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When December 31st rolls around this year, it will mark not only the end of 2019 but the end of an entire decade - the 2010s.

Over the course of the last 10 years, Apple released products ranging from the original iPad to the Apple Watch to the ill-fated butterfly keyboard on the MacBook Pro. We asked MacRumors readers on Twitter which Apple product of the decade was their favorite, and received well over 1,000 responses.

Below, we've made a list of some of those picks, highlighting the top 10 Apple products of the decade as chosen by MacRumors readers.


Original iPad (2010)

With Apple's full iPad lineup that consists of multiple models at varying price points, it's hard to believe that it's only been 10 years since the original iPad was released.

original-ipad-1.jpg

Then Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad in January 2010, and it launched just a few months later in April, marking Apple's first 9.7-inch tablet-sized device that was revolutionary at the time because it was essentially a bigger iPhone with a touchscreen, an at-the-time super fast A4 chip, and a display perfect for reading, gaming, working, and more.

Since then, Apple has continued to expand the iPad lineup and now we have everything from the 7.9-inch iPad mini to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

MacBook Pro (2012, 2016, and 2019)

Apple's MacBook Pro has been around since 2006, but over the course of the last decade, it received some notable improvements and revisions.

In 2012, Apple released the first-ever MacBook Pro with a super clear high-resolution Retina display, a feature has since expanded to the entire Mac lineup. It featured a unibody design that was thinner and lighter than the prior models.

retina-macbook-pro-2012-800x426.jpg

Apple in 2016 overhauled the MacBook Pro again, this time introducing an even thinner, lighter design with a redesigned butterfly keyboard and a better-than-ever display. The butterfly keyboard was touted as a superior typing experience and it was also thinner than before, allowing Apple to slim down the machine, but it ultimately turned out to be a mistake.

macbook-pro-late-2016-800x701.jpg

The butterfly keyboard was prone to failure when exposed to dust and small particulates, leading Apple to create a replacement program for all butterfly keyboards.

scissor-vs-butterfly.jpg

Apple stuck with the butterfly keyboard until 2019 when the 16-inch MacBook Pro was released with an updated keyboard that has an older, more reliable scissor mechanism. The 16-inch MacBook Pro was many people's top pick given its excellent display, long battery life, and return to a more functional keyboard.

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iPhone 6 and 6 Plus (2014)

A number of MacRumors readers who shared their favorite products picked the iPhone, and choices ran the gamut from the super small 3.5-inch iPhone 4 to the iPhone 5s that introduced Touch ID to the iPhone 6 and later models.

We chose to highlight the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus as these devices marked the first major design shift of the decade, with Apple releasing two iPhones for the first time. The iPhone 6 measured in at 4.7 inches, while the iPhone 6 Plus came in at 5.5 inches and marked Apple's largest iPhone to date.

iphone6_6plus_new.jpg

Apple stuck with these sizes for the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus, 8, and 8 Plus, giving us four years with the same general design. The iPhones in this family all featured a similar look, with large bezels and Touch ID Home buttons, though each one added new features ranging from camera upgrades to 3D Touch.

iphone_6_plus_6_side_by.jpg

Many people were unhappy with Apple's size choices, especially when it came to the 5.5-inch iPhone as it was considered not as pocketable as early iPhones. Some people still hope for smaller iPhones like the 2016 iPhone SE, but for better or worse, the iPhones introduced in 2014 marked a shift in Apple's design philosophy toward larger phones and larger displays, which has continued into 2019.

Apple Pay (2014)

Apple in 2014 introduced Apple Pay, a contactless payment service that allows Apple devices to be used to make payments without a physical credit card present. Apple Pay was slow to catch on when it was first released, but as of 2019, it is the most popular mobile payment platform in the United States.

apple-pay-800x478.jpeg

Apple Pay is now available on the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac, and it is accepted anywhere contactless payments are accepted. It has also expanded to many countries and is available in more than four dozen countries and regions around the world.

MacBook (2015)

Apple in March 2015 introduced a super thin and light notebook called the MacBook, which was even thinner than the MacBook Air. The MacBook had a 12-inch Retina display and an incredibly thin body that was just two pounds.

retina_macbook_air_2015_design-800x439.jpg

The MacBook was the first machine with Apple's butterfly keyboard, and it offered a 10 hour battery, impressive for 2015. The 12-inch MacBook used less powerful Core-M processors and it had a high price tag, starting at $1,299, but it was notable because of just how thin and light it was.

