Question

write a 2-4 page current situation analysis by evaluating Apple's external environment, and internal resources, capabilities, and competitiveness. 2/3 pages

Answer 1

Evaluating Apple's external environment

The external factors in Apple’s remote or macro-environment indicate the value of strategic management and flexible long-term strategic planning in managing external factors. This PESTEL/PESTLE analysis serves as a guide for strategic formulation processes to address external pressures the technology corporation is experiencing. Apple Inc.’s generic strategy for competitive advantage and intensive strategies for growth are examples of strategic congruence for countering such pressures.

Political Factors Affecting Apple’s Business

The political external factors in Apple’s remote or macro-environment mainly present opportunities. This aspect of the PESTEL/PESTLE analysis model indicates the influence of governments and related organizations on businesses. In Apple’s case, the following are some of the major political external factors:

1. Improving free trade policies (opportunity)
2. Stable politics in developed countries (opportunity)
3. Trade disputes, especially between the U.S. and China (threat)

Better overall free trade policies are created over time. This external strategic factor increases the opportunities for Apple Inc. to distribute more of its products around the world. This PESTEL/PESTLE analysis also identifies the stability of the political landscape of developed countries as an opportunity for Apple to grow, considering the reduced political problems affecting business operations in these countries. In spite of these trends that present opportunities, the political external factor of trade disputes, especially between the United States and China, creates a threat against the company’s potential growth and the global sales revenues of its products, such as consumer electronics. For example, growing China-U.S. tensions could lead China to impose higher tariffs on imported electronic components used in Apple’s product assembly. Based on this part of the PESTEL/PESTLE analysis, Apple can improve its performance by taking advantage of political opportunities in its remote or macro-environment, although caution is needed to ensure stability despite trade disputes.

Economic Factors Important to Apple Inc.

Most of the economic external factors in Apple’s remote or macro-environment create opportunities. This aspect of the PESTEL/PESTLE analysis model indicates market and industry conditions that impact firms. In this external analysis case of Apple Inc., the following economic external factors are the most significant:

1. Stable economies of developed countries (opportunity)
2. Rapid growth of developing countries (opportunity)
3. Increasing disposable incomes among target customers (opportunity)

The economic stability of developed countries creates opportunities for Apple’s expansion. However, the rapid growth of developing countries is a more significant economic external factor in this PESTEL/PESTLE analysis case, in terms of support for growing the technology business. For example, the high economic growth rates of Asian countries are opportunities for Apple to increase its revenues through sales in these foreign markets. In relation, higher disposable incomes create more opportunities to sell the company’s relatively high-priced technology products. In exploiting these economic opportunities, it is essential to consider competitive forces in the international market, as described in the Porter’s Five Forces analysis of Apple Inc. These external strategic factors indicate growth potential for the corporation and its competitors, especially large multinational firms like Samsung. Based on this part of the PESTEL/PESTLE analysis framework, speed and effectiveness are critical in Apple Inc.’s growth and expansion efforts because competitors also target these same economic opportunities.

Social/Sociocultural Factors in Apple’s Industry Environment

Apple’s business is subject to the effects of social or sociocultural trends. This aspect of the PESTEL/PESTLE analysis model points to the social external factors that influence consumer behaviors and expectations. In Apple’s case, the following sociocultural trends are significant in the remote or macro-environment:

1. Rising use of mobile access (opportunity)
2. Increasing dependence on digital systems (opportunity)
3. International anti-Apple sentiments (threat)

The rising use of mobile access is an opportunity to grow Apple Inc.’s revenues. This social external factor relates to the increasing demand for devices like smartphones and tablets. This PESTEL/PESTLE analysis also points to the increasing dependence on digital systems, which is another sociocultural trend that creates opportunities for Apple to sell more of its products based on higher demand. Despite these opportunities, the company faces the social threat of opposition against its business operations. Anti-Apple sentiments are mounting, questioning business practices, such as the company’s lawsuits against third-party repair service providers that repair products like the iPhone and MacBook. In the PESTEL/PESTLE analysis context, these sentiments have the potential to reduce brand image and consumer confidence in the corporation’s technological products. These sociocultural factors emphasize the importance of Apple Inc.’s corporate social responsibility strategy. Such strategy helps satisfy stakeholders, including customers and governments. In addition, Apple Inc.’s corporate culture is a relevant factor because it influences the quality of service provided to customers. The company’s internal cultural approach must align with the sociocultural trends influencing the global market. In this part of the PESTEL/PESTLE analysis of Apple Inc., opportunities for growth, as well as threats against the business, are identified. These strategic concerns require that the company continue improving its policies and practices, as well as its approaches to technological innovation. Also, Apple Inc.’s marketing mix or 4Ps must include strategies that match such social external factors.

