Apple Inc. is a prominent American multinational corporation based in Cupertino, California, within Silicon Valley.
Renowned for its consumer electronics, software, and services, the company was established in 1976 as Apple Computer Company by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne.
It became incorporated as Apple Computer, Inc. the next year and was rebranded as Apple Inc. in 2007 to reflect its broader focus beyond computers.
As of 2023, Apple stands as the largest technology company by revenue, generating $383.29 billion.
The company was founded to produce and market Wozniak’s Apple I personal computer.
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Its second product, the Apple II, became a bestseller as one of the first mass-produced microcomputers.
Apple launched the Lisa in 1983 and the Macintosh in 1984, both featuring innovative graphical user interfaces and mouse navigation.
By 1985, internal conflicts led to Jobs’s departure to establish NeXT, Inc., while Wozniak pursued other interests. John Sculley took over as CEO for over a decade.
In the 1990s, Apple faced significant market share losses to the more affordable Wintel duopoly, which dominated the personal computer industry. By 1997, the company was on the brink of bankruptcy.
To address its failing operating system strategy, Apple acquired NeXT, bringing Jobs back into the fold.
He spearheaded a revival that included the successful launch of the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad, alongside the iTunes Store and the “Think different” advertising campaign, as well as the establishment of the Apple Store retail chain.
These initiatives helped elevate Apple to one of the world’s most valuable brands since around 2010. Jobs resigned in 2011 due to health issues and passed away two months later, with Tim Cook succeeding him as CEO.
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Today, Apple’s product lineup includes devices such as the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, and Apple TV, as well as operating systems like iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.
The company also offers software and services, including Apple Pay, iCloud, and multimedia streaming through Apple Music and Apple TV+.
Recognized as one of the Big Five American technology companies, Apple has predominantly been the world’s largest company by market capitalization since 2011.
As of 2023, it is the largest manufacturing company by revenue, the fourth-largest personal computer vendor by unit sales, and the leading vendor of both tablet and mobile phones globally.
In 2018, Apple became the first publicly traded U.S. company to reach a market valuation of over $1 trillion, and by June 2024, its value exceeded $3.2 trillion.
Despite facing criticism over labor practices, environmental concerns, business ethics, and anti-competitive behavior, Apple maintains a large and loyal customer base.