- iPod ( released in 2001)
At the release, the Apple iPod left people speechless because it was able to redefine the way people listen to music. With the iconic motto, which assured users that they were able to have 1,000 songs directly in their pockets, the iPod became the most popular product among music lovers.
Up until the release of the iPod, people needed to carry big MP3 players or CD players to listen to their favorite songs. But Apple wanted to change that, and succeeded with it, becoming a cultural icon.
- iPhone (released in 2007)
Now, all of us use or know the iconic iPhone and its impressive capabilities. Even if the first iPhone wasn’t the first phone that featured a touch screen, it managed to become an icon around the world because it transformed the way people communicate and interact with a phone daily.
Now, iPhones are powerful and have endless capabilities to make our lives easier. Some users need their phone for every daily activity, and it’s understandable considering that it saves a lot of precious time.
- MacBook Air (released in 2008)
Laptops are now indispensable because we use them on a daily basis for different tasks and purposes. We use it for our jobs, for entertainment, or our hobbies, but it’s important to know that laptops used to be a lot harder to carry, due to their bigger design.
In 2008, Steve Jobs completely changed the way people saw computers. The marketing advertisement was remarkable at that time, because Steve Jobs presented the new MacBook Air as a device that fits into a postal envelope, showing how thin and small a laptop can be with the right technology.
Now, MacBook Air still maintains a similar thin design, but with more powerful performance and better screens.
- Apple HomePod Original (released in 2021)
Released a few years ago, HomePod struggled to gain popularity in a market where the dominant devices were Amazon Echo and Google Home. Compared with the two rivals, the Apple HomePod had a limited ecosystem that worked only with Siri, and didn’t have the room for third-party apps that were already used by people.
Seeing that, Apple decided to discontinue the Apple HomePod and later released a new and improved version of it called HomePod Mini. Compared with the first product, HomePod mini was a better version due to its small design, but also for its useful capabilities, and an advanced home assistant, as well as a smart speaker.
- Butterfly Keyboard (released in 2015)
There was a time when keyboards were really an icon, and everyone needed to have the coolest keyboard for their laptops. Apple saw that opportunity and decided to create a unique keyboard that was thin enough to make the whole design of the laptop more compact.
But even if it was a more compact keyboard, almost all users experienced problems with it, because it was very fragile and not dust-resistant at all. Many MacBook users complained about the fact that this butterfly keyboard mechanism was full of problems, and very hard to use after some time, due to the fact that dust, crumbs, and small particles were blocking the actual keys. In 2019, Apple decided to replace it with a better design, that is not successful among MacBook users.
- Apple Ping (released in 2010)
This one is not a device but more of an app from Apple, which was integrated directly into iTunes. Called Ping, Apple marketed it as a social music network with a recommendation feature that allowed users to follow their favorite artists and share music with their friends.
At first glance, it was a really interesting feature for that time, because people used to be very attracted by any app or device related to music. But in fact, Ping had only some superficial features, and didn’t succeed in attracting many users.
After just two years, Apple decided to shut it down, giving companies a lesson that any feature or app needs to be really useful in order to be used by people.
- Apple Vision Pro (released in 2024)
A great device overall, Apple Vision Pro brought to the market a technology that had never been seen before. With impressive designs and interfaces that can be easily blended in with other backgrounds, Vision Pro offers a new user experience.
The majority of tech enthusiasts don’t really consider the Apple Vision Pro a failure, but according to different specialists, the main problem for users is the high price, and also the low demand. People don’t necessarily need such a device, so it’s not really popular compared with a smartphone, for example.
Now, Apple debates whether the Apple Vision Pro needs to be discontinued and changed into a more affordable version for users.
So, even the big companies experienced failures, but these should not be a boundary, especially in the technology industry. Sometimes it is better to try a few times until discovering something really useful and special for users.
.webp)
.webp)
