Apple has a history of designing products that are not the first in their category but redefine the market. One of Apple’s most revolutionary products was the Macintosh computer. During its unveiling in 1984, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs promised that the Macintosh was set to revolutionize the computer industry. The Macintosh introduced the graphical user interface (GUI) and the navigational mouse which changed the way people interacted with computers. In many ways, it was the first realization of Jobs’ vision to turn computers into “a bicycle of the mind.”
The iPod and iPhone
The iPod was not the first digital music player, but it changed the way people thought about them. The device was compact, stylish, and capable of storing up to 1,000 songs, which was a significant capacity at the time of its release in 2001. The iPod also spawned the iTunes store that provided a legal way to buy and download music at a time of rampant piracy. The device signaled that Apple might evolve into something more than just a computer maker.
The iPhone, released in 2007, was a game-changer. It introduced the convenience of touchscreens when physical keyboards were still popular on the top-selling smartphone at the time, the BlackBerry. The iPhone was an all-in-one device that combined a computer, camera, and music player. In just a year, Apple opened a store that made it common to think there must be an app for just about anything. The iPhone rendered the BlackBerry obsolete and made smartphones indispensable.
The iPad, Apple Watch, and AirPods
The iPad created a middle ground between laptops and smartphones. The tablet provided people with a faster, more convenient way to browse the web, check email, and read books on a larger screen than smartphones, which became even more important as video streaming took off. The iPad’s success also pressured Microsoft to start building in more touchscreen options and adding other tablet-like features for its Windows operating system that powers most laptop and desktop computers.
The Apple Watch made it possible to wear something akin to a smartphone on your wrist by including cellular capability. Initially marketed as a fashion accessory, the Apple Watch pivoted when it realized that its fitness and health tracking features were the tools that people found most valuable.
The AirPods helped popularize wireless headphones with an Apple chip that provided more reliable and stable connections with devices while making it easy to shift from one gadget to another. The product also served another key purpose for Apple: AirPods quickly muted the initial outrage of the company’s decision to remove the headphone jack from iPhones in 2016 while creating another lucrative sales channel.
Apple has a history of redefining the market with innovative products that are not necessarily the first of their kind, but are revolutionary in their execution and impact. From the Macintosh computer to the AirPods, Apple has consistently introduced products that have changed the way people think about technology and how they use it in their daily lives.
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