It was believed that the MacBook would ultimately replace the MacBook Air given its thinner design, but that didn't end up happening. Apple kept the MacBook around and refreshed it in 2016 and 2017, but it was ultimately discontinued in 2019. Apple didn't even keep the form factor, and reverted to the MacBook Air as its thinnest, lightest machine.

Apple Watch (2015)

Released in 2015, the Apple Watch was Apple's first wrist-worn device, and it was one of the most popular choices for best Apple product of the decade given its extensive health features.

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At launch, the Apple Watch was slow, didn't have a super long battery life, and wasn't the most useful device Apple has ever released, but it did track heart rate and since it debuted, Apple has added a ton of new features that have made it indispensable.

applewatchseries4ecgfeature-800x520.jpg

The newest Apple Watch models can take EKGs, watch out for falls, and send alerts when abnormal heart rates are detected, features that have saved countless lives. Apple also now makes cellular Apple Watch models that can be used without an iPhone, allowing people to be connected at all times and just a few button presses away from being able to keep in touch with loved ones, check messages, contact emergency services, and tons more.

Fourth-Generation Apple TV (2015)

The Apple TV is another Apple product that's been around for quite some time, but in 2015, Apple introduced the fourth-generation Apple TV that overhauled the way the Apple TV works.

The 1080p fourth-generation Apple TV was the first with a dedicated App Store and deep Siri integration, allowing users to download apps and games and ask Siri to find specific content. The new Apple TV ran "tvOS" with an iOS-style interface that was simple to navigate.

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Apple has since updated the fourth-generation Apple TV with a fifth-generation 4K model, and has overhauled the interface with the Apple TV app and features like Apple TV+ and channels.

AirPods (2016)

Along with the Apple Watch, the AirPods were one of the top products of the decade as chosen by MacRumors readers, which is unsurprising given their wild popularity.

AirPods-duo.jpg

Introduced in late 2016, AirPods were some of the first truly wireless headphones on the market, marking Apple's most significant push towards the elimination of wired headphones. AirPods featured an Apple-designed chip that let them connect to and swap between Apple devices, they offered impressive battery life, and the little included case kept them safe when not in use and added even more backup battery.

AirPods quickly became one of Apple's most popular products, and many people called them Apple's best product in years. Apple sold a ton of AirPods and they even became something of a status symbol.

airpodsprodesigncase-800x682.jpg

AirPods popularity has not died down, and in 2019, Apple debuted both the AirPods 2 with Wireless Charging Case and the AirPods Pro. Both models improve upon the original AirPods with new features, better sound, and better connectivity, with the AirPods Pro also offering Active Noise Cancellation.

iPhone X (2017)

Of MacRumors readers who chose the iPhone as their favorite Apple product of the decade, a large majority picked the iPhone X, which isn't surprising as it was the second significant design change Apple has introduced in the last 10 years.

iphone-x-silver-800x760.jpg

The iPhone X eliminated the Touch ID Home button used in every iPhone since the iPhone 5s and replaced it with Face ID, Apple's secure 3D facial recognition platform. At the time, Face ID technology was cutting edge and it's still not a feature that most Android manufacturers have been able to successfully replicate.

iphone-x-quad.jpg

With Face ID, there was no need for a Home button, so Apple nixed it in favor of an all-screen design with slim side bezels and a "notch" at the top for housing the front-facing camera and the TrueDepth camera system. Love it or hate it, the notch and the iPhone X once again marked a major shift in Apple's design philosophy.

iphone-11-and-11-pro-no-background.jpg

Apple sold the iPhone X alongside the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus (with Touch ID) when it launched in 2017, but in 2018 and 2019, Apple did away with new Home button iPhones and launched a series of all-screen iPhones that include the iPhone XR, XS, XS Max, 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max.

iPad Pro (2018)

With the launch of the 2018 iPad Pro models in 11 and 12.9-inch sizes, Apple brought the Face ID and full-screen design of the iPhone to its tablet form factor.

ipad-pro-deals-oct-21-800x374.jpg

The latest iPad Pro models are Apple's most advanced, with thin bezels all around and no Home button, giving us much more display to work with for watching movies, sketching, reading, working, and more.

2018ipadprohomescreen-800x615.jpg

Apple has focused on the iPad as a computer replacement in recent years, and the iPad Pro models are as powerful as many of Apple's desktop machines with their A12X Bionic chips complete with Neural Engine for advanced machine learning capabilities. The iPad Pro models are Apple's first non-Mac devices to use USB-C, and they also work with the Apple Pencil 2, an updated Apple Pencil Stylus that Apple designed just for these devices.

