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It’s been almost a week since Apple’s Vision Pro headset went on sale, and as expected, memes and jokes about the product are flooding the internet. But the Vision Pro launch is more than just meme fodder. This is Apple’s entry into a new product category, and if history is any indication, it will leave a big footprint in mixed reality spaces, or “spatial computing” as the company calls it.
But this isn’t the first time Apple has entered a category and completely changed it. The company is known for inventing new categories, whether it’s the Mac, iPod, iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch. Let’s take a look at how Apple has succeeded in the past with some of its iconic products, starting with one of its most important products, the Mac.
Apple Mac and the rise of personal computers
The Mac is Apple’s best-known product and cultural icon. The success of the Mac means the world will forever be divided between those who prefer the Windows world and those firmly entrenched in Apple’s ecosystem. Of course, the Mac lineup has gotten more diverse and complex these days, from the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Pro, Mac Mini, and Mac Studio.
But when the Macintosh was first released in 1984, it marked a pivotal moment in the history of personal computers. Apple introduced the Mac at his 1984 Super Bowl in an iconic ad directed by Ridley Scott.
More importantly, the Macintosh (later renamed the Macintosh 128K after Apple introduced a higher 512 KB version) became the first personal computer to achieve commercial success. It had a Motorola 68000 microprocessor and 128KB of RAM. It also ran System 1.0, which added Finder, which is still in use today.
The Mac lineup was revived when Jobs returned to Apple in 1996 after the company acquired NeXT. In 1998, Apple introduced its first colorful Mac, the iMac G3, which was a commercial success. Apple continued to improve its iMac and Mac lineup over the next few years. In 2008, Steve Jobs introduced his MacBook Air, perhaps one of his most popular MacBooks, as the world’s thinnest notebook.
Over the years, Apple has made Macs even more powerful. In 2020, Apple switched from Intel processors to its own M-series processors, which are faster and more energy efficient. The switch to the M series further tightened Apple’s control over its core products, with new processors now appearing in Macs and iPads alike.
Nearly 40 years after it was first introduced, the success and continued evolution of the Mac is a reminder that it remains an important product in Apple’s portfolio.
Apple iPhone and the rise of smartphones
Love it or hate it, the iPhone has changed the way we interact with our smartphones. The iPhone was launched on January 9, 2007, and finally he was launched by the end of June 2007. It was an immediate success. By September 2007, Apple had sold his 1 million iPhones. But more importantly, the iPhone launch is a key moment for the smartphone industry, given that it introduced “multi-touch” interactions on larger screens that have steadily gotten bigger over the years. .
At a time when Nokia’s Communicator and keyboard-equipped BlackBerry were considered de facto luxury devices, users were forced to switch to touchscreens entirely. And despite the fact that not much has changed in the past few launches, the iPhone is still the ultimate premium device and one of the most coveted devices.
Apple’s iPhone success will continue in 2023, given that Apple overtook Samsung in shipments last year, according to Counterpoint Research.
There’s no doubt that the iPhone introduced many firsts as well. The company launched its own App Store in 2008 with around 500 applications. Some of the world’s most popular and addictive games were first released on his iPhone. In fact, in the early days of iOS vs. Android, some apps remained exclusive to iOS for his whole year. for a long time.
A new way to listen to music with your Apple iPod
Before the iPhone, Apple’s iPod was a device that many people aspired to own. The iPod also changed the music industry. The iPod, a portable media player best known as a music player, was first released in 2001 and remained one of the most popular products, until of course the iPhone era took over.
The iPod has come in several versions, from the classic iPod to the iPod shuffle, iPod Nano, and iPod touch. The last device on the list was a good alternative for people who want an iOS device but can’t afford an iPhone. The iPod Touch had access to the App Store and could run the same apps as the iPhone at the time.
But the iPod has become the icon that introduced customers to digital music, allowing them to store thousands of songs on the go. This is seen by many as laying the foundation for the streaming era, giving customers instant access to their music. More importantly, a user can now choose to listen to specific songs within an album on his iPod, changing consumption patterns.
