Tesla Motors is the smartest company in the world, according to MIT Tech Review’s latest survey of the brainiest corporations. Apple, which was not on last year’s list returns at number 16, beating out other firms like ride-sharing company Uber and smartbulb-maker Philips. MIT cites the newly released Apple Watch and touchless payment method Apple Pay as its reasons for inclusion, saying that these two products “set the pace for competitors.”
You can see the full list of smartiespants in the table below.
Photo: MIT Tech Review
“To make the list, a company must have truly innovative technology and a business model that is both practical and ambitious, with the result that it has set the agenda in its field over the past 12 months,” the post announcing the winners says. Electric-car manufacturer Tesla topped the list with its recent announcement of a line of high-capacity batteries aimed at commercial and consumer use.
MIT also praised Google’s Project Loon, which aims at using high-altitude balloons to expand Internet access into underserved areas, and IBM’s artificial-intelligence work, which has broad applications for cancer treatment.
Microsoft was also off of last year’s list, but it earned a spot this year with its HoloLens augmented-reality glasses.
Notable absences this year include social-media platform Twitter; Apple Watch display maker LG, which likely has some cool things coming up in the area of flexible screens; and Apple’s constant co-litigant Samsung, which came in fourth on last year’s list. But since the round-up emphasizes innovation and exciting new tech, some of those exclusions make more sense than the others.
That’s diplomacy, right there.
Evan Killham is a freelance writer who lives in Nebraska and isn’t interested in football, so he has plenty of time to play and think about video games. He has written for Bitmob and GamesBeat and sometimes, he even goes outside. But not too often because he’s heard there are bees out there. Occasionally, companies send free units for review. Evan subscribes to Cult of Mac’s Reviews Policy and also does not keep the items he receives for possible coverage.
3 responses to “MIT: Apple is smarter than Snapchat, dumber than Google”
Seriously – serial copyright thieves Xiaomi at number 2, and the company they slavishly copy at number 16? The MD even copied Steve Jobs’ fashion sense!
This completely undermines any validity that this study might have had.
Elsewhere, Alibaba at number 4? The cheap-looking Chinese company with the 80s style web page is sandwiched between two genetics research companies?
Meanwhile, SpaceX, who have virtually revolutionised the space industry with its low cost model are in 20, way behind the likes of the Chinese rip-off merchants and cheap tat web sales companies, and even Netflix, which, amazingly are in 10th place.
What were the assessment criteria? Unless the criteria are published with the study, this is a futile exercise.
MIT clearly have some dumb smart people…
totally agree with you!
Any list without Microsoft at top is trash