Supply of Components Although most components essential to the Company’s business are generally available from multiple sources, certain
components are currently obtained from single or limited sources. The Company also competes for various components with
other participants in the markets for smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables and accessories. Therefore, many
components used by the Company, including those that are available from multiple sources, are at times subject to industry-wide
shortage and significant commodity pricing fluctuations.
The Company uses some custom components that are not commonly used by its competitors, and new products introduced by
the Company often utilize custom components available from only one source. When a component or product uses new
technologies, initial capacity constraints may exist until the suppliers’ yields have matured or their manufacturing capacities have
increased. The continued availability of these components at acceptable prices, or at all, may be affected if suppliers decide to
concentrate on the production of common components instead of components customized to meet the Company’s requirements.
The Company has entered into agreements for the supply of many components; however, there can be no guarantee that the
Company will be able to extend or renew these agreements on similar terms, or at all.
Substantially all of the Company’s hardware products are manufactured by outsourcing partners that are located primarily in
Asia, with some Mac computers manufactured in the U.S. and Ireland.
Research and Development Because the industries in which the Company competes are characterized by rapid technological advances, the Company’s
ability to compete successfully depends heavily upon its ability to ensure a continual and timely flow of competitive products,
services and technologies to the marketplace. The Company continues to develop new technologies to enhance existing
products and services, and to expand the range of its offerings through research and development (“R&D”), licensing of
intellectual property and acquisition of third-party businesses and technology.