Apple just announced the "Awe dropping" event that's set to happen on September 9, 2025, and it's likely going to host the launch of the upcoming iPhone 17 series. As expected, the Cupertino company has come up with a catchphrase that's equally enticing and cryptic, but this isn't their first time doing it. Apple's invites have forever been iconic, especially when it comes to iPhone launch events, and this list will give you a quick run through the memory lane.
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Apple "first" iPhone event invite – Macworld (2007)
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Not much was known about what the Macworld 2007 event, but Apple did warn us to brace ourselves in its "the first 30 years were just the beginning" event invite. What followed was something that disrupted the entire phone industry when the company unravelled the very first iPhone and with it the iPhoneOS (which we now know it as iOS). The rest, as we know, is history.
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Apple iPhone 3G event invite – WWDC (2008)
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Apple called its next iPhone launch a "landmark event" with an invite that featured a photo of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. This was WWDC 2008, where the company announced the successor to the original iPhone – the iPhone 3G.
It introduced the then-latest cellular technology – 3G as well as iPhoneOS 2. The latter brought in access to the App Store, allowing users to download third-party apps on their phone.
The iPhone 3G was a success as it was the best-selling phone in the US and put Apple in the second place in the smartphone business. In the same year, this iPhone was also brought to India in partnership with Bharti Airtel.
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Apple iPhone 3GS event invite – "Make your mark here" WWDC (2009)
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In the following year, at WWDC 2009 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Apple unveiled the successor to the iPhone 3G. It was the iPhone 3GS, where the "S" stood for "Speed" as it promised improved performance, a 3 MP camera, video recording and support for voice control (which soon became Siri).
This was also the last iPhone to run a non-Apple system-on-chip, which was later replaced by the A-series chipsets.
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Apple iPhone 4 event invite – WWDC (2010)
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The iPhone 4 came with a big change, and it's that it came running iOS 4, which marked the rebranding from iPhoneOS on previous models. That's probably what WWDC 2010 event invite teased with the "center of the app universe" message, and among the new additions to the iPhone was FaceTime, an app that's been so dear to us.
The phone also introduced the world to Apple "Retina display" and A-series chipset (A4 in this case), both of which have seen multiple iterations over the years.
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Apple iPhone 4s invite – "Let's Talk iPhone" event (2011)
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Before Apple started sending invites for the "Let's talk iPhone" event, there were rumours that the company may launch two separate iPhones. All that was squashed when the event poster showed a big red "1" as a badge for the Phone app.
Unlike for previous phones, the launch of the iPhone 4s marked the deviation from Apple's WWDC events as Apple started announcing new iPhones during the fall.
This time around, the "s" in the iPhone 4s meant "Siri" which made it the only phone to support it at the time. Other improvements in this model were an 8 MP camera, 1080p video recording and new system elements like the Notification Centre and apps like iMessage and Reminders. Not to forget, the iPhone 4s was the very last iPhone to be launched during the lifetime of Apple's then CEO Steve Jobs.
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Apple iPhone 5 invite – "It's almost here" event (2012)
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The invite for the "It's almost here" event had left nothing out in the open, as the numeral "5" was visible as a shadow. The iPhone 5 was the first iPhone to be unveiled under the guidance of Apple's new CEO Tim Cook.
It brought along LTE connectivity, a larger 4-inch display and a revolutionary new "Lightning" connector for charging and data. The latter remained part and parcel of iPhones for years to come.
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Apple iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c invite – "This should brighten everyone's day" event (2013)
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For its 2013's fall iPhone event, Apple had sent out invites with colourful circles and silver rings. As it turned out, the colours in the event invite were all the hues of the iPhone 5c, while the silver ring was a clear indication of the new Home button found on the iPhone 5s.
The 5c packed the same internals as the iPhone 15 inside a polycarbonate body. The 5s was the upgraded iPhone with Apple A7 chip, and it featured a Touch ID sensor, for the very first time.
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Apple iPhone 6 invite – "Wish we could say more" event (2014)
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Apple's invite for its 2014 event only read "Wish we could say more" and the feeling was mutual as the event poster didn't give any clear indication of what was to come.
