Marketing of Apple Inc.#Logo

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According to Steve Jobs, the company's name was inspired by his visit to an apple farm while he was on a fruitarian diet. He thought the name "Apple" was "fun, spirited, and not intimidating".{{Cite news |date=October 20, 2011 |title=Steve Jobs bio says Apple CEO abhorred 'corrupt' execs |publisher=CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/steve-jobs-chose-herbal-medicine-delayed-cancer-surgery-1.1124855 |access-date=October 21, 2011}} Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were fans of the Beatles,{{Cite news |last=Moses |first=Asher |date=October 7, 2011 |title=Who was Steve Jobs the man? |work=The Age |location=Melbourne |url=http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/who-was-steve-jobs-the-man-20111007-1lcrx.html |access-date=October 7, 2011}}; {{Cite news |title=Tearful memories for Apple co-founder |work=The Age |location=Melbourne |url=http://media.theage.com.au/news/world-news/tearful-memories-for-apple-cofounder-2675550.html |url-status=dead |access-date=October 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008110802/http://media.theage.com.au/news/world-news/tearful-memories-for-apple-cofounder-2675550.html |archive-date=October 8, 2011}} but Apple Inc. had name and logo trademark issues with Apple Corps Ltd., a multimedia company started by the Beatles in 1968. This resulted in a series of lawsuits and tension between the two companies. These issues ended with the settling of their lawsuit in 2007.{{Cite news |last=Flynn |first=Laurie J. |date=February 6, 2007 |title=After Long Dispute, Two Apples Work It Out |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/06/business/06apple.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=October 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070207021003/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/06/business/06apple.html |archive-date=2007-02-07}}

{{See also|Typography of Apple Inc.}}{{Redirect|Apple logo|the programming language|Apple Logo}}{{Multiple image

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{{small|(1976–1977){{Cite web |title=Logo Evolution: How Top Brands Redesigned Logos and Boosted Conversion |url=https://www.vardot.com/blog/logo-evolution-how-top-brands-redesigned-emblems-and-boosted-conversion-721 |access-date=April 9, 2017 |website=Vardot}}}}

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Apple's first logo, designed by co-founder Ron Wayne, depicts Sir Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree. It was almost immediately replaced by Rob Janoff's "rainbow Apple", the now-familiar rainbow-colored silhouette of an apple with a bite taken out of it. Janoff presented Jobs with several different monochromatic themes for the "bitten" logo, and Jobs immediately took a liking to it. However, Jobs insisted that the logo be colorized to humanize the company.{{Cite news |url=http://archive.wired.com/gadgets/mac/news/2003/09/60597 |title=Wired News: Apple Doin' the Logo-Motion |date=September 26, 2003}}; {{Cite web |title=¥ves ฿ennaïm 🌿 (@ZLOK) on Twitter |url=https://twitter.com/intent/follow?screen_name=ZLOK |website=twitter.com}} The logo was designed with a bite so that it would not be confused with a cherry.{{Cite web |last=Raszl |first=Ivan |date=July 30, 2020 |title=Interview with Rob Janoff, designer of the Apple logo |url=http://creativebits.org/interview/interview_rob_janoff_designer_apple_logo}} The colored stripes were conceived to make the logo more accessible, and to represent the Apple II's color graphics. This logo has been erroneously referred to as a tribute to Alan Turing, with the bite mark a reference to his method of suicide.{{Cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/logos-that-became-legends-icons-from-the-world-of-advertising-768077.html |title=Logos that became legends: Icons from the world of advertising |location=UK |work=The Independent |access-date=September 14, 2009 |date=January 4, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003003651/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/logos-that-became-legends-icons-from-the-world-of-advertising-768077.html |archive-date=October 3, 2009 |url-status=live}}; {{Cite web |date=March 14, 2005 |title=Archived Interview with Rob Janoff |url=http://www.unisourcedesign.ca/en/archive_design_technology.html_1.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050314132032/http://www.unisourcedesign.ca/en/archive_design_technology.html_1.html |archive-date=March 14, 2005}} Both Janoff and Apple deny any homage to Turing in the design of the logo.{{Cite book |last=Leavitt |first=David |title=The Man Who Knew Too Much; Alan Turing and the invention of the computer |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-7538-2200-5 |location=Phoenix |page=280}}

On August 27, 1999{{Cite web |date=August 27, 1999 |title=Apple Computer |url=https://www.apple.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990827174523/http://www.apple.com |archive-date=August 27, 1999 |access-date=December 31, 2013}} (the year following the introduction of the iMac G3), Apple officially dropped the rainbow scheme and began to use monochromatic logos nearly identical in shape to the previous rainbow incarnation. An Aqua-themed version of the monochrome logo was used from 1998 until 2003, and a glass-themed version was used from 2007 until 2013.{{Cite web |title=The Lost Apple Logos You've Never Seen |url=http://thebrainfever.com/apple/the-lost-apple-logos-you-ve-never-seen |publisher=thebrainfever}}

{{Quote box|width=30%|quote=The scenes I witnessed at the opening of the new Apple store in London's Covent Garden were more like an evangelical prayer meeting than a chance to buy a phone or a laptop.|source=—Alex Riley, writing for the BBC{{Cite news |last=Riley |first=Alex |date=May 16, 2011 |title=Superbrands' success fuelled by sex, religion and gossip |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13416598 |access-date=December 28, 2011}}

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Apple customers gained a reputation for devotion and loyalty early in the company's history. In 1984, BYTE stated that:{{Cite magazine |last=Lemmons |first=Phil |date=December 1984 |title=Apple and Its Personal Computers |url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1984-12/1984_12_BYTE_09-13_Communications#page/n399/mode/2up |magazine=BYTE |page=A4}}

{{Blockquote |There are two kinds of people in the world: people who say Apple isn't just a company, it's a cause; and people who say Apple isn't a cause, it's just a company. Both groups are right. Nature has suspended the principle of noncontradiction where Apple is concerned.

