The 13 gadgets that had the biggest impact this decade

Before Oculus came along, virtual reality was little more than a sci-fi fantasy. But that changed after the company's 2012 Kickstarter campaign brought in $2.4 million to fund the development of its first prototype. The result was impressively immersive and proved that consumer-friendly VR wasn't as far off as many had thought.

In an era where smartphones and tablets were becoming increasingly ubiquitous, the Surface Pro 3 was a device that "broke the mold and showed how relevant Windows can be," said Avi Greengart, a consumer technology analyst. Unlike other hybrid devices, the Surface Pro 3 got the form factor right by getting rid of the Windows RT mobile operating system and making it possible to do real work, even if it couldn't completely replace a laptop.

When Samsung released the original Galaxy Note with its 5.3" screen, most considered it a confused phone-tablet hybrid — a phablet. But in retrospect, with most of today's flagship phones boasting screens 6" and up, it's safe to say Samsung was onto something.

The iPad — half smartphone, half laptop — launched a brand new product category and at the same time paid homage to Apple's mission of making personal computing accessible to the masses. Its mobile, app-based operating system wasn't clunky and its multi-touch interface ushered in a different way of interacting with devices.

Apple Watch wasn't the first wearable tech or even first smartwatch. But it did bring Apple's signature design to a product category that was in its early stages. Features like the digital crown and touch sensitivity — even if not perfected on the first go around — helped set the Apple Watch apart from competitors.

The Nintendo Switch packed a one-two punch of mobility and content into a single, powerful gaming console. "You could get console-quality, console-length games and take them with you," Greengart said. Games like "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" and "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" helped catapult the console to success.

In yet another example of Apple reinventing the way people interact with their devices — whether they like it or not — Apple famously removed the headphone jack from the iPhone 7, while at the same time unveiling the wireless AirPods. Widely criticized at the time, the move turned out to be a resounding success.

With its discreet design, flavored pods, and an advertising strategy that seemed to deliberately target kids, Juul quickly came to dominate the vaping industry. Altria, the tobacco giant behind Marlboro, bought a nearly $13 billion stake in the company, valuing it at $38 billion. But just as fast, Juul found itself in the crosshairs of public health experts, regulators, and ultimately Congress for its role in fueling a nationwide youth nicotine epidemic.

With the iPhone X, Apple got rid of the home button and introduced a completely gesture-based user experience, and it was a huge hit. The screen also ran from bezel to bezel, and though some weren't initial fans of the "notch" at the top, that notch also housed the cameras and sensors that enabled Face ID, which made it even easier to unlock the phone than consumers were used to with Touch ID.

Streaming content has been the defining form of entertainment of the past decade, culminating this year with the launch of Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus — and Roku built the first pipeline, complete with 1,2000 channels. "Roku has really driven the price and value equation just off the charts," Greengart said. "For $20 or $30, you add the ability for any modern TV to access [streaming] services, smart or not."

While Siri had already turned consumers on to the potential of voice assistants, Amazon's Alexa was the first to enter people's homes in a ubiquitous way — and it did so through the Echo speaker. Since its initial release, Amazon has continued to push its way into consumers' living rooms with steeply discounted Echo Dots. Earlier this year, Amazon said more than 100 million Alexa-enabled devices, which include the Echo and Echo Dot, have been sold.

Apple set the bar high with the iPhone 4 — minus a serious initial hiccup with the antenna. The sleek glass on both the front and back and metal band was a trend competitors would replicate many times over. The iPhone 4 also introduced the first iPhone selfie camera, a powerful 5-megapixel front camera, Retina display, and marked the first time an Apple-designed chip, the A4, powered an iPhone.