· iPhone 4（2010）：
We can spend hours discussing every product in this list and their ranking, but putting iPhone 4 at the top of the list has never caused controversy. IPhone 4 is the most beautiful smart phone in history. Its arrival has affected the whole technology and media industry, and it is still the basic template for mobile phone manufacturing. IPhone 4 is the first mobile phone made of ultra-precision glass and metal filler sandwich material, and this design tradition is still visible in every flagship mobile phone today. IPhone 4 has the first Retina display, the first self-timer camera in the history of iPhone, and the 5-megapixel camera on the back sets the photo quality standard, which competitors have spent many years to match. The operating system has the function of running background tasks, and it was officially named "iOS" for the first time. The built-in A4 chip is the first processor designed by Apple in mobile phones, which has opened the company’s processor dominance for ten years.
· Echo（2014）：
Amazon launched the smart speaker Echo in 2014, which brought digital assistants into our home. At first, Alexa, Amazon’s digital assistant, can report the weather today, answer your questions and tell stories to children. Later, its function has been continuously improved, which can help you turn on the light, start the car, act as an alarm and help you sleep. Five years later, Alexa is everywhere. The disc-shaped Echo Dot was sold at half the price of the original Echo in 2016, which allowed digital assistants to enter more people’s homes. At present, more than 100 million devices supporting Alexa have been sold. Alexa and Echo are not without rivals, such as Google Assistant and Siri. In the process of using these digital assistants, many privacy issues are still controversial, but despite the twists and turns, Alexa has quickly become an important part of our lives like TV sets and telephones.
· MacBook Air（2013）：
In 2013, the MacBook Air was not the first one in the series, and there was no substantial update in design, but its perfect shape was the representative of the ideal thin note. As early as 2010, Apple introduced the MacBook Air, which redefined modern laptops. The 13.3-inch model includes two USB ports, a MagSafe connector and an SD card slot. The design without CD drive soon became the standard of new notebooks in the computer industry. But three years later, Apple finally has all the satisfactory components: a processor that can properly balance performance and battery life. In 2013, the model can be used for about 13 hours on a single charge, which is enough for you to work in a coffee shop all day. MacBook Air is Apple’s iconic product, and the 2013 version is the epitome of this product.
· Galaxy S6（2015）：
By 2015, Samsung has confirmed to the public that its smartphone sales are very impressive. Although the Galaxy series has become very popular, Samsung’s success is often criticized as the result of oblique marketing. Galaxy S6 has changed this: this is the first Galaxy mobile phone that people really want to buy. Users buy it not because there is no iPhone in the operator’s store, but because they are really attracted by it. Galaxy S6 has a smooth glass and metal surface, a vibrant OLED screen and two designs (one of which is curved surface screen), which bid farewell to Samsung’s cheap plastic surface treatment and ugly appearance, and shows that the company can produce an ideal mobile phone like Apple. S6 design was very successful, and it has been running through Samsung’s product line for the next ten years. You can even see its DNA in Galaxy S10 and Note 10 in 2019. Although Galaxy S8 has become the most popular mobile phone of Samsung in the past ten years, Galaxy S6 has really changed people’s views on Samsung, and shows that Samsung is a design force that cannot be ignored.
· Model S（2012）：
Tesla’s Model S is certainly not the first electric car, but it seems to be the first really important electric car. Model S has helped Tesla transform from a troubled niche car manufacturer to a global phenomenon that only produces one car. Although it is still trying to turn losses into profits, it has left an indelible mark on the whole automobile industry and the whole pop culture. Anyway, it makes elon musk a household name. More importantly, Model S makes electric cars look cool. You may raise the following objection: Model S has been surpassed by the simpler and more affordable Model 3 in the category of "the most important electric vehicle". However, without Model S, Model 3 would not exist. According to Max’s master plan, luxury cars (such as Model S, starting at $75,000) need to be launched to obtain funds that can support the production of more Volkswagen cars. So, if you think that Model 3 has brought us into the future of cheaper and zero-emission cars, it is also Model S that has made it possible.
· AirPods（2016）：
In 2016, when Apple launched the wireless headset AirPods, it was undoubtedly a punch to the jack headset of iPhone 7; And since then, AirPods has become an indispensable accessory for millions of people. Companies like Bragi did pave the way for the development of wireless earplugs before Apple introduced AirPods, but Apple seized the opportunity and spent a long time and energy developing a new product category and gained a firm foothold in the market. Once people overcame their fear of appearance and began to use them, AirPods quickly caused a sensation. They are packed in an easy-to-bag box, and they are always fully charged. The process of pairing AirPods with iPhone eliminates the traditional troubles of Bluetooth. Moreover, their sound quality is perfect. Since its release, Apple has been working to develop models that increase wireless charging and recently eliminate noise (and improve in-ear wear). Although in the past few years, companies such as Jabulan and Sony have created competing products comparable to AirPods, they are still the default essential headphones for anyone who owns an iPhone.
