# Apple gadgets, ranked | The Vergecast Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNwvzxP2xpw Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/nNwvzxP2xpw Generated: 2025-12-02T13:32:49.293+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The hosts of The Vergecast ranked Apple gadgets, placing the AirPods as their number one best product due to their universal appeal, category pioneering, and continuous, meaningful updates, while the Vision Pro landed firmly in last place because it is not a viable consumer product. **Key Points:** - The hosts unanimously ranked the Apple Vision Pro in ninth place, calling it a "total failed product" and a "science project" because it costs $3,500, is uncomfortable, and lacks a purpose for the average person right now. - The HomePod was placed in eighth, with the hosts agreeing it is a very good speaker but is fatally undermined by Siri, which "sucks so bad" that they cannot recommend buying the device. - The Apple TV landed in seventh place, deemed a good set-top box but ultimately non-essential as many use built-in smart TV software, and its remote was heavily criticized as awful. - The iPad was ranked sixth, with one host arguing it is a niche device for children or the elderly and that MacBooks have made it less essential, while another host strongly disagreed, placing it second overall due to its market superiority. - AirTags secured the fifth spot, praised for being a "perfect Apple product" that works brainlessly and is universally beloved, even leading one host to put AirTags ahead of the iPad. - The top three resulted in a disagreement, with the hosts placing AirPods (1st/2nd), Mac (1st/2nd/3rd), and iPhone (2nd/3rd) in different orders, though AirPods received strong consensus for the top spot. - AirPods were argued to be the best because they pioneered their category, are universally recommended, and are receiving more interesting updates, like translation features, than most other Apple products. **Context:** The Vergecast hosts David Pierce, V Song, and Allison Johnson undertook the exercise of ranking all of Apple's major gadgets from best to worst, similar to a previous ranking they conducted for Google products. The ranking criteria for "best" was deliberately all-encompassing, considering cost, competition, and overall utility. The hosts listed nine specific gadgets for ranking: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, Apple TV, HomePod, Vision Pro, and AirTag. ## Detailed Analysis The ranking process started with consensus on the bottom tier, placing the Vision Pro last (9th) as a non-consumer, expensive technical marvel, and the HomePod (8th) due to the failure of Siri, despite its strong audio quality. Apple TV took 7th, considered fine but unnecessary given existing smart TV software and a terrible remote. The ranking immediately became contentious at 6th place, where the iPad landed due to a two-to-one vote against the host who ranked it much higher; the argument against the iPad centered on it being a 'tweener device' often left uncharged, while its defender cited its dominance in the tablet market. AirTags secured 5th place, seen as iconic and a perfect example of Apple's ecosystem power, beating out the iPad. The final fight was over the top three: AirPods, Mac, and iPhone. While all three hosts placed the iPhone in the top three, they disagreed on the final order, though AirPods emerged as the consensus best product, landing at number one for one host and number two for another, praised for pioneering its category and receiving better recent updates than the iPhone or Mac. ### Ranking Methodology - The goal was to rank Apple's nine core gadgets using an all-encompassing definition of 'best,' factoring in cost and competition - The hosts expected significant backlash for their picks, similar to their Google ranking. ### Bottom Tier Rankings (9th to 7th) - Vision Pro was unanimously last due to its $3,500 price and lack of consumer purpose - HomePod ranked 8th because its superior speaker quality is negated by poor Siri performance - Apple TV placed 7th as a good but often redundant set-top box marred by its remote. ### The iPad Debate (6th Place) - Allison and V placed the iPad at 6th, viewing it as a niche device often replaced by phones or MacBooks - David strongly disagreed, placing it second, arguing it is the second most superior product to its competition in the tablet market. ### Mid-Tier Consensus (5th Place) - AirTags settled at 5th, credited as being iconic, perfectly functional, and universally adopted, leading them to rank higher than the iPad. ### Top Three Contention - The final three were AirPods, Mac, and iPhone, with hosts disagreeing on the exact order - AirPods received strong support for being the most consistently improving product and category leader. ### AirPods Superiority Argument - Hosts argued AirPods pioneered the true wireless earbud category, are universally adopted even by Apple detractors, and receive more interesting feature upgrades (like translation) than other Apple hardware.