Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

What’s the most influential gadget ever? According to Time, it starts with an “i”

Steve Jobs iPhone
Image used with permission by copyright holder
If you’re an iPhone owner, you happen to own the most influential gadget ever, according to Time’s new list.

Apple Offer: Trade up to a new iPhone for as low as $10 a month

The “50 Most Influential Gadgets of All Time” list was published on Tuesday. It notes that while smartphones existed before the 2007 iPhone, “none came together as accessibly and beautifully as the iPhone.”

It goes on to say that Apple truly changed the game, putting a powerful computer “into the pockets of millions.” The phone market was just another industry that Apple revolutionized, having previously changed the music business with the iPod and iTunes.

The iPhone wasn’t the only Apple product on the list. Actually, it wasn’t even the only Apple product in the top 10, with the Macintosh sitting in third place and the original iPod snagging the ninth spot. Both products were arguably the most important in their category. While the Macintosh wasn’t the top-selling computer by any means, it was one of the first to ship with a mouse, helping change the way we interact with computers.

Of course, there are plenty of other great and influential gadgets on the list. In second place is the Sony Trinitron television, which was released in 1968, just as color TVs were taking off. This TV, however, was notable for merging what until then was three separate electron guns, an innovation that helped Sony sell more than 100,000 units.

The list is a good read, if not just for nostalgia’s sake — the Sony Walkman comes in at fourth, the Victrola record player is No. 6, and the Atari 2600 sits in 13th place. A few more recent devices also made the list; the Apple iPad features at number 25 as the device that pushed tablets into the limelight, and the Oculus Rift came in at 39th, despite the fact that it hasn’t even gone through its full release yet. Even Google Glass made the list, albeit just by a whisker, coming in at number 50.

Christian de Looper
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
The DOJ has sued Apple over the iPhone. Here’s what it means for you
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro seen from the back.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro (left) and iPhone 15 Pro Max Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

If you're reading this article, chances are you have an iPhone. It's also quite likely that your friends and family members also use an iPhone. The iPhone is the smartphone of choice for millions of people in the U.S., and now, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is suing Apple over the iPhone monopoly it has established over the years.

Read more
How to use iOS 17 FaceTime gestures (and what they look like)
Video reactions in macOS Sonoma, with the balloons effect in use.

iOS 17 brought a number of new iPhone features and optimizations to the table, and one of these tweaks adds a few cool layers of entertainment to your FaceTime experience. It’s called FaceTime gestures, and once it’s set up correctly, you’ll be able to send 3D animations to your friends and family during FaceTime video calls. You’ll even be able to trigger the animations with physical gestures!

Getting your phone ready for action doesn’t take much time or effort, but we put this guide together to walk you through the process nonetheless. 
How to make a FaceTime gesture in iOS 17

Read more
The iPhone 16’s huge redesign has leaked. Here’s what’s new
iPhone 15 Pro Max lying on the ground surrounded by leaves.

Apple fans might be in for a lukewarm surprise when Apple releases its next wave of iPhones this fall season. Over the past few weeks, numerous outlets — including 91 Mobiles and MacRumors – and independent insiders have shared alleged CAD-based renders of the entire iPhone 16 portfolio.

In 2024, it seems Apple will shower more love on the entry-point models, bestowing them with a slight design refinement on the rear shell. Leaks suggest the camera island on the iPhone 16—and likely its Plus variant as well—will get a pill-shaped makeover. Other changes are reported for the 16 Pro and Pro Max models. There's a lot to cover, so let's dig in.
The iPhone 16's brand-new design
On the current-generation iPhone 15 duo, we get diagonally arranged camera lenses positioned atop a square-ish glass bump. In the upcoming versions, Apple is reportedly replacing it with a vertical pill-like camera island, mirroring the look we first saw on the iPhone X.

Read more