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Best Apple Products of the Decade: iPad, iPhones, Apple Watch, Macs, and More
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It’s not very clear what this list is supposed to be. If it’s the “best” products, then it should really be the most recent products since tech generally tends to improve each generation, with a few exceptions. If it’s the voted “favorite” products, then it’s generally going to again be the latest (ie. best) products with maybe a few more exceptions. If it’s the most “important” (ie. most groundbreaking) products, then that’s another, and in my opinion, more interesting list.
But this list seems to be a mysterious mix of all three. Case in point, the first regular iPad is on the list for being revolutionary, and the latest iPad pros are on the list I’m assuming for being the best or a favorite product, because it seems to me the thinner bezels and Face ID weren’t as significant as the larger screen and Apple Pencil of the original iPad Pro.
But this list seems to be a mysterious mix of all three. Case in point, the first regular iPad is on the list for being revolutionary, and the latest iPad pros are on the list I’m assuming for being the best or a favorite product, because it seems to me the thinner bezels and Face ID weren’t as significant as the larger screen and Apple Pencil of the original iPad Pro.
Totally agree....all the rest of Apples products are just okay but having every thing on my wrist (phone, computer,Eftpos/Credit card etc) is just brilliant😀
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Incredibly good point. This was the computer that truly changed the industry IMO. It was light years ahead of the 1st gen, and still copied to this day. It was one of the first true solid state only computers.
I also feel like something is missing. I love my Apple products for their function, but they're not pretty like they used to be. I miss the days of the iMac G4 and "fun" design. I know Ives channels Dieter Ram's design philosophy, but there's something uplifting about using a lime green computer.
I highly disagree on the 12" MacBook. It was perfect at doing what it set out to do, and the perfect example of TB3's power.
I use one daily and have a TB3 dock on my desk that with one cable carries:
HDMI, Ethernet, Audio, 3x USB 3.0, and 60w of power.
Exactly. It was incredibly light, and the same size as an iPad when closed. It was silent which is a huge boon for meeting room use. Was it slow? Sure. But that wasn't what it was designed for. For 90% of office workers (just productivity suite and email) it was perfect. I'm due for a replacement for mine from work, but I'm holding on until it dies, then maybe I'll try and track down a 2017 with upgraded CPU. I went to the Apple Store to look at 13" Air and Pros, and just left saddened that the little MacBook is gone.Well don't forget that this was the product a lot of people were crying for. An iPad running Mac OS with a real keyboard.
Not sure I'm ready to go the ARM route yet, but I said the same thing about going to Intel from PowerPC if I recall correctly.
Either way, I'm eagerly awaiting a new ultraportable from Apple. The Air isn't ultraportable.
Imessage is a feature not a product, an impotrsnt feature yes but a feature non the less
I can understand the list from the point of view of historical significance but as a customer the apple products I've liked the most were usually the ones that came about after a few generations of refinement. Indeed I think that is Apple's real strength.
I loved the 2015 MacBook Pro. That was the last of the 2012-2015 rMBP models. It was a pure performance update, no gimmicks, just screaming fast SSD, a - by Apple standards - decent dGPU and faster processors over the 2014 model. It retained all the useful ports. Here we are nearly in 2020 and still the majority of time when interacting with anyone outside the cutting edge of tech, USB A is still far more common making the 2015 model still very useful.
I actually have similar feelings about the new 16" model - in many ways I think the 2016-2019 model was a bit of a let down and not much of an advance over the previous one, but this year they came back hard and I think it will be a machine that stands the test of time.
A couple of phones that I liked were the iPhone 7 and 8. Both were lovely devices, more refined than the 6/6S, better looking, faster - especially the 8, better water proofing, the 7 in particular proved durable. The loss of the headphone jack was annoying but otherwise they seemed to me to be decent jumps forward over the 6S, if not in speed so much but overall use and longevity. I still use my 7 as backup and my gf uses her 8 plus all the time as her main phone. Also the plus models were the first time an iPhone had the dual camera.
Even today I feel something similar is playing out - the XI really finally delivering on the promise of the X and XS.
People often complain and ask why it takes apple a generation or two. I think it's hard being on the leading edge of tech and moreover Apple is there to make money. When they bring out a new form factor people will buy it for that alone so why give them the performance update too when you can update the performance next year and sell them another device?!