Technological Factors in Apple’s Business Environment

The technological external factors in Apple’s remote or macro-environment generally provide opportunities for the enterprise. In this aspect of the PESTEL/PESTLE analysis framework, current technologies and technological trends are evaluated based on their effect on business conditions. In Apple’s external analysis case, the following technological external factors are the most significant:

1. Growing cloud computing demand (opportunity)
2. Increasing technological integration in businesses (opportunity)
3. Growing mobile market (opportunity)
4. Growing technological capabilities of other firms (threat)

This PESTEL/PESTLE analysis of Apple Inc. identifies the growing demand for cloud computing as an opportunity to grow the business. The company now offers cloud services, although to a limited extent. In exploiting this opportunity, together with support from Apple Inc.’s corporate structure, developing an expanded cloud infrastructure could maximize the profitability of the business in offering cloud-computing services. In relation, the external strategic factor of increasing technological integration presents the opportunity to enhance the company’s services and grow the business by offering its technological goods and services to more customers, including organizations. Furthermore, this PESTEL/PESTLE analysis includes the growth of the mobile market as an opportunity for Apple Inc. to gain higher revenues, including revenues through the App Store and related digital content distribution platforms. However, the technological advancement of other firms threatens the company, as more new players could enter the market. Thus, to ensure the achievement of Apple Inc.’s corporate vision and mission statements, it is beneficial to reinforce business capabilities to exploit the opportunities and protect the business against the competitive threats shown in this part of the PESTEL/PESTLE analysis.

Ecological/Environmental Factors

The ecological factors in Apple Inc.’s remote or macro-environment provide opportunities for business improvement. This aspect of the PESTEL/PESTLE analysis model highlights ecological trends and their impacts on business. In Apple’s case, the following ecological external factors are the most important:

1. Business sustainability trend (opportunity)
2. Energy efficiency trend (opportunity)

The business sustainability trend is an ecological factor linked to increasing favor among businesses to adopt sustainable practices, based on concerns about the adverse environmental impact of business operations. In this PESTEL/PESTLE analysis of Apple Inc., such an ecological trend offers the opportunity to strengthen the company’s corporate image. In addition, the energy efficiency trend is an ecological external factor that promotes the adoption of newer and more efficient technologies among businesses and customers. Apple has the opportunity to improve its operational cost efficiencies in this regard, while offering more attractive products to an increasingly environmentally aware customer population. Based on this part of the PESTEL/PESTLE analysis model, Apple addresses these ecological/environmental factors in its remote or macro-environment. The company has strategic measures to adjust its operations and technological products to respond to these ecological trends. Apple Inc.’s operations management also supports business efforts to exploit opportunities on these trends.

Legal Factors that Limit Apple

The legal external factors in Apple’s remote or macro-environment create threats to the business. This aspect of the PESTEL/PESTLE analysis framework indicates the impact of laws or regulations on businesses. In Apple’s case, the following are the most significant legal external factors:

1. Increasing privacy regulations (opportunity & threat)
2. Legal challenges against Apple’s policies and practices (threat)

Governments’ pressure on privacy in the digital age has resulted in increasing privacy regulations on businesses like Apple Inc. This legal external factor is a threat that could impose costly regulatory compliance requirements and more limits on the technology company. However, this PESTEL/PESTLE analysis identifies the same external factor as a trend that presents the opportunity for Apple to boost its business through enhanced privacy measures. In addition, the company faces legal challenges related to its practices and policies on after-sales service and other areas of the business. For example, in Australia, the European Union, and the United States, among other countries, the company has faced strong criticism and legal battles regarding its policies on third-party repair services. Based on this part of the PESTEL/PESTLE analysis model, Apple must emphasize privacy protection and regulatory compliance in all of its products, and consider adjusting its policies and practices to address current legal pressures on the business.

