Top 5 Most Iconic Apple Products of All Time

Every company has seen the highs and lows of its efforts — the ultimate success stories and ultimate failures, which have collectively made the firm what it is today (if it’s still in business, of course). A great example is Apple, Inc. Under the guidance of its late co-founder and former Chief Executive, Steve Jobs, the company not only failed a few times over the years, but, in the face of opposition, has also managed to give rise to some of the most ground-breaking innovative and life-changing products the world has ever seen. Sure, some of Apple’s former products were destined for failure right out of the gate but, to a much more significant extent, Apple has created a myriad of products so revolutionary that they've made the company one of the largest and most profitable tech-titans the has ever known. And while we can certainly drum up a laundry list of Apple’s most successful and well-received gadgets from over the years, we’ve gone ahead and selected the top five that we believe deserve the title of the most iconic Apple products of all-time.

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5. iPad

Sure, many of us saw it as nothing more than a giant iPhone, but Steve Jobs had a much bigger vision in mind when he unveiled the original iPad in April, 2010. Not only did the iPad effectively change the tablet PC game by shifting it in a completely new direction, but having sold nearly 13 million units within its first year on the market, the iPad ushered in a new era of mobile computing like the world had never seen before. While the original iPad was a computing powerhouse in its own right, even more recent models in the iPad family — including the 64-bit A7-equipped iPad Air, the super-portable iPad mini, and even the company’s behemoth, 12.9-inch iPad Pro — have changed the way consumers interact with their digital content, the web, books, work, and so much more. Of course, while the tablet market has struggled slightly in recent years, Apple’s iPad still maintains its position as the dominant tablet and will likely continue to maintain that stance in light of its newfound cost-consciousness, which is sure to bode well with customers who've been hoping to get onboard the mobile computing bandwagon.

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4. iMac

After Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, one of his first projects involved the development of the original iMac. Also known as the iMac G3, the original iMac was a smash hit — and soon became available in 13 groovy colors, boasting stereo speakers, dual headphone jacks, and the company’s renown all-in-one form factor. Not only was the iMac G3 one of Apple Chief Design Officer Jony Ive’s first creations at the company, featuring a unique “see-through design” that afforded customers a rare glimpse into the inner components that made it run — but the iconic iMac G3 was also a precursor to the more modernized, aluminum unibody iMac models that continue to remain a staple of the company’s Mac desktop offerings even to this very day. Interestingly, the original iMac G3 went on sale in May of 1998, and retailed for around $1,300 — or just about the same price of a mid-range 21.5-inch iMac today.

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3. iPhone

Originally unveiled by Steve Jobs at Macworld in January of 2007, the very first iPhone model was a true revolution in the era of the smartphone. Not only did the iPhone set a new standard for smartphone design, functionality, and ease-of-use, but, having gone on to sell approximately 6.1 million units within the first year of its launch, the iPhone set the stage for many, many more generations to come. Although the original models shipped with just 4 GB or 8 GB of onboard storage for a whopping $499 and $599 outright, the devices have become more affordable thanks in part to carrier subsidies and monthly installment-based pricing models that have put the device in the pockets of hundreds of millions of users around the world.

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2. iPod

While the traditional MP3 player was ‘a thing’ long before Apple introduced the iPod on November 10, 2001, Cupertino’s vision of the product — and more so, the simple yet innovative process by which users could interact with and utilize it — made the iPod a true icon of Apple’s return to stardom in the early 2000s. Described by Steve Jobs as having “a thousand songs in your pocket,” the original, click-wheel iPod boasted just 5 GB or 10 GB of storage for $399 or $499. However, it was nevertheless a sensation. Not only did the iPod go on to amass as much as 160 GB of onboard storage in future iterations, but it also materialized into its own line of products, which included the iPod shuffle, iPod nano, iPod mini, and iPod Touch as we know it today.

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1. The Original Mac (1984)

In the face of Steve Jobs’ epic Mac III failure, the company sprung back in 1984 when it released “the Mac.” Unveiled to the world in a star-studded commercial that first aired during Super Bowl XVIII in 1984, the original Mac — or, more appropriately, the Apple Macintosh — was a true revolution in the personal computing space. Boasting a distinctive beige casing ornamented with the original, rainbow-clad Apple logo, the machine shipped with a CRT monitor, floppy-disk drive, a mechanical keyboard, and a wired mouse. It also cost users a dizzying $2,495, which, by 1984 standards, was actually quite a bit of cash.

What do you think is the most iconic Apple product of all time?