Apple Inc.
Overhead view of Apple Park located in Cupertino, California
Formerly Apple Computer Company[1]
(1976–1977)
Apple Computer, Inc.[2]
(1977–2007)
Type Public
Traded as NASDAQ: AAPL
NASDAQ-100 component
DJIA component
S&P 100 component
S&P 500 component
ISIN US0378331005
Industry Computer hardware
Computer software
Consumer electronics
Cloud computing
Digital distribution
Fabless silicon design
Semiconductors
Media
Financial technology
Artificial intelligence
Founded April 1, 1976; 44 years ago
Founders Steve Jobs
Steve Wozniak
Ronald Wayne
Headquarters 1 Apple Park Way
Cupertino, California,
United States
Number of locations 511 retail stores (2020)
Area served Worldwide
Key people Chairman: Arthur D. Levinson
CEO: Tim Cook
COO: Jeff Williams
Products Macintosh
iPod
iPhone
iPad
Apple Watch
Apple TV
HomePod
macOS
iOS
iPadOS
watchOS
tvOS
iLife
iWork
Final Cut Pro
Logic Pro
GarageBand
Shazam
Siri
Services App Store
Apple Arcade
Apple Card
Apple Music
Beats 1
Apple News+
Apple Pay
Cash
Apple Store
Genius Bar
Apple TV+
Apple Books
iCloud
iMessage
iTunes Store
Mac App Store
Revenue US$260.174 billion[3] (2019)
Operating income US$63.930 billion[3] (2019)
Net income US$55.256 billion[3] (2019)
Total assets US$338.516 billion[3] (2019)
Total equity US$90.488 billion[3] (2019)
Number of employees 137,000[4] (2019)
Subsidiaries Braeburn Capital
Beats Electronics
Claris
Apple Energy, LLC
Apple Sales International[5]
Apple Services[6]
Apple Worldwide Video[7]
Anobit
Beddit
Website www.apple.com
Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino,
California, that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software,
and online services. It is considered one of the Big Techtechnology companies,
alongside Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook.[8][9][10]
The company's hardware products include the iPhone smartphone, the iPad tablet computer,
the Mac personal computer, the iPod portable media player, the Apple Watch smartwatch,
the Apple TV digital media player, the AirPods wireless earbuds and the HomePod smart
speaker. Apple's software includes macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS operating
systems, the iTunes media player, the Safari web browser, the Shazam music identifier, and
the iLife and iWork creativity and productivity suites, as well as professional applications
like Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Xcode. Its online services include the iTunes Store,
the iOS App Store, Mac App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+, iMessage, and iCloud. Other
services include Apple Store, Genius Bar, AppleCare, Apple Pay, Apple Pay Cash, and Apple
Card.
Apple was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in April 1976 to
develop and sell Wozniak's Apple Ipersonal computer, though Wayne sold his share back
within 12 days. It was incorporated as Apple Computer, Inc., in January 1977, and sales of
its computers, including the Apple II, grew quickly. Within a few years, Jobs and Wozniak
had hired a staff of computer designers and had a production line. Apple went public in 1980
to instant financial success. Over the next few years, Apple shipped new computers featuring
innovative graphical user interfaces, such as the original Macintosh in 1984, and Apple's
marketing advertisements for its products received widespread critical acclaim. However, the
high price of its products and limited application library caused problems, as did power
struggles between executives. In 1985, Wozniak departed Apple amicably and remained an
honorary employee,[11] while Jobs and others resigned to found NeXT.[12]
As the market for personal computers expanded and evolved through the 1990s, Apple lost
market share to the lower-priced duopoly of Microsoft Windows on Intel PC clones. The
board recruited CEO Gil Amelio to what would be a 500-day charge for him to rehabilitate
the financially troubled company—reshaping it with layoffs, executive restructuring, and
product focus. In 1997, he led Apple to buy NeXT, solving the desperately failed operating
system strategy and bringing Jobs back. Jobs regained leadership status, becoming CEO in
2000. Apple swiftly returned to profitability under the revitalizing Think different campaign,
as he rebuilt Apple's status by launching the iMac in 1998, opening the retail chain of Apple
Stores in 2001, and acquiring numerous companies to broaden the software portfolio. In
January 2007, Jobs renamed the company Apple Inc., reflecting its shifted focus toward
consumer electronics, and launched the iPhone to great critical acclaim and financial success.
In August 2011, Jobs resigned as CEO due to health complications, and Tim Cookbecame the
new CEO. Two months later, Jobs died, marking the end of an era for the company. In June
2019, Jony Ive, Apple's CDO, left the company to start his own firm, but stated he would
work with Apple as its primary client.
Apple is well known for its size and revenues. Its worldwide annual revenue totaled
$265 billion for the 2018 fiscal year. Apple is the world's largest technology company by
revenue and one of the world's most valuable companies. It is also the world's third-largest
mobile phone manufacturer after Samsung and Huawei.[13] In August 2018, Apple became the
first publicly traded U.S. company to be valued at over $1 trillion[14][15] and just two years later
in August 2020 became the first $2 trillion U.S. company.[16][17] The company employs 137,000
full-time employees[18] and maintains 510 retail stores in 25 countries as of 2020.[19] It operates
the iTunes Store, which is the world's largest music retailer. As of January 2020, more than
1.5 billion Apple products are actively in use worldwide.[20] The company also has a high level
of brand loyalty and is ranked as the world's most valuable brand. However, Apple receives
significant criticism regarding the labor practices of its contractors, its environmental
practices and unethical business practices, including anti-competitive behavior, as well as the
origins of source materials.
