Apple celebrated the company’s 40th birthday with the launch of a new iPad and iPhone.
Legendary industry figure Steve jobs founded the company in his garage on April 1, 1976.
The first project was selling DIY computer kits to hobbyists, but the business took off and ended up as one of the world’s leading technology companies sitting on a huge pile of cash.
The road to selling more than a billion active devices worldwide has not always been smooth.
Failed hardware and software litter the way, as do boardroom disputes between founder Steve Jobs and his fellow entrepreneurs.
But Apple has survived and today has 480 shops in 18 countries.
iPhone SE hits shops
“No one could have imagined the present Apple on the day the company was founded,” said chief executive Tim Cook. “Apple is more than a brand, it’s a technology and design leader for millions of people all over the world.”
As part of the anniversary celebrations, the new Apple iPhone SE has hit the shelves in Asian shops.
The release is part of a well-worn sales strategy that allows Apple to announce record first-day product sales simply by releasing them in the largest market place – China.
Other countries may have to wait weeks or months before the roll-out reaches their borders.
The iPhone SE is a shortened version of the standard iPhone at a cheaper price for customers in emerging markets.
The SE has a four-inch screen, a choice of stainless steel finishes and a fast A9 processor.
iPad on trend
Apple believes the fashion for large-screen phones has reached a peak and that going small and packing in features is the way forward.
The new iPad Pro with a 9.7-inch screen also went on sale today following that trend.
Speedy, with an A9X processor, a 12-megapixel camera that can shoot 4KK video 32 gigabytes of storage, the new iPad packs a punch.
The price is a knock-out too, coming in at £499 for the lowest level model, the iPad costs more than an equal performing laptop but lacks the versatility and memory of the larger machines.
As the capabilities of phones increase and the need for laptops remains, sometimes it’s difficult to see the space in the market for an iPad without a massive price adjustment.
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