People love to compare Tim Cook's tenure to that of Steve Jobs. They say that Apple has failed to innovate during Tim Cook's era and that he has never experienced a moment on par with the iPhone. However, in Cook's defense, it should be noted that since the announcement in 2007, no other company or CEO has experienced a moment on the level of the iPhone. But the fact that he has not had an iPhone moment does not mean that nothing has happened. Under Tim Cook, Apple did not just stand still. It built upon what Steve Jobs created and instead of chasing a single major breakthrough, it created multiple billion-dollar business areas, expanded into new categories, and made its ecosystem one of the strongest in technology. Think about it, AirPods, Apple Watch, the transition from Intel to Apple silicon, all of these are market disruptors that occurred during Tim Cook's era. So let's take a look back at the Tim Cook era and review everything.

Don't forget to watch our video where I rank the products of the Tim Cook era from 2011 to the present.

Products of the Tim Cook Era

There is a lot to highlight about the products and services of the Tim Cook era. However, if you had to pick a few defining points, there are several noteworthy products. The first product that comes to mind is AirPods, which have become a cultural icon and undoubtedly the most successful accessory of all time for Apple. They are everywhere, and when you see them, you know exactly what they are. Then there is the Apple Watch, which began as a controversial product in 2015 and has transformed into a health device trusted by millions. Next, the transition from Intel to Apple Silicon has provided significant gains in performance and efficiency almost overnight. Below is a chronological list of products from the Tim Cook era.

  • Apple Pay (2014)
  • Apple Watch (2015)
  • Apple Music (2015)
  • iPad Pro (2015)
  • Apple Pencil (2015)
  • AirPods (2016)
  • Apple TV+ (2019)
  • Apple Arcade (2019)
  • Apple News+ (2019)
  • Apple Card (2019)
  • Apple Silicon / M1 (2020)
  • Apple Fitness+ (2020)
  • Apple One (2020)
  • AirPods Max (2020)
  • App Tracking Transparency (2021)
  • iCloud+ (2021)
  • AirTag / Find My network (2021)
  • Apple Vision Pro (2024)
  • Apple Intelligence (2025)

When you look at this list, it feels different from the Steve Jobs era. Jobs had a few extremely impactful products: G4 iMac, iPod, iPhone. However, during Cook's era, instead of one or two defining products, he managed to create multiple product categories and succeeded in that area. Additionally, there were meaningful products like AirPods, Apple Watch, and new services; this allowed Apple to enhance its ecosystem, which is its best product. Nothing like this had happened before. The Cook era was not about reinventing the wheel; it was about improving what Jobs had done and bringing it to the masses.

The Ranking of These Products

I thought it would be fun to create a tiered list to rank these products. Please keep in mind that this is entirely subjective and reflects my opinion. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below, and agree or disagree!

In the S tier, I wanted to place the game-changing products. These are products or services that we use daily, whether we realize it or not. So I included:

  • AirPods
  • Apple Watch
  • Apple Silicon (M series chips)
  • Apple Pay
  • Continuity features
  • App Tracking Transparency

Then the A tier became more of a personal preference. The iPad Pro will always hold a special place in my heart, so I had to put it there, along with:

  • iPad Pro
  • Apple Pencil
  • Apple TV+
  • AirTags

The B tier is for products that are in between. Great products but perhaps too expensive, like Vision Pro, or products that are great in the US but not available in other countries, like Apple Card. Here is my B tier.

  • Vision Pro
  • Apple Music
  • Apple Arcade
  • iCloud+
  • Apple Card
  • Creator Studio
  • AirPods Max 2

The others are products I haven't used, products that others haven't used, or services that are not ready yet (like Apple Intelligence).

Final Thoughts

For me, I will look at the Tim Cook era as a great success. Of course, there was no crazy product on the level of the iPhone. But he impressed me with all the other products, and now they have all become essential. I believe most Apple users will have an Apple Watch and AirPods alongside an iPhone because they all work very harmoniously together. Tim Cook led the way in changing expectations for laptops by making them more efficient and powerful with Apple Silicon. And even though Vision Pro is very expensive, the hardware and software are truly magical. I wish more people could experience Vision Pro because it is truly a unique product.

So what do you think? Did Apple lose its way during Cook's tenure? How do you evaluate Tim Cook's 15 years as CEO? Let's discuss below!

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