Apple Inc.

Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, in Silicon Valley. Founded on April 1, 1976, as Apple Computer Company by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, it was incorporated the following year as Apple Computer, Inc. and renamed Apple Inc. in 2007 to reflect its expansion beyond computers. The company started in the garage of Jobs' family home in Los Altos, where Wozniak developed the Apple I personal computer, first demonstrated at the Homebrew Computer Club. Ronald Wayne, who designed the original logo and drafted the partnership agreement, left after just 12 days, selling his 10% stake for $800.

Under Jobs' return in 1997 after Apple acquired NeXT, the company launched the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad, created the iTunes Store, and opened Apple Store retail locations. Today, Apple's product lineup includes the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, and operating systems iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, along with services like Apple Pay, iCloud, Apple Music, and Apple TV. Apple is one of the Big Tech companies and, as of 2024, is the largest manufacturing company by revenue, the fourth-largest PC vendor, the largest tablet vendor, and the largest mobile phone vendor. It became the first publicly traded US company valued at over $1 trillion in 2018 and, as of October 2025, is valued at just over $4 trillion.

The company has consistently ranked among the world's most valuable brands since the late 2000s. Its brand identity centers on simplicity, creativity, and humanity, with core values including accessibility, education, environment, inclusion, privacy, and supplier responsibility. Marketing campaigns like "Think different" have reinforced its innovative, user-centric image. Controversies include criticism over contractors' labor conditions, trade union relations, environmental practices, anti-competitive tactics, materials sourcing, and acquisitions. Recent developments include continued expansion of services and hardware, with Apple maintaining high customer loyalty and market dominance. [edit]