Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is among the world's most iconic brands. Founded on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, it is now the leading producer of consumer electronics and an economy all of its own. The was valued at over $2.6 trillion in 2022 and brought in $0.4 trillion in revenue making it equal in size to the economies of Thailand and Belgium which are ranked 24th and 23rd largest worldwide.
Founders Jobs and Wozniak, both college dropouts, founded the company with the idea of changing the way people looked at computers. Their vision coincided with a revolution within the PC industry and helped to create personal computing as we know it today. The company’s first product was a personal computer known as the Apple 1 but the product line has since evolved to include a wide range of desirable personal computing devices.
Tim Cook took over the role of CEO in 2011 shortly before the death of Steve Jobs. Cook joined the company in 1988 as Senior VP of Global Sales and went on to become Executive VP of Global Operations before taking on the chief executive role. In his tenure, Mr. Cook has more than doubled Apple’s revenue and earnings while growing the company’s value by more than 450%.
The company designs, manufactures, and markets smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables, and accessories worldwide. Apple also provides and sells related platforms and services to power them and is the host of a widely-used digital ecosystem. The digital ecosystem revolves around the Apple App Store which lists thousands of games and applications for iOS users. The App Store also features digital content like music, TV, and movies as well as books, podcasts, and other forms of digital content.
Apple is headquartered in Apple Park, an ultra-modern campus built in Cupertino, California. The campus features a massive circular building nicknamed The Spaceship and provides working space for over 12,000 employees. The circular shape houses a park and a pond and there are many amenities within the facility including cafes, a wellness center, care clinics, and terminals for the shuttle system.
The company’s core product line has shifted away from computers over the years and towards iPhones and devices but computing is still fundamental to the business. In regard to iPhones, Apple’s products are routinely ranked as the top-selling in all comparisons. Other product lines include Mac (a line of computers), iPad (a line of tablets), AirPods (wifi-enabled earbuds), wearables like the Watch, home accessories such as Apple TV, and smart-home devices like the HomePod.
Finally, Apple provides AppleCare support services, cloud store services, and a host of other service offerings intended to simplify life. Among them are Apple News (subscription news), Apple TV+ (subscription TV with original content), Apple Card (consumer credit card), and Apple Pay (mobile cashless pay feature).
Apple computers and wifi-enabled smart devices are in demand by consumers, small and mid-sized businesses, the education sector, enterprises, and governments worldwide because they are high-quality, long-lasting, powerful devices. The company sells its products through an omnichannel network of DTC, wholesales, and eCommerce channels including mobile carriers, retailers, and resellers.
