Now 50, Apple was revolutionary long before the iPhone

This story is part of the Iconic Brands series, a USA TODAY network project showcasing the companies and brands that helped shape the nation's identity, economy and culture. The series celebrates American ingenuity with a deeply reported examination of how brands intersect with history, community and everyday life in celebration of the nation's 250th anniversary. Find more at https://usatoday.com/usa250/iconic-brands

The image was striking and impossible to miss: silhouettes of people against a bright, colorful background, jamming out to their handheld iPods.

The ad was released in 2003, 27 years after Apple was founded, but for many, the technology of the iPod marked an inflection point for the company, making the gadget’s name part of the common lexicon, synonymous with an mp3 player. The popularity and functionality of the iPod meant an Apple product found what would become a permanent home in almost every American’s pocket.

Mau Lozano, a technology reviewer and influencer, said he likely was introduced to Apple products using computers in school, but at the time it didn’t feel too different from any other computer. But the first Apple product he purchased for himself was the iPod.

“It was so simple, I could listen to all my music without having to carry everything around,” he said. “Years later I felt the same about the iPhone, I could have my music and all the other function in one device.”

Apple was one of the first companies to sell their “ecosystem,” Lozano said. By having its products, like the MacBook, the iPhone, the Apple Watch and the iPad all integrate together, it created a seamless experience for customers.

Now, Lozano uses Apple products every day, in addition to other products he uses and reviews.

“The product I use the most is the iPhone, it’s the center of everything,” Lozano said. “But the product that changed my daily routine the most is the Watch.”

For years he preferred not to wear anything on his wrists, but after seeing all the functions of the Apple Watch he decided to give it a try, and now feels like something is missing if he doesn’t have it on, he said.

He said the daily health challenge of “closing the rings,” which is based on the amount of time a person is walking, standing and being active, has become a part of the everyday culture.

“You get badges for certain achievements,” he said of the challenge. “It feels like a game, but it’s helping you.”

Marc Eichler, a fan of technology and fan of Apple, said the Watch and the iPhone have been his favorite products, and he looks forward to the other health information benefits the Watch might bring.

“The Apple Watch has been a blessing, especially because of the health features,” he said. “In the not-too-distant future, I expect the Watch will be able to detect high blood pressure, which could help prevent heart attacks and strokes. It already can detect an irregular heartbeat.”

Eichler’s mother is in a nursing home, he said, and if he is working and cannot be near his phone, having communication capabilities on his Watch can help him easily glance at a message or incoming call and know if he needs to quickly get to his phone or help attend to his mom.

Eichler works in customer service and occasionally comes across customers who do not speak English.

“With my iPhone I can use translation software and help them in a matter of minutes, rather than have to wait to get someone available to translate for them,” he said. “People feel really good when you’re able to help them, and it helps avoid any misunderstanding.”

Aleksander Mason, a student and veteran of the U.S. Air Force, said his first Apple product was the iPod Touch, and remembers playing mobile games on the device, like the early versions of Minecraft and Doodle Jump.

The ease of access, the convenience and the security of Apple products attracted him to the brand, and he recently bought the iPhone Air.

While Apple did not create the first smartphone, it did have the first widely popular commercial success with the launch of the iPhone. In 2026, it is nearly impossible to find someone who isn’t carrying an iPhone. Democratizing access to technology was always one of the now-ubiquitous company’s goals.

50 years of Apple history

Apple celebrates its 50^th anniversary in 2026. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak incorporated the company out of Jobs’ parents’ garage in Cupertino, California, on April 1, 1976, with the belief that “technology should be simple, seamless and designed for everyone.”

The company’s first consumer product, the Apple II, was released the next year, one of three preassembled, commercially available personal computers to release that year, making home computing accessible.

In 1984, Apple further revolutionized home computing by offering the first widely available, consumer-oriented “point-and-click” mouse, making computer use much more user-friendly.

That same year, Apple produced a now-iconic Super Bowl commercial, introducing the Macintosh computer and depicting the company as a revolutionary disruptor, destroying Big Brother images from the book 1984. The ad helped cement Apple's cult-like brand loyalty.

Co-founder Steve Jobs left Apple in 1985 and returned in 1997, ushering in what the company calls “one of the greatest turnarounds in business history.” Jobs remained a key face of Apple until his death in 2011 at the age of 56.

The first iPod was released in 2001, and the iconic silhouette commercial came out in 2003. The release of the iPod marked an inflection point for the company, when its products began to be ubiquitous and market-defining.

When the first iPhone was released in 2007, it featured a user-friendly touchscreen and paved the way for industry-disrupting advances in photography, videography and mobile internet access.

Apple's technology has gained praise globally, but the company has received criticism on its manufacturing process, especially some of its suppliers' treatment of workers.

Apple created its first supplier code of conduct in 2005, requiring supplier companies to adhere to international labor standards. The code prohibits child labor or forced labor and sets out standards for time off and safe working conditions. The code has been updated many times since then, including recent additions to specify machine safety and waste diversion.