Ultimately, the company unravelled two models – the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, and with it came a tradition of multiple phones with different display sizes. Aside from the yearly upgrades, these iPhones moved the power button from the top to the right edge, thus the "Side button" was born.
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Apple iPhone 6S invite – "Hey Siri, give us a hint" event (2015)
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At the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, Apple scheduled an event to unwrap the successor to the iPhone 6 series with an invite that read "Hey Siri, give us a hint" along with a colourful waveform.
That was certainly the highlight of the iPhone 6s series that followed, as it brought with it "Hey Siri" capabilities. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus were also the first devices to feature a new "3D Touch" hardware that allowed pressure-sensitive touch inputs.
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Apple "First" iPhone SE invite – "Let us loop you in" event (2016)
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The "Let us loop you in" iPhone event wasn't scheduled in the fall but in March 2016. So, it was obvious that the iPhone that would eventually launch won't be the direct successor to the iPhone 6s series. While the invite was pretty bare-bones, the golden and rose gold-ish tones in fact went on to be the colours of the new iPhone SE.
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Apple iPhone 7 invite – "See you on the 7th" event (2016)
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With the "See you on the 7th" event invite, Apple played with a bokeh shot of colourful lights. As it turned out, this was a hint for the upcoming "Portrait mode" feature on the iPhone 7 Plus.
While the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus carried just a difference in sizes, the iPhone 7 Plus distinguished itself further from the standard iPhone 7 with a new telephoto camera. It also marked the removal of the 3.5 mm headphone jack which was present on previous models.
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Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone X invite – "Let's meet at our place" event (2017)
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When Apple sent out invites for the "Let's meet at our place" event, everyone expected the launch of the iPhone 8 series. What many didn't expect was a whole different product that would change the course of iPhones and smartphones together.
Looking back at the event invite now, you'd very well know that it's the iPhone X's default wallpaper, as it was nothing short of an evolution. The iPhone X marked the introduction of Face ID – Apple's rich system of facial recognition that sat inside a notch on a "bezel-less" display.
It was also the very first iPhone to equip an OLED screen and the Tap to Wake feature. The event itself marked the first time Apple introduced three new iPhones at the same time, something that would continue at least for a couple of years.
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Apple iPhone XR and iPhone XS invite – "Gather round" event (2018)
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For the following year's "Gather round" iPhone event, Apple sent out invites with a brownish-gold ring, which many interpreted as the circular, "spaceship-like" headquarters of the Cupertino company.
Following the event, it was evident that the sphere here also represented the iPhone XR's singular camera module, while the gold hues of the ring were symbolic of the "Gold" version of the iPhone XS. The iPhone XS models were slightly overpowered versions of its predecessor.
However, it was the iPhone XR that became popular as an affordable flagship iOS device, one which came in a slew of colours. By 2020, it was the eighth best-selling smartphone of all time.
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Apple iPhone 11 invite – "By innovation only" event (2019)
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The 2019 "By innovation only" event invite came with glassy patterns of different colours that overlapped to form the Apple logo. It was no doubt that these colours would line up as part of the iPhone 11 series.
The new model, however, wasn't that significant of a change but just an improved iteration over the iPhone XR and XS models. The only major difference was the camera array which took a square-ish form across all models.
It was also the first time Apple released a "Pro" iPhone which along with the Pro Max model equipped triple rear cameras, also for the first time on an iPhone.
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Apple iPhone 12 invite – "Hi, Speed" event (2020)
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The iPhone SE 2nd generation was announced in April 2020, but with the COVID-19 pandemic in its peak stage, Apple didn't host a live or virtual event for the phone. Instead, it launched the upgraded iPhone SE with a press release.
The only iPhone event that took place that year was "Hi, Speed" on October 13, 2020, when it unveiled the iPhone 12 series which consisted of four devices including the iPhone 12 mini for the first time. With multiple circles in and around the Apple logo, the official invite now feels like the apt tease for MagSafe, a technology which debuted with the iPhone 12 lineup and still in use.
