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Apple changed America and the world

At 50, tech company's revolutionary culture began long before the iPhone

About this series

..... This story is part of the Iconic Brands series, a USA Today Network project showcasing the companies and brands that helped shape the nation;s identity, economy and culture. The series celebrates American ingenuity with a deeply reported examination of how brands intersect with history, community and everyday life in celebration of the nation;s 250th anniversary. Selection of companies in the Iconic Brands series emphasized historical significant, industry-building innovation, measurable economic influence and lasting cultural impact. Brands were chosen for transforming daily life or becoming enduring symbols of American values. Long-term relevance and sustained national influence carried greater weight than short-term financial performance or rent popularity. Find more at usatoday.com/usa250/iconic-brands

By: Corina Vanek
Arizona Republic
USA Today Network

PHOENIX - The image was striking and impossible to miss: silhouettes of people against a bright, colorful background, jamming out their handheld iPods.
..... The ad was released in 2003, 27 years after Apple was founded, but for many the technology of the iPod maker an inflection point for the company, making the gadget's name part of the common lexicon that was synonymous with an MP3 player. The popularity and functionality of the iPod meant an Apple product found what would become a permanent home in many American's pockets.
..... Mau Lozano, a technology reviewer and influencer, said he likely was introduced to Apple products suing computers in school, but at the time ti didn't feel too different form any other computer. But the first Apple product he purchased for himself was the iPod.
..... "It was so simple, I could listen to all my music without having to carry everything around," he said. "Years later I felt my music and all the other function in one device."
..... Apple was one of the first companies to sell their "ecosystem," Lozano said. Book, the iPhone, the Apple Watch and the iPod all integrated together it created a seamless experience for customers.
..... Now, Lozano uses Apple products every day, in addition to other products he uses and reviews.
..... "The product i use the most is the iPhone, it's the center of everything," Lozano said. "but the product that changed my daily routine the most is the watch."
..... Marc Eichler, a fan of technology and fan of Apple, said the Watch and the iPhone have been his favorite products, and he looks forward to the other health information benefits the watch might bring.
..... "The Apple Watch has been a blessing, especially because of the health features," he said. "In the not-too-distant future, I expect the Watch will be able to detect high blood pressure, which could help prevent heart attacks and strokes. It already can detect an irregular heartbeat.
..... Eichler's mother is in a nursing home, he said, and if he is working and cannot be near his phone, having communications capabilities on his watch can help him easily glance at a message or incoming call and know if he needs to quickly get to his phone or help attend to his mom.
..... Eichler works in customer service and occasionally comes across customers who do not speak English.
..... "With my iPhone I can use translation software and help them in a matter of minutes, rather than have to wait to get someone available to translate for them," he said. "People feel really good when you're able to help them, and it helps avoid any misunderstandings."
..... While Apple did not create the first smartphone, it did have the first widely popular commercial success with the launch of the iPhone. In 2026, it is nearly impossible to find someone who isn't carrying an iPhone. Democratizing access to technology was always one of the now-ubiquitous company;s goals.

Marking 50 years of history

..... Apple is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026.
..... On April 1, 1976, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak incorporated the company out of Job's parents' garage in Cupertino, California, with the belief that "technology should be simple seamless and designed for everyone."
..... The company's first consumer product, the Apple II, was released the next year, one of three preassembled, commercially available personal computers to realest that year, making home computing accessible.
..... In 1984,apple further revolutionized home computing by offering the first widely available, consumer-oriented "Pint-and-click" mouse, making computer sue much more suer-friendly.
..... That same year, Apple produced a now-iconic super Bowl commercial, introducing the Macintosh computer and depicting the company as a revolutionary disruptor, destroying Big Brother images from the book "1984." The ad helped a cement Apple's cult-like brand loyalty.
..... Co-founder Steve Jobs left Apple in 1985 and uptrend in 1997, ushering in what the company calls "one of the greatest turnarounds in business history." Jobs remained a key face of Apple until his death in 2011 at the age of 56.
..... The first iPod was released in 2001, and the iconic silhouett commercial came out in 2003. The company's products began to be ubiquitous and market-defining.
..... When the first iPhone was released in 2007, it featured a user-friendly touchscreen and paved the way for industry-disrupting advances in photography, videography and mobile Internet access.
..... Apple's technology has gained praise globally, but the company has received criticism on its manufacturing process, especially some of its suppliers; treatment of workers.
..... Apple crated tis first supplier code of conduct in 2005, requiring supplier companies to adhere to international labor standards. The code prohibits child or forced labor, and sets out standards for time off and safe working conditions. The code has been updated may times since then, including recent additions to specify machine safety and waste diversion.
..... However, china Labor Watch, a non-profit organization that advocates for workers' rights, has reported unsafe working conditions including exposure to toxic chemicals,, sub-minimum wage pay and forced overtime labor at plants that supply Apple. the organization released a September 2025 report on Foxconn in Zhengzhou, China, one of Apple's primary manufacturers, highlighting practices that it alleged violated both Chinese law and Apple's supplier code of conduct.
..... Apple employs about 90,000 people in the United Sates. It remains headquartered in Cupertino, but has offices around the country: Austin; Raleigh, North Carolina; and New York .

