23/03/2024
To understand how much the US government's new lawsuit strikes at the heart of the identity Apple has forged for itself, let's first consider the firm's fanbase.
Apple has a unique position as a tech brand.
I've sat through a lot of Apple events in my time, both virtually and in person, and one thing that always makes us journalists raise an eyebrow is the whooping and cheering from the audience every time a new feature, no matter how small or incremental, is announced.
When a new hardware product goes on sale, Apple employees form a guard of honour outside stores and applaud its first buyers - some of whom will have camped outside for hours in advance, and spent thousands of dollars (who else could get away with charging $3,500/£3,499, for a VR headset?).
People get tattoos of Apple's distinctive fruit logo.
With a loyal fanbase, Apple is in a unique position which is now under fire, writes Zoe Kleinman.