· Apple Watch Series 3（2017）：
In 2015, Apple CEO Tim Cook still has a lot to prove. He made amazing profits for the company and supervised the release of new products for the first time. Apple Watch was originally just one of many devices, and Apple helped launch the product at all costs. After three iterations, Apple Watch has become a hot product. The Apple Watch Series 3 released in 2017 is the first product that comes close to realizing Apple’s original vision. Persistently focus on the truly effective methods (health tracking and elegant dial to provide reading information), and no longer emphasize the ineffective methods (such as third-party applications sending some strange emoticons). It may not be as high as Cook originally imagined, but it is better than anything else you can tie to your wrist.
· Surface Pro 3（2014）：
Microsoft’s tablet didn’t start well from Surface RT, but just a few years later, Surface Pro 3 really made things clear. Microsoft’s Surface director declared at the Pro 3 conference: "This is a tablet that can replace the laptop you are using." Microsoft has perfected the hardware of Surface Pro, thanks to its freely adjustable bracket, larger display with 3:2 width and height, ultra-thin shape and reliable Type Cover keyboard. Since then, Microsoft has laid a model for its tablet and inspired everyone’s desire to copy Surface Pro.
· PlayStation 4（2013）：
PlayStation 4 can easily beat competitors in terms of function, price and game products, and become the leading game console in this century. Exclusive games such as The Last Us, God of War, Mysterious Sea 4, Unusual Records of Goddess 5 and Death Stranded make this machine an indispensable thing for this generation. Since its launch, Sony has been improving its hardware for many years, and upgrading the PS4 to give the system more endurance. Even though this game machine is now quite poor, PlayStation 4 broke the record and became the second best-selling home game machine in history, ranking below PS2. Coming into the next decade and the next era of game consoles, PlayStation 4 proves that Sony can provide excellent and reasonably priced products without sacrificing quality.
· Pixel 2（2017）：
After the discontinuation of the Nexus series products, Pixel may have opened a new era for Google phones, but Pixel 2 defines the next development direction of Google phones. In fact, we can think that Pixel 2 has promoted the development of this industry. For the first time, Pixel 2 uses AI-based "computational photography" for its debut performance. The camera provides functions such as portrait mode and single-lens augmented reality support. But this is a very key shooting skill: taking a series of underexposed photos and using data to create more detailed pictures that smart phone miniature cameras can’t provide. For some time, Google has been the champion of smartphone camera, and this will be the next step for other companies, including Apple. Google has broken through the functional scope of smart phone cameras, paving the way for functions such as night shooting and Super Res Zoom.
Netflix TV button (2011):
From 2010 to now, Netflix has developed from a more convenient "blockbuster" to one of the most popular streaming media services in the world, producing some of the most watched movies and TV programs. Netflix and TV manufacturers want to ensure that their customers can easily access their platforms. They made a simple but revolutionary decision: put a Netflix button on the remote control. Netflix buttons are everywhere, which makes Netflix the core of home entertainment TV, not just a service that can be experienced on mobile phones, computers and iPad.
· Switch（2017）：
Nintendo game consoles are always different. Usually, to get such praise often means sacrificing the performance of the product (this is the guiding principle of new video game hardware). Sometimes this will be a great success, such as the eccentric dual-screen Nintendo DS；; But at other times, more will fail, such as Wii U and its clumsy tablet controller. When the Switch is released, it is difficult to know which extreme is suitable for the Switch. When you see it at first sight, you really think it’s another gimmick sale. This is a low-powered tablet computer with a weird little controller, which can be connected to the TV through a huge plastic base. It has no 4K images and can’t even run Netflix. But none of this matters. Switch proves that convenience and flexibility are as important as gorgeous visual effects. No matter where you are, whether on the plane, in bed or in the living room, you can play games anytime and anywhere. This idea has proved to be revolutionary. This tablet was launched together with The Legend of Zelda: The Breath of the Wilderness, which means that the sales of Switch can go global like Hyrule. It can be seen that the sales of the Switch concept have reached millions of dollars. Since then, Nintendo has followed suit and launched a series of popular games, including Poké mon Sword and Shield, Super Crushed Brothers Ultimate Edition and Super Mario Odyssey. It still can’t play Netflix, but Switch has proved itself to be more than just a gimmick for Nintendo.
· PowerCore 10000（2016）：
As we become more and more closely connected with devices and services running on devices, it is almost necessary to put mobile power in the bag. In the mid-2010s, Anker led this trend with its portable battery. Since its launch, Anker’s PowerCore 10000 has been the main product, which is small in size and moderate in price, and has enough power to support the charging of additional products. Although users now have newer and faster charging options, PowerCore 10000 is still hard to beat.
