Apple tops $3.3T valuation on 49th anniversary

By Sevgi Ceren Gokkoyun and Mucahithan Avcioglu

NEW YORK / ISTANBUL – Apple remained the world’s most valuable company on Monday, reaching a market capitalization of $3.3 trillion, 49 years after its founding.

Despite recent volatility in technology stocks driven by trade policy uncertainty in the US, Apple’s shares rose 28% in 2024.

The company’s valuation, which stood at $2.6 trillion in March 2023, climbed to $3.3 trillion by Monday.

Founded on April 1, 1976, in a California garage, Apple became one of the most influential companies globally, credited for popularizing user-friendly devices and reshaping consumer technology.

Apple was launched by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne with the “Apple I” computer and a vision of “creating user-friendly computers”.

In early 1977, the firm was incorporated as “Apple Computer”.

The release of the “Macintosh” in 1984 changed the personal computing landscape, offering a graphical user interface and mouse support. Apple’s 2001 launch of the “iPod” disrupted the music industry and transformed how users accessed digital content.

The 2007 release of the “iPhone” helped reshape the smartphone industry by offering a mobile device with computer-like capabilities.

In 2007, Apple dropped “Computer” from its corporate name, reflecting its expansion into broader electronics. It followed in 2010 with the launch of the “iPad”, its first tablet.

- AI integration boosts Apple's competitive edge

Apple ramped up its artificial intelligence projects in June 2024, introducing “Apple Intelligence.”

The new system is reported to feature context-based notifications, AI-generated visual content and cross-application task automation.

Amid growing competition with Microsoft and Nvidia, Apple reclaimed its top spot as the most valuable company after accelerating AI efforts.

In September 2024, Apple unveiled the AI-enabled iPhone 16, which supports large-scale generative AI models.

In February 2025, it released the iPhone 16e, a lower-cost model incorporating AI features.

- Apple’s market share shrinks in China-led competition

According to its most recent financial results, Apple’s iPhone sales fell during the three months ending Dec. 28, 2024, though Mac and iPad sales grew.

During that quarter, iPhone sales dropped 1% from the same period in 2023 to $69.1 billion, falling short of analyst expectations.

A report from research firm IDC said Apple’s global smartphone shipments fell 0.9% in 2024, even as global sales rose by 6.4%.

Apple’s global market share declined from 20.1% in 2023 to 18.7% in 2024.

Apple retained its lead in the global smartphone market, though Chinese competitors expanded their share.