• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechFortune 500

Apple Explains Why It Can’t Be Everything to Everyone

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 10, 2016, 11:25 AM ET
Eddy Cue takes the stage to discuss Apple tvOS at the company's World Wide Developers Conference in San Francisco, California
Eddy Cue, Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services for Apple Inc., takes the stage to discuss the company's tvOS at the company's World Wide Developers Conference in San Francisco, California, U.S. June 13, 2016. REUTERS/Stephen Lam - RTX2G10WStephen Lam — Reuters

Apple simply can’t be the one-stop shop for technology companies, said two of its top executives during a recent interview.

Speaking to Fast Company in an extensive interview published on Wednesday, Apple senior vice presidents Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi said that while they admire some of the things other technology companies might be doing, they realize that Apple needs to stay within its lane and not try to be too many things and satisfy too many needs.

“I love Facebook. We can’t be everything. One of the reasons we’ve been highly successful is that we focus,” reflected Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet software and services. “We can’t be great at everything; nobody’s great at everything. I mean, come on. So, if you want to be great at something, you have to focus and do a few things. We’ve been lucky.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

Federighi, who leads Apple’s software engineering, tacked on, remarking that Apple isn’t the “Everything Company.” He added that the company’s focus is to “take on a very small number of things,” which he posited Apple does very well.

Cue said Apple isn’t interested in being Amazon (AMZN), Facebook (FB), or Instagram—indicating it has no interest in e-commerce, social networking, or photo-sharing.

However, Apple (AAPL) has broadened its focus in recent years, and one could argue that the tech giant is doing far more than it has in the past. Apple isn’t just a company that makes iPhones and Macs; it’s a company that also offers a mobile-payment solution to replace credit cards, provides mapping software, hopes to replace in-car infotainment systems, and one that is keenly focused on healthcare.

Apple has even jumped into the social media space through its Apple Music and iTunes services—though that hasn’t turned out so well. Although it doesn’t have a full-fledged Instagram competitor, its Photos app aims to make it easy to share images with others.

For more about Apple’s iPhone, watch:

Meanwhile, Apple CEO Tim Cook has indicated this year that he’s at least considering making larger acquisitions, and there have been rumors that Apple’s work on a car is still ongoing.

But scale is what matters here. It’s true that Apple has nothing of scale that could match Facebook or Amazon. But with each new software, product launch, or acquisition, Apple is expanding its focus a bit.

Yet that might be a good thing. Several analysts have noted that Apple’s iPad business is in trouble, that its iPhone division is down, and argued that the company needs a new, big thing. Some analysts say that could be virtual reality, while others say it might just be a car.

Regardless, Apple appears to be broadening its horizons—even if it’s still staying in its zone.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

iran
Middle EastMiddle East
Iran’s revenge: drones damage data centers for Amazon Web Services, reveal west’s Achilles Heel
By Kelvin Chan and The Associated PressMarch 3, 2026
4 hours ago
Photo of Jamie Siminoff
LawGoogle
Ring CEO Jamie Siminoff believes if people had more doorbell cameras, we may have already ‘solved’ the Nancy Guthrie case
By Catherina GioinoMarch 3, 2026
5 hours ago
AIIran
Trump’s strike on Iran and the new breed of AI wars mean bombs can drop faster than the speed of thought
By Jake AngeloMarch 3, 2026
6 hours ago
Illustration of ships on fire
EconomyU.S. economy
Top economist says companies are close to a ‘Cortés moment’ on AI, referencing the conquistador who burned his boats and then invaded Mexico
By Nick LichtenbergMarch 3, 2026
7 hours ago
snow
North Americasnow
AI that you can get behind: Syracuse claims snow complaints have dropped 30% since it partnered with the right GPS tech firm
By Jeff McMurray and The Associated PressMarch 3, 2026
7 hours ago
A Boston police officer uses radar to track speeding vehicles
CybersecurityAmazon
Cities join Amazon in cutting ties with license-plate reader Flock following public outcry. ‘Your privacy is totally fine,’ says Ring CEO
By Catherina GioinoMarch 3, 2026
7 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Interest on the $38.8 trillion national debt has tripled since 2020, and it already costs taxpayers more than defense and Medicaid
By Nick LichtenbergMarch 2, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Middle East
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard controls a sprawling business empire that dominates the economy
By Jason MaMarch 2, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Middle East
U.S. military gives Iran a taste of its own medicine with cheap copycat Shahed drones, while concern shifts to munitions supply in extended conflict
By Jason MaMarch 1, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of March 2, 2026
By Danny BakstMarch 2, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
AI
American schools weren’t broken until Silicon Valley used a lie to convince them they were—now reading and math scores are plummeting
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 1, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, March 3, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMarch 3, 2026
12 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.