Apple is the most valuable company in the world, with a market capitalization that has exceeded $3 trillion. The company that Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started in a garage in 1976 now generates over $380 billion in annual revenue from products and services that more than two billion people use daily. Apple’s mission and vision statements reveal the design-centric, experience-obsessed philosophy that built this empire.
Apple Mission Statement
“To bring the best user experience to customers through innovative hardware, software, and services.”
This mission identifies Apple’s core commitment (best user experience), its method (innovation), and its product scope (hardware, software, and services). The emphasis on “user experience” rather than “products” is significant — Apple doesn’t just sell devices; it sells the experience of using those devices. This distinction drives everything from product design to retail store layout to customer service.
The inclusion of “services” alongside hardware and software reflects Apple’s strategic evolution. Services — iCloud, Apple Music, Apple TV+, the App Store, Apple Pay, Apple Fitness+ — now generate over $80 billion annually and represent Apple’s fastest-growing segment. The mission accommodates this shift.
Apple Vision Statement
“To make the best products on earth and to leave the world better than we found it.”
The vision makes two commitments: product excellence and positive impact. “Best products on earth” is a bold claim that Apple backs through its design philosophy, materials quality, and integration between hardware and software. “Leave the world better” signals environmental and social responsibility — Apple has committed to carbon neutrality across its entire supply chain and product lifecycle.
Analysis
Strengths. Apple’s mission is specific enough to guide decisions but broad enough to accommodate growth. The focus on user experience (not technology for its own sake) keeps Apple’s product development grounded in human needs. The vision’s dual focus on product excellence and social responsibility resonates with employees and customers who want their purchasing choices to align with their values.
Weaknesses. “Best user experience” is subjective and difficult to measure objectively. Critics argue that Apple’s walled-garden ecosystem — while delivering a seamless experience within Apple’s products — limits user choice and creates anti-competitive dynamics. The App Store’s commission structure, repairability restrictions, and ecosystem lock-in are all points of friction with the “best user experience” claim.
In 2026, Apple faces new frontiers: AI integration (Apple Intelligence), spatial computing (Vision Pro), health technology (Apple Watch sensors), and financial services (Apple Card, Savings). Each extension tests whether Apple can deliver its signature user experience in new domains. The mission supports this expansion; the execution is the challenge.
Compared to Google (which emphasizes information access), Microsoft (which emphasizes empowerment), and Samsung (which emphasizes technology and innovation), Apple’s mission is distinctly focused on user experience — the emotional and functional quality of interacting with its products. That focus has been Apple’s competitive moat for decades and remains central to how the company thinks about every product and service it creates.