With the release of the iPhone 16, here's a look back at Apple's iPhone through the years

Since the launch of first iPhone in June 2007, Apple has innovated and updated the company's signature device at a breakneck pace, sometimes releasing more than one model in the same calendar year.

Friday marked the start of preorders for the latest model, the iPhone 16 .

The iPhone 16 promises a performance-boosting A18 chip and increased battery life. Also improved are the camera capabilities, including a function called Camera Control that allows you to capture photos and videos faster and modify settings with a finger.

Perhaps the most notable innovation is Apple Intelligence , available in the fall, where artificial intelligence can help save time by summarizing voice memos, improving writing before it's sent, and summarizing messages.

Below is a look at the innovations and transformation of the iPhone over the years:

iPhone 16 preorders began Friday

According to Apple's press release , Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of worldwide iPhone product marketing said, “iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus bring huge advancements that will make a real difference in our users’ daily lives. With new ways to capture memories using Camera Control; a 48MP Fusion camera that gives you two optical-quality cameras in one; a big boost in battery life; and powerful, efficient performance thanks to the A18 chip, this is the perfect time for customers to upgrade or make the switch to iPhone.”

Can't see our graphics? Click here.

iPhone 15, the first iPhone to use the industry-standard USB-C

R.I.P. to the lightning connector. Models going forward use a USB‑C connector, a universally accepted standard for charging and transferring data. This change allowed all compatible devices to use the same cable.

The iPhone 15 is the first standard iPhone to have the Dynamic Island feature, which provides a section across the top, to display important notifications and details.

iPhone 14 uses technology to improve safety and connect emergency services

iPhone 14 introduced Crash Detection, a technology that can detect a severe car crash and automatically dial emergency services when a user is unconscious or unable to reach their phone. Also available was Emergency SOS , where antennas connect directly to a satellite, enabling messaging with emergency services when outside of cellular or Wi-Fi coverage.

iPhone 13 improves image quality, especially in low light

The new Wide Camera, with a larger sensor and dual-camera system, was capable of gathering 47 percent more light in a scene than previous models.

In 2020 Apple joins the 5G network with the iPhone 12

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini were available in five aluminum finishes, including blue, green, black, white, and (PRODUCT)RED. In 2020 the 5G market was expanding: “The arrival of 5G marks the beginning of a new era for iPhone and we’re thrilled to bring these impressive new capabilities to our customers with iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing in October 2020.

iPhone 12 faster chip, longer-lasting battery

The iPhone 11, powered by the A13 Bionic chip could perform demanding tasks, while, according to Apple, getting through an entire day on a single charge. It was available in six colors: PRODUCT(RED), black, white, yellow, green and purple.

iPhone Xs, two cameras is better than one

iPhone Xs featured a 12-megapixel dual camera with dual optical image stabilization, 2x optical zoom and a faster sensor. Smart HDR created photos with more highlights and shadow detail. Larger and deeper pixels improved image fidelity and low-light performance.

Apple released iPhone 8 and iPhone X months apart

iPhone 8: The all-glass phone had a sharper 4.7-inch Retina HD display, an improved 12-megapixel rear camera and 7-megapixel front camera, a faster A11 processor and wireless charging.

iPhone X: The radically redesigned iPhone X featured a much sharper edge-to-edge 5.8-inch Super Retina HD OLED display, FaceID facial recognition, more advanced front and rear cameras and wireless charging. It also removed the home button and TouchID sensor.

2016 brought the iPhone SE and the iPhone 7

The iPhone SE: The device had up to 14 hours of 3G talk time. It also had a durable 4.0-inch display and a 64-bit A9 processing chip, was enabled with Live Photos and Panorama (up to 63 megapixels) and included 720p HD video recording.

iPhone 7: This phone had a home button that could read different types of inputs and aid in making the phone water resistant. The headphone jack was removed, pushing users to plug in headphones in through the Lightning port or usa Bluetooth wireless headphones.

iPhone 6s introduced Live Photos

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus introduced Live Photos , a feature that brought still images to life by capturing a moment in motion.

The 6s, was available in silver, gold, rose gold and space gray, it had a 64-bit A9 processing chip that was 70% faster at computer processing tasks and 90% faster for graphics processing compared to previous models. The device had HD 4K video with 8 million pixels and FaceTime HD camera with 5 megapixels.

iPhone 6 brought 3D touch innovation

The iPhone 6 featured a 4.7-inch display, improved iSight camera, Apple Pay mobile payment system and near-field communication (NFC) technology.

The model also featured a new innovation, 3D touch technology that allowed users to perform different functions based on how hard they pressed down on the screen.

iPhone 5s featured the Touch ID to lock/unlock your phone

iPhone 5S was the first to have Touch ID a fingerprint identity sensor capable of securely unlocking your phone with just the touch of a finger.

iPhone 5 was a big jump in speed and screen size

iPhone 5 featured a 4-inch diagonal display compared with past iPhones which were 3.5 inches. The added space allowed for a fifth row of icons on the home screen. This model was also first iPhone to run in 64-bit.

"Hey Siri" iPhone 4s introduced Apple's personal assistant

The first model to feature 'Siri' for voice commands. The iPhone 4s had a A5 dual-core processor, iMessage, Twitter integration and location-based reminders.

iPhone 4 turned 'FaceTime' into a household name

The iPhone 4 allowed users to connect via FaceTime video chat. It had a 5-megapixel camera; iBooks and HD video recording.

iPhone 3Gs introduced voice commands

The first voice control feature was the predecessor to Siri. "With voice control you could play your favorite music by artist, album or playlist and activate the Genius feature by saying “play more songs like this.” You can also tell the iPhone to pause the music, play the next track, turn on shuffle, or ask, “What’s playing right now?” said a 2009 press release. The iPhone 3Gs featured a 3-megapixel autofocus camera.

iPhone 3G "twice as fast at half the price"

“Just one year after launching the iPhone, we’re launching the new iPhone 3G that is twice as fast at half the price,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO in 2008 . The $199 8GB and $299 16GB phones featured access to the App Store where users could download native applications such as games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel.

2007 the birth of the original iPhone

"Apple Reinvents the Phone with iPhone" the headline of the press release read and the fate of many wall-huggers was born. Apple described the device: "A revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and a breakthrough Internet communications device with desktop-class email, web browsing, searching and maps – into one small and lightweight handheld device. The iPhone had a 3.5-inch multi-touch screen: sensors that change orientation of phone and a 2 megapixel camera. The price was $499 for a 4GB model and $599 for an 8GB model.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: With the release of the iPhone 16, here's a look back at Apple's iPhone through the years