Apple is more than just a company because its founding has some of the qualities of myth ... Apple is two guys in a garage undertaking the mission of bringing computing power, once reserved for big corporations, to ordinary individuals with ordinary budgets. The company's growth from two guys to a billion-dollar corporation exemplifies the American Dream. Even as a large corporation, Apple plays David to IBM's Goliath, and thus has the sympathetic role in that myth.}}

File:Ifc shanghai Apple Store.jpg

Apple evangelists were actively engaged by the company at one time, but this was after the phenomenon had already been firmly established. Apple evangelist Guy Kawasaki has called the brand fanaticism "something that was stumbled upon",{{Cite web |last1=McConnell |first1=Ben |last2=Huba |first2=Jackie |title=The father of evangelism marketing |url=http://creatingcustomerevangelists.com/resources/evangelists/guy_kawasaki.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030725064021/http://creatingcustomerevangelists.com/resources/evangelists/guy_kawasaki.asp |archive-date=July 25, 2003 |access-date=April 18, 2017 |website=Creating Customer Evangelists}} and Ive explained in 2014 that "People have an incredibly personal relationship" with Apple's products.{{Cite magazine |last=John Arlidge |date=March 17, 2014 |title=Jonathan Ive Designs Tomorrow |magazine=Time |url=https://time.com/jonathan-ive-apple-interview/ |access-date=March 22, 2014}} Apple Store openings and new product releases can draw crowds of hundreds, and some wait in line as much as a day before the opening.{{Cite news |last1=Webb |first1=Alex |last2=Gurman |first2=Mark |last3=Satariano |first3=Adam |date=September 16, 2016 |title=The Apple Store Line Is Dying |work=Bloomberg.com |publisher=Bloomberg L.P. |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-16/the-apple-store-line-is-dying-as-iphone-fans-order-more-online |url-access=subscription |access-date=May 25, 2017}}{{Cite web |last=Kalb |first=Ira |date=September 9, 2014 |title=The Truth Behind The Giant Apple Store Lines |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/if-you-think-apple-lines-are-spontaneous-think-again-2014-9 |access-date=May 25, 2017 |website=Business Insider}}{{Cite web |last=Rossignol |first=Joe |date=September 24, 2015 |title=iPhone 6s Lines Forming at Apple Stores Ahead of Launch Day |url=https://www.macrumors.com/2015/09/24/iphone-6s-apple-store-lineups |access-date=May 25, 2017 |website=MacRumors}}{{Cite web |last=Rossignol |first=Joe |date=September 19, 2015 |title=Apple's Beautiful New Store in Brussels Opens to Long Lines and Fanfare |url=https://www.macrumors.com/2015/09/19/apple-store-brussels-grand-opening-video |access-date=May 25, 2017 |website=MacRumors}} The opening of New York City's Apple Fifth Avenue store in 2006 was highly attended, and had visitors from Europe who flew in for the event.{{Cite web |last=Evans |first=Jonny |date=May 22, 2006 |title=Apple NY opening makes global headlines |url=http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/mac/apple-ny-opening-makes-global-headlines-14707 |access-date=May 25, 2017 |website=Macworld |publisher=International Data Group}} In June 2017, a newlywed couple shot wedding photos inside the recently opened Orchard Road Apple Store in Singapore.{{Cite web |last=Ng |first=Yi Shu |date=June 14, 2017 |title=Till death do us dongle: Newlyweds take their Apple obsession to the next level |url=http://mashable.com/2017/06/14/apple-store-wedding-pics |access-date=June 16, 2017 |website=Mashable}}{{Cite magazine |first=Cady |last=Lang |title=This Tech-Obsessed Couple Took Their Wedding Photos in an Apple Store |url=https://time.com/4818189/apple-store-wedding-photos/ |magazine=Time |date=June 14, 2017 |access-date=June 16, 2017}} The high level of brand loyalty has been criticized and ridiculed, applying the epithet "Apple fanboy" and mocking the lengthy lines before a product launch.{{Cite web |date=April 8, 2015 |title=Confessions of an Apple fanboy: I'm going to miss the queues |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/08/confessions-of-an-apple-fanboy-im-going-to-miss-the-queues |access-date=March 23, 2017 |website=The Guardian}} An internal memo leaked in 2015 suggested the company planned to discourage long lines and direct customers to purchase its products on its website.{{Cite web |last=Gibbs |first=Samuel |date=April 7, 2015 |title=Is the Apple queue dead? A leaked memo suggests it could be |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/07/apple-store-queue-dead-leaked-memo |access-date=March 23, 2017 |website=The Guardian}}

Fortune magazine named Apple the most admired company in the United States in 2008, and in the world from 2008 to 2012.{{Cite magazine |last=Fisher |first=Anne |date=March 17, 2008 |title=America's Most Admired Companies |url=https://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fortune/0802/gallery.mostadmired_top20.fortune/index.html |magazine=Fortune |publisher=CNN |volume=157 |issue=5 |pages=65–67}}; {{Cite magazine|last=Colvin |first=Geoff |title=The World's Most Admired Companies 2009 |magazine=Fortune |publisher=CNN |volume=159 |issue=5 |page=76 |date=March 16, 2009 |url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/mostadmired/2009/full_list}}; {{Cite magazine|url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/mostadmired/2010/snapshots/670.html |title=World's Most Admired Companies |magazine=Fortune |publisher=CNN |date=March 2010 |access-date=March 7, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100307092117/https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/mostadmired/2010/snapshots/670.html |archive-date=March 7, 2010 |url-status=live}}; {{Cite magazine|url= https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/mostadmired/2011/snapshots/670.html |title=World's Most Admired Companies |magazine=Fortune |publisher=CNN |date=Nov 2011 |access-date=November 10, 2011}}; {{Cite magazine|title=The World's Most Admired Companies |magazine=Fortune |date=March 19, 2012 |volume=165 |issue=4 |pages=139–140 |url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/most-admired/2012/snapshots/670.html?iid=splwinners}} On September 30, 2013, Apple surpassed Coca-Cola to become the world's most valuable brand in the Omnicom Group's "Best Global Brands" report.{{Cite news |last=Elliot |first=Stuart |date=September 29, 2013 |title=Apple Passes Coca-Cola as Most Valuable Brand |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/30/business/media/apple-passes-coca-cola-as-most-valuable-brand.html |url-access=limited |access-date=October 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/30/business/media/apple-passes-coca-cola-as-most-valuable-brand.html |archive-date=January 1, 2022}}{{cbignore}} Boston Consulting Group has ranked Apple as the world's most innovative brand every year since 2005.[https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2013/09/27/is-apple-the-worlds-most-innovative-company-still Is Apple The World's Most Innovative Company (Still)?], Forbes, September 27, 2013.

