50 Most Surprising Facts about Apple that you should know today

When Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne established Apple in 1976, there was no way they could have envisioned the brand to be a global trendsetter. A household name, Apple, Inc. is undoubtedly one of the largest and most recognized brands in the world today. Its products like the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, etc. have set a new standard of quality and revolutionized the industries in many ways. These products have continuously demonstrated why Apple is successful around the world. However, there is more to this Tim Cook-led tech giant than meets the eye. There are many facts about Apple that many of us don’t know.  

Here are the 50 strange yet interesting facts about Apple that will take you by surprise.

Facts about Apple Company:

1. A funny fact about Apple is that it was founded in 1976 on April Fool’s Day.

2. There is a mystery surrounding the brand’s name. Interestingly, one of the funny facts about Apple is its name came from founder Steve Jobs’ liking for the fruit.

3. Apple’s original logo designed by Ronald Wayne depicted Sir Isaac Newton under an Apple tree.

4. Apple also acquired Xnor.ai for $200 million in 2020.

5. Apple also launched a clothing line in 1986 which unfortunately could not succeed. The collection included apparel, sunglasses, as well as other useful things such as watches, chairs, etc. 

6. One of the lesser-known facts about Apple is that it was the first private company to reach a $1 trillion market value. 

7. In 2020, during the harsh times of the pandemic, Apple announced a $50M Relief Fund for Indie Labels.

8. Many of us would not know that Apple holds the patent for the ’slide to unlock’ feature.

9. More to your surprise, Apple was the first digital company to develop a color digital camera named—Apple QuickTake 100.

10. Apple has introduced a New MacBook Upgrade Program for Business Partners.

11. Tony Fadell, the brain behind the iPad, had first pitched the idea to RealNetworks and Philips. However, they could not recognize the potential and refused the offer.

12. Although being a fierce competitor, Microsoft invested $150 million in Apple in 1997 when the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. 

13. The iOS trademark was originally owned by CISCO. Apple later licensed it from CISCO.

14. Also, Apple acquired Stamplay to develop Cloud-based iOS apps. And this was done in the year 2019.

15. Apple has broken its 15-year partnership with Intel and launched M1 Chip in the year 2020.

16. In 2018, Apple acquired the digital magazine service Texture.

17. Apple and Salesforce came together in 2018 to launch Business apps together.

18. Apple generated $383.2 billion in revenue in 2023, 52% came from iPhone sales

19. In 2023, Apple launched its iPhone 15and many people faced the issue of Overheating, to counter that, they have come up with new software to fix the issue.

20. Apple has the most loyal customer base, with a retention rate of 92%

21. Apple has around $150 billion in excess capital. It could buy companies like Netflix, Twitter, Tesla, and Facebook.

22. Drive.ai was facing some concerns and Apple acquired the company in 2019.

Facts about the Co-founders:

23. Ronald Wayne, one of the co-founders of Apple left the company 12 days after its inception. Had he not sold his 10% share and left the company, his share would have been worth around $250 billion today! (Considering the company’s market value is $2.52 trillion today).

24. Co-founder Steve Wozniak had to sell his scientific calculator to raise funds for Apple. 

25. In July 1976, the Apple I computer went on sale at a price of US $666.66. This price was set because Steve Wozniak liked repeating digits. 

26. We all know Steve Jobs as one of the mainstays of Apple; however, Steve Jobs is also the name of a fashion label in Italy. The brand was named as its founders recognized that Apple had never secured the rights to the name ’Steve Jobs’.

27. When the first iPod prototype was developed, Steve Jobs dropped it into an aquarium to prove that there was still empty space in it and that it could be made smaller. 

28. For some reason, Steve Jobs was sacked from Apple in 1985. He rejoined the company in 1996 and has been a major contributor to its success since. 

29. Steve Jobs became a millionaire at the age of 25 years.

30. During his tenure as the CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs received a fixed salary of only US $1. However, due to his shares in the company, his net worth was estimated at $10.2 billion at the time of his death.

31. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook is the highest-paid CEO after Elon Musk. He earned $770.5 million in 2021 alone, as part of a 10-year grant of shares worth $1.7 billion. 

Facts about Apple Products:

32. If you closely observe, every iPhone ad from Apple displays the time 9:41 AM. This is because it was the time Steve Jobs unleashed the original iPhone in 2007.

33. You’ll be amazed to know that an iPad with apps installed weighs more than the one without apps installed.

34. When the first iPhone was launched, it took a year to cross the 1 million sales mark. However, the recently launched iPhone 12 series sales crossed a whopping 100 million in merely 7 months. 

35. It may sound ridiculous, but if you smoke while using an Apple computer, you void the warranty.

36. Apple is so particular about its customers’ privacy that it even refused the FBI when it approached Apple to unlock a terrorist’s iPhone. 

37. This may sound a little unusual, but there is a paragraph in the Apple iTunes End User License Agreement that prohibits using iTunes to create nuclear missiles.

38. Apple Services is the second largest division, responsible for 22% of revenue in 2023.

39. One of the interesting facts about iPhones is that it is the most profitable product in the world. A major share of Apple’s profit comes from the sale of iPhones. It is one of the prominent reasons why Apple is successful and has an ever-expanding user base.

40. Interestingly, Samsung makes retina displays and OLED displays that are used in Apple devices. 

41. SIRI was actually planned to be released even on Android and Blackberry, only before Apple bought SIRI Inc. in 2010.

42. We are quite used to dealing with Gigabytes (GB), sometimes even Terabytes (TB) when it comes to storage and data. You will be astonished to know that the first hard disc for Apple II had a storage capacity of five megabytes (MBs).

43. Apple’s products are known for their premium safety features. It’s MacBook Pro can stop a .22 Cal and a 9mm handgun.

44. Apple posts an intro video whenever it launches a new product. If you look closely at those videos, you’ll find that Jonathon Ive, Apple’s lead designer, has worn the same T-shirt in such videos.

45. Apple sold 232 million iPhones, 61 million iPads, and 26 million Mac and MacBook units in 2022.

46. Apple’s home and wearables division declined by 3.6% in 2023, due to increased competition from Samsung, Google, and Amazon.

47. Apple launched a new device called the Vision Pro in June 2023, which is a virtual reality headset that integrates with the iPhone and other Apple products.

48. Apple is rumored to be working on a self-driving car project, codenamed Titan, which could launch by 2025.

49. Apple is also developing a wireless charging mat, called AirPower, which can charge multiple devices at once, such as the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods. The product was first announced in 2017 but was delayed due to technical challenges. It is expected to launch in 2024.

50. Apple also released new MacBook Pros with 14-inch and 16-inch mini-LED displays, a redesigned Mac Pro with a modular design, and an updated full-sized HomePod with improved sound quality and Siri integration in 2023.

Conclusion

In wrapping up, this blog has peeled back the layers to reveal 50 facts about Apple. We’ve explored the innovative products, the iconic company’s journey, and the visionaries who planted the seeds of this tech giant. As we close the chapter on this insightful exploration, we hope you’ve gained a deeper appreciation for the brand that has truly redefined our digital world. Stay tuned for more bites of knowledge that keep you connected with the core of Apple’s ever-evolving story.

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