful, Though)

Just a few years back, we wouldn't even think of getting water on our iPhones, let alone dropping them in the pool.

However, now if your iPhone slips out of your hands and goes underwater, chances are it'll work as well as new.

Of course, you still need to be careful. Modern iPhones are only water-resistant, not waterproof. So, while you can use your iPhone underwater for a bit of time, it's best to take it out and dry it offf to avoid any issues. Still, something as cool as water resistance wasn't even a thing in older iPhones.

You Have Millions of Tools At Your Disposal

You don't need to carry a lot of tools with you, and it's all thanks to your iPhone. Yes, the threat our teachers made that we wouldn't have a calculator with us at all times is no longer true.

Now your iPhone is a calculator, a compass, a magnifying glass, and more. You can even use your iPhone to detect sounds for you if you have hearing issues.

The best part is that thanks to all the apps available on the App Store, your iPhone becomes increasingly more useful every day. Before, using a virtual assistant like Siri was revolutionary. Now, you can ask artificial intelligence for information, and no one bats an eye.

It's a Videophone, and It's Not Magic

Remember those old cartoons that used to show what life would be like in the future? They would show these big machines that we'd use to video call other people, and it seemed magical.

Now, however, you can do that and so much more with your iPhone. You can video call anyone right now and see them without anything more than the phone in your pocket.

Moreover, Apple has made FaceTime such a versatile app that you can get live closed captions when talking to someone else. Granted, they still aren't perfect, but the fact that you can communicate with anyone, even if they can't hear you, it's something you could once only dream about.

You Have a Personal Assistant 24/7

A lot of people take for granted how cool Siri actually is. This virtual assistant started out as a feature that we mostly used to ask for jokes or to play around with.

Fast forward a few years, and Siri is now a complete virtual assistant that will help you with pretty much anything. You can make calls, check your emails, reply to messages, or create reminders without having to touch your iPhone.

All you need to do is say, "Hey Siri," and you have an infinite list of possibilities at your command. Plus, you can still ask Siri for jokes and other silly things.

You Have Access to All the Information in the World

Long gone are the days when you had to visit a library to learn something new.

Now you can just pick up your iPhone and learn anything you want online. You can learn about politics, history, math, or art, and it's almost guaranteed that there's someone out there sharing all the information you need online.

Not only that, but you'll also surely find a lot of different books you can download and read completely free.

You Can Connect With Anyone, Anywhere

You don't need to be in the same city to find your next best friend. Heck, you don't even need to be in the same country.

Thanks to your iPhone, the internet, and the wealth of social media apps out there, you can find people who have the same interests as you and connect with them anywhere.

Sure, sometimes it's hard to find the right people, but in a world with billions of people, you'll surely find a group of people to chat, game, or watch movies with. All that without leaving your house.

You Can Use Your iPhone as Your Teacher

Just like you have access to all the information in the world, you also have access to endless courses, classes, and apps that will help you learn a new skill.

Do you want to learn how to cook? There's an app for that. Do you want to learn a second language? There's also an app for that. Or maybe you want to learn how to code and find a higher-paying job? You already know there are multiple apps that can help you with that.

While you also have to put in the work, your iPhone can help you learn many new skills to improve your professional or personal life. Not too bad for a phone.

Your iPhone Can Help You Improve Your Life

Apple has created many different health features you can use on your iPhone, and a lot of third-party companies have also created apps to help you live a better life with the help of your smartphone.

You can use your iPhone to keep track of your heart rate and your menstrual cycle and improve your sleep. You can even use your iPhone to track your medications so you never forget about them ever again.

If you don't want to do all that, you can also use your iPhone to find the perfect app or service that'll help you work out wherever you want. You can keep track of your workouts, track the nutrients in your food, and even meditate to have a more peaceful life.

Now imagine if you told this to someone from 2006. They'd probably think you're crazy.

Your iPhone Could Be a Life-Saver in Emergencies

Your iPhone lets you create your own Medical ID, so if something happens to you, anyone who finds your iPhone can access the most important information about you. For instance, they can find out about your allergies, important medical notes, and even your blood type.

Additionally, Apple has introduced a couple of new features that could possibly save your life. For instance, Crash Detection on your iPhone will detect if you've been in an accident and call emergency services and notify your emergency contacts so they can help you.

Likewise, if you're lost in the middle of nowhere, you can send your location to your loved ones or call for help by using satellites. If that isn't the future, nothing is.

Your iPhone Works as a Driver's License

Granted, this feature isn't available everywhere, but some iPhone users can store their driver's licenses on their iPhones. That means you don't have to carry it with you all the time. While you can't get away with leaving your physical license at home just yet — law enforcement still expects to see the real thing if they pull you over — it can help you speed through airport checkpoints. You'll also soon be able to use the digital version as ID at local businesses without giving away unnecessary personal information

You Can Also Pay With Your iPhone

In addition to carrying your driver's license, you can also carry your payment cards on your iPhone. That means you can lighten your wallet by leaving your physical cards behind, paying with your iPhone instead at pretty much any place you visit

Your iPhone now also works as a bank account. Thanks to Apple's Savings Account, you can save up your money on your iPhone and get a pretty decent yield just by keeping your money in one place. That's something not even Steve Jobs thought about when he showed the iPhone to the world.

You Have a Professional Camera in Your Pocket

We don't really stop and think about the amazing photos our iPhones can take. The iPhone has been used in many professional shoots to create stunning photos and even short films.

If they can do that with just an iPhone, so can you. Nowadays, everyone can take professional pictures just by tweaking their iPhone's settings properly. Likewise, you can record videos in 4K with Dolby Vision HDR, one of the highest resolutions and qualities available.

Now compare that to the cameras on the original iPhone, and you surely won't take it for granted anymore.