Established on April 1st, 1976, Apple Computer Company – now known as Apple Inc., is the world’s biggest technology company many aims to own, and billions use their posh products.
For some, Apple might be an inventor of iPhones and iPods, but there’s more to it than meets the eye.
The polarizing brand is known for its high-class products, the ecosystem that many are “trapped” in, and a slew of controversies.
After 42 years of its genesis, Apple Inc. became the world’s first company to record a market capitalization of $1 trillion. It became the first publicly traded U.S. company to surpass $2 trillion approximately two years later.
On Monday, 3 January 2022, Apple Inc. became the first company to hit a $3 trillion market cap.
It’s no surprise that Apple generates billions of dollars annually, thanks to its massive brand-loyal consumers. Still, their achievements are due to their experiments and their risks.
The company that launched the globe’s first modern mobile phone is a leader in innovation and originality.
But how was its journey from the garage to a $3 trillion company?
This article answers Apple’s firsts and many more questions that you might be curious about.
Let’s see them!
What was Apple’s first product?
Apple Computer Company’s first product is the Apple I, or Apple-1, designed and hand-built entirely by the co-founder Steve Wozniak.
Jobs sold his only motorized transportation, a V.W. Microbus, to fund its creation for a few hundred dollars.
Wozniak sold his HP-65 calculator for US$500, which is comparable to $2,274 in 2020) The Apple I went on sale in July 1976, priced at $666.66, selling around 175 units in 10 months.
It was later discontinued in October 1977, making way for its successor, the Apple II.
What was Apple’s first phone?
iPhone, launched in 2007, was Apple’s first phone and possibly the world’s first modern phone. It is said that the iPod put Apple on an upward course.
The 2007 iPhone shipped with 4 G.B. of storage, a 3.5in capacitive multi-touch screen, and a 620MHz Samsung processor. It was priced at $499 on contract.
iPhone revolutionized the design and function of the smartphones that we know today. Over the last 14 years, more than 28 different iPhones have been launched, and around 1 billion iPhones have been sold.
Why was the company named Apple?
There isn’t any science as to why the company was named Apple. Steve Jobs simply liked Apple – the fruit. Steve Wozniak had once said, “I remember I was driving Steve Jobs back from the airport along Highway 85. Steve was coming back from a visit to Oregon to a place he called an “apple orchard.” It was some commune. Steve suggested a name – Apple Computer.”
What is the story behind Apple iPod?
Apple obviously scored big time with the iPod, known before the iPhones were launched.
The first iPod was released in October 2001, equipped with a 5GB 1.8 inch display. It could only contain 1,000 songs.
It wasn’t exactly an overnight success, as it was only compatible with a Mac, and it used FireWire instead of USB.
It wasn’t until 2004 that the iPod started to dominate the music player department, which later spawned the iPod Mini and later the iPod Nano.
Over 100m iPods were sold by April 2007, and total sales hit 350m by September 2012.
Tony Fadell, credited to be the creator of the iPod, initially offered the device to both Real Networks and Philip, and both companies turned it down.
Another interesting fact is that the iPod was inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey.
What was Apple’s first iPad?
Apple launched the first-ever iPad in April 2010, which revolutionized the tablet segment. iPads gave These finger-based mobile devices got more spotlight than full personal computers.
The 1993 Apple Newton is said to be the original concept behind the iPad.
Since 2010, there have been 20+ iPads, including regular models, the Pro variants, and the Mini variants.
Undoubtedly, more than 350m iPads have been sold.
Related | List of iPad Generations: iPad Models From Oldest to Newest
What is Apple’s worst product?
The Apple USB Mouse is Apple’s worst product, and it was the first Apple mouse to drop the Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) that replaced USB. But nothing more could be said about it.
Apple’s first USB mouse shipped with the original Bondi Blue iMac G3 and was effortlessly the ugliest part of that computer. The circular shape was such a destructive design that it now tops any list of Apple failures you’ll ever come across.
Another failure I can recall is the MacBook’s butterfly keyboard. It was supposed to revolutionize thinness that delivered “a crisp and responsive feel when typing.” But instead, it was sticky, loud, and prone to so many issues that Apple launched a service program covering every butterfly keyboard model ever released.
The AirPods Max Smart Case is another disaster, in my opinion. It’s just bad design, and the case looks like a lousy fusion of handbags and a failed art project.
Siri Remote is another one of Apple’s worst products, and it is best that I do not elaborate.
What was Apple’s most significant controversy?
Apple’s most significant controversy is the ongoing legal battle with Epic Games, the inventor of the extremely popular Fortnite game.
The fight is over the App Store fees and mandates that developers use Apple’s proprietary payment system. It isn’t just Epic versus Apple; it’s against a company’s set of rules that another company refuses to follow.
Department of Justice and the European Union’s European Commission is also probing Apple regarding the App Store and Apple Pay practices.
Apple is also facing issues as it has faced pushback over its planned child protection software that will scan users’ iCloud accounts for images of child sexual abuse material. This feature targets people’s free speech and privacy.
What was Apple’s first computer?
