Check out every iPhone released in the past 10 years

It's hard to remember, but believe it or not there was a time before the iPhone. It's now 10 years since the debut Apple handset went on sale and changed the smartphone space forever.

It's been a busy decade, with 15 different iPhones dropping since the start of 2007 – so, time to get a little nostalgic. Here's a brief history of the smartphone that reinvented an industry and sparked hundreds of copycat devices. If the future of the iPhone is as fascinating as its past, then we're in for a treat.

Today no-one would consider going near a phone that lacks 4G connectivity, but back in 2008 Apple was only just starting to support 3G signals and a world of moderately prompt internet access.

While the original's metal back was ditched in favour of a chunky, 12.3mm plastic rear – almost twice as fat as the 6.9mm slim iPhone 6 – GPS joined the mix to let you show your mates exactly where you were in real time, watching that little Maps-based dot move with witchcraft levels of precision.

The App Store took on new levels of importance too thanks to the addition of third-party developer support, a feature that forced the rest of the industry to follow suit.

It already sounds farcically antiquated, but it took until the iPhone 3GS for Apple to introduce cut, copy and paste features to its iPhone line for the first time – yes, really.

In a handset almost physically identical to its predecessor, the company's first incrementally updated, S-suffixed smartphone moved to a lofty 3-megapixel camera and added the ability to shoot video.

It was time for a dramatic transformation, and wow, what a transformation it was. The iPhone 4 was, and remains to this day, one of the most visually stunning and iconic smartphones ever made.

The metal-framed, glass-backed handset saw Apple completely revolutionise the smartphone space for the second time in four years, making the phone line move from a luxury to a necessity in many people's eyes. The days of the BlackBerry were numbered.

The rear-mounted camera jumped to 5 megapixels (with an accompanying LED flash), while a forward-facing camera was introduced alongside FaceTime video calling tech and a HD Retina display. This was the phone the world coveted – just please, whatever you do, don't hold it that way.

A late 2011 showing saw Apple return to minor updates, although the iPhone 4's Antennagate concerns were a long-forgotten thing of the past thanks to a new, dual-antenna design.

Physically identical, it was under the hood that the iPhone 4S stood out from its predecessor, with an improved processor and 8-megapixel camera joining the mix. Oh, some gobby little PA called Siri made its debut here too, spending the next year frustrating owners with its "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that" 'assistance' and letting you kill hours by asking juvenile questions.

These minor updates let the competition close the gap, with the Samsung Galaxy S2 and latest HTC Desire being tipped as 'iPhone killers'.

For years, Apple insisted the world was happy with 3.5-inch phones despite the Android industry pushing into increasingly oversized offerings. The iPhone 5 was the company's first compromise; moving to a 4-inch design and a sleek, metal bodied finish.

Further improving the phone's form, Apple's now long forgotten bulky proprietary charger was canned in favour of the compact Lightning port still in use today.

Introducing Apple Maps, the iPhone 5 wasn't all sunshine and lollipops, converting the world into a mass of melted buildings, misplaced landmarks and lost towns – turn left at the warped road and continue to the inverted roundabout.

Another modest improvement on the previous year's dramatic smartphone revolution, the iPhone 5S touched down in 2013 with improved software, a customary CPU bump, oh, and who could forget the birth of the gold smartphone?

However, the phone's big selling point was the inclusion of the biometric TouchID sensor. Letting you unlock your device with envy-inducing levels of mystery, companies had been sticking fingerprint sensors into kit for years, but it took Apple to make it appeal to the masses. Again, the Android onslaught edged closer.

2013 wasn't just a year of minor updates, though. Not exactly the 'budget' offering many expected, the iPhone 5C was still Apple's first smartphone to pursue a radical, and colourful, new look and feel.

Gone were the days of stoic black and white handset options as blue, green, yellow and pink became acceptable smartphone schemes overnight. The plastic-clad device had a decent collection of specs too, echoing the previous year's iPhone 5.

As the iPhone became the office handset of choice, the iPhone 5C let you show you're still cool and not just another 9-5 drone.

Continuing to add the inches and creep up the size charts, the iPhone 6 saw Apple move to a 4.7-inch form factor and a stunningly curvaceous form. Specs improved too, with screen, camera and processor enhancements making the cut.

Apple's most successful and popular phone to date, it wasn't a launch without issue. Bendgate woes plagued the phone's early weeks of availability, with skinny jeans wearers discovering the all-too fragile nature of their latest device when sitting down.

The first time Apple debuted two flagship phones simultaneously, the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus was Apple's answer to increasingly popular phablet lines such as the Samsung Galaxy Note.

Screen size and resolution aside, the Plus is identical to the iPhone 6 – you'll just need a bit of extra cash and more pocket space.

WTF! Apple blew the minds of many in September 2015 when it launched its update on the iPhone 6 update – the predictably-named iPhone 6S.

It wasn't the phone's all-powerful A9 processor or stunning 12-megapixel camera that amazed many, but the arrival of a new pink ... sorry, rose gold colour scheme alongside the traditional silver, space grey and gold models.

An update on Apple's first phablet, the 6S Plus added all the same improvements as its little brother the iPhone 6S, while keeping its optical image stabilised camera skills to itself.

But the phone's biggest selling point was Live Photos (also available on the 6S). Capturing a brief video clip either side of a still shot, tapping on the snap in gallery brought these images to animated life.

Well this looks familiar... almost four years since Apple first introduced the iPhone 5 format factor, it was rehashed yet again, acting as the body for the new, more affordable iPhone SE.

Although it looks a little long in the tooth compared with the sleek, sexy iPhone 6S, by adopting a tried and tested format factor, the SE was able to line up as the big-A's most affordable smartphone to date. It doesn't skimp on features either, packing the same 12-megapixel camera and A9 processor as its big brother – nice.

A third year with the same design? How very un-Apple. The newly launched iPhone 7 does host a couple of design differences though, one you'll love (it's now waterproof) and one you'll hate – the trademark headphone port is missing. Seriously, it's gone, forever, meaning you'll need to make use of a boxed pair of Lightning Earpods or the ugly Lightning to 3.5mm audio adaptor in order to listen to on-the-move tunes.

It's not all doom and gloom though. Helping launch the brilliant iOS 10, the iPhone 7 adds an improved camera that's better at low-light shots, a new Force Touch home button and enough power to make The Rock feel weedy. That restrictive 16GB model has also been killed off in favour of increased storage up to 256GB – nice.

Like its little brother, the iPhone 7 Plus has ditched the 3.5mm headphone port. It's got something much better tagged on the back though – not one, but two 12-megapixel cameras.

Sounds like a gimmick, right? Well, it's not. Each of these two cameras pairs a 12-meg sensor with a different lens. One features the same wide-angle lens as the standard iPhone 7. The other hosts a telephoto lens that gets you twice as close to the action without losing any image quality. You can switch seamlessly between the two to completely revolutionise your mobile photography skills.

We might still be a few months away from another iPhone launch, but the iPhone 8 chatter is already coming thick and fast. Expected to drop in September 2017, the iPhone 8 is tipped to have big things in store, with a radical redesign to headline this device that marks a decade of the iconic iPhone.

This refinished form won't be the only sign of sunshine and lollipops, though. New cameras, new power units and new software are all expected to make this the biggest iPhone update of all time. The wait is (almost) over...