· Nest Thermostat（2011）：
Nest Learning Thermostat came out in 2011, which is a revolution of smart home. It turns out that even at the price of $250, people are interested in applying beautiful industrial design and intuitive user experience to low-level tasks such as temperature control. Before co-founding Nest Labs with Matt Rogers, Tony Fadell created the iPod and led the development of the first few iPhone. "Most thermostats are made by plumbing companies," Fadel told foreign media at the press conference. "But you really need to know how to make a phone that can make them better." For better or worse, Nest has aroused people’s extensive interest in home automation. Google bought Nest for $3.2 billion in less than three years after its listing.
· Lumix GH4（2014）：
For years, YouTube users have been looking for a reasonably priced 4K camera, and finally they locked in GH4. Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds camera is never cheap, but it is a high-resolution format, but it is one of the most cost-effective ways in photography. It can shoot some very beautiful videos with a rich lens lineup. Even if Sony cameras become more and more popular, GH4 (and its successor GH5) is still hard to beat.
· Juul（2015）：
In 2015, Juul suddenly appeared in the field of electronic cigarettes. Compared with those e-cigarette products with large volume and complicated operation, this beautiful USB-shaped device with the function of easily replacing cigarette oil was welcomed by the public almost immediately. Besides, its taste is just right: mint and fruit-flavored liquid has the taste of nicotine, which is comparable to combustible cigarettes. It has soared to the top of the market, with a market value of nearly $15 billion in 2018. But with its popularity, the existing problems are gradually exposed. Juul is the most popular among teenagers and young people, and in 2018, American surgeons called it an "epidemic" among young people. In recent years, the company said that teenagers have never been its focus, claiming that its mission is to "provide a real substitute for flammable cigarettes for one billion adult smokers around the world". At present, however, the company has become the target of many lawsuits by the state government, and is being investigated by regulatory agencies such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
· RX100（2012）：
At the turn of this decade, the development of compact cameras has appeared ominous, and the development momentum of mobile phone cameras and small mirrorless cameras is very rapid. However, Sony has maintained the vitality of this category in the industry field through the revolutionary RX100. This is an extraordinary project, which puts a 1-inch sensor and a fast zoom lens into a body that can really be put into a pocket. It provides much better image quality than any of its competitors, and it is the first pocket camera that many serious photographers have considered using since the film age. Since then, Sony has released a new version almost every year. Because of its high quality and all-in-one software package, this series is deeply loved by video bloggers. But the original 2012 model has not been discontinued because it is really great.
· Hue（2012）：
Philips Hue intelligent lighting system is a reliable smart home gadget, which can make you feel like you are living in the future. By purchasing a hub and a few light bulbs, you can set the lights to turn on automatically at sunset, turn off when you leave the house or change the color tone during the day to suit the sunlight. With the passage of time, the operation of the system has become more and more simple, and there are more lighting and control options, which brings us closer to the smart home.
· iPhone X（2017）：
In retrospect, this is one of Apple’s most sacred products. IPhone X has ushered in a new trend of smart phones with notches. Its gestures based on sliding are so good that Google basically copied them in Android 10. Face ID is still the gold standard of facial authentication, and it has been nearly two years since its first launch. Before Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the iPhone X, he said it would prepare for "the road of technology in the next decade", but he may actually be right.
· Kindle Paperwhite（2015）：
Amazon’s Kindle was the first popular e-reader, but it was through Paperwhite that Amazon really determined the reading way of the Kindle. Paperwhite has added some key functions: integrated lighting and high-resolution display since 2015, making the text look almost as clear as paper and ink. After the upgrade, Paperwhite finally realized the promise that Amazon has been using Kindle for many years: an e-reader is better than a paper book in some aspects.
· Chromecast（2013）：
Once upon a time, you needed complex and expensive equipment to get videos from your computer or mobile phone to run on TV. But when Chromecast came out in 2013, everything changed. This hockey puck-shaped gadget is easy to install, and the price is only $35. By plugging it into the HDMI port of the TV, streaming video has become a part of the daily life of many families. Although many TVs are now equipped with streaming media services, Chromecast is still a cheap and practical gadget that can display the videos you watch on the big screen.
TCL 6 Series Roku TV (2018):
TCL’s Roku TV has completely broken people’s views on TVs with prices below $1,000. It not only provides first-class 4K HDR image quality, but also has Roku’s easy-to-use software. Have your viewing habits been tracked? The answer may be "right". However, some people are willing to pay for Roku TV if they can buy the core accessories of the living room comparable to high-priced products such as Sony or Samsung for only 600 to 700 dollars.
