Tesco Mobile
Written: Wednesday, May 19, 2010RINGS A BELL
The iPhone was yesterday (Tues) voted a more important invention than the washing machine, combustion engine and space travel.
The Apple smart phone which has sold more than 42 million units since its launch in 2007 has been voted as one of the top ten greatest inventions of all time by the British public.
The hot gadget also beat the car, the camera and even toilet paper in our affections as a great invention.
The survey of 4,000 was commissioned by Tesco Mobile to look at the social impact of the glorious gadget.
The research revealed the wheel, invented in
The aeroplane - designed by the Wright Brothers in 1903 - came second, while Thomas Edison's light bulb, created in 1879, came third. The worldwide web was fourth and computers were fifth.
“All of the inventions included in this list have changed the world forever. Whether it be something as small as a paper clip, to something which changed the face of the universe like the combustion engine, these amazing feats have all been recognized as truly great,” said Lance Batchelor, Chief Executive Officer of Tesco Telecoms and Tesco Mobile.
“It’s amazing to see how much the iPhone is valued, sitting alongside inventions such as Penicillin in people's perceptions and being declared a more important invention than miracle gadgets of their own time, such as the compass.”
“Some – like the washing machine and wheel - have made our lives easier, while wireless technology and the internet have changed the face of communication. Others like the remote control, hair-dryer and hoover have all been created for convenience.
No wonder the iPhone has been flying off the shelves at Tesco, as it allows us to have everything we need at our finger tips,” continued Lance Batchelor.
The iPhone ranked in the top ten most important inventions, alongside Thomas Crapper's flushing toilet and the internal combustion engine.
In addition to revealing the iPhone’s position on the greatest inventions of all time list, the research found that more than half (66%) of Britons feel lost without their mobile phones and a quarter would happily admit being addicted to the device.
For one in eight of us, the first thing that we do when we wake up is check our mobile phones.
