Apple is entering a major leadership transition with a strong growth story built around AI, enterprise adoption, Services expansion and a record installed base. Timothy D. Cook will become executive chairman on September 1, while John Ternus will take over as CEO, promising continuity in Apple’s product, financial and innovation strategy.
Apple reported March quarter revenue of $111.2 billion, up 17 percent, with net income of $29.6 billion and diluted EPS of $2.10, up 22 percent. The company’s installed base crossed 2.5 billion active devices, giving Apple a larger platform for AI-powered services, enterprise tools and customer engagement.
Apple increased its global PC market presence, reaching an 11 percent share, according to Omdia report. Apple’s PC shipments rose 5.4 percent, supported by strong demand for the MacBook Air lineup and the early market traction of the newly introduced MacBook Neo. The growth highlights Apple’s momentum in the premium PC segment, driven by product refresh cycles and steady consumer and enterprise demand.
The latest IDC report suggests that Apple secured the second position in the global smartphone market globally in Q1-2026, supported by robust demand for its iPhone 17 series.
The company achieved a 3.3 percent increase in shipments that reached 61.1 million from 59.1 million in Q1-2025, outperforming most competitors amid challenging market conditions. China emerged as a key growth driver, with iPhone 17 sales rising more than 30 percent in the region.
Apple’s strength in the premium segment and stronger supplier relationships helped it manage memory constraints better than rivals. However, supply disruptions and reduced channel support in some markets limited further growth despite solid consumer demand.
AI strategy
AI is becoming central to Apple’s strategy. Apple Intelligence is being integrated across iPhone, Mac, iPad, AirPods and Services, supported by Apple silicon and on-device processing.
Apple said the iPhone 17 family, powered by A19 and A19 Pro chips, delivers major AI performance gains through neural accelerators. The company positioned Mac as a leading platform for local AI and agentic AI development, helped by M5, M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.
Enterprise adoption is also accelerating. Apple launched Apple Business, an all-in-one platform combining hardware, software and enterprise services to help companies manage deployments and scale operations.
Marsh upgraded corporate devices to iPhone 17 and adopted Mac for internal AI development.
Freshworks deployed more than 5 thousand MacBook Pro and MacBook Air systems in India to support AI development.
Kansas City Public Schools is shifting to MacBook Neo as part of an all-Apple education strategy.
Apple’s Services revenue reached an all-time high of $31 billion, up 16 percent, supported by paid accounts, App Store advertising, Tap to Pay expansion in more than 50 markets and deeper enterprise support. Apple will also introduce ads in Apple Maps in the US and Canada this summer, while maintaining its privacy-focused advertising approach.
Apple’s strategy combines premium hardware, AI-enabled software, enterprise services, privacy and supply chain investment. Despite supply constraints and rising memory costs, Apple guided for June quarter revenue growth of 14 percent to 17 percent, signaling confidence in demand across iPhone, Mac, Services and emerging markets such as India.
RAJANI BABURAJAN