By April 2007, Apple had sold nearly 100 million iPods. Apple said goodbye to its iPod lineup in May 2022, as it no longer needed the iPod before the iPhone. However, from its launch to the end of the iPod, with 450 million units shipped, it remains one of the greatest successes in consumer technology.
The rise of the Apple iPad and tablets
The iPad was another category-defining product when it first launched in 2010. But the idea for the iPad has been with Apple for nearly 27 years. An important reference point is Steve Jobs’ 1983 speech. There he talked about the need to design a computer in the form of a book that was portable and took only 20 minutes to learn how to use.
Interestingly, when the iPad was first introduced, its name was derided as a nod to women’s sanitary pads. But all jokes aside, the iPad popularized a whole new category: tablets.
Of course, over the years since its launch, the iPad has become increasingly powerful, and today it has replaced laptops as the primary device for many professionals. To work with larger displays, Apple also created the “Pencil” that comes with the iPad.
Today, the iPad lineup is much more complex than when it first launched. There’s iPad Air, iPad Pro series, iPad mini, and just iPad. Despite heavy competition from Windows and Android, the iPad remains one of the most successful tablets.
Apple Watch and a new era
The Apple Watch was the first new product category launched by Tim Cook in 2015 after the death of Steve Jobs. And even if the initial response was lukewarm, it became another category-defining product. In fact, in 2017, just two years after its launch, the Apple Watch became the world’s best-selling watch. Yes, it beats smartwatches and regular watches. And in 2020, it continues to grow in terms of sales volume, exceeding the entire Swiss watch industry.
There’s no doubt that the Apple Watch has evolved over the years, with a larger screen, more sensors, and the ability to track body temperature during a woman’s ovulation cycle. Now there is also an ultra version. But perhaps the biggest testament to the Apple Watch’s success is the sheer number of clones that have popped up around the world.
Although Apple has limited the Watch to iPhones, there is no doubt that it remains the best-seller, with Cupertino accounting for nearly 45 percent of the market share, according to figures shared by Counterpoint Research. In fact, Apple’s dominance in this category remains so strong that other brands have struggled to challenge it so far.
How the era of Apple AirPods and wired headphones ended
We’re all familiar with the concept of wireless earbuds by now, but it was Apple AirPods that popularized the category. No, Apple wasn’t the first to introduce true wireless stereo (TWS) earphones. Rather, in 2015 it was the Japanese company Onkyo. But AirPods brought this category into focus.
Apple AirPods were announced in September 2016 along with the iPhone 7. And when Apple first introduced wireless earbuds, they were mercilessly mocked, with reviewers noting that they looked like someone had cut the wires on their wired earbuds.
However, the criticism was unwarranted. It is estimated that Apple has sold nearly 120 million of these since their launch, and there is no doubt that AirPods have emerged as a major cultural product. Of course, cheaper AirPods clones have flooded the market, especially in India, but the originals remain a coveted product.
Apple Vision Pro and the era of “spatial computing”
The launch of Apple Vision Pro is similarly an important moment in the company’s history. Now, Apple CEO Tim Cook has talked about the potential of augmented reality several times in the past, but it took several years for an actual product to materialize.
Of course, Apple isn’t the first company to launch a mixed reality headset, nor is the product the most elegant solution imaginable. Companies such as Meta, Sony, and HTC have been active players in his AR/VR field so far. But Apple’s entry is seen as a pivotal moment. Typically, the trend has been that when Apple enters a category, it acts as a catalyst for the entire ecosystem, with developers and competitors stepping in to create alternatives to rivals.
However, given the variety of Vision Pros and their prices, this is not so easy. It remains to be seen whether Apple Vision Pro can repeat history and help the company popularize its AR/VR. Will Apple Vision Pro normalize people traveling with a headset? Will future versions be less cumbersome and easier to wear? We’ll have to wait and see.
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