The New York Times in 1985 stated that "Apple above all else is a marketing company".{{Cite news |last=Sandberg-Diment |first=Erik |date=March 19, 1985 |title=Apple Might Learn a Thing or Two from I.B.M. |page=C4 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/03/19/science/personal-computers-apple-might-learn-a-thing-or-two-from-ibm.html |access-date=July 3, 2017 |issn=0362-4331}} John Sculley agreed, telling The Guardian newspaper in 1997 that "People talk about technology, but Apple was a marketing company. It was the marketing company of the decade."{{Cite magazine |date=December 4, 2002 |title=Wired News: Apple: It's All About the Brand |magazine=Wired |url=http://archive.wired.com/gadgets/mac/commentary/cultofmac/2002/12/56677 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113074638/http://archive.wired.com/gadgets/mac/commentary/cultofmac/2002/12/56677 |archive-date=November 13, 2014}} Research in 2002 by NetRatings indicate that the average Apple consumer was usually more affluent and better educated than other PC company consumers. The research indicated that this correlation could stem from the fact that on average Apple products were more expensive than other PC products.{{Cite web |last=Fried |first=Ian |date=July 12, 2002 |title=Are Mac users smarter? |url=http://news.cnet.com/2100-1040-943519.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090706150407/http://news.cnet.com/2100-1040-943519.html |archive-date=July 6, 2009 |access-date=March 23, 2017 |website=CNET}}; {{Cite web |title=Computer Ownership Statistics |url=http://www.npd.com/press/releases/press_091005.html |publisher=The NPD Group |access-date=November 22, 2010 |date=October 5, 2009 |archive-date=June 12, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612164140/http://www.npd.com/press/releases/press_091005.html |url-status=dead}}

In response to a query about the devotion of loyal Apple consumers, Jonathan Ive said:{{Blockquote | style=font-size:100%

|What people are responding to is much bigger than the object. They are responding to something rare—a group of people who do more than simply make something work, they make the very best products they possibly can. It's a demonstration against thoughtlessness and carelessness.}}

{{Main|Apple Store}}

File:Apple_store_fifth_avenue.jpg is the flagship store in New York City.]]

File:When_the_Apple_logo_goes_red....._-DC_-applecarnegielibrary_-WearAMask_-SonyAlpha_(50696381517).jpg maintains the building's historic exterior design.]]

Apple opened its first two Apple Stores on May 19, 2001, in McLean, Virginia and Glendale, California, later expanding to hundreds of other locations. These stores were created on the initiative of then-CEO Steve Jobs to provide a venue for consumers to become more familiar with Apple products and the internet. In addition to standard retail, Apple Stores provide technical assistance through Genius Bars and give demonstrations to showcase Apple products.{{cite magazine |last=Eadicicco |first=Lisa |date=May 19, 2016 |title=Watch Steve Jobs Introduce the First Apple Store |url=https://time.com/4339922/steve-jobs-first-apple-store-video/ |url-status=live |magazine=Time |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170427110345/http://time.com/4339922/steve-jobs-first-apple-store-video/ |archive-date=April 27, 2017 |access-date=January 15, 2023}} The creation of Apple Stores came after years of attempting but failing store-within-a-store concepts.{{Cite web |title=Apple Stores |url=https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/apple-retail-stores |access-date=May 27, 2017 |website=MacRumors}} Seeing a need for improved retail presentation of the company's products, Jobs began an effort in 1997 to revamp the retail program to get an improved relationship to consumers, and hired Ron Johnson in 2000. The media initially speculated that Apple would fail,{{Cite web |last=Useem |first=Jerry |date=March 8, 2007 |title=Apple: America's best retailer |url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/03/19/8402321/index.htm |access-date=May 27, 2017 |website=Fortune}} but its stores were highly successful, bypassing the sales numbers of competing nearby stores and within three years reached US$1 billion in annual sales, becoming the fastest retailer in history to do so. Over the years, Apple has expanded the number of retail locations and its geographical coverage, with 499 stores across 22 countries worldwide {{As of|2017|December|lc=y}}.{{Cite web |title=Store List |url=https://www.apple.com/retail/storelist |access-date=December 5, 2017 |website=Apple Retail |publisher=Apple Inc.}} Strong product sales have placed Apple among the top-tier retail stores, with sales over $16 billion globally in 2011.{{Cite web |last=Segal |first=David |date=June 23, 2012 |title=Apple's Retail Army, Long on Loyalty but Short on Pay |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/24/business/apple-store-workers-loyal-but-short-on-pay.html |url-access=limited |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/24/business/apple-store-workers-loyal-but-short-on-pay.html |archive-date=January 1, 2022 |access-date=May 27, 2017 |website=The New York Times}}{{cbignore}}

