The best Apple product in 50 years — chosen by users

Shortly before the release of the episode, The Verge launched an interactive ranking. Readers were shown two Apple products and asked to choose the better one from each pair. This format of pairwise comparison allowed for a large-scale sample — more than 1.6 million users participated in the voting.

iPhone — the main symbol of the era

The leader of the ranking was the iPhone. The smartphone, introduced by Steve Jobs in 2007, radically changed the perception of mobile devices. It combined a phone, media player, and internet communicator in one body and effectively launched a new technological era.

Today, the iPhone remains Apple's best-selling product and largely explains why the company became one of the most valuable in the world.

M1 and the debate on "freshness"

The second place was taken by the Apple M1 chip — a choice that sparked discussion among the audience. Some users consider it an example of "recency bias": new products are perceived as more significant simply due to their relevance.

Supporters of the M1, however, emphasize that Apple's transition to its own architecture was one of the key technological decisions of the company over the past decade and changed the entire Mac lineup.

Apple classics: iPod, Mac, and Air

Among other strong candidates in the ranking were the iPod, MacBook Air, the original Macintosh, and AirPods.

The iPod once completely transformed the music industry and effectively helped Apple emerge from the crisis of the early 2000s.

The 1984 Macintosh made personal computers accessible and understandable for the mass user.

The MacBook Air in 2008 set a new standard for thin and light laptops.

Why the iPad missed the top 10

One of the most discussed results was the iPad's 11th place. Skeptics believe that the tablet never moved beyond the concept of a "big iPhone." However, supporters of the device note that the iPad still dominates its segment and has gradually acquired functionality close to a full-fledged multitasking system.