Apple today inaugurated a new office in the heart of Bengaluru at Minsk Square expanding Cupertino’s footprint in world’s fastest growing smartphone market. The announcement comes a day after market reports pegged Apple as world’s number one smartphone brand, overtaking Samsung for the first time in twelve years (and on the same day that Samsung is due to release its next flagship Galaxy line-up).
This 15-floor Apple facility will seat 1,200 employees and contribute to various facets of the company’s operations, spanning software, hardware, services, Information Systems and Technology (IS&T), and customer support. It will boast of a dedicated lab space, collaborative areas, wellness zones, and Caffe Macs. Emphasising sustainability, the office will feature locally-sourced materials, native plants, and adhere to energy conservation’s best practices, running on 100 percent renewable energy and aiming for LEED Platinum certification.
“Apple is thrilled to expand in India with our new office in the heart of Bengaluru. This dynamic city is already home to so many of our talented teams, including software engineering and hardware technologies, operations, customer support, and more,” Apple said in a statement sent over email, adding, “like everything we do at Apple, this workspace is created to foster innovation, creativity, and connection. It’s an amazing space for our teams to collaborate.”
Apple has such offices in Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Gurugram as well. With nearly 3,000 employees in India, the iPhone-maker’s collaboration with local suppliers supports widespread job creation, while partnerships with organisations like Frank Water contribute to environmental initiatives and community empowerment.
Apple beats Samsung — for the first time in 12 years
At the same time, Apple has overtaken Samsung to become the world’s top smartphone vendor. According to data released by the International Data Corporation (IDC), Apple sold more smartphones than any other brand in 2023 commanding a hefty 20.1 percent cumulative market share globally. Samsung’s market share during the same period was 19.4 percent.
What’s impressive is that Apple managed to one-up Samsung despite a big market slowdown where smartphone shipments declined 3.2 percent to 1.17 billion units. The report attributes its diverse and exhaustive iPhone line-up and growing fragmentation on the Android side as reasons behind Apple’s resounding success.
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