In May 2016, Angela Ahrendts, Apple's then Senior Vice President of Retail, unveiled a significantly redesigned Apple Store in Union Square, San Francisco, featuring large glass doors for the entry, open spaces, and re-branded rooms. In addition to purchasing products, consumers can get advice and help from "Creative Pros" – individuals with specialized knowledge of creative arts; get product support in a tree-lined Genius Grove; and attend sessions, conferences and community events,{{Cite web |last=Webb |first=Alex |date=May 19, 2016 |title=Inside the New Apple Retail Store Design |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-19/why-apple-is-building-a-town-inside-its-stores |url-access=subscription |access-date=April 26, 2017 |publisher=Bloomberg L.P.}}; {{Cite web |last=Statt |first=Nick |date=May 19, 2016 |title=Apple just revealed the future of its retail stores |url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/5/19/11715726/apple-flagship-store-opening-san-francisco-photos |access-date=May 27, 2017 |website=The Verge}} with Ahrendts commenting that the goal is to make Apple Stores into "town squares", a place where people naturally meet up and spend time.{{Cite web |last=Hartmans |first=Avery |date=August 19, 2016 |title=Apple's retail boss wants Apple stores to resemble 'town squares' |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/angela-ahrendts-apple-stores-social-2016-8 |access-date=May 27, 2017 |website=Business Insider}} The new design will be applied to all Apple Stores worldwide,{{Cite web |date=April 25, 2017 |title=Angela Ahrendts talks Apple store makeover, why Tim Cook hired her |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/angela-ahrendts-apple-svp-of-retail-redesign-today-at-apple |access-date=May 27, 2017 |website=CBS This Morning |publisher=CBS}} a process that has seen stores temporarily relocate{{Cite web |last=Rossignol |first=Joe |date=August 19, 2016 |title=Apple Opening Three Next-Generation Stores Over the Next Week |url=https://www.macrumors.com/2016/08/19/next-gen-apple-stores-glasglow-kc-annapolis |access-date=May 27, 2017 |website=MacRumors}} or close.{{Cite web |last=Rossignol |first=Joe |date=February 6, 2017 |title=Apple Retail Update: Danbury Store Closes for Next-Generation Redesign, Dubai to Get Second Store |url=https://www.macrumors.com/2017/02/06/apple-store-danbury-dubai-update |access-date=May 27, 2017 |website=MacRumors}}

Many Apple Stores are located inside shopping malls, but Apple has built several stand-alone "flagship" stores in high-profile locations. It has been granted design patents and received architectural awards for its stores' designs and construction, specifically for its use of glass staircases and cubes.{{Cite web |last=Panzarino |first=Matthew |date=April 19, 2012 |title=Apple out to patent curved glass panels used in Shanghai Retail Store |url=https://thenextweb.com/apple/2012/04/19/apple-out-to-patent-curved-glass-panels-used-in-shanghai-retail-store |access-date=May 27, 2017 |website=The Next Web}} The success of Apple Stores have had significant influence over other consumer electronics retailers, who have lost traffic, control and profits due to a perceived higher quality of service and products at Apple Stores.{{Cite news |last=Simpson |first=Stephen D. |date=October 8, 2012 |title=How Apple's fortunes affect other stocks |website=The Globe and Mail |publisher=The Woodbridge Company |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/investment-ideas/how-apples-fortunes-affect-other-stocks/article4596866 |access-date=May 27, 2017}}; {{Cite web |last=Crothers |first=Brooke |date=March 29, 2012 |title=Is Best Buy following CompUSA, Circuit City to certain doom? |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/is-best-buy-following-compusa-circuit-city-to-certain-doom |access-date=May 27, 2017 |website=CNET}} Apple's brand loyalty among consumers causes long lines of hundreds of people at new Apple Store openings or product releases.{{Cite news |last1=Webb |first1=Alex |last2=Gurman |first2=Mark |last3=Satariano |first3=Adam |date=September 16, 2016 |title=The Apple Store Line Is Dying |work=Bloomberg.com |publisher=Bloomberg L.P. |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-16/the-apple-store-line-is-dying-as-iphone-fans-order-more-online |url-access=subscription |access-date=May 25, 2017}}{{Cite web |last=Kalb |first=Ira |date=September 9, 2014 |title=The Truth Behind The Giant Apple Store Lines |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/if-you-think-apple-lines-are-spontaneous-think-again-2014-9 |access-date=May 25, 2017 |website=Business Insider}}{{Cite web |last=Rossignol |first=Joe |date=September 24, 2015 |title=iPhone 6s Lines Forming at Apple Stores Ahead of Launch Day |url=https://www.macrumors.com/2015/09/24/iphone-6s-apple-store-lineups |access-date=May 25, 2017 |website=MacRumors}}{{Cite web |last=Rossignol |first=Joe |date=September 19, 2015 |title=Apple's Beautiful New Store in Brussels Opens to Long Lines and Fanfare |url=https://www.macrumors.com/2015/09/19/apple-store-brussels-grand-opening-video |access-date=May 25, 2017 |website=MacRumors}} Due to the popularity of the brand, Apple receives many job applications, and many from young workers. Although Apple Store employees receive above-average pay, are offered money toward education and health care, and receive product discounts, there are limited paths of career advancement.

Apple opened its virtual store on November 10, 1997, as the first retail distribution platform operated by Apple. Previously, Apple products were primarily sold by chain stores, which were sometimes unwilling to sell Macs due to a relatively low commission. When the virtual Apple store was launched, it became a major competitor to Dell, which was already operating a successful virtual store. In its first 30 days of operation, the virtual Apple store earned a revenue of $12 million. When launching new products, Apple has closed its virtual store in the hours before a release to create hype.{{Cite web |last=Gallagher |first=William |date=2020-11-10 |title=How Steve Jobs saved Apple with the online Apple Store |url=https://appleinsider.com/articles/19/11/10/how-steve-jobs-saved-apple-with-the-online-apple-store |access-date=2023-01-16 |website=AppleInsider |language=en}}

Apple expanded its role in virtual retail with the release of the iTunes Store to facilitate the purchase of music for Apple products on April 28, 2003.{{Cite magazine |last=Knopper |first=Steve |date=2013-04-26 |title=iTunes' 10th Anniversary: How Steve Jobs Turned the Industry Upside Down |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/itunes-10th-anniversary-how-steve-jobs-turned-the-industry-upside-down-68985/ |access-date=2023-01-16 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}