· Fitbit Flex（2013）：
Fitbit’s first wristband product, Fitbit Flex, doesn’t look so good: there is no screen on the rubber wristband, only an LED display screen, which has no other use except counting steps. However, this humble design was really loved by people at that time. Its accompanying application also marks a new standard for wearable devices. The rise of smart watches has reduced the popularity of Fitbit, but the company has made us eager and willing to bring new technology to our wrists. Nowadays, these products are everywhere, which plays a vital role in the medical care of large technology companies.
· Eero（2016）：
Since its birth, the appearance and working mode of home routers are almost the same, but the emergence of Eero has broken all this. Eero’s mesh Wi-Fi system uses multiple access points throughout the home to ensure that you will always receive signals. This is a high-priced solution, but it can solve the inevitable dead spot problem of traditional routers, especially when you try to get Wi-Fi signals in the basement or the shielding layer between floors is thick. Although similar products are everywhere in the market, Eero has always been in the leading position and is still providing efficient home grid systems. The company was acquired by Amazon for $97 million earlier this year.
· Oculus Rift（2016）：
In 2012, home virtual reality was still a novelty or a sci-fi dream. But a startup called Oculus has changed this situation. Oculus created a cheap and exquisite head display with sensors and screens specially designed for smartphones, and raised more than $2 million for it on Kickstarter. The prototype has amazed almost anyone who has tried it. It combines the head tracking and stereoscopic 3D functions to immerse people in the interior of a spaceship or in the sunny days in Tuscany. Facebook acquired Oculus in 2014, and CEO mark zuckerberg described Rift as one of the next big social platforms, although his goal has not been fully achieved so far.
· Beats Pill（2012）：
Today, Beats is synonymous with large headphones. But what about Bluetooth speakers? Which product do you think of? In 2012, the most popular Bluetooth speaker was Jawbone(RIP)Jambox, and the initial attempt of Beats was realized through the bulky Beatbox Portable (using six D batteries). In the second half of that year, Beats introduced Pill, which is a smaller and more exquisite speaker. In fact, it has the opportunity to have the same influence as Jambox in the whole industry. Pill didn’t completely ignite the world, but the powerful function of Beats helped to establish the immature portable Bluetooth speaker market at that time.
· Supersonic（2016）：
Dyson’s hair dryer looks more like a science fiction machine than a household appliance, and it will never be like a gadget again. Supersonic is still one of the most popular hair dryers on the market, even though the price of the hair dryer is $400. People with all kinds of hair are full of praise for this equipment, which is famous for its powerful and relatively quiet motor and takes less time to dry hair than traditional hair dryers. With the built-in thermal sensor, it can also help keep hair smooth and undamaged.
· Coolest Cooler（2014）：
Coolest Cooler has shattered everyone’s crowdfunding dreams. The campaign raised more than $13 million on Kickstarter, sold some products to the public before completing the crowdfunding order to raise more funds, but finally declared bankruptcy and closed the store five years later without delivering goods to tens of thousands of supporters. At some point, the creator of the project was threatened. This is an annoying story, and it marks that crowdfunding has gone bad: creators can raise millions of dollars and get an idea, but this model puts supporters at risk. Numerous other Kickstarter and Indiegogo projects have problems. Although Coolest Cooler represents one of the greatest misfortunes in crowdfunding history, it is still the second most funded project on Kickstarter.
· Lumia 1020（2013）：
Nokia’s Lumia 1020 came out in 2013, when its 41 megapixel camera was crucial for both Nokia and Microsoft. Nokia has used Windows Phone as its main smartphone operating system, while Lumia 1020′ s camera is excellent, which can make Windows Phone glow. Nokia has done a lot of work in hardware, so that Lumia 1020 owners can take beautiful photos, but there was no Instagram or Snapchat application that could share these photos. It highlights Nokia’s wrong choice of Windows Phone on Android, and perfectly reflects the lack of software ecosystem of Windows Phone. A few months after the launch of Lumia 1020, Microsoft acquired Nokia’s telephone business, and the rest is history.
· Juicero Press（2016）：
Given that Silicon Valley tends to spend a lot of money on health, it is actually not a strange idea to sell a juicer with Wi-Fi function for $699. But Juicero was doomed from the beginning. Its products are not really juiced products, which can be seen from the fact that the agricultural products it needs need to be packaged in advance and the price. Juicero tested how much technical elites were willing to pay for their health, and the test result was not $699. The company lowered its price to $399 within one year after its launch. However, when Bloomberg discovered that people didn’t really need such an expensive juicer to squeeze the packaging bags, it gave Juicero a fatal blow. Because you can completely squeeze the packaging manually, Juicero becomes the spokesperson of unnecessarily complicated technological innovation, overpriced and over-hyped health products.