Publications

August 2016 (Revised January 2017)
Case

Accounting for the iPhone Upgrade Program (A)

By: Jonas Heese, Krishna G. Palepu, H. David Sherman and Monica Baraldi

On September 9, 2015, Apple Inc. announced the “iPhone Upgrade Program,” a new way to purchase iPhone models 6s and 6s Plus in Apple’s retail stores throughout the U.S. Next to the strategic implications of the Upgrade Program, financial analysts tried to understand... View Details

Keywords: Accounting; Apple Inc.; iPhone 6s; International Accounting; Electronics Industry; California; United States

September 2023
Teaching Note

Apple’s iPhone Revolution: Pioneering the Circular Economy

By: George Serafeim

Teaching Note for HBS Case 123-089. The case describes the Trade-In system for iPhones that allow iPhones to be refurbished and reused or to be recycled. The case provides information for the students to analyze the financial attractiveness of the Trade-In system and... View Details

Keywords: Iphone; Smartphone; Technology; Business Model Innovation; Carbon Emissions; Recycling; Business Model; Product Design; Climate Change; Environmental Sustainability; Green Technology; Technology Industry

April 2023 (Revised September 2023)
Case

Apple's iPhone Revolution: Pioneering the Circular Economy

By: George Serafeim

When asked to identify an example of a circular economy business model that has generated billions in revenues for a company, ChatGPT, the famous chatbot that in 2022 rocked the world with its ability to perform a variety of tasks, immediately identified and... View Details

Keywords: Iphone; Smartphone; Waste Management; Recycling; Innovation; Product Upgrade; Product Life Cycle; Sustainability; Climate Impact; Digital; Business Model Innovation; Climate Change; Information Technology; Business Model; Electronics Industry; Information Technology Industry

October 2010
Case

The iPhone at IVK

By: Richard L. Nolan and Robert D. Austin

The CIO addresses a decision to replace salesmen netbook PC's with iPhones, including converting the company's sales and customer applications to the iPhone platform View Details

Keywords: Mobile and Wireless Technology; Digital Platforms; Salesforce Management; Transition; Technology Adoption; Information Infrastructure; Applications and Software; Change Management

October 2007
Case

iPhone vs. Cell Phone

By: David B. Yoffie and Michael Slind

The launch of Apple's iPhone marked a pivotal new chapter in the story of mobile music (the uniting of digital music players with mobile phones). The iPhone combined an iPod music player, a cell phone, and a mobile Internet device, along with a camera and other... View Details

Keywords: Communication Technology; Music Entertainment; Product Launch; Partners and Partnerships; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Communications Industry; Music Industry

13 Sep 2017
News

The Coming of Apple’s iPhone X

22 Sep 2012
News

IPhone 5 defines Apple success, Tim Cook-style

September 2010 (Revised September 2013)
Case

Accounting for the iPhone at Apple Inc.

By: Francois Brochet, Krishna G. Palepu and Lauren Barley

Apple initially recognized revenue associated with its iPhone product using subscription accounting. However, in 2008, the company started providing non-GAAP supplemental numbers where substantially all of the revenue was recognized upfront. Market participants'... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Disclosure; Revenue Recognition; Standards; Technology Industry; United States