{{main|Apple and Adobe Flash controversy}}

With the release of iOS 4.0 SDK, Apple changed its developer agreement to prohibit programs that are originally written in non-Apple approved languages from being used on the iPhone. This was criticized for being anti-competitiveAdobe Systems's [https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/796343/000079634310000007/form_10q.htm#riskfactors SEC filing] alleging expected loss of ability to compete in the market because of Apple's position on Flash on the iPhone and iPad, Form 10q, March 5, 2010. by disallowing use of Adobe Animate (formerly Adobe Flash Professional) and other IDEs for creating iPhone apps.{{citation |last=Brimelow |first=Lee |title=Apple Slaps Developers In The Face |date=April 9, 2010 |url=http://theflashblog.com/?p=1888 |publisher=TheFlashBlog}}{{citation |last=Williams |first=Hank |title=Steve Jobs Has Just Gone Mad |date=April 8, 2010 |url=http://whydoeseverythingsuck.com/2010/04/steve-jobs-has-just-gone-mad.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022224525/http://whydoeseverythingsuck.com/2010/04/steve-jobs-has-just-gone-mad.html |publisher=Why does everything suck? |access-date=April 10, 2010 |archive-date=October 22, 2014 |url-status=dead}}{{citation |last=Schonfeld |first=Erick |title=Is Steve Jobs Ignoring History, Or Trying To Rewrite It? |date=April 9, 2010 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/04/09/is-steve-jobs-ignoring-history-or-trying-to-rewrite-it/ |publisher=TechCrunch}} The New York Times quoted an Adobe employee alleging the policy to be anti-competitive.{{citation |last=Worthham |first=Jenna |title=Apple Places New Limits on App Developers |date=April 12, 2010 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/13/technology/companies/13apple.html |work=The New York Times}} On May 3, 2010, Ars Technica and the New York Post reported that the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) are deciding which agency will launch an antitrust investigation into the matter.{{cite web |last=Cheng |first=Jacqui |date=May 3, 2010 |title=Apple iPhone OS compiler policy may lead to antitrust probe |url=https://arstechnica.com/apple/2010/05/apples-compiler-policy-may-land-it-in-hot-water-with-ftc/ |access-date=June 14, 2017 |website=Ars Technica |publisher=Condé Nast}}{{cite web |last=Kosman |first=Josh |date=May 3, 2010 |title=An antitrust app |url=https://nypost.com/2010/05/03/an-antitrust-app/ |access-date=June 14, 2017 |website=New York Post |publisher=News Corp}} Steve Jobs posted a reaction entitled "Thoughts on Flash",{{cite web |title=Thoughts on Flash |url=https://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/ |access-date=February 12, 2015}} but did not directly address any third party development tools other than Adobe's Flash platform.

In 2012, multiple groups of Chinese writers were awarded compensation of over $200,000 from Apple for hosting apps that contained unlicensed versions of their books, according to Chinese state media.{{cite web |date=28 December 2012 |title=Apple loses another copyright lawsuit in China-Xinhua |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/apple-china-lawsuit-idUSL4N0A22C120121228 |website=Reuters |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Apple to pay Chinese authors $118,000 for violating copyrights |url=https://www.engadget.com/2013-04-25-apple-to-pay-chinese-authors-118-000-for-violating-copyrights.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADW6uZUOknTCYtCMP1CX_wYOtV38baj3enRtv12BuePE3JNQm_QWAqSMesfF3YG3u_kpCSUYB8ZXg0GxEZ7fSI31tptc9_FCQOE6jNWkk9LinoWdxPLhXuxVearlZTtTJFU-v5QdTuHLQ5BgpIu6lJU1QmJJI37F5BncxcIgH-v5 |website=Engadget |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Olesen |first1=Alexa |date=19 March 2012 |title=Chinese writers sue Apple over e-book piracy |work=The Mercury News |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2012/03/18/chinese-writers-sue-apple-over-e-book-piracy/}}

Apple has been criticized over attempting to prevent iPhone users from using the Google Voice application by disabling it on the iPhone. Apple declined to approve the Google application for use on the iPhone, claiming that the application altered iPhone intended functionality, such as, that with Google voice installation, voicemail is no longer routed to the iPhone's native application Visual Voicemail but instead through Google's application, thus "ruining" the iPhone user experience. This caused controversy among iPhone developers and users, and the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began investigating Apple's active decision to deny users' ability to install Google Voice from the Apple online store which is the only official way for users to download and install iPhone applications.{{citation |last=Kincaid |first=Jason |title=FCC Takes On Apple And AT&T Over Google Voice Rejection |date=July 31, 2009 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2009/07/31/fcc-takes-on-apple-and-att-over-google-voice-rejection/ |publisher=TechCrunch}} As of November 2010, Google Voice has been made available for the iPhone.{{citation |last=Gassert |first=Patrick |title=Google Voice Arrives For The iPhone |date=7 March 2021 |url=http://www.techieinsider.com/news/4016 |publisher=Techie Insider}}

