Apple.
Apple Inc., formerly Apple Computer, Inc., is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Cupertino, California that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software and personal computers. Its best-known hardware products are the Mac line of computers, the iPod music player, the iPhone smartphone, and the iPad tablet computer.
Apple is the world's second-largest information technology company by revenue after Samsung Electronics, and the world's third-largest mobile phone maker after Samsung and Nokia.As of November 2012, Apple maintains 394 retail stores in fourteen countries as well as the online Apple Store and iTunes Store. It is the second-largest publicly traded corporation in the world by market capitalization, with an estimated value of US$414 billion as of January 2013. As of September 29, 2012, the company had 72,800 permanent full-time employees and 3,300 temporary full-time employees worldwide. Its worldwide annual revenue in 2012 totaled $156 billion.
But beyond that, the reasons why Apple is really successful are still a mystery to many.
1. Apple only makes a product if Apple can do it better.
As Apple designer Jonathan Ive said recently, “Our goals are very simple — to design and make better products. If we can’t make something that is better, we won’t do it.”
Apple normally doesn’t invent a new product or product category. Its products have been the recreations of existing products. Apple did not invent the MP3 player; Apple reinvented it and made it better. Apple did not invent the smart phone; Apple reinvented it and made it better. And Apple did not invent the tablet; Apple reinvented it and made it better.
2.Beauty.
Beauty is of prime importance when it comes to Apple. When was the last time you looked at an Apple product and thought it was ugly? The built, design and form factor of their products along with the choice of material used is usually spot on. More than a Samsung Galaxy S3 or any other major competitor in the market, I just like the way the iPhone feels in my hand. Compared to a fat IBM laptop, a Macbook Air is extremely pleasing to the eye. There will obviously be people who value configurations and value for money over everything else, but a huge chunk of people will just buy what they like at first sight - and Apple wins the race hands down in that department.
3. The products have to be easy to use.
Jobs was a stickler on this point. While industrial design is a critical component of any product Apple makes, if it is not easy to use, it is considered worthless to the consumer. This is what drove the company’s user-interface designs from Day 1 and is still the mantra pushed to the software and hardware engineers every day they go to work. All of the products they create have to be intuitive and easy to understand and learn. As technology has become more intricate and users want more features, the task of keeping things simple is sometimes difficult. And Apple creates tools for power users and rookies, which can mean a broad range of ease-of-use issues. But even with that, Apple is the only company I deal with where ease of use is more important than the product itself. Apple makes this a critical goal of its approach to creating anything for the market.
4. Keep things simple.
One of the things that fascinated me about the iPod was its sheer simplicity. A device which is an audio/video player, and has several additional features can be operated with the help of two buttons. An inner round button coupled with the outer "click" wheel could in essence operate the whole device. Apple has exported this outlook to all their other products, and tries to make them as simple as possible; products which the Average Joe could operate with ease. They never bowed in the temptation to make their iPhones with wide screens as the user would then have to use both hands to use the phone. Simplicity and ease of use over everything else.
5. Brand Value
The term "Apple Fan-boys" wasn't coined for no apparent reason - it has a modicum of truth to it. Apple has managed to become a huge brand name. Like every other brand out there worth having, people are usually more than willing to pay a huge amount just to own an Apple product. It's as simple as"It's cool to own an Apple product" or "Having an Apple product is cool. Everyone else I know has it, I shouldn't be left behind". There is no logic behind people paying a ridiculous amount of money for Jimmy Choo shoes or D&G products. But people do anyway. The same can be applied to Apple to a certain extent. Which brings us to this point.
6. Apple stays at least two years ahead of its competitors.
This is the one that scares Apple’s competitors the most. While those competing with Apple are just getting products to market that are competitive, Apple is already working on the products at least two years out. For example, the new iPhone that will most likely go to market in October was designed and signed off on two years ago. And the iPhone the company is working on now is for the fall of 2014. The same goes for the iPad. The new iPad that we will most likely see next March was signed off on two years ago. The one that’s being worked on now we will probably see in 2015. This is a nightmare for Apple’s competitors and will continue to be for some time.
That's it.
Apple is the world's second-largest information technology company by revenue after Samsung Electronics, and the world's third-largest mobile phone maker after Samsung and Nokia.As of November 2012, Apple maintains 394 retail stores in fourteen countries as well as the online Apple Store and iTunes Store. It is the second-largest publicly traded corporation in the world by market capitalization, with an estimated value of US$414 billion as of January 2013. As of September 29, 2012, the company had 72,800 permanent full-time employees and 3,300 temporary full-time employees worldwide. Its worldwide annual revenue in 2012 totaled $156 billion.
Apple normally doesn’t invent a new product or product category. Its products have been the recreations of existing products. Apple did not invent the MP3 player; Apple reinvented it and made it better. Apple did not invent the smart phone; Apple reinvented it and made it better. And Apple did not invent the tablet; Apple reinvented it and made it better.
2.Beauty.
Beauty is of prime importance when it comes to Apple. When was the last time you looked at an Apple product and thought it was ugly? The built, design and form factor of their products along with the choice of material used is usually spot on. More than a Samsung Galaxy S3 or any other major competitor in the market, I just like the way the iPhone feels in my hand. Compared to a fat IBM laptop, a Macbook Air is extremely pleasing to the eye. There will obviously be people who value configurations and value for money over everything else, but a huge chunk of people will just buy what they like at first sight - and Apple wins the race hands down in that department.
3. The products have to be easy to use.
Jobs was a stickler on this point. While industrial design is a critical component of any product Apple makes, if it is not easy to use, it is considered worthless to the consumer. This is what drove the company’s user-interface designs from Day 1 and is still the mantra pushed to the software and hardware engineers every day they go to work. All of the products they create have to be intuitive and easy to understand and learn. As technology has become more intricate and users want more features, the task of keeping things simple is sometimes difficult. And Apple creates tools for power users and rookies, which can mean a broad range of ease-of-use issues. But even with that, Apple is the only company I deal with where ease of use is more important than the product itself. Apple makes this a critical goal of its approach to creating anything for the market.
The term "Apple Fan-boys" wasn't coined for no apparent reason - it has a modicum of truth to it. Apple has managed to become a huge brand name. Like every other brand out there worth having, people are usually more than willing to pay a huge amount just to own an Apple product. It's as simple as"It's cool to own an Apple product" or "Having an Apple product is cool. Everyone else I know has it, I shouldn't be left behind". There is no logic behind people paying a ridiculous amount of money for Jimmy Choo shoes or D&G products. But people do anyway. The same can be applied to Apple to a certain extent. Which brings us to this point.
6. Apple stays at least two years ahead of its competitors.
This is the one that scares Apple’s competitors the most. While those competing with Apple are just getting products to market that are competitive, Apple is already working on the products at least two years out. For example, the new iPhone that will most likely go to market in October was designed and signed off on two years ago. And the iPhone the company is working on now is for the fall of 2014. The same goes for the iPad. The new iPad that we will most likely see next March was signed off on two years ago. The one that’s being worked on now we will probably see in 2015. This is a nightmare for Apple’s competitors and will continue to be for some time.
That's it.
