Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think you're derive specificity from the data that simply isn't there. That's not a data problem, that's an interpretation problem. The survey didn't ask about reliability, success, or functionality.
The survey didn’t ask anything. It shows two products and “which one would you prefer” I stand by my interpretation. Who is going to prefer the OG iPhone to the refined and improved version? Nobody that I knew at the time.
> Rank Your Top 50
> Help us pick the best Apple products of the last 50 years! Just choose which of the two randomly paired options you prefer.
This is explicitly invoking a context of historical importance. Some of these products are 50 years old, not available, and completely obsolete. A reader would be silly to interpret this as a survey to construct a buyers guide.