‘A genuine masterpiece’: The 15 best Apple gadgets of the last 50 years, according to you
Can you guess the number one?
· TechRadarNews By David Nield published 29 March 2026
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An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter 50 years of Apple
We're celebrating Apple's 50th birthday with a week of content about the tech giant. It covers everything from personal recollections from our writers to the greatest — and worst — Apple gadgets as voted by you, and you can read it all on our 50 years of Apple page.
Apple is 50 years old on April 1, having been founded all the way back in 1976 — so we thought it was an appropriate time to poll the TechRadar readership on what the greatest Apple gadget has been across those five decades.
And there are a lot to choose from — starting with the Apple I (a computer designed and hand-built entirely by co-founder Steve Wozniak) in 1976, and going all the way to the MacBook Neo that made its debut in March 2026.
We know TechRadar readers are a smart bunch, and after we put out a call on the TechRadar WhatsApp channel, here's how you voted.
Article continues below
15. Apple Watch (2015)
- What we said in 2015: "An expensive convenience gadget"
Do you remember the original Apple Watch? The battery life wasn't great, and several key apps were missing, but it was a sales hit and played a big part in driving smartwatches towards what they are today — snappy, sleek, and packed with health and fitness sensors.
Our review talked about a lightweight and comfortable fit, and an appealing OLED display, though we were rather confused about what exactly the device was for. Today's models are much more useful and powerful, and give a much better answer to that question.
- Delve deeper: Read our original Apple Watch review
14. iMac G4 (2002)
- What they said in 2002: 'Flat-out powerful and pretty' (USA Today)
On to the iMac G4 from 2002, and the design alone earns this desktop computer a place on the list: its flat-panel 15-inch display was innovative enough, but then Apple stuck it on an adjustable metal arm attached to a white dome base — a truly iconic Mac design.
The computer came with a PowerPC G4 processor inside, as well as either 128MB or 256GB of RAM, and storage of up to 60GB. This was still the era of optical drives as well, and indeed Apple pushed the iMac G4 as a central hub for music, photos, and DVD movies.
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