Apple's MVPs

Steve Jobs was famously driven by a desire to create revolutionary products.

“I’ve always been attracted to the more revolutionary changes,” he said. “I don’t know why. Because they’re harder. They’re much more stressful emotionally. And you usually go through a period where everybody tells you that you’ve completely failed.”

Over his long career, Jobs produced more than his fair share of revolutionary products. From the Apple II onward, Apple has been at the forefront of bringing advanced technology to the masses.

On the eve of Apple’s 50th birthday, we collected some of the company’s most impactful products.

Yeah, the revolutionary ones are in there. But a common theme is something else that Apple is famous for, which is often overlooked: iteration.

As well as big, revolutionary changes, Apple is also known for steadily improving its designs.

Our roundup showcases several examples of products that weren’t necessarily great the first time around, but were on the second, the third or even the fourth try.

Also in today’s newsletter:

We also rounded up some of the best accessories out there that are inspired by 50 years of iconic Apple products.
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🔥 DEAL OF THE DAY: This is a clever two-in-one product from Anker — a 13-in-1 laptop dock with just about every connection imaginable, plus a detachable mini hub for work on the go. 27% off. #affiliate
After getting lost in the woods for a bit, Sonos went back to the basics that made it a great speaker company. Two of its latest speakers are just now available to buy — and both build on the idea that the more speakers you add, the better the overall system becomes.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

50 years of the most important Apple products

Apple produces plenty of hits, but you don't know them all. These are the most important Apple products of the company's first 50 years.

macOS Tahoe 26.4 breaks Time Machine network backups

Unable to complete backups? A workaround exists, but it’s not a simple fix.

Apple’s Siri overhaul targets more natural, multistep queries

Apple is upgrading Siri so the voice assistant can handle multiple requests at once.

^{A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team}

Save a sweet $20 on Apple's super-slim Magic Keyboard

This Apple Magic Keyboard deal lets you say goodbye to cables and enjoy a 20% discount on a brilliant wireless keyboard.

Macs last nearly twice as long in the enterprise as Windows PCs

A new analysis finds that Macs and iPhones last much longer and cause far fewer problems.

iOS 26.5 beta 1: All the new features and changes

With Apple shifting its attention to iOS 27, iOS 26.5 beta 1 only brings a handful of minor changes to your iPhone.

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Save 19% in rare deal on Apple Magic Mouse

Do not miss a rare Apple Magic Mouse deal! Save on the sleek USB-C version for your Mac or iPad to give your setup a boost.

2 new Sonos AirPlay 2 speakers rock the house [Now available!]

Sonos Play and Sonos Era 100 SL easily expand home sound systems, as the company takes a "back to basics" approach.

Best retro Apple accessories for tapping that vintage vibe

As Apple marks 50 years in business, these are the best accessories inspired by vintage Apple gear.

Today in Apple history: First iPad reviews hail a true game-changer

On March 31, 2010, the world got its first sense of how the original iPad measured up. With the first iPad reviews, a star was born.

Cult of Mac’s buyback program

We pay top dollar for used Apple gear

Sell your old iPhone, iPad, MacBook and more through Cult of Mac. Free shipping, fast payment!

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One more thing ...

❝

I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what's next.

— Steve Jobs, 2006.

Today’s poll

What's the most important Apple product of all time?

Results from yesterday’s poll: Who would you like to see play at Apple's 50th birthday party?

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