Apple

Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, in Silicon Valley. It is best known for its consumer electronics, software, and services. Apple's product lineup includes the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro, and Apple TV; as well as software like iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS; and services like Apple Card, Apple Pay, iCloud, Apple Music, and Apple TV+. Since 2011, Apple has been the world's largest company by market capitalization except when Microsoft held the position between January and June 2024. In 2022, Apple was the largest technology company by revenue, with US$394.3 billion. As of 2023, Apple was the fourth-largest personal computer vendor by unit sales, the largest manufacturing company by revenue, and the largest vendor of mobile phones in the world. 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 the late 1990s, Apple began to reinvent itself with the introduction of the iMac, a line of all-in-one computers that became known for their distinctive design and ease of use. The company also expanded into new markets with the launch of the iPod in 2001, a portable digital music player that revolutionized the music industry. In 2007, Apple introduced the iPhone, a smartphone that combined a mobile phone, an iPod, and an internet communication device into one product. The iPhone's success transformed Apple into one of the most valuable companies in the world and set the stage for the development of other popular products like the iPad, Apple Watch, and AirPods. Today, Apple continues to innovate with new products and services, including the Vision Pro, a mixed reality headset that combines augmented reality and virtual reality experiences. The company also invests heavily in research and development to create new technologies and improve existing ones. Apple's commitment to sustainability is reflected in its efforts to reduce its environmental impact through initiatives like using recycled materials in its products and achieving carbon neutrality across its entire supply chain by 2030. With a strong focus on design, user experience, and ecosystem integration, Apple remains a leader in the technology industry and continues to shape the future of consumer electronics.