▶Multiple sources confirm that Google pays Apple a substantial annual fee, estimated between $18 billion and $20 billion, to be the default search engine on Apple's devices and platforms.Feb–Apr 2026

▶There is broad agreement that Apple has invested heavily in building its manufacturing supply chain in China, resulting in a deep dependency that would be extremely difficult and time-consuming to replicate elsewhere.

▶Sources consistently describe Apple's App Store as a tightly controlled ecosystem where the company enforces a 30% commission on many transactions and requires all browsers to use its WebKit engine, which critics label as anti-competitive.Feb 2026

▶Several claims corroborate that Steve Jobs had an intensely hostile reaction to Google's Android OS, viewing it as a "stolen product" and vowing to spend all of Apple's cash reserves to destroy it.Feb–Apr 2026

▶There is conflicting discourse on Apple's AI strategy. Some sources portray the company as lagging significantly behind competitors, with internal turmoil and delayed product releases, while others describe a deliberate strategy focused on privacy-centric, on-device models supplemented by partnerships.Apr 2026

▶Sources present contradictory figures regarding the iPhone's global market share. One claim states it surpassed 50% by 2009, while another expert asserts it has never exceeded 20% globally, and a third places its current share around 28%.Feb 2026

▶The narrative around Apple's stock valuation is divided. Some analysts consider its P/E ratio of 25-35x to be high for a company with single-digit growth, while its massive market capitalization and contribution to S&P 500 returns reflect strong continued investor confidence.

▶While the iPhone is often credited with the demise of competitors like Nokia, one expert argues that Apple's market share was never large enough to be the sole cause, instead positing that Chinese manufacturers, enabled by the supply chain Apple built, were the primary factor.Feb 2026