Apple Inc. is a global technology company that designs, manufactures, and sells smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables and accessories. Apple Inc. is listed on the Nasdaq exchange under the ticker symbol, AAPL. Some of its main products include the iPhone, the Mac line of personal computers and laptops, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. The company also has a fast-growing services business that includes its iCloud cloud service, and its digital content streaming services such as Apple Music and Apple TV+.
Since its founding in 1976, the tech giant has grown into a diversified technology behemoth. When it comes to acquisitions, Apple’s strategy has been to purchase small tech companies that it can easily integrate into its expanding line of products.
Apple faces numerous competitors including smartphone manufacturers Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and LG Electronics Inc., computer manufacturers Lenovo Group Ltd. and Dell Technologies Inc., streaming-content providers Spotify Technology S.A. and Netflix Inc., and other technology companies like Microsoft Corp., Alphabet Inc., and Amazon.com Inc.
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Apple’s Latest Developments
- On April 20, 2021 Apple announced a series of new products in its first major product launch of 2021, the “Spring Loaded,” event. Among the major announcements were:
- A new iPad pro with 5G support, a faster processor, and a Mini-LED display.
- A redesigned iMac using its in-house M1 chip, which it says allows the computer to be smaller and faster because it is specifically optimized for the Mac OS. The new iPad also utilizes this new chip.
- The AirTag tracker which you can attach to your keys, wallet, or other personal items and use your “Find My” app to locate it.
- The next generation of Apple TV with a new remote.
- The iPhone 12 and 12 Mini will be available in purple.
- On April 15, 2021, Apple announced that it was launching a $200 million “Restore fund” to remove carbon dioxide form the atmosphere as part of its effort to make its value chain carbon neutral by 2030. Apple’s plan is to 75% of its emissions, and use carbon removal to make up for the remaining 25%.
- On April 7, 2021 Apple announced that it will letting third-party products interact with the “Find My” app. It announced that Belkin, Chipolo, and VanMoof will be releasing products that work with the Find My app.
- On March 4, 2021, the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority, the U.K.’s antitrust regulator, announced that it was launching and antitrust investigation into apple over complaints that it is using it market power to set uncompetitive terms on its app store. This came on the same day that Reuters reported that EU antitrust regulators were finalizing a charge sheet against Apple related to complaints from music streaming service Spotify. Spotify claims that Apple acting to unfairly disadvantage rivals to Apple’s own streaming service, Apple Music.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Profitable Is Apple?
Apple had a net income of $28.8 billion for the quarter that ended December 26, 2020, according to its most recent quarterly earnings report, which was released on January 27, 2021. That’s a 29.3% year-over-year (YOY) increase from the same quarter in 2019. It also reported a record quarterly revenue of $111.4 billion, a 21% YOY increase, and earnings per share of $1.70, a YOY increase of 35%.
Who Owns the Most Apple Stock?
The biggest individual insider shareholder of Apple is Arthur Levinson, who has been the company’s chairman of the board since 2011 and a co-lead director since 2005. As of Feb. 2, 2021, Levinson owns 4.6 million shares of Apple stock, representing 0.03% of all outstanding shares.
The biggest institutional shareholder of Apple is Vanguard Group, which owns 1.3 billion shares representing 7.8% of total shares outstanding, according to the company’s most recent proxy filing, reflecting the number of shares as of Dec. 28, 2020.
Who Invented Apple’s iPhone?
The late Steve Jobs, co-founder and former chairman and CEO of Apple, Inc., invented the iPhone with his team of engineers and designers in the early 2000s. The iPhone beta version was created in 2004, and the first iPhone was released to the public in June 2007.