However, China Labor Watch, a nonprofit organization that advocates for workers' rights, has reported unsafe working conditions including exposure to toxic chemicals, sub-minimum wage pay and forced overtime labor at plants that supply Apple. The organization released a September 2025 report on Foxconn in Zhengzhou, China, one of Apple's primary manufacturers, highlighting practices that it alleged violated both Chinese law and Apple's supplier code of conduct.

Apple employs about 90,000 people in the United States. It is still headquartered in Cupertino but has corporate offices around the country including in Austin, Raleigh, Miami and New York.

Keeping things 'simple to use'

The company recently announced an expanded investment strategy into production in the United States, committing to $600 billion worth of investment into its American manufacturing program. It began producing advanced artificial intelligence servers in Houston in 2025, and will expand its Houston factory to bring production of its Mac mini to the U.S.

“From the first Apple computer to the Mac, from iPod to iPhone, iPad to Apple Watch and AirPods, as well as the services we use every day — the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV — we’ve spent five decades rethinking what’s possible and putting powerful tools into people’s hands,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a letter marking the anniversary. “Through every breakthrough, one idea has guided us — that the world is moved forward by people who think different.”

In his letter, Cook referenced the impact that Apple’s products have had on the consumer, like enabling them to record a baby’s first steps, start businesses or talk to loved ones from far away.

“In your hands, the tools we make have improved lives, and sometimes even saved them,” Cook wrote. “And that is what inspires us — not what technology can do alone, but everything you can do with it.”

That consumer-focused attitude has stuck with the Apple brand and built loyalty in its following.

“If I were to describe Apple in three words, it would be ‘simple to use,’” Lozano said.

The simplicity of the user experience combined with the power of the technology has revolutionized industries and created new consumer markets.

Kristen Keogh, a former television journalist who has pivoted her career to content creator and TV host, said there is almost no part of her professional life that is not touched by an Apple product.

“Every aspect of my life it seems has been made somewhat easier by Apple products,” she said.

When she started her career as a journalist, she had a Blackberry phone and a GPS device in her car to help her navigate to breaking news sites. Both of those were cutting-edge technology at the time but have been rendered obsolete by the power of consumer smartphones. Once she got an iPhone for work, the connectivity and social media apps with portable access made reporting news more interactive with her viewers.

“I got my first iPhone in 2012 from the news station, and I was one of the first on Instagram, and I loved Twitter because it allowed me to post right away,” she said of the access to apps her iPhone gave her. “That to me made journalism exciting, the viewers loved that they were getting real information in real time.”

The iPhone also created a legion of independent journalists, she said, who were empowered to post what they saw going on in their community, and had constant access to a camera and video recorder and could easily post news.

Now, as a content creator, Keogh uses her iPhone and Mac computer to create videos that promote businesses or places to see around her home state of Arizona. Early in her career she appeared in commercials and now looks back at how big a production staff there was to direct, record, edit and produce commercials.

“Now, with an iPhone, I am writing, producing, shooting, editing and uploading content all with my phone, at a price that is much lower than it used to cost to put together a commercial,” she said.

The iPhone’s proliferation includes a presence in her parenting, too.

“My son’s teacher communicates with me through an app on the phone,” she said. “It has become such a big part of parenting.”

But one part of her life that the products won’t touch yet is her son’s hands.

“I have a child who is about to turn six, and he has never had a tablet,” she said. “It is of the utmost importance that my son is engaged with the world around him and he does not get locked into a screen.”

Eichler said he also feels like in-person communication has “become a lost art” because people can retreat to a phone instead of talking to people around them.

“We’ve largely forgotten how to talk to each other,” Eichler said. “I don’t really call my friends anymore, we text. But at the same time, one of my best friends lives in Israel, and now we don’t have to spend a lot of money on long-distance calls, we can just use WhatsApp.”

For Lozano, the paradox is simple, “It makes you closer to the people who are far from you, but farther from the people who are close to you,” he said of digital communication that comes from the iPhone.

When doing his tech product reviews, Lozano said he usually weighs them heavily on how much he thinks he will use a product, then the quality of the item for the price. When it comes to items and features Apple releases, Lozano said the company chooses not to create something that the market hasn’t shown that it wants.

“They keep in mind the users all the time, and when they do it, they do it with quality,” Lozano said.

Both Eichler and Lozano said they look forward to more integration with artificial intelligence. In January 2026 Apple and Google announced a collaboration that will use Google’s Gemini model for artificial intelligence. The partnership will allow Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant, to understand more complex tasks and understand context.

But for Eichler, the company has earned his loyalty through its consistency and customer-forward approach.

“It’s a very innovative company, something America should be proud of,” he said. “I’m proud to be an Apple customer. I go into their stores, I feel welcome. They are a customer-focused company and America needs more of that.”

How the list was selected

The USA TODAY list of 50 Iconic Brands identifies American companies that have profoundly shaped the nation’s identity, economy and culture. The list is not definitive. Editorial selection factors included historical significance, industry-building innovation, measurable economic influence and lasting cultural impact. These brands were chosen for transforming daily life or becoming enduring symbols of American values. Long-term relevance and sustained national influence carried greater weight than short-term financial performance or recent popularity. Brands did not have a role in shaping the list or our coverage to ensure journalistic independence and to maintain the credibility of the selections.