Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro has been placed in a time capsule to be opened in 2276, symbolising our era’s technology for future generations to view as a historical artefact. Picture: MICHAEL M. SANTIAGO / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP
In one of the more unusual pieces of tech news this year, Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro has been chosen as the flagship smartphone to represent our era.
As part of the United States’ July 4 Independence Day celebrations, marking the 250th anniversary of the nation’s independence from Great Britain, an iPhone 17 Pro was placed inside a time capsule that will remain sealed for the next 250 years.
The capsule is due to be opened in 2276, coinciding with the 500th anniversary of American independence.
While it is highly unlikely the device will still function after two and a half centuries, the phone is expected to survive as a historical artefact rather than a working piece of technology. Its battery will almost certainly have suffered complete structural and chemical failure long before then.
