Fortune has put together its “Change the World” list, which recognizes company’s that are making a positive impact, and Apple has come in a...
Fortune has put together its “Change the World” list, which recognizes company’s that are making a positive impact, and Apple has come in at number three. Tim Cook also spoke with Fortune to explain more about how he thinks Apple is changing the world for the better and also shared that he believes Apple products aren’t just for the rich.
He also said that Apple has also changed the world through environmentalism, education, and advocacy for human rights, privacy, and philanthropy. When asked why Apple doesn't run a charitable foundation, Cook said having a "separate thing" with a separate board of directors "wouldn't be Apple."
Fortune also brought up Apple’s goal to make products that everyone can use, in contrast to a business strategy of making premium priced products. Cook responded by highlighting its more affordable (and more recent) entry level devices, the CEO disagreed with Lashinsky's opinion that Apple's business strategy is to "make premium-priced, high-margin, high-end products."
The full interview covers much more including Cook discussing why Apple’s healthcare, and privacy efforts, the app economy, and how devices are effecting social behavior. Click here to read the Full Interview!
While there may be a good number of differences between today’s Apple compared to when Jobs was CEO, interesting enough Cook still sees Apple’s products as the most important way the company makes a positive impact. He agreed that Apple has changed the world, primarily through its products, which simply enable people to accomplish more.
I think the No. 1 way Apple changes the world is through our products. We make products for people that are tools to enable them to do things that they couldn’t otherwise do—to enable them to create or learn or teach or play. Or do something really wonderful.
He also said that Apple has also changed the world through environmentalism, education, and advocacy for human rights, privacy, and philanthropy. When asked why Apple doesn't run a charitable foundation, Cook said having a "separate thing" with a separate board of directors "wouldn't be Apple."
My view, we do a lot more good with a 120,000 people behind it than we would putting 12 people over in a corner to make decisions. I’m not criticizing people that do that. I think maybe they found a way and maybe it’s great. But it wouldn’t be Apple.
Fortune also brought up Apple’s goal to make products that everyone can use, in contrast to a business strategy of making premium priced products. Cook responded by highlighting its more affordable (and more recent) entry level devices, the CEO disagreed with Lashinsky's opinion that Apple's business strategy is to "make premium-priced, high-margin, high-end products."
Well it's not high margin. I wouldn't use that word. There's a lot of companies that have much higher margins. We price for the value of our products. And we try to make the very best products. And that means we don't make commodity kind of products. And we don't disparage people that do; it's a fine business model. But it's not the business that we're in.
But if you look across our product lines, you can buy an iPad today for under $300. You can buy an iPhone, depending upon which one you select, for in that same kind of ballpark. And so these are not for the rich. We obviously wouldn't have over a billion products that are in our active installed base if we were making them for the rich because that's a sizable number no matter who's looking at the numbers.
The full interview covers much more including Cook discussing why Apple’s healthcare, and privacy efforts, the app economy, and how devices are effecting social behavior. Click here to read the Full Interview!
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