Conclusion

The responses we received from MacRumors readers included almost every product Apple made over the last decade, but the ones listed above were cited most often or were some of the most impactful on Apple's product line.

If you disagree with the above list, what do you think Apple's best product of the decade was? Let us know in the comments.

Article Link: Best Apple Products of the Decade: iPad, iPhones, Apple Watch, Macs, and More
 
Excellent, lets put all Apple products in an article and call it: Best products of the decade.

I wouldn't call TB MBP best product of the decade. The keyboard created issues, touch bar is pretty much useless and overall it wasn't good product. 2012 rMBP on the other hand deserves the place there. I also think, Mac Pro (the trash can) should be there along with the new one as even the trash can was great engineering product. Sure, it had limitations that essentially killed the product but the triangle desing, the small package etc. make it super cool. Very portable.
I actually think that they could have kept it and have 2 Mac Pro lines. One trash can (light) and one we have now (hardcore). The light version would be cheaper and maybe wouldn't use all the server parts and the cheesegrater would be as it is now. That way people could have better machine than silly mac mini if they wanted to have a desktop class machine rather then laptop one or (imac).

Although I guess I'm just being silly here.
I would love Apple to make a prosumer Display again and maybe entry level Mac Pro.
 
I was kinda thinking iMessage was. Keeps me with iPhone. Best product of decade? Hard to say any one iPhone. iPad I hardly use enough. Airpods are sweet but I could live without too. Apple Watch comes close. Macs haven’t changed much.

Not sure how iPhone 6 Plus makes any list. Worst iPhone ever.
 
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How did the butterfly keyboard and Siri remote make this list? No Mac Pro 5,1 in 2012? No Mac Pro 7,1 in 2019? Are you just trolling us?
The only Macs that belong on this list are the MacBook Air (2010), MacBook Pro with Retina Display (2012), iMac with Retina 5K Display (2014), iMac Pro (2017), and Mac Pro (2019). The Mac Pro 4,1 / 5,1 was developed and first released in the previous decade (2009) so it doesn't belong here either.

If there is a separate list for best Apple flops of the decade, the 2016 MacBook Pro can definitely go there. 2013 Mac Pro as well.

Edit: MacRumors had the poll on Twitter. Meanwhile, those of us who frequent these forums apparently don't matter enough for them to bother. :rolleyes:

Edit #2: @MacFather is right, the 2010 redesigned MacBook Air should be on this list as well.
 
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Sooooo...... which product was the winner, MacRumors?
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I was kinda thinking iMessage was. Keeps me with iPhone. Best product of decade? Hard to say any one iPhone. iPad I hardly use enough. Airpods are sweet but I could live without too. Apple Watch comes close. Macs haven’t changed much.

Not sure how iPhone 6 Plus makes any list. Worst iPhone ever.
Why iMessage???? Maybe in your country text messages are expensive? In Australia, every phone plan now comes with unlimited texts. Am I missing some advantage of iMessage?

As an aside, I had to turn iMessage off on my phone, as it was causing my phone to not receive messages from some people sometimes. Don't know why.

Apple's integration between it's products used to be the best, but now it has turned to buggy rubbish. I also had problems when I made the foolish mistake of turning on messaging on my MBP, and now I can't entirely get rid of it, I still get little notifications on my MBP every time I open my phone's messages app. And the keyboard shortcuts that I put on my phone, which are super useful on the phone form factor, got mirrored onto my MBP, but not just on the messaging app, but everywhere. So I could be typing an email on my MBP, and the damn iPhone keyboard shortcuts would kick in every time, super annoying. I did manage to get that part turned off, but it wasn't simple. I love my MBP, but when my iPhone 6 finally dies, my next phone will be an Android. Mostly because of the jack, but also because the integration is not a draw card at all.
 
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Lol at anyone voting iPhone 6 as top anything.

You seem to be missing the point, the iPhone 6 is what started it all in 2015. That was one of Apples best selling iPhones ever, especially when they introduced the 5.5+ model. Did it have its problems? Sure. But it doesn’t stop it from being an iPhone that was ridiculously popular and I still see consumers carry in public today.
 
I think Macrumors should also have the biggest fails of the decade. There have been some massive ones, Siri, keyboards, mac pros, etc.

If this forum only highlights the good, then it becomes a propaganda tool for Apple. Keeping them honest, we should also really talk about Apple's failures, or else we will be living in dongle filled landfills forever!
 
