For Apple, 2011 marked a year of incredible accomplishments, capping a decade of deftly executed strategies including the development of Mac OS X, ten years of the iPod and the ten year anniversary of Apple Retail stores. But the year was also marked with technological tragedy, from Steve Jobs' final struggle with cancer to the cataclysmic earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan and flooding in Thailand.
A new report claims Apple's iPhone comprised 66 percent of all device sales at AT&T's corporate retail stores in December, while Android is said to have taken an 8.5 percent share.
Jonathan Ive, Apple's senior vice president of industrial design, has been named a Knight Commander of the British Empire in the U.K.'s 2012 New Year Honours list, an honor he has described as "absolutely thrilling."
This year, Apple hit a new milestone of 250 million iOS devices while shipping its fifth reference release of its mobile platform that now offers a library of half of a million apps that have seen 18 billion downloads, now automated via iCloud.
Late Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs was somewhat well-known for being a Japanese Zen Buddhist, but few knew how deep his infatuation with Japan ran and how it helped shape who he was and the company he created.
An unverified photo from a Korean Apple forum claims to detail the rumored iPad 3's display, and reveals a subtle change from the iPad 2 that could suggest a higher resolution panel is being sourced for the upcoming tablet.
Apple is said to be weighing its options in opening a flagship store in Brazil, while the company continues to expand across Canada with a new mall location in Ontario.
A photo captured nearly 30 years ago and brought to light this week shows a shaggy-haired Steve Jobs, clad in blue jeans and a leather jacket, expressing his affection for then rival IBM while walking the streets of New York City in the lead up to the launch of the first Mac.
When Apple's financial hardships forced the company to abandon plans for its own corporate museum back in the late 1990s, the company elected to turn over its trove of materials to Stanford University's Silicon Valley Archives, which now retains the largest collection of such historic data in the world.
eBizcuss, the largest Apple reseller in France, has sued Apple alleging that the company competes unfairly by favoring its own retail stores with new product inventory and by undercutting proposals to small businesses.
Industry sources claim Apple will move away from in-plane switching display technology in favor of IGZO flat panels for its mobile products, starting with its third-generation iPad early next year.
Nintendo is quietly working on an application store for its Wii U console that would compete directly with Apple's Apple TV set-top box and iPad tablet when it arrives next year, according to a new report.
Apple's iPhone grew 1.4% in the U.S. mobile OEM and smartphone OS markets during the three months ending in November, but Google's Android platform continued to dominate and gained 3.1% in its march to acquire half of America's subscribership.
Apple is set to construct a third retail outlet in Madrid's famous "Tio Pepe" building, with floor space at the Puerta del Sol location expected to exceed that of the company's large Fifth Avenue store in New York.
This year, Apple's mobile iOS platform reached its fifth annual release, adding new support for subscription content, iCloud, and new devices including the iPad 2, a CDMA iPhone 4 and the global iPhone 4S with Siri voice assistance. Meanwhile, the iPod line got no major updates for the first time in its history, as Apple continues to convert its iPod business into iOS device sales.
Dispelling a questionable rumor that Apple would unveil a third-generation iPad at the forthcoming Macworld conference, a new report plainly states Apple has no such plans.
Amazon once again on Thursday touted the success of its Kindle lineup, including the new Kindle Fire, but declined to get into specifics on sales figures.
New components claimed to be from Apple's third-generation iPad show continued use of the 30-pin dock connector, potentially dispelling rumors that it would be replaced with a smaller form factor.
Apple has begun reducing orders for the iPad 2 ahead of the unveiling of a new third-generation iPad, but it's not yet known whether Apple will keep the iPad 2 around at a discounted price.
Using a forward-facing camera to recognize an individual user, future iPhones and iPads from Apple could automatically customize applications, settings and features to a user's personal preferences once they pick up the device.
A new survey of small- and medium-sized businesses in the U.S. found that 73 percent plan to buy tens of thousands of dollars worth of tablets in the next 12 months, and most of those purchases will be Apple's iPad.
Apple came up as a frequent hot topic in business news this year, as evidenced by the fact that eight of the ten most-read corporate articles from The Wall Street Journal in 2011 were about the company and its co-founder Steve Jobs.
An unverified report out of the Far East claims that Apple will unveil in January 2012 two new models of the iPad, with one high-end version featuring an 8-megapixel camera and a mid-range model equipped with a 5-megapixel shooter, but the rumor has quickly been dismissed as unlikely.
This year, Apple's Mac OS X platform turned ten years old, launched the 10.7 Lion reference release, introduced the Mac App Store and iCloud, and delivered a series of new Macs boasting fast, flexible Thunderbolt connectivity and speedy new Sandy Bridge processors.
Access to Apple's iTunes Connect service reopened a day shy of taking the full week planned for the yearly holiday shutdown of the website.
iPhone app downloads in the U.S. during November saw an 83 percent rise from a year ago, while the aggregate volume of the Top 200 ranked free apps for Apple's handset grew to 5.65 million downloads per day.
If Apple were to abandon its lawsuits against Android smartphone manufacturers and instead negotiate licensing fees for its patented technology, one expert believes Apple could collect $10 for each Android device sold.
Intel is rumored to release a total of 25 new 22-nanometer Ivy Bridge processors on April 8, 2012, signaling a potential launch window for Apple's next generation of Macs.
New data from a variety of sources suggests the combination of the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch was enough for iOS activations to top Google Android on Christmas Day by more than 1.6 million units.
Rather than utilize off-the-shelf chips from a company such as Intel, Apple is expected to use its own custom-built chips like in the iPhone and iPad for its anticipated television set.
{{ summary }}
Daniel Eran Dilger
Josh Ong
Mikey Campbell
AppleInsider Staff
Katie Marsal
Neil Hughes
Sam Oliver
Slash Lane
