Apple Inc.

Apple Inc.
Formerly
  • Apple Computer Company (1976–1977)
  • Apple Computer, Inc.
    (1977–2007)
Company typePublic
ISINUS0378331005
Industry
FoundedApril 1, 1976 (1976-04-01) in Los Altos, California, U.S.
Founders
Headquarters1 Apple Park Way, ,
U.S.
Number of locations
529 retail stores (2024)
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Products
Services
RevenueDecrease US$383.29 billion (2023)
Decrease $114.30 billion (2023)
Decrease $97.00 billion (2023)
Total assetsDecrease $352.58 billion (2023)
Total equityIncrease $62.15 billion (2023)
Number of employees
161,000 (2023)
Subsidiaries
ASN
  • 714
Websiteapple.com
Footnotes / references
[1][2][3][4][5]

Apple Inc. (formerly Apple Computer, Inc.) is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, in Silicon Valley. It designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and online services. Devices include the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro, and Apple TV; operating systems include iOS, iPadOS, and macOS; and software applications and services include iTunes, iCloud, Apple Music, and Apple TV+.

For most of 2011 to 2024, Apple became the world's largest company by market capitalization until Microsoft assumed the position in January 2024.[6][7] In 2022, Apple was the largest technology company by revenue, with US$394.3 billion.[8][failed verification] As of 2023, Apple was the fourth-largest personal computer vendor by unit sales,[9] the largest manufacturing company by revenue, and the largest vendor of mobile phones in the world.[10] It is one of the Big Five American information technology companies, alongside Alphabet (the parent company of Google), Amazon, Meta (the parent company of Facebook), and Microsoft.

Apple was founded as Apple Computer Company on April 1, 1976, to produce and market Steve Wozniak's Apple I personal computer. The company was incorporated by Wozniak and Steve Jobs in 1977. Its second computer, the Apple II, became a best seller as one of the first mass-produced microcomputers. Apple introduced the Lisa in 1983 and the Macintosh in 1984, as some of the first computers to use a graphical user interface and a mouse. By 1985, the company's internal problems included the high cost of its products and power struggles between executives. That year Jobs left Apple to form NeXT, Inc., and Wozniak withdrew to other ventures. The market for personal computers expanded and evolved throughout the 1990s, and Apple lost considerable market share to the lower-priced Wintel duopoly of the Microsoft Windows operating system on Intel-powered PC clones.

In 1997, Apple was weeks away from bankruptcy. To resolve its failed operating system strategy and entice Jobs's return, it bought NeXT. Over the next decade, Jobs guided Apple back to profitability through several tactics including introducing the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad to critical acclaim, launching the "Think different" campaign and other memorable advertising campaigns, opening the Apple Store retail chain, and acquiring numerous companies to broaden its product portfolio. Jobs resigned in 2011 for health reasons, and died two months later. He was succeeded as CEO by Tim Cook.

Apple has received criticism regarding its contractors' labor practices, its environmental practices, and its business ethics, including anti-competitive practices and materials sourcing. Nevertheless, it has a large following and a high level of brand loyalty. It has been consistently ranked as one of the world's most valuable brands.

Apple became the first publicly traded U.S. company to be valued at over $1 trillion in August 2018, then at $2 trillion in August 2020, and at $3 trillion in January 2022. In June 2023, it was valued at just over $3 trillion.[11]

  1. ^ "Apple 10-K Report FY2023". November 2, 2023. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  2. ^ "Apple Inc. Fiscal 2023 Annual Report (Form 10-K)". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. November 3, 2023. Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  3. ^ "Apple Retail Store – Store List". Apple. Archived from the original on June 2, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  4. ^ Certificate of Amendment of Articles of Incorporation Archived September 26, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, November 17, 1977. California Secretary of State
  5. ^ Certificate of Ownership Archived February 17, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, January 9, 2007. California Secretary of State.
  6. ^ "Microsoft Tops Apple to Become Most Valuable Public Company - The New York Times". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  7. ^ "Largest Companies by Market Cap". CompaniesMarketcap.com. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  8. ^ "Apple Reports Fourth Quarter Results". Apple Newsroom. Archived from the original on October 27, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  9. ^ "Gartner Says Worldwide PC Shipments Increased 0.3% in Fourth Quarter of 2023 but Declined 14.8% for the Year". Gartner. January 11, 2024. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  10. ^ Porter, Jon (January 16, 2024). "Apple tops Samsung for first time in global smartphone shipments". The Verge. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  11. ^ "Apple's market value ends above $3 trillion for first time". Reuters. Archived from the original on July 4, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.