The Company’s future performance depends in part on support from third-party software developers. The Company believes decisions by customers to purchase its hardware products depend in part on the availability of third-party
software applications and services. There can be no assurance third-party developers will continue to develop and maintain
software applications and services for the Company’s products. If third-party software applications and services cease to be
developed and maintained for the Company’s products, customers may choose not to buy the Company’s products.
The Company believes the availability of third-party software applications and services for its products depends in part on the
developers’ perception and analysis of the relative benefits of developing, maintaining and upgrading such software and services
for the Company’s products compared to competitors’ platforms, such as Android for smartphones and tablets, Windows for
personal computers and tablets, and PlayStation, Nintendo and Xbox for gaming platforms. This analysis may be based on
factors such as the market position of the Company and its products, the anticipated revenue that may be generated, expected
future growth of product sales, and the costs of developing such applications and services.
The Company’s minority market share in the global smartphone, personal computer and tablet markets can make developers
less inclined to develop or upgrade software for the Company’s products and more inclined to devote their resources to
developing and upgrading software for competitors’ products with larger market share. When developers focus their efforts on
these competing platforms, the availability and quality of applications for the Company’s devices can suffer.
The Company relies on the continued availability and development of compelling and innovative software applications for its
products. The Company’s products and operating systems are subject to rapid technological change, and when third-party
developers are unable to or choose not to keep up with this pace of change, their applications can fail to take advantage of these
changes to deliver improved customer experiences and can operate incorrectly and can result in dissatisfied customers.
The Company distributes third-party applications for its products through the App Store. For the vast majority of applications,
developers keep all of the revenue they generate on the App Store. The Company only retains a commission from sales of
applications and sales of digital services or goods within an application. From time to time, the Company has made changes to
its App Store, including actions taken in response to competition, market and legal conditions. The Company may make further
business changes in the future. New legislative initiatives, such as the European Union (“EU”) Digital Markets Act, could require
further changes. The Company is also subject to litigation and investigations relating to the App Store, which have resulted in
changes to the Company’s business practices, and may in the future result in further changes. These changes could include how
and to what extent the Company charges developers for access to its platforms and manages distribution of apps outside of the
App Store. This could reduce the volume of sales, and the commission that the Company earns on those sales, would decrease.
If the rate of the commission that the Company retains on such sales is reduced, or if it is otherwise narrowed in scope or
eliminated, the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.