Apple Inc. PESTEL/PESTLE Analysis – Recommendations

This PESTEL/PESTLE analysis shows that the majority of external factors in Apple’s remote or macro-environment provide opportunities. Given its current industry position, the company can exploit these opportunities to expand its reach in the global information technology goods and services market. However, Apple must develop suitable strategies to effectively address the threats identified, especially those in the legal dimension of its remote or macro-environment. Based on this PESTEL/PESTLE analysis, it is expected that Apple will remain in its strong industry position. Nonetheless, the dynamics of the market and the presence of aggressive competitors could drastically change the company’s strategic position.

Apple's internal resources

Apple’s Strengths (Internal Strategic Factors)

This aspect of the SWOT analysis framework identifies the strengths that enable the company to overcome weaknesses, take advantage of opportunities, and withstand threats in its business environment. These strengths are internal factors specific to the conditions within the business organization. In this case, the following are the most notable strengths of Apple Inc.:

1. Strong brand image
2. High profit margins
3. Effective rapid innovation processes

Apple is one of the most valuable and strongest brands in the world. In the context of this SWOT analysis, the company is capable of introducing profitable new products by virtue of its strong brand image. In addition, Apple’s marketing mix or 4P involves the premium pricing strategy, which comes with high profit margins. This internal strategic factor is a major strength because it maximizes profits, even when sales volumes are limited. Moreover, the generic competitive strategy and intensive growth strategies of Apple Inc. involve effective rapid innovation, which enables the business to keep abreast with the latest technologies to ensure competitive advantages. Based on this aspect of the SWOT analysis of Apple Inc., the company’s strengths are difficult to compete with, thereby supporting continued leadership in the global industry environment.

Apple Inc.’s Weaknesses (Internal Strategic Factors)

In this aspect of the SWOT analysis, the emphasis is on the weaknesses or inadequacies of the company. Weaknesses are internal factors that are obstacles to business growth. The following business weaknesses are the most notable in the case of Apple:

1. Limited distribution network
2. High selling prices
3. Dependence of sales on high-end market segments

Apple Inc. has a limited distribution network because of the company’s policy of exclusivity. For example, the company carefully selects the authorized sellers of its products. The SWOT analysis framework considers this exclusivity strategy as a factor that limits market reach. This weakness exists despite exclusivity’s advantages, such as Apple’s strong control on the distribution of products. In addition, because of its premium pricing strategy, the company has the weakness of the dependence of sales on high-end market segments. High prices attract customers from the middle- and high-income brackets, while preventing customers from low-income brackets to easily purchase the company’s products. This internal strategic factor is a considerable weakness because high-end market segments represent only a minority of the global market. Based on the internal factors in this aspect of the SWOT analysis, Apple Inc.’s pricing and distribution strategies impose limitations or weaknesses in the business.

Opportunities for Apple Inc.

This aspect of the SWOT analysis of Apple Inc. pinpoints the most significant opportunities that are available to the business. Opportunities are external factors based on the industry environment. These factors influence the strategic direction of business organizations. In Apple’s case, the following are the most significant opportunities:

1. Expansion of the distribution network
2. Higher sales volumes based on rising demand
3. Development of new product lines

Apple Inc. has the opportunity to expand its distribution network. Such opportunity directly relates to the weakness of the company’s limited distribution network. This SWOT analysis emphasizes the need for the company to change its distribution strategy. An expanded distribution network can help Apple reach more customers in the global market. In relation, the company has the opportunity to increase its sales volumes through aggressive marketing, especially for mobile products. This opportunity is linked to the rising demand for mobile access, as illustrated in the PESTEL/PESTLE analysis of Apple Inc. Furthermore, the company has the opportunity to explore new product lines. Its current product lines are highly successful. However, with further innovation, the company can develop and introduce new products, like what it has already achieved with the Apple Watch. Developing new product lines can support business growth in the international market. Thus, this aspect of the SWOT analysis of Apple indicates that the business has major opportunities for further growth despite aggressive competition.

Threats Facing Apple Inc.

In this aspect of the SWOT analysis, the focus is on the threats that the company experiences from various sources, such as competitors. Threats are external factors that limit or reduce the financial performance of businesses. In Apple’s case, the following threats are the most significant:

1. Aggressive competition
2. Imitation
3. Rising labor cost in various countries

Tough competition in the industry is partly because of the aggressiveness of firms. Apple competes with firms like Samsung, which also uses rapid innovation. In the context of this SWOT analysis, aggressive competition has a limiting effect on Apple Inc. Because of the aggressive behaviors of competing firms, it is necessary to have strong fundamentals for maintaining competitive advantages. In addition, the company faces the threat of imitation. This threat is significant because of the large number of local and multinational firms that imitate the design and features of Apple’s products. Moreover, rising labor costs involving contract manufacturers, such as those in China, reduce profit margins or push selling prices even higher. Based on the external strategic factors in this SWOT analysis, Apple Inc.’s performance could suffer because of aggressive competition and imitation of product design.

SWOT Analysis of Apple Inc. – Recommendations

The internal and external factors discussed in this SWOT analysis indicate that Apple Inc. possesses major strengths to effectively address organizational weaknesses. The company can also use these strengths to exploit opportunities, such as the expansion of its distribution network. Moreover, the company can use its strong brand image and rapid innovation processes to successfully develop and launch new product lines. However, Apple faces the significant threats of aggressive competition and imitation, which are major challenges affecting players in the global market for consumer electronics, computer hardware and software, and online digital content distribution services.

Based on the strategic issues highlighted in this SWOT analysis of Apple Inc., a recommendation is to continue the aggressive and rapid innovation involved in developing the company’s products. Such innovation reduces the adverse effects of imitation on revenues. Also, it is recommended that the company further enhance the automation of its production processes, and support the automation of its contract manufacturers, as a way of addressing the rising labor costs involving Apple product manufacturers. Another recommendation is to establish partnerships with more distributors to improve the overall market reach of the company’s distribution network.

Apple's capabilities

Apple is a leading technology brand founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. The company is famous around the globe for its matchless technology and products like Mac and iPhone. However, apart from its highly attractive and popular products, Apple is best known for its great marketing. The company brought several market leading products like the Mac Operating system, iPhone, iTunes, iPad and several more. With time, it has also added many other products and services to its product mix. Rivalled mainly by Microsoft, Apple enjoys very high brand equity in the global markets. Apple’s edge comes from the competitive advantage and the leadership position it has built in the technology industry. iPhone apart from being a highly attractive smartphone, is also loaded with innovative technology and apps. It is the leading source of revenue for the brand. Apple is known for technological innovation but simultaneously marketing and supply chain management as well as a keen focus on customer experience have also helped it strengthen its competitive position in the market.

Have a look at the various resources and capabilities that have helped Apple build and sustain its competitive edge.

Brand equity :-

Brand equity is a significant strength for a brand that has achieved a leadership position. Apart from gaining competitive edge, it helps a company sustain its market leading position and customer base. Brand equity comes from trust and perfectly crafted customer experiences. Apple has always remained a leader in terms of customer focus and an example for others to imitate. The company is known for its obsession with quality and strong customer centricity. Strong customer connection and high level customer engagement have helped the brand build strong equity. The result is high level popularity and sales as well as easy brand recall. This can be highly beneficial for a brand and while on the one hand it makes your image stronger in the market, on the other it also has major advantages in terms of marketing. Apple’s distinct identity and image are a source of competitive advantage. It has built the image of a premium brand with a strong focus on innovation and customer convenience.

Product Quality :-

Product quality can be the driver of demand and popularity. Apple’s reputation in terms of product quality has remained unchallenged. The company brought several mind blowing products starting from Mac computer to iPhone, iTunes, and several more products and services. However, if its products are market leading products, then it is because of the heavy focus on quality and innovation. Apple has always challenged the established norms to bring breakthrough products and services. It is why the demand and popularity of Apple products is high despite the premium price tags.

Research and innovation:-

As a technology brand, Apple places heavy focus upon research and innovation. The level of competition in the tech industry is very high. Among the leading competitors of Apple are HP, Lenovo and Dell in computing, Samsung in smartphones and Microsoft and Alphabet in operating systems. All the rivals of Apple also invest heavily in R&D. Since its foundation, Apple has a strong reputation as an innovative company. It has excelled in the area of creating out of the box products and services. The company invests a large sum each year in Research and innovation. The company invested around 14.24 Billion dollars in research and innovation in 2018. In the first quarter of 2019 alone, it invested around 3.9 Billion dollars in R&D.

Global Presence:-

Global presence of Apple and its global popularity is also a key advantage that Apple has sustained well. The company operates its business mainly on a geographical basis. Its business is divided into the following geographic segments – Americas, Europe, Greater China, Japan and Rest of Asia Pacific. Americas include both North and South America. Apart from the company owned stores, Apple also sells through online channels and authorized resellers in markets around the globe. Global presence of the brand is a key competitive advantage that helps the brand achieve higher sales and revenue.

Marketing:-

Marketing is also a key source of competitive advantage for a brand that apart from driving sales also helps the brand achieve a distinct and differentiated identity. Apple is known as a leading marketer. For years, its unique marketing strategy has helped drive sales and engage customers better. The brand has built a distinct image for itself and a great reputation as an innovative technology brand. Its excellent marketing strategy is also a key source of popularity for the brand. While technological innovation is a key reason that Apple is very popular, its marketing strategy has also helped it establish itself as a customer centric brand.

Customer loyalty:-

Consistent focus on innovation, quality and customer convenience has helped Apple build a large customer base and strong customer loyalty. The company has a large customer base and its customers are very loyal customers. Apple has also built an ecosystem of related products which has helped it sustain its customer loyalty. Most Apple customers buy several products from Apple like smartphones, laptops and accessories.

Supply chain:-

Apple has managed a large and global supply chain network which ensures the availability of good quality raw material. Majority of its supply chain and assembly functions are located outside US. A large number of apple suppliers are located in Asia. However, the company has managed its supplier network very well. The result is continuous availability of good quality raw material which is key to the production of Apple’s products.

Apple's competitiveness

Apple, the leading technology brand and the maker of iPhone and Mac was founded in1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. In 2018, the brand touched a market valuation of 1 Trillion dollars. However, within two years, the market cap of Apple has continued to surge upwards faster. In June 2020, its market cap has touched $1.59 trillion and analysts expect that by or before 2021 end, its market cap would have touched $2 trillion. Apple founder Steve Jobs has been hailed as one of the most visionary leaders of the era who did not just create a great computing company but brought several unique products to the market like iPhone, iPod, and many more. The cult status of both the founder and the company remains unchallenged globally. Mac is a leading operating system that offers a seamless computing experience. However, Apple is remarkable for several other things as well. In the field of computing and smartphones, it holds its own distinct place. Even after the departure of Steve Jobs, the company has continued to grow stronger. The past three years have seen Apple performing very well financially. In 2018, its revenue has touched an all-time high. Its product portfolio has grown larger and the brand has also added more services as well as iCloud. Apple has an edge over its rivals and not just Mac OS and the iOS, there are other key technologies too owned by Apple that have helped it achieve a strong competitive edge. We will discuss these sources of Apple’s competitive advantage in this article.

Brand equity:

One major source of competitive advantage for Apple is brand equity. The company has built a very high level of trust in the market. It is known the most for its technology and great quality products. Its high-level popularity is a sign of a strong brand image and the reliability of its technology and technological products. Apple has always brought innovative products to the market that are unique and outstanding as well as very different from the rival products. Apart from technological innovation, its products are remarkable in terms of design and style. Millions around the world eagerly await new releases of iPhones and Macs. Nearly all of the products it has released until now have become major hits. However, both in terms of quality and innovation, Apple is considered matchless around the world. Its users are willing to pay a premium price for Apple products which is a sign of strong brand equity. Strong brand equity translates into higher equity and better sales and revenue. Today, Apple is the world’s leading technology company. However, its biggest asset is the trust, people place in its name.

Product Range :-

Apple has improved its product range a lot in recent years. A larger product range has translated into higher revenue and popularity. From Macbook to new versions of iPhones as well as Apple Watch, Apple TV, Mac Mini, the brand has brought several technologically innovative and attractive looking products to the market. iPhone is the best selling product in the entire range of products Apple offers. Apart from that, iPads and MacBooks are also major sources of revenue for the brand. Its product and service range also includes iCloud, Apple Pay, digital content, and services.  A large and hit product range is a leading source of competitive advantage for Apple.

