For the majority of people connecting to the internet these days, doing so on the go is their preferred method. That’s why devices like smartphones, tablets, laptops and notebook computers, and smartwatches have become part of our daily lives. The notion of going somewhere and not being able to communicate with our colleagues or loved ones for even a tiny amount of time is completely foreign to us these days. Because of the ease of being connected, companies like Apple have built their success around supplying us with everything we need to get online and stay online.
Apple sells 41% of the smartphones in the United States as well as 38% of the tablets and 46% of the smartwatches, dominating the U.S. tech market. Those devices help us to keep track of our heart rates, call our loved ones, check in on social media, take pictures at the school play, and more, making them an integral part of our daily lives.
Apple makes plenty of money off being part of our daily lives. In 2018, Apple became the first publicly traded U.S. company to cross the $1 trillion threshold. Every year, Apple sells $167 billion in iPhones, $25 billion in Mac computers, $19 billion in iPads, and $37 billion in the services that augment the equipment it sells, from iCloud to Apple Pay. Apple’s yearly net sales are $266 billion, and after $164 billion in operating expenses that leaves $102 billion a year in profit.
Apple’s popularity has only grown over the years. In 2002 when Apple released the first redesigned iMac, it sold 3 million computers. By 2018 that figure had grown to 18 million units.
In 2007, 1 million iPhones were sold when they were first released, and by 2018 that number had grown to 218 million units sold.
The iPad was released in 2010, and 7 million units were sold that year. By 2018 iPad had sold 44 million units.
In 2015 when the Apple Watch was released, an astounding 12 million units were sold. By 2018 that number had nearly doubled to 23 million units.
Part of the reason these products are so popular is that they all connect to each other seamlessly, so if you have an iPhone you can connect to your iPad or your MacBook without having to be terribly tech-savvy. This makes the user experience with these products significantly better than a patchwork of different technologies.
One thing is for sure and that is we like to be connected to each other. Companies that can figure out how to keep us connected are likely to continue to dominate the U.S. tech market. Apple’s philosophies of quality over quantity, a design aesthetic that is carried through the entire device, and innovation have made it a leader in the tech marketplace. And once you enter the Apple ecosystem you are likely to remain there indefinitely thanks to its ease of use. Learn more about how Apple makes its money from the infographic below.