The Apple Computer 1 (also known as the Apple Computer, the Apple I, or Apple-1) was Apple’s first computer.
It is essentially a desktop computer released in 1976.
It had a processor that ran at just 1.023 MHz. It has 4 K.B. of RAM, which was expandable up to 8 K.B. or 48KB.
Its additional cassette tape interface permitted the user to save program data. This is set up with the floppy disc.
Apple-1 computers was a messy affair as it came as motherboards with cases, monitors, and keyboards sold separately.
It was designed, built, and tested by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak with the help of two others.
On November 9th, 2021, it was sold at an auction in the U.S. for $400,000.
What was Apple’s first logo?
Apple Computer Company’s first company logo was drawn by co-founder Ronald Wayne that featured a drawing of the father of physics, Sir Isaac Newton. Wayne worked at Atari along with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.
Today, the logo is nothing like the one the company uses today.
When Wayne left the company, the logo became the iconic half-eaten Apple that we’re used to seeing now.
Many people are curious why the apple in the logo is half-eaten. Rob Janoof, the designer, said that he did it for scale – so the logo would be easily dissimilar from a cherry.
What makes Apple a hit in the world?
The reason why Apple is so highly valued is that it makes popular products with generous margins.
Other reasons that make Apple a hit globally are the iPhone, Apple services – and brand loyalty. Think iTunes or Apple Music, the App Store, iCloud, and Apple Pay.
Moreover, their ecosystem and how iOS, iPadOS, WatchOS, and macOS work – individually and combined.
China is also a reason why Apple is a $3 trillion company. Without China, Apple’s success would look quite different. iPhone recently became the top-selling smartphone in China, saying something as it generates about a quarter of Apple’s profits.
What is Apple’s financial status?
In August 2018, Apple became the first company to record a $1 trillion market capitalization.
Two years later, in August 2020, it surpassed another landmark and became the first company to record a market value of $2 trillion.
On 3rd January 2022, Apple became the world’s first $3 trillion company.
Its 2020 net worth was an outstanding $65 billion. And as of March 15th, 2021, its market capitalization is $2.08 trillion.
This figure proudly surpasses most countries’ GDP, including Italy, Brazil, and Canada.
Interestingly, if Apple were a country, it would be the 27th largest country, between Venezuela and Belgium.
What is the highest sold Apple product to date in 2022??
iPhone is said to be Apple’s most valuable product, and it has been the company’s primary source of revenue since 2008.
Even if one includes AirPods, Apple Watch, and other services, iPhone is still responsible for 50% of Apple’s revenue.
Apple has sold around 1.5 billion units of the iPhone worldwide until now, contributing to almost half of the company’s net sales. Even though this share has fallen in recent years, people buy iPhones. According to Statista, Apple sold more than 217 million iPhones in their 2018 fiscal year.
Some bonus facts:
Following are some of the random yet interesting facts about Apple Inc. You are welcome!
- Apple was the first digital company to devise a color digital camera named ‘Apple QuickTake 100.’
- Apple Sold 849,450 iPhones per day in 2018, as per ZDNet reports.
- According to CNBC, Apple earned $691,234.57 per minute in the first quarter of 2021.
- Every iPhone ad displays the time as 9:41 AM, the same time Steve Jobs unveiled the first one in 2007.
- The iOS trademark was initially owned by CISCO, an American multinational technology conglomerate, and Apple later licensed it from CISCO.
- China is currently Apple’s second-biggest market, the first being the United States. Earnings in China grew to nearly $17 billion in the second quarter of 2015.
- Apple owns the patent for the ‘slide to unlock’ feature.
- The Apple I computer went on sale at a price of U.S. $666.66. The price was set on request of Steve Wozniak as he liked repeating digits.
- Forbes mentions that Apple is worth more than the entire Russian stock market.
- Due to the lack of a good design, Steve Jobs told the developers to ship the iPad without a calculator app.
- Here’s a fact that will make every Indian, especially the parents, proud – every third engineer in Apple is Indian.
- “Steve Jobs” is the name of an Italian fashion label. Founded in 2012 by two brothers, they had discovered that Apple had never secured the rights to the name “Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Inc.
- Siri almost made its way on Android and Blackberry, but Apple bought SIRI Inc. in 2010.
- Apple made Steve Jobs a millionaire at the mere age of 25 years.
- Apple hired over 140,000 employees in 2020 around the world.
- No one reads End User License Agreement, but the Apple iTunes End User License Agreement states that iTunes shouldn’t be used to create nuclear missiles.
Conclusion
As Apple persists in shattering records with its performance, innovation, and products, one can indeed imagine what record it will break next.
Whatever they might do, it’s sure to create history.
While researching for this article, I came across tonnes of facts about Apple that I couldn’t resist and used some.
After using Samsung smartphones for about nine years, I finally switched to iPhone, AirPods Pro, and the Apple Watch Series 7.
I’m now yearning to get my hands on the newest MacBook Pro.
That is Apple for you – the company that can make a die-hard Android user switch to the best mobile operating system out there.
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