The iPhone. It's an iconic device which is often credited with the birth of the modern, touchscreen smartphone back in 2007. Apple's wildly popular mobile has seen many incarnations over the years, with features coming and going – but can you remember all the features the iPhone used to have?

In a world where the likes of the iPhone X, iPhone XS and iPhone XR have redefined what people think of when the word ‘iPhone’ is mentioned, it’s easy to forget what the iPhone, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 5 and co offered.

We’ve taken a trip down memory lane, and racked our brains to recall the once-defining iPhone features that are no more. Sure, we got a little sentimental writing this, and a few tears were shed, but this is also a celebration of just how far we've come…

1. Skeuomorphism

First appeared: 2007, iPhone OS 1
Last appeared: 2012, iOS 6

Sir Jony Ive's skeuomorphism iOS interface defined the early years of iPhone, with literal icons for pretty much everything providing a unique – and at times, a little confusing – aesthetic.

2. 30-pin connector

First appeared: 2007, original iPhone
Last appeared: 2011, iPhone 4S

Brought over from the firm's iPod range, the 30-pin connector will live long in the memory for anyone who purchased any form of iPhone or iPod dock/speaker/stereo in the early 2000s. The port allowed easy docking for your iPhone (or iPod), allowing it to stand up with a strong base. However, it was also a wide port and took up a lot of valuable space in the confined form factor of a smartphone. So it was no surprise when Apple introduced us to Lightning, its answer to microUSB.

3. Plastic bodies

First appeared: 2007, original iPhone
Last appeared: 2013, iPhone 5C

Plastic is cheap, lightweight and highly moldable, making it a fantastic material for smartphones, and, hard though it may be to believe in today's all-glass world, iPhones once used it extensively.

Plastic (or polycarbonate, to be more exact) reappeared with the iPhone 5C in 2013 – but that was the final time it was used, with Apple choosing not to reboot the 'C' variant of its phones.

4. Game Center app

First appeared: 2010, iOS 4.1
Last appeared: 2015, iOS 9

The launch of iOS 4 brought a host of new features to Apple’s mobile operating system, and one of those was Game Center (which actually landed with the 4.1 updates).

It made gaming on your iPhone more competitive, allowing you to go head-to-head with friends to see who could unlock the most achievements. The Game Center app was removed for the operating system with the iOS 10 update; however, the functionality lives on. If you head into Settings on your iPhone and scroll down you’ll notice Game Center is still an option.

5. Aluminium bodies

First appeared: 2007, original iPhone
Last appeared: 2016, iPhone 7 and 7 Plus

The very first iPhone featured a mostly aluminium rear, but it wasn’t until the iPhone 5 in 2012 that Apple properly adopted the metal as its material of choice for iPhones.

It was tough and, more importantly, premium in look and feel, helping to give iPhones the signature style that made them among the most desirable consumer products. However, the mobile market shifted, and glass became the new in-thing.

It's inevitable that, as Apple and the mobile industry as a whole advance, more features will be dropped from our smartphones in the name of innovation, so here are the features we think will be next for Apple's chopping block…

Some new features have been using

SIM tray

First appeared: 2007, original iPhone

The iPhone XS, iPhone XS Plus and iPhone XR brought with them a new feature for iPhones: an integrated eSIM alongside a traditional nanoSIM tray, providing iPhone users with dual-SIM capabilities for the first time.

While we're likely still a few years away from the physical SIM card disappearing altogether, the introduction of the eSIM into the latest iPhones could spell the beginning of the end for it.

LCD screens

First appeared: 2007, original iPhone

With its latest batch of iPhones Apple has all but moved away from LCD screen technology in favor of OLED panels, with only the iPhone XR holding out… for now.

OLED displays offer better color reproduction, lower power consumption and less bulk than their LCD counterparts, making them ideal for smartphones.

Lightning port

First appeared: 2012, iPhone 5

There are already rumors that the iPhone 11 will drop the Lightning port in favor of a USB-C connection. Apple has already adopted the connection type for its MacBook line, and the latest iPad Pro duo has also seen their Lightning connector switched out for a USB-C port.

We may have already witnessed the Lightning Port’s final outing on the iPhone XS, XS Plus and XR, with 2019 potentially being the year Apple does away with the connection type altogether.

The notch

First appeared: 2017, iPhone X

The screen notch is still a relatively new feature on smartphones, but its days may already be numbered. There are still a number of technological hurdles to overcome in order to fully realize the no-notch, all-screen dream – such as where the earpiece, Face ID tech and various sensors move to – but keep an eye on this one. The notch may be gone before you know it.

The most stable feature: Mute switch

First appeared: 2007, original iPhone

A physical staple of iPhone designs through the years has been the easily-accessible mute switch on the side of handsets, enabling you to quickly flick between silent and loud profiles. Its days could well be numbered though.