Overview
Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California. Founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, Apple designs, manufactures, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and online services. Its best-known products include the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV; major services include the App Store, Apple Music, iCloud, Apple Pay, and Apple TV+.
Why it matters (practical relevance)
- For developers: the App Store ecosystem and large, high-value user base make Apple a key distribution platform and an important partner for mobile-first and native app experiences.
- For hardware partners and suppliers: Apple’s scale, procurement practices, and push toward on‑shore manufacturing (U.S. investment initiatives) influence global supply chains.
- For investors: Apple is one of the world’s largest public companies by market capitalization and a bellwether for consumer technology demand and services monetization.
- For privacy- and security-conscious users: Apple emphasizes on-device processing and privacy-preserving features as competitive differentiators.
Key facts
- Founded: April 1, 1976
- Founders: Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, Ronald Wayne
- Headquarters: Cupertino, California, U.S.
- CEO: Tim Cook (since 2011)
- Website: https://www.apple.com
Products & Services
- Hardware: iPhone (smartphones), iPad (tablets), Mac (laptops/desktops), Apple Watch (wearables), Apple TV (set-top), AirPods (audio), HomePod (smart speaker)
- Software & OS: iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS
- Services: App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+, iCloud, Apple Pay, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+
- Silicon: Apple designs its own SoCs (A-series for iPhone/iPad, M-series for Macs) and has continued investments in chip design and verification
History & key milestones
- 1976–1984: Early products (Apple I, Apple II), incorporation and rise as a PC innovator.
- 1984: Macintosh introduced with a graphical user interface.
- 1997: Return of Steve Jobs after acquiring NeXT; begin turnaround.
- 1998–2007: iMac, iPod and iTunes; Apple retail expansion.
- 2007–2014: iPhone launches (2007), App Store (2008), iPad (2010); Apple shifts from computer company to consumer electronics and services.
- 2010s–2020s: Expansion into services, wearables, and custom silicon (M1/M2/M3); became first U.S. company to reach a $1T market cap (2018) and later multiples of that.
Market position
- One of the world’s largest companies by market capitalization.
- Leading market share in tablets and wearables; major position in smartphones and personal computers by revenue and ecosystem value.
- Strong ecosystem effect: large installed base of active devices drives Services revenue and developer monetization.
Recent strategic themes (2024–2025)
- Apple Intelligence (AI): expanding on‑device and cloud‑assisted AI features—Apple’s approach balances advanced models with privacy-preserving on‑device computation.
- On‑shore investment: significant U.S. capital commitments and announcements of new manufacturing facilities, including server production for AI infrastructure.
- Services growth: continued expansion and monetization of subscription services and content platforms.
Selected sources & further reading
- Apple official site: https://www.apple.com
- Apple Investor Relations and newsroom (quarterly results and press releases)
- Apple Inc. — Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc.
- Press coverage and earnings summaries (e.g., major financial press, tech news outlets)