The tech products and trends that defined the 2010s decade

Tablets, smartwatches, drones, and more.

The 2010-2019 decade will be remembered for streaming, the smart home, subscription services, affordable cameras offering stabilized cinematic video.

With 2020 just around the corner, let’s take a look back at the products that defined the past decade in tech.

Mobile: 4G LTE

The tech products that defined the 2010s decade

First coming to smartphones in 2011 with the Samsung Galaxy Indulge, 4G LTE (short for Long Term Evolution) has enabled much of the modern smartphone experience we take for granted.

With top speeds of 300 Mbps down and 75 Mbps up it is perfect for streaming music or videos and can even replace people’s internet in some cases.

And if you’re frustrated by the slow rollout of 5G, here’s some perspective: though the first 4G LTE phone hit the market in February 2011, Apple didn’t release an iPhone with 4G compatibility until fall 2012 and the wireless standard didn’t become ubiquitous until the mid-decade.

Honorable mentions:

Pebble SmartWatch (smartwatches)
iPhone 6s (4K video recording)

Photography: Sony a7 mirrorless cameras

In 2010 DSLRs were the only option for professionals.

Ten years later, however, the camera landscape has drastically changed and many professionals have swapped their heavy DSLR bodies for lighter mirrorless gear.

The main company behind the rise of mirrorless cameras is Sony who released 13 mirrorless cameras in the three-year span of 2013-2015 including the 4K capable, full-frame a7sII & a7rII.

It is thanks to Sony that we now see Nikon, Canon, and Panasonic all working so quickly to expand their mirrorless camera offerings.

Honorable mentions:

Instagram (photo sharing)

Internet/Web: Amazon Alexa

Though the idea of a smart home existed before this decade, 2010-2019 saw the term “Internet Of Things” enter the lexicon.

From thermostats and lights to coffeemakers and security cameras — the past ten years has seen almost everything in the house get “smart”.

At the center of all this is the best selling smart assistant and gateway into the smart home ecosystem, the Amazon Echo.

Released in 2015, Amazon’s smart speaker took the world by surprise and forcing Google, Apple, and Facebook to launch similar products.

Honorable mentions:

Google Drive (cloud storage)
HTML5 (enabling the mobile web experience)

Apps/Software: iMessaging

Announced in 2011, iMessage ushered in the beginning of mobile-focused messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and SnapChat.

Messaging platforms have been key in the widespread adoption of Emojis, and GIFs as well as mobile payments.

Honorable mentions:

Uber (gig-economy/transportation)
Bitcoin (the blockchain)

Videography: DJI Mavic Pro

Though we still don’t have drone deliveries, the 2010s was officially the decade that drones took flight.

Starting in 2015 with the launch of the Phantom 3, DJI brought the possibility of capturing beautiful aerial to a platform and price that was well within the budget of most indie-filmmakers.

Then, in October of 2016, DJI introduced the folding Mavic Pro, marking the first time a 4K-capable drone was portable enough to easily stow in a backpack.

DJI has continued to advance the capabilities of drones (Mavic 2 Pro) or shrink the size (Mavic Mini), but it was original Mavic Pro which really helped drones gain mainstream popularity.

Honorable mentions:

Insta360 ONE X (360° with incredible stabilization)
DJI Osmo Pocket (shrunk the gimbal)
GoPro 4 (brought 4K to action cameras)

Computing: iPad

Launched by Steve Jobs in 2010, the iPad is truly a tech product that defined the entire decade.

Since its inception, the original iPad has given birth to the iPad Mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro as well as the new iPad OS.

It also kickstarted the tablet industry with Microsoft launching the original Surface in 2012 and Samsung releasing its Galaxy Tab S in 2014.

Honorable mentions:

SSDs (incredibly fast, compact storage)
Google Chromebooks (inexpensive laptops)

Entertainment: Roku Streaming devices

Before this decade, Netflix was just a company that delivered DVDs to your mailbox.

Today, Netflix is just one of several streaming services that has also grown to create its own content.

None of this would have been possible without the development of inexpensive streaming devices like the Roku Streaming Stick and the numerous all-in-one, TLC brand, Roku TVs.

Google Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV were also key players in this space but failed to see the same market penetration as Roku devices which account for ~50% of all streaming devices.

Honorable mentions:

Mobile gaming (Angry Birds & Candy Crush)
Oculus Rift (VR gaming)
Podcasts (the new radio)

Audio: AirPods

The AirPods launched in 2016 to general ridicule and mockery, but just three years later and they have become the world’s best selling wireless headphones.

In fact, Apple estimates they sold over 80 million units since launch.

All current true-wireless earbuds on the market today — from the Samsung Buds to the Bose Soundsport Free — have the AirPods to thank the for kickstarting the current craze.

Honorable mentions: