Apple Inc.'s Strategic Direction and Key Risk Factors

Apple Inc. is a leading technology company that designs, manufactures, and markets a range of products and digital content. The company has expanded its product line to include iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch, and Apple TV, among others. With a global presence through retail stores, online platforms, and third-party sources, Apple operates in various segments including America, Europe, Greater China, and Rest of Asia Pacific. The company faces competition from firms like Dell, Lenovo, HP Inc., Sony Corp., and Samsung. As the world's largest information technology company by revenue, Apple has a strong market position, valued at $1 trillion. The company continues to innovate with new products and services, such as HomePod, wireless AirPods, and wireless charging, while also introducing features that promote customer health benefits. Key risk factors for Apple include global and regional economic conditions, technology changes, and the need to stay competitive.

PART-A
Apple Inc. Company is engaged in design, manufacture and device and personal computers and
also to sell a variety of software and also to sell a variety of digital content and application. The
various products in which the company indulge is iPhone, iPod, Apple watch or Apple TV etc.
and also the company sell its product worldwide through retail store, online or through third
party sources and the various consumers that are involved are small and mid size business,
retailers and other value added resellers and the company is incorporated in the year 1977 in
California and the segments in which the company operates in America, Europe, Greater China
and Rest of Asia Pacific. The list of competitors is different as the company is indulged in the
different type of field like personal computers, mobile phone or technology space. The
competitor of the Apple is Dell, Lenovo, H.P. Inc., Sony Corp. or Samsung etc. The position of
the company within the industry as the share of the company has increased over the year which
is the world largest information technology company by revenue and the third largest mobile
manufacturer after Samsung and Huawei and according to recent valuation it has been valued at
$ 1 trillion which makes the company enjoys a high position in the industry in which it operates.
The recent development that has taken place within the company by introducing new type of
product in market that have not been there in the market earlier and have been launched
according to needs of customer like Home pod , wireless air pods and wireless charging also in
the field of watches with the features which will provide maximum health benefit to the
individual and all these developments are taking place in the industry at the faster rate as they are
much more depending on the demand of the customer and which is increasing over the period.
The key risk factors for the company are as they are the number of factors on the basis of which
the company is affected is the globally and the regional economic condition as the consumer and
other persons have to tighten their spending due to the economic recession which will ultimately

affect the company position. The other major factors also which will affect the company is the
technology change and if the company is unable to compete in this it will provide huge loss to
the company. The strategic direction of the company is that there is no one particular strategy
which works for the company but it depends on the opportunities which are there in the market
and how to use them in favor of company but as we have seen from the past years hardware is
critical for the company which accounts for major revenue on which it serves its other facilities
like apps and services. The changes it has brought in the field of devices has made the company
grow at a faster rate like in the field of music by introducing iPod other devices like Mac, iPad,
IPhone all these devices has contributed majorly in the company success and to continuously
brings new features and technology in this is the strategy which will provide success to the
company. The other significant items to the company are its dynamic business plan which it
changes continuously on the basis of change in the market which was started as computer
company but sooner it has entered into diverse range of product like iphone, iPod etc. and also
other items are its own retail store across the world which proved a major turning point for the
company and this decision was in favor of company. There are also other major things which
have contributed to company success majorly. The following information has been taken from
the variety of sources which states that the company has filled the Form 10-K with the SEC on
November 5, 2018 which states the financial position of the company along with it the disclosure
of International trade dispute that is going on between U.S and China which affects the company
business and the company has recently filled 8-K with the SEC on March of 4, 2019.
Apple Inc. has recently announced the conference call of discussing the result of the second
quarter with the Investor on April 30, 2019. The company has captured a huge market through its
various product and services and as of now today the company is in a good position and also

introducing new product so as to increase its share and revenue. The company is in the growth
stage and is capturing the needs of the human through introducing new technology in the market
which is a major point for the company success and also to stand in front of its competitor. The
recent major news from the business periodicals is that the company is going to host the annual
Worldwide Developers Conference from June 3-7 in San Jose and it is one of the biggest event
of the year which brings the developers across the world under one roof and the company has
also recently introduced the Apple TV+ which will give access to the all latest TV shows,
movies and documentaries which will all start in May 2019 and it will bring a huge revolution in
field of media and it can also a become a major success for the company because nowadays the
culture of watching web shows has increased which will provide maximum profit to the
company. The success of the company can be seen from the recent increase in revenue which
shows that the company is performing well in the market and with constant up gradation of the
product it will be able to maintain its position in the market. As of recent data of 2018 company
has employed 123000 full time employees and maintains 504 retail stores in 24 countries as of
2018 and the number is increasing continuously over the period which shows the company
progress in its field.
REFERENCES-
Agrawal, V. V., Atasu, A., & Van Ittersum, K. (2015). Remanufacturing, third-party competition, and
consumers' perceived value of new products. Management Science, 61(1), 60-72.
Heracleous, L., & Papachroni, A. (2016). Strategic Leadership and Innovation at Apple Inc. SAGE
Publications Ltd.
Huang, S. Y., & Liu, A. (2016). U.S. Patent Application No. 29/502,113.
Nieto-Rodriguez, A. (2016). The focused organization: how concentrating on a few key initiatives can
dramatically improve strategy execution. Routledge.
Zhang, Q. (2018). Research on Apple Inc’s Current Developing Conditions.