Tim Cook talks App Store, future of Mac, and more at annual shareholders meeting
Apple CEO Tim Cook took questions from investors today as the company held its annual shareholders meeting, touching on “exciting things ahead for the iPhone” and “great things ahead for computing,” as well as Apple’s response to remote working, App Store scrutiny, the year ahead, and more.
The meeting saw Cook describe 2020 as one of the company’s most innovative years to date, thanks to the introduction of the first three Apple Silicon Mac models, the iPhone 12, AirPods Max, and more.
Cook told shareholders AirPods Max are “hugely popular with reviewers and users alike,” and that the HomePod mini was “another hit” during the holiday season. Apple has acquired close to 100 companies over the course of the last six years, according to Cook, with the CEO saying “We’re not afraid to look at acquisitions of any size.” “Focus is on small, innovative companies that complement our products and help push them forward.”
Speaking about the App Store and the scrutiny it has received in recent years, Cook said “In a little over a decade, the App Store has delivered a software revolution for users and an economic miracle for millions of entrepreneurs, creators, small businesses, and successful larger developers. Our focus now is to carry forward the success of the App Store ecosystem and make it even stronger through efforts like the App Store Small Business Program.”
“Apple doesn’t have a dominant position in any market we compete in. Not in any product category, not in any service category, and not in software or apps. This competitive marketplace pushes all of us to be better. So while scrutiny is always fair, accusations like these fall apart after a reasonable examination of the facts.”
For the year ahead, Cook said that he doesn’t see challenges in 2021, but opportunities that will need to be managed “creatively, intelligently, and diligently.” Cook said that across the current iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch product lineups, there’s never been a set of products with a “greater degree of future potential.”
Praising the teams at Apple retail stores, Cook said “Our incredible retail teams have been innovative, agile, and adaptive throughout COVID-19. Our very first priority is keeping everyone safe and healthy so that we can continue to serve our customers in every way. We look forward to reopening our stores in more places.”