The iPhone is a promising new gadget that was released June 29, 2007 A gadget is a device or an appliance that has a useful specific practical purpose and function but is often thought of as a novelty. Gadgets are invariably considered to be unusually or cleverly designed than normal technology at the time of their invention. Gadgets are sometimes also referred to as gizmos. In some circles the distinction between a gadget and a gizmo is that a gizmo has moving parts, whereas a gadget need not have them. For example, a digital watch would be a gadget, while an analog watch would be a gizmo. Thus a gizmo is essentially a mechanical gadget.