Premium Pricing:-

While premium pricing can often become a weakness for a brand especially during times of economic fluctuations, it is a strength and a source of advantage for Apple. The company has maintained the image of a premium brand. It will not compromise on quality and technology. It is why Apple invests a large sum in research and development every year. Premium pricing has also helped it maintain a distinct image that is very different from competing brands like Microsoft, HP, Huawei, and Samsung. Premium pricing in the case of Apple could not become an impediment to growth which was because it never compromised on technology and product quality. Moreover, it has a distinct marketing strategy which has helped it retain the uniqueness of its brand and products. All of these factors have resulted in high-level popularity and sales. So, the premium pricing strategy of Apple is a source of competitive advantage for the brand.

Financial Performance:

Apple’s financial performance over the last several years has remained strong. While many industry analysts believed that its position s a technology brand was weakening, Apple made a strong comeback with its new iPhone, Mac, and iPad models. The result was a performance better than expectations. Apple’s revenue took a sharp jump in 2018 rising from 229.3 Billion dollars in 2017 to 265.6 Billion. iPhones were the largest source of revenue for Apple in 2018, fetching a total revenue of 164.9 Billion dollars. Services were another major profitable segment for the brand, fetching 39.75 Billion dollars in revenue.  In this way, the financial performance of Apple as continued to strengthen over the past three years. This allows it strong leverage since the brand can invest more in R&D as well as marketing. In 2019, Apple’s revenue was less than 2018 mainly due to lower unit sales of iPhones.

Leadership:

Leadership is also a major strength of Apple. Since the time of Steve Jobs, the brand has benefitted from strong leadership. Jobs was a visionary leader and under his leadership, Apple saw a lot of growth and international expansion. Now, Tim Cook is leading Apple and he has made several strategic changes inside the company. However, Apple is also enjoying a lot of growth under his leadership. It is perfuming well financially and has also brought new products to the market. Apart from that Apple’s position has improved in other areas too including R&D as well as HRM. leadership can be a major source of competitive advantage and it has been proved in several cases including Starbucks, Microsoft, Google, Ford, and several more brands. In the case of Apple too, it has proved to be a distinct advantage.

Innovation:

The technology industry has grown highly competitive. Companies have to invest a lot in research and development to remain ahead of their competitors. Apple is known to be a highly innovative company right since its foundation. It has brought several innovative products including Mac OS, iOS, MacBooks, iPhones, iPads, iTunes, and others. In this way, it has brought an entire range of innovative products to the market that set itself apart from the competition. Research and development is  primary driver of growth at Apple and in the entire technology industry. Apple invests a large sum each year in R&D. It invests 5% of its net sales each year in R&D. Its research and development costs rose to 14.24 Billion dollars in 2018 from 11.6 Billion dollars during the previous year. In just three years, its research and development costs have increased by more than 4 Billion dollars. The reason is a fast rise in Apple’s revenue as well as intense competition in the technology industry. However, Apple’s focus on research and innovation is also bearing great results. Its financial performance has grown strong and the brand is enjoying unprecedented growth.

Global Presence:-

Apple is a global company and operates in a very large number of countries throughout the globe. It manages its business mainly on a geographic basis. The reportable segments of Apple include the Americas, Europe, Greater China, Japan, and Rest of Asia Pacific. Americas includes both North and South America. Europe includes European countries, and apart from them India, the Middle East, and Africa. Greater China includes China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The rest of Asia Pacific includes Australia and other Asian countries that are not a part of Apple’s other reportable segments. Although the company sells similar hardware and software products and similar services in each of these segments, it manages each one separately. This is done to align with the location of the customers and distribution partners and the unique market dynamics of each geographic region. There are a few factors that are unique about each of these geographic segments including economic and social conditions and government regulation. the company’s presence in several countries leads to higher sales and revenue. Americas are the biggest source of revenue for the company followed by Europe and Greater China.

Customer loyalty:-

Customer loyalty can be a major advantage in the 21st century. Every brand works to retain its existing customers and to create customer loyalty. The technology industry is marked by intense competition. each brand is aggressive about grown and apart from marketing uses several more methods of customer engagement and retention. However, the premium quality of Apple products is a major strength that has helped it build strong customer loyalty. Its products enjoy a very high level of popularity despite their premium prices. iPhone, Mac, iPad, etc are quite popular and the Apple customers are highly loyal. They buy most of these products from Apple which is because of their inter compatibility as well. Apple’s Mac OS and iOS are not compatible with other bands. These products offer a distinct experience which is also a reason behind their popularity. Apple is a customer-centric brand and its customer orientation is also a reason that its customers love it so much.