In November 2015, f.lux, a popular computer program for adjusting a display's colors during night-time to remove blue-light that may affect sleep patterns,{{cite web |last=Zukerman |first=Erez |date=October 31, 2013 |title=Review: f.lux makes your computer usable at night |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/2056895/review-f-lux-makes-your-computer-usable-at-night.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901151211/http://www.pcworld.com/article/2056895/review-f-lux-makes-your-computer-usable-at-night.html |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |access-date=December 6, 2017 |website=PC World |publisher=International Data Group}} was made available for iOS devices through "sideloading"; users install Xcode, a development environment for Mac computers, and manually install the app on their iOS device, bypassing the App Store and the official release channels that do not grant required permissions for f.lux to work.{{cite web |last=Rossignol |first=Joe |date=November 11, 2015 |title=F.lux for iPhone and iPad Launches in Beta Outside of App Store |url=https://www.macrumors.com/2015/11/11/flux-iphone-ipad-sideloaded-app-xcode/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207014444/https://www.macrumors.com/2015/11/11/flux-iphone-ipad-sideloaded-app-xcode/ |archive-date=December 7, 2017 |access-date=December 6, 2017 |website=MacRumors}} One day later, the developers of f.lux made the sideloading app unavailable, having been contacted by Apple with information that such a procedure violates the Developer Program Agreement.{{cite web |last=Clover |first=Juli |date=November 12, 2015 |title=F.lux for iOS No Longer Available After Apple Says Side-Loading Violates Developer Agreement |url=https://www.macrumors.com/2015/11/12/flux-for-ios-pulled-no-side-loading/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207015519/https://www.macrumors.com/2015/11/12/flux-for-ios-pulled-no-side-loading/ |archive-date=December 7, 2017 |access-date=December 6, 2017 |website=MacRumors}} In March 2016, an update to the iOS operating system enabled Apple's own "Night Shift" implementation,{{cite web |last=Clover |first=Juli |date=March 21, 2016 |title=Apple Releases iOS 9.3 With Night Shift, New Quick Actions, App Improvements, '1970' Bug Fix and More |url=https://www.macrumors.com/2016/03/21/apple-releases-ios-9-3/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924182930/https://www.macrumors.com/2016/03/21/apple-releases-ios-9-3/ |archive-date=September 24, 2017 |access-date=December 6, 2017 |website=MacRumors}} and the "Night Shift" feature was later expanded to the macOS operating system in March 2017.{{cite web |last=Clover |first=Juli |date=March 27, 2017 |title=Apple Releases macOS Sierra 10.12.4 With New Night Shift Mode |url=https://www.macrumors.com/2017/03/27/apple-releases-macos-sierra-10-12-4/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170401060730/https://www.macrumors.com/2017/03/27/apple-releases-macos-sierra-10-12-4/ |archive-date=April 1, 2017 |access-date=December 6, 2017 |website=MacRumors}} After the iOS availability, the f.lux developers issued an official press release, praising Apple's efforts as "a big commitment and an important first step", though acknowledging itself as "the original innovators and leaders in this area". They also requested that Apple open up access for f.lux to enter the App Store, thereby supporting its mission in "furthering research in sleep and chronobiology".{{cite web |date=January 14, 2016 |title=Response to Apple's announcement |url=https://justgetflux.com/news/2016/01/14/apple.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105043754/https://justgetflux.com/news/2016/01/14/apple.html |archive-date=November 5, 2017 |access-date=December 6, 2017 |website=f.lux}}{{cite web |last=Clover |first=Juli |date=January 14, 2016 |title=Developers Behind F.lux Call on Apple to Allow F.lux App for iOS Devices |url=https://www.macrumors.com/2016/01/14/flux-asks-apple-to-allow-flux-ios-app/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207014334/https://www.macrumors.com/2016/01/14/flux-asks-apple-to-allow-flux-ios-app/ |archive-date=December 7, 2017 |access-date=December 6, 2017 |website=MacRumors}} Following the native macOS availability, an f.lux developer posted in its forums in March 2017 that the macOS version was more limited in its actual impact by not reducing the levels of blue light enough. That was in direct contrast to the f.lux app, which significantly reduced the color.{{cite web |last=Barbosa |first=Greg |date=March 28, 2017 |title=Flux developer says Apple's new competitive macOS Night Shift feature falls short |url=https://9to5mac.com/2017/03/28/flux-developer-says-apples-new-competitive-macos-night-shift-feature-falls-short/ |access-date=December 6, 2017 |website=9to5Mac}}

Similar criticisms emerged in 2019, when Apple was reported to have demanded changes or the removal of apps involving parental controls and device usage tracking; the latter had been introduced to iOS 12 under the banner "Screen Time". After a report on the matter by The New York Times, which stated that Apple had, "removed 11 to 17 of the most downloaded screen-time and parental-control apps".{{Cite web |last=Liptak |first=Andrew |date=2019-04-27 |title=Apple explains why it's cracking down on third-party screen time and parental control apps |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/27/18519888/apple-screen-time-app-tracking-parental-controls-report |access-date=2019-05-05 |website=The Verge}} Apple stated that these demands were to due to privacy concerns surrounding their use of mobile device management features to gain system-level access—which it considered inappropriate outside of an enterprise setting, and a particular privacy risk to devices used by children.{{Cite news |last=Nicas |first=Jack |date=2019-04-27 |title=Apple Cracks Down on Apps That Fight iPhone Addiction |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/27/technology/apple-screen-time-trackers.html |access-date=2019-04-27 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |last=Grothaus |first=Michael |date=2019-04-29 |title=Apple restricted Screen Time-like apps due to concerns over children privacy |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90341325/apple-restricted-screen-time-like-apps-due-to-concerns-over-children-privacy |access-date=2019-04-29 |website=Fast Company |language=en-US}}

iOS applications available through the App Store that require payments for features or membership are required to use Apple's iTunes payments system, granting the company a 30% cut of all transactions.{{cite web |last=Chartier |first=David |date=February 15, 2011 |title=Apple launches long-awaited subscriptions for App Store |url=https://www.macworld.com/article/1157927/app_store_subscriptions.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207013925/https://www.macworld.com/article/1157927/app_store_subscriptions.html |archive-date=December 7, 2017 |access-date=December 6, 2017 |website=Macworld |publisher=International Data Group}}{{Cite web |last1=Spangler |first1=Todd |date=2022-11-28 |title=Apple Has Threatened to Pull Twitter From App Store, Musk Claims |url=https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/apple-threatened-pull-twitter-from-app-store-musk-1235443346/ |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} This policy has been criticized as taking an unreasonably large amount of money for each transaction, with comparisons being made to the typical 1-5% cut that credit card companies require{{cite web |last=Assay |first=Matt |date=February 18, 2011 |title=Death by 30% cut: Apple app tax must change |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/02/18/the_payment_problem/ |access-date=December 6, 2017 |website=The Register |publisher=Situation Publishing}} and the 1-10% cut that some online marketplaces require.{{cite web |last=Yarow |first=Jay |date=April 18, 2013 |title=How Apple's Decision To Collect 30% Of Every iOS App Sale Could Lead To Its Downfall |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/apples-ios-tax-2013-4 |access-date=December 6, 2017 |website=Business Insider |publisher=Axel Springer SE}} Some experts have also compared the App Store fee to rent-seeking.

