Forget AI Start-Ups: This Trillion‑Dollar Tech Titan Is Emerging as a Dark Horse in the AI Race

Core Insights - Apple has historically been a hardware-focused company, distinguishing itself from software-centric peers like Microsoft [1] - The company is expected to leverage its resources and brand strength to outperform AI startups in the near future [2] Financial Performance - Since its IPO in 1980, Apple has consistently been a top-performing stock, returning 102% over the past five years compared to the S&P 500's 87% [3] - For fiscal 2025, Apple reported revenue of $416 billion, a year-over-year growth of 6.4%, with net income increasing by 19.4% to $112 billion and diluted EPS rising by 22.6% [4] - In Q1 of fiscal 2026, revenue reached $143.8 billion, up 16% year-over-year, with EPS increasing by 19%. iPhone sales surged by 23.3%, making up nearly 60% of total sales [5] AI Development - Despite lagging in AI development, Apple is well-positioned to enhance its AI capabilities through resource acquisition and talent recruitment [6] - The company has made strategic changes in its AI leadership, appointing Amar Subramanya as the new vice president for AI [8]