Looking back, the best purchase I made of an Apple product in the last decade was my iPhone X. Super happy with that. Has ran like a top since I got it on launch day, although iOS 13 has seemed to cause a few minor issues with loading/freezing... Far better off than my iPhone 5 was after three years of use. Good luck getting any games to even load without crashing on that thing. The screen would bend outward whenever it was charging from the battery expanding. Got super hot too. Battery would make it through the whole day if I kept it on LP mode and never used any apps... No such issues with my X still. Not planning on replacing it until 2021 when it will most likely stop getting OS updates. Hopefully iOS 14 turns out better.

The most regrettable would be my 2016 12” MacBook. Definitely would’ve bought the original MBA if I could go back. The MacBook was a lose-lose. Slower than the MacBook Air AND way more expensive. I learned that the hard way. Bought it custom with the top of the line processor and it was still running slower outta the box than my sister’s 2013 MBA. My theory has always been that the gpu on the MacBook was way too underpowered for the retina display on them. The old MBA had a crappy 720p-ish screen but for how much smoother and faster it ran, I woulda picked it in a heartbeat.

Got a S2 watch on launch day which was amazing for the first year. Super helpful with day-to-day tasks and ran really quick and smooth. That was the year they added GPS, which I love for running. It took a big hit in performance though after its first OS update. And every year since has just made it worse and worse. Still wear it everyday but only things I use it for now besides seeing my notifications is to track workouts and, of course, check the time. Even workouts are pretty tough for it to keep running smoothly at this point. Planning on upgrading when the S6 comes out.

I also got the original 9.7” iPad Pro which was super useful with the pencil and keyboard but, honestly, once I finished college, it’s just been collecting dust ever since. Prob need to sell it. The pencil worked incredibly well though. Definitely worth the price, believe it or not. Took all my notes on it. And after about ten minutes with the Smart Keyboard I could type just as fast on it as I could any other keyboard. If I wasn’t in software development, I’d definitely choose an iPad over a Mac with how capable they are now.
 
Very poor written article!

I think the best product and most revolutionary is the Watch.
Service most revolutionary, Apple Pay.

iPhone 6 Meh. iPhone 7 was much better and solid.
Macbook Pro 2012 is great, I still own and use one.

Many products, cannot even be considered to be on this list.
Any of laptops (MBP, etc) 2016+ should be considered for the worse product of the decade (if not for the worse product ever designed by Apple). So many problems and design issues that shows that whoever wrote this article has zero objectivity and criticism.

Apple TV, was late to the game and its remote control its pretty bad. Just an average box.
 
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Seriously? The 2016 MacBook? I don't know a single person that came out of that multi-car-pileup of a keyboard failure singing its praises from the rooftops. Even Apple admitted with the 16" MBP that their pursuit of thinness was a flop.

HOWEVER! It's absolutely insane that the original iPad is coming up on 10 years old. I have accumulated 3 working examples of that little guy and it's kind of like the original iPhone to go back and revisit; it seemed like an artfully crafted piece of technology at the time and actually still does. The 2/3/4 that followed it bored me out of the iPad for a while, especially since the first one was cut off at the knees on iOS 5 and the iPad 2 went all the way to iOS 9. The Air 2, to me, was the first time the lineup felt new again, and I'm really glad I was persuaded back into the tablet world.

I can't overstate enough that the winning choice is the original 2010 iPad.

original-ipad-2-800x523.jpg
 
My PowerMac G5 was for the last decade and still going strong as a server. My Mac IIci was the previous best device with my Video Vision nubus card. That gave up the ghost.
 
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Seriously? The 2016 MacBook? I don't know a single person that came out of that multi-car-pileup of a keyboard failure singing its praises from the rooftops. Even Apple admitted with the 16" MBP that their pursuit of thinness was a flop.

HOWEVER! It's absolutely insane that the original iPad is coming up on 10 years old. I have accumulated 3 working examples of that little guy and it's kind of like the original iPhone to go back and revisit; it seemed like an artfully crafted piece of technology at the time and actually still does. The 2/3/4 that followed it bored me out of the iPad for a while, especially since the first one was cut off at the knees on iOS 5 and the iPad 2 went all the way to iOS 9. The Air 2, to me, was the first time the lineup felt new again, and I'm really glad I was persuaded back into the tablet world.

I can't overstate enough that the winning choice is the original 2010 iPad.

original-ipad-2-800x523.jpg



Apples last great product.
IPP is in contention, but is springs off of the one of Jobs 5 years back.
 
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