In July 2015, music-streaming service Spotify sent an email to its iOS subscribers, urging them to cancel their App Store subscriptions, wait for expiration, and then sign up for paid membership through Spotify's website, bypassing the 30% App Store transaction fee and making the service more affordable.{{cite web |last=Welch |first=Chris |date=July 8, 2015 |title=Spotify urges iPhone customers to stop paying through Apple's App Store |url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/7/8/8913105/spotify-apple-app-store-email |access-date=December 6, 2017 |website=The Verge |publisher=Vox Media}} Approximately a year later, Recode reported that Spotify's general counsel Horacio Gutierrez had sent a letter to Apple's then-general counsel Bruce Sewell, saying that the company was "causing grave harm to Spotify and its customers" because it wouldn't approve an update to the Spotify app. Apple hadn't approved the new version due to "business model rules", requiring that Spotify use the iTunes payments system if it "wants to use the app to acquire new customers and sell subscriptions". Gutierrez severely criticized the chain of events, writing that "This latest episode raises serious concerns under both U.S. and EU competition law. ... It continues a troubling pattern of behavior by Apple to exclude and diminish the competitiveness of Spotify on iOS and as a rival to Apple Music, particularly when seen against the backdrop of Apple's previous anticompetitive conduct aimed at Spotify." He also described the App Store approval process as a "weapon to harm competitors".{{cite web |last=Kafka |first=Peter |date=June 30, 2016 |title=Spotify says Apple won't approve a new version of its app because it doesn't want competition for Apple Music |url=https://www.recode.net/2016/6/30/12067578/spotify-apple-app-store-rejection |access-date=December 6, 2017 |website=Recode |publisher=Vox Media}} In a response reported by BuzzFeed News, Bruce Sewell said that "We find it troubling that you are asking for exemptions to the rules we apply to all developers and are publicly resorting to rumors and half-truths about our service", adding that "Our guidelines apply equally to all app developers, whether they are game developers, e-book sellers, video-streaming services or digital music distributors; and regardless of whether or not they compete against Apple". Sewell further claimed that the company "did not alter our behavior or our rules" when introducing its own Apple Music streaming service and that there was "nothing in Apple's conduct" to support anti-competitive claims.{{cite web |last=Paczkowski |first=John |date=July 1, 2016 |title=Apple Slams Spotify For Asking For "Preferential Treatment" |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/johnpaczkowski/apple-fires-back-at-spotify-for-asking-for-preferential-trea |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701215735/https://www.buzzfeed.com/johnpaczkowski/apple-fires-back-at-spotify-for-asking-for-preferential-trea |archive-date=July 1, 2016 |access-date=December 6, 2017 |website=BuzzFeed}} Zach Epstein of BGR opined that Spotify was angry because "it's not a non-profit" that did not have free rein over its app built on another company's service, and concluded with the remark that "Apparently, Apple shouldn't be compensated for giving Spotify access to tens of millions of potential subscribers".{{cite web |last=Epstein |first=Zach |date=June 30, 2016 |title=Spotify is furious at Apple because it's not a non-profit |url=http://bgr.com/2016/06/30/spotify-vs-apple-anti-competitive-app-store/ |access-date=December 6, 2017 |website=BGR |publisher=Penske Media Corporation}}

In August 2016, Spotify began "punishing" artists who offered Apple Music exclusives by featuring their content less prominently on its service and offering fewer promotional opportunities.{{cite web |last=Clover |first=Juli |date=August 26, 2016 |title=Spotify Punishing Artists Who Offer Apple Music Exclusives [Updated] |url=https://www.macrumors.com/2016/08/26/spotify-punishing-apple-music-exclusive-artists/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171212031443/https://www.macrumors.com/2016/08/26/spotify-punishing-apple-music-exclusive-artists/ |archive-date=December 12, 2017 |access-date=December 13, 2017 |website=MacRumors}}{{cite web |last=Kahn |first=Jordan |date=August 26, 2016 |title=Report: Spotify punishing artists that take Apple Music exclusives by limiting promotion (Update: Spotify denies) |url=https://9to5mac.com/2016/08/26/spotify-apple-music-exclusives/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214014827/https://9to5mac.com/2016/08/26/spotify-apple-music-exclusives/ |archive-date=December 14, 2017 |access-date=December 13, 2017 |website=9to5Mac}} In May 2017, Financial Times reported that Spotify, as well as several other companies, had filed a letter with the European Union, alleging that "some" operating systems, app stores and search engines had abused their "privileged position" to go from being "gateways" to "gatekeepers".{{cite web |last=Miller |first=Chance |date=May 6, 2017 |title=Spotify again accuses Apple of abusing its size & acting as a 'gatekeeper' |url=https://9to5mac.com/2017/05/06/spotify-again-accuses-apple-of-abusing-its-size-acting-as-a-gatekeeper/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914125940/https://9to5mac.com/2017/05/06/spotify-again-accuses-apple-of-abusing-its-size-acting-as-a-gatekeeper/ |archive-date=September 14, 2017 |access-date=December 6, 2017 |website=9to5Mac}} A few days later, Reuters reported that the European Union was preparing new laws and legislation intended to handle conflicts between large corporations and smaller businesses, specifically in regards to "unfair trading practices".{{cite web |last=Fioretti |first=Julia |date=May 10, 2017 |title=EU to tackle complaints over tech companies' trading practices |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-digital/eu-to-tackle-complaints-over-tech-companies-trading-practices-idUSKBN18614K |access-date=December 6, 2017 |website=Reuters |publisher=Thomson Reuters}}{{cite web |last=Lovejoy |first=Ben |date=May 10, 2017 |title=EU planning a new law addressing 'unfair contractual clauses' following Spotify's complaint against Apple |url=https://9to5mac.com/2017/05/10/eu-apple-spotify-complaint/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516215828/https://9to5mac.com/2017/05/10/eu-apple-spotify-complaint/ |archive-date=May 16, 2017 |access-date=December 6, 2017 |website=9to5Mac}} Another letter was sent in December 2017, once again accusing Apple of "regularly abusing" its position, and asking for regulators to step in and "ensure 'a level playing field'".{{cite web |last=Popper |first=Ben |date=December 13, 2017 |title=Spotify and Deezer ask EU regulators to stop Apple from abusing its dominance |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/13/16773806/spotify-deezer-eu-regulators-apple |access-date=December 14, 2017 |website=The Verge |publisher=Vox Media}}{{cite web |last=Miller |first=Chance |date=December 13, 2017 |title=Spotify again attacks Apple for its gatekeeper-like policies |url=https://9to5mac.com/2017/12/13/spotify-apple-gatekeeper/ |access-date=December 14, 2017 |website=9to5Mac}}

