Eight Apple Products and Services Make Fortune's List of Top 100 'Greatest Designs of Modern Times'

Fortune today published a list of the 100 "greatest designs of modern times," featuring products that have made people's lives simpler, better, and more stylish.

iphonelineupguide b
Apple's iPhone, which first came out in 2007 and has since been updated every year, made the number one spot on the list for the way that it has "transformed human communication" and impacted almost every aspect of our lives.

"An iPod, a phone, an Internet communicator" was how the late Steve Jobs announced the iPhone to the world in 2007. At the time it was an impressive claim. Now it seems like a massive understatement for a device that changed how we live. Analysts were initially skeptical that Apple could succeed selling a premium phone for $499 in a market in which most devices were subsidized or given away by carriers. But by relentlessly pushing the envelope of hardware and software design, adding a professional-grade camera, and creating an ecosystem of apps and services, Apple has sold more than 2 billion iPhones--and in the process has become the most valuable company in the world.

Another Apple product, the 1984 Macintosh, made the second spot on the list for defining the personal computer revolution.

Six other Apple products were also included on the list in various spots. The 2001 iPod came in 10th, the 2006 MacBook Pro took the 14th spot, the App Store was 22nd, iOS is in the 29th spot, the Apple Watch made the list at spot number 46, and Apple Pay was also included as the 64th product on the list.

For its list, Fortune teamed up with the IIT Institute of Design and polled educators, influencers, freelance designers, and corporate design teams on the designs they consider "truly great," using that information to compile a top 100 list.

The complete list, which also includes products and services like Google Search, the Sony Walkman, Uber, Netflix, Google Maps, the Tesla Model S, and more, can be found on Fortune's website.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
Apple John Ternus 2019

Will John Ternus Really Be Apple's Next CEO?

Friday December 5, 2025 9:01 am PST by
There is uncertainty about Apple's head of hardware engineering John Ternus succeeding Tim Cook as CEO, The Information reports. Some former Apple executives apparently hope that a new "dark-horse" candidate will emerge. Ternus is considered to be the most likely candidate to succeed Cook as CEO. The report notes that he is more likely to become CEO than software head chief Craig Federighi, ...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...

Top Rated Comments

calzon65 Avatar
75 months ago
I refused to use a Blackberry when everyone had a love affair with them, but when I saw the iPhone, I knew at that moment, that was the future versus the Blackberry with all its buttons.

Apple and Steve Jobs hit a home-run with the iPhone design ... it set the stage for ALL smartphones and tablets of today.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CrazyForCashews Avatar
75 months ago
This list is accurate as the iPhone is number 1.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Feyl Avatar
75 months ago
I would replace that MacBook Pro with MacBook Air.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DeepIn2U Avatar
75 months ago

This list is accurate as the iPhone is number 1.
hmm. I’d say the Macintosh should be number #1 and OS X should be #2 for Apple as both was needed before the iPhone could take place. Took Apple 3 yrs before a “professional grade camera” was added - iPhone4. (iPhone 3G/3GS having a VGA camera while others already had 3-5mp cameras with decent quality is NOT professional all pics where blurry as crap).

2006 MacBook Pro? I keep forgettingMBP existed before the 2008 unibody designs.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wordup60 Avatar
75 months ago
Great list. I would have chosen the 2008 unibody Macbook Pro over the 2006 model though. The single piece of aluminium body is still the benchmark in laptop design, and apart from minor tweaks, has held up to this day.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mazz0 Avatar
75 months ago
No iPad?!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)