Apple has had a busy year for product launches. In addition to the Apple Watch going on sale as a whole new product category, there was the 12-inch MacBook and iPad Pro, each representing quite a radical new take on an existing product category.
But Apple also made some notable improvements to existing lines. The iMac got a 4K and 5K display; the Retina MacBook Pro got Force Touch; and the Apple TV got opened up to a whole new range of software.
We also saw a new iPad mini which was essentially a smaller iPad Air 2, and a refreshed MacBook Air with Broadwell CPU and faster graphics.
Additionally, Apple launched five new peripherals – the Apple Pencil, Smart Keyboard, Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad 2, Magic Mouse 2 – and we have a separate poll for those.
So it’s time to ask you to name your Apple Product of the Year and Apple Peripheral of the Year …
You can only choose one product and one peripheral, which may prove tricky for some! First, the main event:
And then the peripherals:
Please do share the reasons for your choices in the comments – and if it was a close-run thing for you, let us know which were the products you found it hard to choose between.
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I couldn’t vote for the Apple Watch, because I don’t think it’s met expectations, nor is it particularly useful for the vast majority of people, nor does it really push technology anywhere–it could belong in the peripherals section, IMO. On the other hand, the new 12″ MacBook is a major move forward, and probably reflects the forward momentum of the entire laptop series, and it’s incorporation of the USB-C plug forces a change in thinking and change in behavior, and has already borne fruit in that other manufacturers are now producing products utilizing this port. That, IMO, ought to count for something. :-)
Apple Pencil is a no-brainer, of course, and I wonder if and when it will come to other iPads. I hope it does.
I see Apple leveraging the pencil as a way to make people upgrade their iPads. You’ll be able to use it on smaller iPads, but only on the iPad Air 3, etc.
The Verge reader, am I right?
Looking back five years from now, open sourcing Swift will prove to be the most significant product release of 2015!
You know…I hadn’t even thought of that! You are likely correct.
I voted for the Apple Watch as 2015 Product of the Year for Apple. I couldn’t ignore the fact that Apple’s introduction into the wearables market made it become one of the fastest growing consumer product sectors. Apple pushed this market forward and other companies’ (i.e. Fitbit) are enjoying the fact that idea made wearables popular. Gen 2 will be 2016 product of the year.
As 2015 peripheral, Apple Pencil. There is nothing even close.
I know Apple Watch has probably been Apple’s most criticized product of the year, but it’s also the one that’s had the most impact. I’m not talking on a user-to-user basis, but–like the iPad did for tablets–the Apple Watch has brought smart watches out of the realm of novelty and into the mainstream public eye. To be sure, it has a lot of growing to do, but since the launch of Apple Watch, I’ve seen commercials from both Samsung’s Galaxy Gear and the Moto 360 WAY more often than before. So while we may not see a truly REVOLUTIONARY Apple Watch for a couple of years yet, all the other products on this list are iterations of existing hardware. Even the 12-inch MacBook is just a smaller MacBook Air without the specs to make it a viable contender at its price point. Apple Watch is the only product in the list that gives us something new, and something to be excited about in the future.
Ultimately this poll is misleading. I don’t think Apple had a PRODUCT or PERIPHERAL of the year, this year…I think they had some TECHNOLOGIES of the year. The Apple Watch was the evolution of the iPod (nee iPhone) ecosystem; once things got small enough anyway, it was Apple’s learned expertise of ARM development and sensors that yielded the Watch. As to the Pencil and iPad Pro, it isn’t each, it is the pressure sensitive tech behind the screen, not the Pencil itself. And that was the evolution of the Force work. Ultimately I choose the Apple TV as the Product of the Year since I believe it, as a “product”, will have the most individual impact on market at large thanks to the Apps. And I think one VERY IMPORTANT Peripheral got overlooked: the “new” 16-pin Lightning connector in the iPad Pro (see the Daring Fireball post that mentions me). Lightning being effectively as powerful as USB 3 Type-C is significant.
2015 was a very odd year for me for Apple products. Most of the “new” or “revolutionary” products like the Retina MacBook, iPad Pro, and Apple Watch were just kind of lack luster while all of the spec change upgrades were just kind of like going through the motions. That being said the small upgrades seemed more bearable in the fact that they still had products that, to me, are justifiable and necessary. The iPhone, MacBook Air & iMac got some okay updates that move the device slightly forward and that’s good while things like the iPad Pro, Retina MacBook, and Apple Watch are really having a hard time showing that they are needed or even fully realized products. I like the idea of wearables, larger more powerful iPads or more mobile notebooks but they just don’t seem to “there” yet.
I mostly agree, however the A9 chip is something to behold. Look at the benchmarks for the 6s in the Ars Technica review and it’s close enough to the Core M in the MacBook as not to matter. The fact that Apple can design a CPU this good is the most exciting thing out of Cupertino this year.
I agree the A9 and A9x are fantastic chips, but the iPad Pro is not a MacBook and vice versa. They made a powerful, larger tablet that is held back by its lack of pointer and trackpad support and a Notebook that is held back by its slow mobile processor in the Inter Core M.
Neither impressed me. A dull year at Apple.
I’d vote for Apple Pencil, but until I can actually buy it, it’d be like voting for a product concept.