{{main|Epic Games v. Apple}}

On August 13, 2020, Epic Games added a direct payment system to Fortnite in order to bypass Apple's App Store fees. In response, Apple removed the game from the App Store, preventing new players from downloading the game.{{Cite web |date=2020-08-15 |title=Daily Crunch: Apple removes Fortnite from the App Store |url=https://theappdevelopers.co.uk/portfolio/daily-crunch-apple-removes-fortnite-from-the-app-store/ |access-date=2020-08-25 |language=en-US}} On the same day, Epic Games released a video attacking Apple titled Nineteen-Eighty-Fortnite{{Cite web |date=August 13, 2020 |title=Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite - #FreeFortnite |url=https://vimeo.com/447590857 |via=Vimeo}} with similarities to the Apple advertisement 1984. Simultaneously, Epic released a complaint for Injunctive Relief{{cite web|url=https://cdn2.unrealengine.com/apple-complaint-734589783.pdf|title=Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP|access-date=2023-08-18}} against Apple. In September 2020, Epic Games and thirteen other companies launched the Coalition for App Fairness which aims for better conditions for the inclusion of apps in the app store.{{Cite web |last=Amadeo |first=Ron |date=2020-09-24 |title=Epic, Spotify, and others take on Apple with "Coalition for App Fairness" |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/09/epic-spotify-and-others-take-on-apple-with-coalition-for-app-fairness/ |access-date=2020-09-26 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us}}

{{main|iTunes}}

Apple had controversy regarding the online sales of music in the European Union where, as a single market, customers are free to purchase goods and services from any member state. iTunes Stores forced consumers and other music buyers to iTunes-only sites by restricting content purchases to the country from which the customers' payment details originated, which in turn forced users in some countries to pay higher prices. On December 3, 2004, the British Office of Fair Trading referred to the iTunes Music Store to the European Commission for violation of EU free-trade legislation. Apple commented that they did not believe they violated EU law, but were restricted by legal limits to the rights granted to them by the music labels and publishers. PC World commented that it appeared that "the Commission's main target is not Apple but the music companies and music rights agencies, which work on a national basis and give Apple very little choice but to offer national stores".{{citation |last=Williams |first=Martyn |title=European Borders Fracture iTunes |date=April 4, 2007 |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/130384/ |work=PC World}}

In May 2015, it was reported that the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission were beginning to investigate Apple for engaging in a cartel with major record labels that discourage them from offering free, ad-supported streaming of their music online, in order to push users towards a re-launch of the subscription-based Beats Music service. In particular, it was alleged that Apple had pushed labels to pull their music from the freemium tier of competing service Spotify (a service which has cut into Apple's music sales revenue), and offered to pay Universal Music Group the equivalent of YouTube's licensing fees with the label in exchange for pulling its content from the service.{{cite web |date=2015-03-06 |title=Big Music Labels Want to Make Free Music Hard to Get, and Apple Says They're Right |url=http://recode.net/2015/03/06/big-music-labels-want-to-make-free-music-hard-to-get-and-apple-says-theyre-right/ |access-date=6 May 2015 |website=Re/code}}{{cite web |date=2015-05-04 |title=Apple pushing music labels to kill free Spotify streaming ahead of Beats relaunch |url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/5/4/8540935/apple-labels-spotify-streaming |access-date=6 May 2015 |website=The Verge}}

Apple maintains secrecy around its products and its practices, tightly controlling information regarding product launches, deliberately passing out misinformation in an effort to find leakers and keep the media unsure of Apple Inc.'s current developments.{{citation |last1=Stone |first1=Brad |title=Apple's Obsession With Secrecy Grows Stronger |date=June 22, 2009 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/technology/23apple.html?_r=2 |work=The New York Times |last2=Vance |first2=Ashlee |author2-link=Ashlee Vance}} The company maintains strict control over workflow and access to products in development to ensure that leaks do not occur, providing information to employees on a need to know basis.{{Cite web |last=Leswing |first=Kif |title=Apple lawsuit shows the company's extreme focus on secrecy |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/11/apple-lawsuit-shows-the-companys-extreme-focus-on-secrecy.html |access-date=2023-01-19 |website=CNBC |date=11 March 2021 |language=en}} Many attribute Apple's secrecy to Steve Jobs's reclusive nature where "he has always kept things close to the vest ... and only confided in relatively few people."

Apple only engages in public relations activity for the most significant products and milestones, and reporters are provided information about a finished product to focus on changes that Apple wishes to emphasize.{{Cite news |last=Craig |first=Cameron |date=2016-07-27 |title=What I Learned From 10 Years of Doing PR for Apple |work=Harvard Business Review |url=https://hbr.org/2016/07/what-i-learned-from-10-years-of-doing-pr-for-apple |access-date=2023-01-19 |issn=0017-8012}}

{{See also|List of Apple Inc. media events|Stevenote}}

• Timeline of Apple Inc. products
• Typography of Apple Inc.

{{reflist}}

{{Apple Inc.}}

Apple Inc.