Apple Completed 15 'Strategic' Acquisitions in Fiscal 2013

Applelogo.pngDuring today's fourth quarter earnings call, Tim Cook announced that Apple has completed a total of 15 "strategic" acquisitions during the course of fiscal 2013, which equates to one acquisition every three to four weeks.

Over the course of the year, Apple has focused on purchasing quite a few mapping companies, with the aim of improving its mapping services. Acquisitions have included Embark, HopStop, WifiSLAM, and Locationary.

Apple has also recently acquired data compression startup AlgoTrim, personal assistant app Cue, wireless chip developer Passif Semiconductor, and discovery and recommendation startup Matcha.tv.

While quite a few of Apple's acquisitions have been made public, a number of deals have clearly remained under the radar and may come to light as Apple works to unveil products in new categories over the course of 2014.

According to Tim Cook, Apple has "great products" coming in categories that Apple does not currently participate in, potentially alluding to its iWatch or upcoming advances in the television industry.

Popular Stories

apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...

Top Rated Comments

gnasher729 Avatar
150 months ago
this year's acquisitions prove that Apple is running out of innovation

the only solution when you no longer have good ideas is to buy others'

Desperate attempt to put a negative spin on things.

Buying a company is the same thing as hiring a new employee, just at a bigger scale. Do you think Apple shouldn't hire any new employees either?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aye Avatar
150 months ago
I can't wait to see the new categories! :D

Also hope that if they do end up going with a watch they don't pull of a Samsung. Don't rush the product entirely, but get it close to perfection. :D
Oh you meant the ugliest product of the year? *cough Samsung Galaxy Gear ... The year's ugliest & useless biggest flop!*
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macs4nw Avatar
150 months ago
Image (http://www.electric-chicken.co.uk/itoilet/toilet_06.jpg)
Whaaat? No 'wireless' version? :D
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Terrin Avatar
150 months ago
Better they spend their money in the computer industry than throwing it away for the greedy Mr Buffet.

Actually Mr. Buffet said Apple management is great and should just keep doing what they are doing. Perhaps you mean another greedy billionaire.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thekev Avatar
150 months ago
this year's acquisitions prove that Apple is running out of innovation

the only solution when you no longer have good ideas is to buy others'

This is a silly comment, because it suggests that the purchase of cool small companies is a new thing for Apple when every major success from the last 15 years relied heavily on buyouts, even if the final products didn't align with the original business plans of the acquired companies.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tankmaze Avatar
150 months ago
Oo yeahh iwatch and itv! Or maybe cook refering to cars or boat.. Idk
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)