Apple's Public Relations Department Opening Up Under Tim Cook

152516 apple logoFor years, Apple Public Relations has issued press releases for major product announcements, handed out exclusives and loaner units to a few select reporters and columnists, and occasionally signed off on an interview with one of the senior executives when it suited their marketing message. That strategy gave the company millions of dollars in free marketing with news outlets writing about every bit of information they can find.

These days, according to the Wall Street Journal, Apple's public relations department is a little more proactive. Last week, Apple issued a press release to announce iOS 6.1, a comparatively minor software release.

At the same time, Apple communications staff have recently sent reporters more favorable third-party reports about the company, including a study predicting that by 2014, Apple will be as accepted in the enterprise as Microsoft is today. Apple, and indeed virtually all its competitors, send reporters favorable studies from time to time. But the five reports Apple has sent since the start of the year, mostly related to mobile market share, represent more than recent months.

The Journal says the PR efforts "represent a recognition that competition is heating up", according to a WSJ source, with a caveat that it wasn't a big shift in protocol.

Of course, even when Apple PR is more forthcoming, it can still rely on the press to cover every move it makes.

Popular Stories

iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket is Now Completely Sold Out Worldwide

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:16 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released. iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
Cyber Week Deals 2025

Best Cyber Week Apple Deals Include Big Discounts on AirPods, Apple Watch, and More

Sunday November 30, 2025 7:33 am PST by
Cyber Week is here, and you can find popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more at all-time low prices. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Specifically,...
Netflix Smaller 4

Netflix Kills Casting From Its Mobile App to Most Modern TVs

Monday December 1, 2025 4:36 am PST by
Netflix has quietly removed the ability to cast content from its mobile apps to most modern TVs and streaming devices, including newer Chromecast models and the Google TV Streamer. The change was first spotted by users on Reddit and confirmed in an updated Netflix support page (via Android Authority), which now states that the streaming service no longer supports casting from mobile devices...
studio display purple february

M5 iPad Pro Could Hint at New Studio Display Feature

Sunday November 30, 2025 10:30 am PST by
The updated specs of the M5 iPad Pro may point toward a major new feature for Apple's next-generation Studio Display expected in early 2026. Apple's latest iPad Pro debuted last month and contains one display-related change that stands out: it can now drive external monitors at up to 120Hz with Adaptive Sync. The feature should deliver lower latency, smoother motion, and fewer visual...
New Intel Logo

Apple and Intel Rumored to Partner on Mac Chips Again in a New Way

Friday November 28, 2025 7:33 am PST by
While all Macs are now powered by Apple's custom-designed chips, a new rumor claims that Apple may rekindle its partnership with Intel, albeit in a new and limited way. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chip as early as mid-2027. Kuo said Apple plans to utilize Intel's 18A process, which is the "earliest...
iphone black friday gold

The Best Black Friday iPhone Deals Still Available

Friday November 28, 2025 6:24 am PST by
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season. Note: MacRumors is...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: Apple's Big Plans for iPad Mini 8

Friday November 28, 2025 8:39 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through the latest rumors about Apple's upcoming iPad mini 8. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos The next-generation version of the iPad mini is expected to feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
Touchscreen MacBook Feature

Here Are the Four MacBooks Apple Is Expected to Launch Next Year

Monday December 1, 2025 5:00 am PST by
2026 could be a bumper year for Apple's Mac lineup, with the company expected to announce as many as four separate MacBook launches. Rumors suggest Apple will court both ends of the consumer spectrum, with more affordable options for students and feature-rich premium lines for users that seek the highest specifications from a laptop. Below is a breakdown of what we're expecting over the next ...

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
167 months ago
I don't know.. this guy Cook.. this guy blows.. Double downing on secrecy.. oh wow.. All the moves he makes, looks very very shaky and doubtful..

I feel the same way about your punctuation.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Porco Avatar
167 months ago
"a study predicting that by 2014, Apple will be as accepted in the enterprise as Microsoft is today."

Ooh, I love fantasy novels!
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ericinboston Avatar
167 months ago
"...including a study predicting that by 2014, Apple will be as accepted in the enterprise as Microsoft is today."


So let me get this straight...within 10 months:

1)Apple software (what software?) will be as accepted as MS SQL Server or MS Office or MS Windows.

2)Apple Macs will be as accepted as Windows-based machines in the corporate world (we've been hearing similar stories for 25+ years). Even though there are no business Support contracts by Apple...you know...those corporate contracts about supporting hardware, upgrades, pricing, implementation teams, development teams, escalation/dedicated teams, etc. And where are the hundreds of thousands of Mac/Apple IT people to even do the work at Company X?

3)Apple iPads will be as accepted as MS tablets (you know, the one MS just released a few months ago which has no traction). This would be a true statement, but it's sure not saying much! Why not say that Apple will be as popular as nuns handing out cigarettes to children at bus stops?


Apple has a very, VERY long road to any kind of corporate acceptance. The very basics (regardless of how good a product(s) you think Apple has) are entirely missing from Apple: technical support, roadmapping, open-ness, pricing. Not to mention the fact that Apple has a very my-way-or-the-highway approach.

Apple is consumer-focused...plain and simple. Which is fine. Comparing phones and MP3 players to core hardware/software that RUNS businesses is abdsurd.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
deconstruct60 Avatar
167 months ago
...The fact Apple needs an entire department to do what one one of many areas Jobs handled solo is telling indeed. Sad day.
LOL. Jobs didn't do all PR by himself. What is sad is folks perpetrating that fraud.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Renzatic Avatar
167 months ago
Macs far outsold Windows just 20 years ago. That's about the time Microsoft screwed Apple in the courtroom to get their Mac GUI because of a poorly written paragraph in the Office for Mac contract. The contract failed to clearly limit the use of the Mac GUI to Office, which at the time was the biggest selling software package on the Mac and by far the biggest seller for Microsoft. Microsoft used that court win to create Windows.
Read up on your tech history again. That contract loophole was only a small part of a much greater whole that ended up costing Apple the rights to the GUI.

The major part was that Apple didn't invent the GUI to begin with, and couldn't claim ownership of something someone else had already done beforehand.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Northgrove Avatar
167 months ago
I don't know.. this guy Cook.. this guy blows.. Double downing on secrecy.. oh wow.. All the moves he makes, looks very very shaky and doubtful..
What.

Making press releases when you decide to make them doesn't impact secrecy in any way. They make the announcements when the products have been released! The difference is that they may just be more willing to make them now. I can't see how that in any way is a bad thing.

----------

Exclamation point on the end of the Jobs Era. The fact Apple needs an entire department to do what one one of many areas Jobs handled solo is telling indeed. Sad day.

Jobs wrote all press releases?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)