I think anyone who didn’t vote for the Apple Watch, doesn’t own one and doesn’t know anyone who has one. As an Apple Watch owner, I can say that its extremely useful. Just like the original iPad, people didn’t know how useful it was until they got one and started using it. You use it for things that you didn’t even consider, before you bought it.
I would argue that both the Apple Watch and iPad were less useful the longer I owned them. I ended up getting rid of both. But maybe that’s only my experience…
A MaxiPad, netbook and overpriced watch. Great year.
I had to vote for the iMac 4/5K and the Magic Keyboard just makes more sense for the applications I would potentially use them for. As part of my university course, I do a boat load of video, photo and audio work and 5K display is just right for that. I’m not going to explain why it’s great for that use as it’s already been said a thousand times. However, the new Magic Keyboard is fantastic for report writing. It’s so much more precise thanks to the new butterfly keys which allows me to type faster and more precisely than the built in one on my MacBook Air.
The other products like the iPad Pro, Apple Watch and new MacBook are just in their first generations so of course there is room for improvement. For the iPad Pro and it’s massive display and the powerhouse, it’s great for what it is but iOS is the only real limitation on it and I don’t see myself replacing my MacBook Air with it anytime soon. The Apple Watch and MacBook are proof of concepts and Apple underpowered both of them by a good mile or two. For the Apple Watch, it is a nice thing but not just good enough to become a thing I need just yet. The battery life isn’t up to scratch – really needs to be 2-3 days worth of regular use. GPS is also needed and for it to be even better, have it work by itself and not relying on an iPhone to do everything. And the MacBook…yeah, I’d rather have a MacBook Pro for £50 less and getting way more power and useful ports. Good for writing on though.
Agree. 2015 was a typical ‘First generation’ year with the first release of the Apple Watch, Macbook 12 inch and iPad Pro (with its accessories). It’s generally known that first generation products have room for improvement. I personally find the Watch too bulky and somewhat slow. I was close to buying the MacBook 12 inch but couldn’t justify the price for just having a lightweight, but modest and small laptop. And the iPad Pro still needs to establish a place in the market (or should I say, my workflow).
Having said that, I guess it’s setting the baseline for what Apple will be working on coming years. I have big hopes for upgrades for the Retina MacBook (better CPU and possible larger screen sizes) and the Watch (sleeker and more responsive). I’m also hoping iOS10 will be a big step forward in terms of productivity to make the iPad Pro a better laptop replacement.
The only reason people are voting for the Apple Watch is after spending so much money on such an insipid first generation product, they’re so embarrassed by being taken in by the trend-mongers they feel they have to in order to save face.
It’s not on the list specifically, but I pick the A9 SoC. Looking at the Ars T review, it’s roughly as fast as the core M used in the new MacBook, the only item I’d rank lower than the Apple Watch.
I have an Apple Watch but can’t vote for it. It’s slow, the apps suck, and the only use it has is Apple Pay, controlling music, and texts. 12 inch MacBook was the best product of the year because it represents a change in how Apple will design moving forward and I love it.
The apple watch still feels like it’s in beta testing – the same with the ipad pro (which should be called an ipad plus, because there is very little to make it pro – certainly not the os on it)…
The 12″ macbook shows how too much compromise can be a bad thing — apple really need to stop gluing everything…we should be able to upgrade for the future more freely, and having 2 ports would have made it more useful for now and the future…
For the first year i have been very disappointed by apple – they have designs that are slightly modified, but quickly becoming an old design and nothing special…Jonny Ive did many great things when working along side steve, but far too many corners are being cut and the design is being compromised…Apple needs new blood for a modern generation – currently they are stuck back in the 90’s and the turn of the century… It’s like they don’t know what we want and can’t really convince us what we need… The watch, although a success, wasnt a huge success because so many remained on the fence…
I hope next year will be better.
I voted for the Apple TV. Hands down, this is one of the best products Apple has ever made. Although I thought the remote was a little wonky at first, I find it refreshing and innovative. Additionally, Apple’s decision to let the App Developers have a little more leeway than usual has made this the must have gadget for people with mixed peripherals. The new remote controls the stereo, TV (similar to a Logitech remote). But on the App side, the implementation of third party multifunction file viewers playing .mkv, .avi, and other formats flawlessly makes this a must-have device. It’s ability to read NAS drives, utilize DLNA and add Title Pictures to your home brews shows this is not your Dad’s Apple TV.
The new MacBook sports an excellent display, but that’s it! The keyboard is forgettable and the use of the M-Chip makes this thing feel like a $200 Net book. Surfing the web on this thing feels like iPhone 1. And please Apple, DO NOT BRING THAT KEYBOARD to the MACBOOK AIR or MACBOOK PRO. For all the scientific shenanigans called a presentation that Phil displayed at its opening, this thing is horrible and completely impractical.
The iPad Pro is a nice device, but I cannot see myself purchasing this. I had the opportunity on Black Friday, but opted for an iPad Air2 128 gb instead. Now if the iPad Pro had OSX instead of iOS, I would have considered it. For now it just looks and feels like an overgrown iPad. And again that crazy keyboard attached as a peripheral is just awful to use. Although it’s better than the Surface Keyboard, it’s still awful.
Having had the opportunity to buy a few of these devices, I have to say that the Apple TV was worth the money. I practically use the device every night.