• 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
  • 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

Exclusive: Adam Silver on winning the Edison Achievement Award: ‘Sports remind us that some of the most important forms of innovation are human’
Arts & EntertainmentSports
Exclusive: Adam Silver on winning the Edison Achievement Award: ‘Sports remind us that some of the most important forms of innovation are human’
By Catherina GioinoApril 17, 2026
7 minutes ago
chris lehane
AIOpenAI
OpenAI’s policy chief says AI companies ‘need to do a much better job’ talking about AI as industry leaders face personal attacks
By Jake AngeloApril 17, 2026
2 hours ago
ranch
North AmericaFood and drink
Ranch dressing’s secret history literally includes a Hidden Valley
By Holly Meyer and The Associated PressApril 17, 2026
2 hours ago
Sam Altman holds hands in the air with Narendra Modi on his left. Altman and Dario Amodei do not hold hands.
AIOpenAI
Illinois is OpenAI and Anthropic’s latest battleground as the state tries to assess liability for catastrophes caused by AI
By Jacqueline MunisApril 17, 2026
3 hours ago
Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Block
SuccessLayoffs
Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey breaks down his thought process when he laid off 40% of his Block staff because of AI
By Emma BurleighApril 17, 2026
3 hours ago
Yoshua Bengio seated on a stage.
AIcyber
Anthropic’s Mythos cybersecurity capabilities require urgent international cooperation, ‘AI Godfather’ Yoshua Bengio says
By Beatrice NolanApril 17, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

A world going broke: IMF says America's $39 trillion national debt is actually a global problem—and AI may be the only rescue
Economy
A world going broke: IMF says America's $39 trillion national debt is actually a global problem—and AI may be the only rescue
By Nick LichtenbergApril 16, 2026
23 hours ago
Pope Leo warned the world is in ‘big trouble’ if Elon Musk becomes the first trillionaire
Success
Pope Leo warned the world is in ‘big trouble’ if Elon Musk becomes the first trillionaire
By Preston ForeApril 17, 2026
9 hours ago
Jeff Bezos pledged $10 billion for climate change. With the 2030 clock ticking, his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, is leading the charge to spend it
Environment
Jeff Bezos pledged $10 billion for climate change. With the 2030 clock ticking, his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, is leading the charge to spend it
By Sydney LakeApril 15, 2026
2 days ago
MacKenzie Scott is bypassing the Ivy League and rewriting the $79 billion higher ed playbook by giving to HBCUs and community colleges
Politics
MacKenzie Scott is bypassing the Ivy League and rewriting the $79 billion higher ed playbook by giving to HBCUs and community colleges
By Sydney LakeApril 16, 2026
1 day ago
Germany already told its workers to ditch four-day weeks and work-life balance. Now the government wants to cut their pay for calling in sick, too
Success
Germany already told its workers to ditch four-day weeks and work-life balance. Now the government wants to cut their pay for calling in sick, too
By Orianna Rosa RoyleApril 16, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of April 16, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of April 16, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerApril 16, 2026
1 day 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.