Apple remains the top brand

Apple has retained its top spot as the world's most
valuable company in the latest rankings from
consulting firm Interbrand, reports The New York
Times . With its top spot in the rankings, Apple also
bested fellow technology companies Google, IBM,
Microsoft, and Samsung, which came in 2nd, 4th, 5th,
and 7th place, respectively.
On September 9, 2014, Tim Cook held up a
wallet and said, "Our ambition is to replace
this." A bold statement to be sure—but we'd
expect nothing less from Apple, #1 on the Best
Global Brands list for the second year in a row.
Referring to Apple Pay, a new mobile payments
platform that enables consumers to pay for
items with Apple devices, Cook signaled that
Steve Jobs's 2001 vision of Apple becoming the
"digital hub" of its consumers' lives (Macworld
Expo 2001) has finally been fulfilled.
In what CNNMoney.com called "one of the most
ambitious product launches in its history,"
Apple unveiled not only Apple Pay, but also the
long-anticipated Apple Watch, a wearable
device that combines health and fitness
monitoring with mobile computer capabilities,
and launched two new iPhones that are faster
and smarter than previous versions and feature
larger screens. The iPhone 6 Plus, which
embraces the larger-form factors, could pose a
serious challenge to Samsung's GALAXY Note.
Though iPhone sales were up prior to the new
product launch, particularly in China where
China Mobile is now signed as a carrier, the
iPhone 6 Plus may further assist penetration in
Asian markets where larger-screened devices
are preferred.
In last year's survey, Apple overtook Coca-Cola as
the most valuable brand in the world after the
beverage corporation spent 13 years in the top spot.
Apple was valued at $118.9 billion in this year's
survey, up $20.6 billion from its $98.3 billion
valuation in 2013.
Apple launched the larger 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch
iPhone 6 last month, with both devices selling a
record-breaking ten million units during their first
three days on sale. The company also announced its
highly-anticipated Apple Watch wearable device in
September, which will come in multiple screen sizes
and collections when it launches next year. Apple is
expected to unveil new iPads, a 27-inch iMac with
Retina Display and perhaps a new Mac Mini at an
event next Thursday, October 16 .