The series also brought a fresh new redesign with flat edges, a design language that's also part of the latest iPhones. Like the iPhone 7 series, which removed the headphone jack, the launch of the iPhone 12 line also marked the end of adapters and earphones inside Apple boxes.
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Apple iPhone 13 invite – "California streaming" event (2021)
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For many, Apple's "California streaming" event invite was a reference to The Mamas & The Papas song "California Dreaming" but apart from that, it didn't really say anything about the upcoming iPhone.
Likewise, the iPhone 13 series launch event received a similar response, as it was an incremental upgrade over its predecessor. Its Pro variants came with 120Hz displays and 1 TB storage for the first time, and it was also the last time we saw a "mini" model.
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Apple iPhone SE 3 invite – "Peek Performance" event (2022)
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When Apple sent invites for the "Peek performance" event, it was rumoured that an improved iPhone SE was on the cards, and that's exactly what we got. The iPhone SE 3rd-generation added all the latest things internally while keeping the form factor exactly the same as its predecessor.
It was sort of a "peek" at the "peak performance" that one would get on the more flagship-y phone. This was Apple's last SE-branded iPhone and the last ever model to get 64 GB of internal storage.
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Apple iPhone 14 invite – "Far out" event (2022)
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By the time Apple shared its "Far out" event invites, rumours had already flooded the tech space that the company is bringing satellite connectivity to the iPhone. And they were right to believe so, as the company announced that all of its iPhone 14 models will be able to contact emergency services without a Wi-Fi or cellular network.
The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models were the first to bring a lot of new features, including – an Always on Display, a 48 MP rear camera and a "Dynamic Island" cutout on the display.
It was also the very last series of iPhones to come with a Lightning port, that first debuted with the iPhone 5. It also marked the re-entry of the "Plus" line for the first time since the iPhone 8 Plus.
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Apple iPhone 15 invite – "Wonderlust" event (2023)
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The blue-and-white-coloured sand-themed Apple logo in the "Wonderlust" event invite didn't give away anything about the iPhone 15 series. What stood out during the launch is the expansion of the Dynamic Island across iPhone models, and this series marked the inclusion of the USB-C port for the first time.
In addition to that, its Pro versions were the first to feature a customisable Action Button and a titanium chassis.
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Apple iPhone 16 invite – "It's Glowtime" event (2024)
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Apple Intelligence is one of the biggest standout iPhone features you might remember from the Cupertino company in recent years, and that's exactly what Apple had in mind when it teased the "It's Glowtime" event.
Sharing a glimpse of the Apple logo in glowing shades of ping, blue and yellow, the event invite for the iPhone 16 series launch certainly teased the "upcoming" upgraded Siri. It was synonymous with the colourful, glowing animation that appears when you long-press the Side button.
Unfortunately, the new Siri never came and without it, the iPhone 16 series couldn't stand out as the upgrade it was touted to be.
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Apple iPhone 16e event invite (2025)
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When Apple scheduled an event for March 2025, it was believed that the company will release the much-anticipated successor to the iPhone SE 3rd-generation. The event invite didn't reveal any clues in terms of words but a mere white poster with a shiny metallic Apple logo.
While rumours had got the design and internals right, the Cupertino company announced the iPhone 16e as an extension of the iPhone 16 family. With that, it brought most of the iPhone 16 features like A18 chipset and Apple Intelligence into an iPhone 14 chassis.
With the iPhone 16e, Apple finally got rid of the Lightning port once and for all as it now supported USB-C connectivity across the lineup.
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Apple iPhone 17 invite – "Awe dropping" event (2025)
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As many anticipated, Apple has scheduled its "Awe dropping" Event on September 9, 2025, and it appears to be a play on "jaw dropping" as the invite could be a reference to the thin form factor of the iPhone 17 Air.
It's also interesting to see shades of blue, yellow and orange on the Apple logo, which may be a tease for the new iPhone 17 colours. With just a couple of weeks to go, the "Awe dropping" event may not just host the launch of the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models.
It's also expected to unwrap the Watch SE (3rd generation), Watch Series 11, Watch Ultra 3 and AirPods Pro 3. Who knows? Maybe there's more that Apple has got under its sleeve. We'll know soon enough.
