Seems like an antique now, doesn’t it? But this battered little iPhone 4, which still just about functions, was the handset that transformed the use of video in the media.
For the improved quality of video combined with the explosion in social media platforms allowed television shows and websites for the first time to access a growing ocean of amateur video from members of the public, or User Generated Coverage (UGC), as it is often now known.
When Apple released the iPhone 4 in 2010, it seemed like just another sleek upgrade in the company’s growing line of devices. Yet one feature quietly revolutionized media: the phone’s improved video recording capabilities. For the first time, millions of people carried not just a camera, but a broadcast-quality video recorder in their pockets. What had once required expensive equipment was suddenly accessible to anyone with a smartphone.
This was the difference between the iPhone 3 and iPhone 4 features
Used versions of the iPhone 3 and iPhone 4 still occasionally appear for sale on secondary markets such as eBay, with prices hovering around 25 USD to 50 USD depending on their condition, which is an incredible price considering their age and the advances in the latest models. For example, the iPhone 17 has features unimaginable to the original users of the iPhone 4, such as AI technology, 4K video and lightning-fast processing speeds.
But it was the humble iPhone 4 that truly brought video creation to the world, along with the availability of apps on the Apple marketplace that allowed filmers to make quick and easy edits to their footage.
Here’s a video that was recorded on the iPhone 4
This democratisation of video creation marked the beginning of the modern user-generated content (UGC) era. The iPhone 4’s HD camera, and soon after, its competitors on Android, transformed ordinary people into eyewitness reporters. A passerby could capture breaking news on a street corner before professional crews even arrived. A tourist could film a once-in-a-lifetime event and upload it instantly to YouTube. These spontaneous, authentic clips began to reshape how audiences consumed media and how publishers sourced it.
By the mid-2010s, traditional broadcasters and online outlets recognised the value of UGC. Instead of waiting for satellite trucks or stringers, they increasingly turned to raw footage filmed by ordinary people. Major news networks began airing smartphone clips of protests, natural disasters, and viral moments, often giving them equal billing alongside professional reporting.
This shift created an entirely new industry of video licensing agencies. Companies like ViralPress, Storyful, and Newsflare emerged to bridge the gap between creators and publishers. Their role was source, verify the authenticity of clips, clear rights, add context through captions and scripts and then distribute user videos quickly to newsrooms and brands. For creators, this meant they could monetise their footage and gain global exposure through uploading the video to an agency. For media organisations, it meant faster, safer access to vetted content in an era when misinformation could spread as easily as video itself.
Some of earliest widespread uses of User Generated Video that captured the unfiltered scenes was during the Arab Spring of 2010. Protesters in the Middle East were able to record historic moments, such as the fall of Libya and the subsequent capture of Colonel Gaddafi, with the clips features in international sites such as the Daily Mail.
From this foundation, the economics of this licensing market grew rapidly. A dramatic clip recorded on an iPhone could sell multiple times to international broadcasters, online publishers, and even documentary producers. In some cases, everyday smartphone users earned thousands of dollars from a single upload. Beyond breaking news, brands and advertisers also tapped into UGC for its authenticity and relatability, fueling entire campaigns around content created not in studios, but in the hands of ordinary people.
Today, more than 15 years since the iPhone 4’s release, the smartphone remains the most important camera in journalism. Its presence has made the world more transparent - every protest, accident, or extraordinary animal encounter can be filmed and shared in seconds. Social platforms, from TikTok to X, thrive on this ecosystem, while agencies continue to professionalize the licensing and syndication process.
In hindsight, the iPhone 4 wasn’t just a consumer product upgrade - it was the spark that ignited a new global media economy. By empowering individuals to record and share, it transformed the relationship between audiences, creators, and news organizations. What began with pocket-sized HD video has grown into a billion-dollar industry built on the simple fact that everyone, everywhere, is a potential filmmaker.
This democratisation of video creation marked the beginning of the modern user-generated content (UGC) era. The iPhone 4’s HD camera, and soon after, its competitors on Android, transformed ordinary people into eyewitness reporters. A passerby could capture breaking news on a street corner before professional crews even arrived. A tourist could film a once-in-a-lifetime event and upload it instantly to YouTube. These spontaneous, authentic clips began to reshape how audiences consumed media and how publishers sourced it.
By the mid-2010s, traditional broadcasters and online outlets recognised the value of UGC. Instead of waiting for satellite trucks or stringers, they increasingly turned to raw footage filmed by ordinary people. Major news networks began airing smartphone clips of protests, natural disasters, and viral moments, often giving them equal billing alongside professional reporting.
This shift created an entirely new industry of video licensing agencies. Companies like ViralPress, Storyful, and Newsflare emerged to bridge the gap between creators and publishers. Their role was source, verify the authenticity of clips, clear rights, add context through captions and scripts and then distribute user videos quickly to newsrooms and brands. For creators, this meant they could monetise their footage and gain global exposure through uploading the video to an agency. For media organisations, it meant faster, safer access to vetted content in an era when misinformation could spread as easily as video itself.
Some of earliest widespread uses of User Generated Video that captured the unfiltered scenes was during the Arab Spring of 2010. Protesters in the Middle East were able to record historic moments, such as the fall of Libya and the subsequent capture of Colonel Gaddafi, with the clips features in international sites such as the Daily Mail.
From this foundation, the economics of this licensing market grew rapidly. A dramatic clip recorded on an iPhone could sell multiple times to international broadcasters, online publishers, and even documentary producers. In some cases, everyday smartphone users earned thousands of dollars from a single upload. Beyond breaking news, brands and advertisers also tapped into UGC for its authenticity and relatability, fueling entire campaigns around content created not in studios, but in the hands of ordinary people.
Today, more than 15 years since the iPhone 4’s release, the smartphone remains the most important camera in journalism. Its presence has made the world more transparent - every protest, accident, or extraordinary animal encounter can be filmed and shared in seconds. Social platforms, from TikTok to X, thrive on this ecosystem, while agencies continue to professionalize the licensing and syndication process.
In hindsight, the iPhone 4 wasn’t just a consumer product upgrade - it was the spark that ignited a new global media economy. By empowering individuals to record and share, it transformed the relationship between audiences, creators, and news organizations. What began with pocket-sized HD video has grown into a billion-dollar industry built on the simple fact that everyone, everywhere, is a potential filmmaker.