I loved the 2015 MacBook Pro. That was the last of the 2012-2015 rMBP models. It was a pure performance update, no gimmicks, just screaming fast SSD, a - by Apple standards - decent dGPU and faster processors over the 2014 model. It retained all the useful ports. Here we are nearly in 2020 and still the majority of time when interacting with anyone outside the cutting edge of tech, USB A is still far more common making the 2015 model still very useful.
I actually have similar feelings about the new 16" model - in many ways I think the 2016-2019 model was a bit of a let down and not much of an advance over the previous one, but this year they came back hard and I think it will be a machine that stands the test of time.
A couple of phones that I liked were the iPhone 7 and 8. Both were lovely devices, more refined than the 6/6S, better looking, faster - especially the 8, better water proofing, the 7 in particular proved durable. The loss of the headphone jack was annoying but otherwise they seemed to me to be decent jumps forward over the 6S, if not in speed so much but overall use and longevity. I still use my 7 as backup and my gf uses her 8 plus all the time as her main phone. Also the plus models were the first time an iPhone had the dual camera.
Even today I feel something similar is playing out - the XI really finally delivering on the promise of the X and XS.
People often complain and ask why it takes apple a generation or two. I think it's hard being on the leading edge of tech and moreover Apple is there to make money. When they bring out a new form factor people will buy it for that alone so why give them the performance update too when you can update the performance next year and sell them another device?!
For me my favourite apple products of the decade are the following
Iphone - this is a tough one but it would have to be the iPhone X series. Just a huge jump forward and very nice premium looking device. Really feels like the "final" iPhone that apple has got to after years of refinement. Runner up for me would be 5/se I just really loved the design of it.
Ipad - Has to be the iPad Air 2 for me. Again feels like apple had finally finished what they set out to do with the iPad and if you think back this was only 4 years after the original. It had come so far in only 4 years and it didn't even really change drastically until 2018. My iPad Air 3 is basically just a bigger screen version of that and it came out 5 years after the air 2.
Apple Watch - series 4. I owned the original watch but was very disappointed by it so ended up selling it. Took the plunge to get another one last year and was amazed by how far it has come. Its probably my least favourite apple product category though, just because its pretty basic and doesn't do much but I still like it.
MacBook - MacBook Air 2019. Only reason I chose this is because this is my first MacBook so I have nothing to compare it to however I absolutely love it. Its the nicest apple product I think ive ever owned. Cant remember the last time I fell in love with the design of something but it really is beautiful. So clean and premium.
Iphone - this is a tough one but it would have to be the iPhone X series. Just a huge jump forward and very nice premium looking device. Really feels like the "final" iPhone that apple has got to after years of refinement. Runner up for me would be 5/se I just really loved the design of it.
Ipad - Has to be the iPad Air 2 for me. Again feels like apple had finally finished what they set out to do with the iPad and if you think back this was only 4 years after the original. It had come so far in only 4 years and it didn't even really change drastically until 2018. My iPad Air 3 is basically just a bigger screen version of that and it came out 5 years after the air 2.
Apple Watch - series 4. I owned the original watch but was very disappointed by it so ended up selling it. Took the plunge to get another one last year and was amazed by how far it has come. Its probably my least favourite apple product category though, just because its pretty basic and doesn't do much but I still like it.
MacBook - MacBook Air 2019. Only reason I chose this is because this is my first MacBook so I have nothing to compare it to
however I absolutely love it. Its the nicest apple product I think ive ever owned. Cant remember the last time I fell in love with the design of something but it really is beautiful. So clean and premium.
You're right - the Air 2 was a really good update, even the original Air was good. I have a few family members, very light users, who have those two models and continue to be very happy with them.
If you just use iPads for watching youtube etc then there wasn't really much reason to update since then.
Will it really be liberating or will Apple and Tim Cooked continue to live rent-free in your head for the next few decades lol? Well it’s nice to see your posts here anyway
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For me....
iPad 4
iPhone 5s
iMac Pro
Homepod
Apple Watch 4 cellular
iCloud with family sharing
Apple Pay
CarPlay
AirPods
Worst
Selling any phone with 8/16gb storage.
iPad 4
iPhone 5s
iMac Pro
Homepod
Apple Watch 4 cellular
iCloud with family sharing
Apple Pay
CarPlay
AirPods
Worst
Selling any phone with 8/16gb storage.
