Apple is featured three times in TIME Magazine’s list of “The 10 Best Gadgets of the 2010s,” with the news outlet recognizing the iPad, Apple Watch, and AirPods in its roundup.
Other products featured include the Xbox Adaptive Controller, the Amazon Echo, and the Google Chromecast, though Apple is the only manufacturer to feature more than once.
Though TIME Magazine does not number its list and says that the set isn’t ranked, it’s great to see that Apple has featured three times on the list across various product categories, demonstrating the company’s stronghold over the technology industry and its growing influence.
“Each gadget tells the story of a new way of thinking, a slow-moving paradigm shift set to change the way we approach the personal technology we interact with on a daily basis,” writer Patrick Lucas Austin said of the top ten gadgets, adding that “From smartphones and drones to consoles and cars, the past decade has more than enough life-changing devices to choose from,” before selecting his top-ten choices, which included a Tesla Model S.
The iPad is the first product featured on the list, with TIME complementing its multitouch display and the introduction of iPadOS earlier this year, which no doubt gives the tablet an edge in an increasingly crowded market.
TIME says that the launch of the new operating system makes anyone “optimistic about the next decade of tablet computing”.
“While many have tried, no one has been able to match the polish and performance of the Apple Watch,” the company said of Apple’s smartwatch concept, adding that “it’s gone from a device for early adopters and fashion-deficient nerds to a mainstream accessory, thanks to its smart software and ever-improving hardware”.
And TIME wouldn’t be wrong – Apple Watch is now the world’s best-selling watch, outperforming brands like FitBit and Rolex.
Finally, AirPods are given a mention, with TIME saying that they “quickly became an icon in their own right, both for their aesthetic appeal as well as their larger cultural impact.”
The article does go on to criticize Apple for its lack of repairability on the AirPods, however, which is a valid concern and one that many environmentalists have been pushing for the company to change.
Whether Apple will be able to make AirPods more environmentally-friendly remains to be seen.
Are you pleased with this top-ten list? Do you think Apple has produced the most influential technology over the past decade? Let us know your thoughts and check back for more.