Keeping it 'simple to use'

..... The company recently announced an expanded investment strategy into production in the United States, commuting to 4600 billion worth of investment into tis American manufacturing program. It began producing advanced artificial intelligence servers in Houston in 2025, and will expand its Houston factory to bring production of its mac mini to the U.S. market.
..... Apple CEO Tim Cook announced April 20 [2026] that he would be stepping down as CEO, ON September 1, [2026] he will become the executive chairman of the company's board of directors and John Ternus, the company's senior vice president of hardware engineering, will take his place as CEO.
..... "From the first Apple computer to the Mac, from iPod to iPhone, Ipad to Apple Watch and airPods, as well as the services we sue every day - the App Store, Apple Music,apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV -we've spent five decades rethinking what's possible and putting powerful tools into people's hands," Cook said in a letter marking the company's anniversary. "through every breakthrough, one idea has guided us - that the world is moved forward by people who think different."
..... In his letter, Cook referenced the impact hat Apple's products have had on the consumer, like enabling them to record a baby's first steps, start businesses or talk to loved ones from far away.
..... "In your hands, the tools we make have improved lives, and sometimes even save them," Cook wrote. "And that is what inspires us - not what technology can do alone, but everything you can do with it."
..... That consumer-focused attitude has stuck with the Apple brand and built loyalty in its following.
..... "If I were to describe Apple in three words, it would be 'simple to use," Lozano said.
..... The simplicity of the user experience combined with the power of the technology has revolutionized industries and cerated new consumer markets.
..... Kristen Keogh, a former television journalist who has pivoted her career to content creator and TV host, said there is almost no part of her professional life that is not touched by an Apple product.
..... "Every aspect of my life it seems has been made somewhat easier by Apple products," she said.
..... When she started her career as a journalist, she had a Blackberry phone and a GPS device in her car to help her navigate the breaking news sites. Both of those were cutting edge technology at the time but have been rendered obsolete by the power of consumer smartphone s. Once she got an iPhone for work, the connectivity and social media apps with portable access made reporting news more interactive with her viewers.
..... The iPhone also created a legion of independent journalists, she said, who were empower to post what they saw going on in their community, and had constant access to a camera and video recorder and could easily post news.
..... Now, as a content creator, Keogh uses her iPhone and Mac computer to cerate videos that promote businesses or places to see around her home state of Arizona. Early in her career, she appeared in commercials and now looks back at how big a production staff there was to direct, record, edit and produce commercials.
..... "Now, with an iPhone, I am writing, producing, shooting, editing and uploading content all with my phone, at a price that is much lower than it used to cost to put together a commercial," she said.
..... In January, [2026] Apple and Google announced a collaboration that will use Google's Gemini model for artificial intelligence. The partnership will allow siri, Apple's virtual assistant, to understand more complex tasks and understand context.
..... But for Eichler, the company has earned his loyalty through its consistency and customer-forward approach.
..... "It's a very innovative company, something America should be proud of," he said. "I'm proud to be an Apple customer. I go into their stores, I feel welcome. They are a customer-focused company and America needs more of that."

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