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Product of the decade: SRAM XX1, for finally fixing much of what’s been wrong with the mountain bike for half a century. Biggest technological jump in any industry I’m familiar with. And then cheapening Drones, so we can finally afford to track the disappearing megafauna and hunt and eliminate the poachers.
the HiRes 17” MBP still made this decade, was the bees knees. The new 16” is a little lighter on user friendly features but still very nice.
the HiRes 17” MBP still made this decade, was the bees knees. The new 16” is a little lighter on user friendly features but still very nice.
I don’t think so personally. Those GPUS make the 15” and 17” 2011s bottom of the list for me. Throw in the late 2009-2011 iMacs as well.
The decade did not kill iTunes, ‘iTunes killed iTunes’. It was a horrible mess and needed to be revamped/reconstructed anyways. Apple was only doing us a favor by removing it.
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Well that’s not wrong, 2010 models are near identical with 4,1 2009 but with Westmere chip and Radeon HD 5000 series that’s quite substantial upgrades over previous architecture and not mentioned the first 12 cores model available. IMHO 5,1 Mid 2010 are worth the honor.
But yeah since based on Twitter poll, I don’t expect Apple desktop product would hit the polling result.
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.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Apples Best product of the 10's was still the iPhone. May have issues with it myself, but overall, it's been their bread and butter and their most refined product. If it weren't for the iPhone, 2010's would have looked fundamentally different.
However, looking at the article and the provided devices. Some of those shouldn't be on any real "best of" list. Some weren't great products because of technical reasons, some werent great due to Apple's own greed creating a lock down for pushing other sales.
Products that I think defined Apple for the decade:
iPhone. iPad. MacBook Air. 2013/2019 MacBook Pro
Prodcuts that weren't really all that unique, but Apple implemented well or better than competition, but not necessarily their "best products"
Apple Watch, Air Pods. iPad Pro, Apple Pay, AppleTV
Products that IMHO were misses
2015-2018 MacBook Pro (any device using the scissor keys, which IMHO are Apple's worst product of the decade), 2013 Mac Pro, HomePod,
This list shouldn't include every substantial processor refresh from Intel or GPU refresh from AMD. Otherwise the 2011 MBP would belong on there (first quad-core CPU in an Apple laptop), 2019 MBP (first 8-core CPU), etc.
Darth Tulhu
macrumors 68020
I'm not really discussing the business side of things here.
No one is denying this. Apple is defining or, rather, redefining wearables successfully.
A product that is not standalone is an accessory, regardless of its success or potential. I reiterate my assertion that at this time, that's what AirPods and (to a lesser extent) the Watch are.
We'll have to wait and see if and how they become standalone platforms in the coming decade, and whether or not said impact is as significant as the ushering in of the Post-PC era. As far as it happening within the '10s are concerned, those 2 devices did not have the same impact the iPad did. Not yet.
Yeah, I was kind of thinking the same thing. I guess they just included products as much as whole categories or very important product line updates (or people have short memories).
I actually had a short memory too, as when I replied to that tweet, I forgot the iPad had been introduced in the decade... so that would certainly be top of my list. It was a game-changer.
But yeah, the Apple laptop lineup was nearly ruined this decade, save for the 16" they just snuck in under the wire, and similar for the Mac Pro. (So, I'd probably disagree about the 5,1 as it missed the mark, as cool as it was.)
Aside from those few bright spots, I see this Apple-decade as one of big profits and growth, but also a ton of growing pains. I hope the last year of the decade is more reflective of Apple going forward into the 2020s.
Darth Tulhu
macrumors 68020
I picked the products that, for me, represent the best performance per dollar spent today.
After configuring a lower-end Apple laptop to usable specs, I found you might as well spend the extra money towards the base 16". I believe it is the sweet spot.
In regards to iPads, I find that TouchID is superior to FaceID, hands down (no pun intended). And the admittedly nicer screen and slight speed bump don't justify the much higher price in my opinion. The iPad Pro is crippled by iOS itself. That said, if you're replacing a laptop with an iPad (and you're a medium to power user), then yes, I recommend the Pros.
In regards to iPhones, clearly the newer one is the best and the one to get, particularly because these devices are 2-year throwaways (as far as the market is concerned)..