The evolution of Apple gadgets – CNET – CNET

The evolution of Apple gadgets

First released in June 2007, the original iPhone revolutionized technology. But it wasn't Apple's first major gadget. Here's a visual trip through Apple's many gadget hits and misses.

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Let's start with Apple's inaugural mobile device, the Newton MessagePad, first developed in 1993.

The personal digital assistant was the first hardware to feature handwriting recognition, but the ahead-of-its-time innovation was discontinued in 1998.

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Introduced in 2001, the first-generation iPod revolutionized music consumption. The hardware included a black-and-white LCD screen and a 5GB hard drive that could store up to 1,000 songs.

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Not every iPod was a hit, though.

Introduced in 2004, the U2 special edition black iPod came equipped with an eye-friendly red click wheel... and a price tag $50 higher than the original model.

Sales were so poor that the flop is now a collector's item fetching tens of thousands of dollars.

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Unveiled in 2004 -- along with the U2 Special Edition iPod -- the iPod Photo is an upgraded version of the fourth-generation device. This iPod supported several photo types and it could be attached to a TV.

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Released in February 2004, the iPod Mini featured the same touch-sensitive scroll that the third-generation iPod had. The difference in the device -- other than being smaller -- was the click wheel.

The iPod Mini was discontinued in 2005.

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The smallest iPod model, and the first Apple device to use flash memory, was released in January 2005. The shuffle played random songs that were previously loaded by the user.

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Coming off the iPod Photo, Apple introduced the fifth-generation iPod a year later. This upgraded version was the first Apple digital audio device that could play video. This is also the last iPod model to use a glass face.

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In 2005, Apple decided to replace the iPod Mini with the Nano. The tiny device, equipped with a color screen, stored music with flash memory. The first-generation Nano had a battery life of up to 14 hours.

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After years of rumors, Apple finally announced their first smartphone in January 2007. As Steve Jobs put it at the unveiling of the smartphone in 2007, the iPhone is a combination of a "widescreen iPod with touch controls", a "revolutionary mobile phone" and a "breakthrough internet communicator."

Timemagazine named it the Invention of the Year.

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Released the same year as the first-gen iPhone, the iPod Touch is similar to the smartphone except it's lighter, cheaper and doesn't use a cellular network.

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With a design that mirrored the iPod Classic, the third-generation Nano was the first model of the device to allow video playback. The iPod Nano came in multiple colors and two storage sizes, 4 and 8GB.

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Unveiled as "iTV" in 2006, the first-generation Apple TV, a digital media player, needed an iTunes connection to work. The following year, Apple released a major update that turned it into a standalone device.

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In July 2008, Apple's second-gen iPhone 3G was released with a multitude of upgraded features. The improved hardware included a sleek and sturdy design, an improved battery and a rear camera.

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Nearly two decades after releasing the Newton MessagePad, Apple re-entered the tablet game with the iPad, a 9.7-inch touchscreen display.

After just 80 days on the market, Apple sold 3 million iPads.

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Announced in 2012, the iPad Mini is the fifth product in the Apple's line of tablets. The device's screen is nearly 2 inches smaller than the original iPad.

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Released in 2013, the iPhone 5S was the first Apple smartphone to incorporate the Touch ID technology that allows a user's fingerprint to unlock the device.

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The iPhone 5C, made out of a durable hard-coated polycarbonate shell, was the first of Apple's smartphones to be offered in different eye-friendly colors.

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In September 2014, Apple officially unveiled the iPhone 6 Plus, a smartphone with a huge 5.5-inch display and an upgraded camera.

In the next version, the iPhone 6S Plus, Apple introduced the force-touch feature.

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Introduced as the "next chapter in Apple's story," the Apple Watch was released in four different options: Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch Edition and Apple Watch Hermes.

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The first iPad Pro, released in November 2015, is the largest and most powerful Apple tablet on the market. The 12.9-inch device was offered in three different colors: gold, silver and space gray.

In 2016, a 9.7-inch iPad Pro was announced with the addition of the rose-gold color option.

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The Apple Pencil, released in 2015, is a digital stylus for the iPad Pro. The Bluetooth device can detect force, and it's designed specifically for drawing and other creative activities.

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In the first major update since 2010, the fourth-generation Apple TV promised to be the future of television. The update included the addition of Siri and a new touch remote that featured swipe-to-select functionality.

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Released in December 2016, the AirPods' wireless Bluetooth earbuds offer a ton of functionality. The headphones have Siri capability and sync through iCloud, and they support any Bluetooth 4.0 device.

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The most beautiful phone ever has one wildly annoying issue

The Samsung Galaxy S8's fast speeds and fantastic curved screen make it a top phone for 2017, but the annoying fingerprint reader could sour your experience.

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