Why Apple Chose Austin, Seattle and Culver City for Its New Jobs Push

The mix of software and services and higher prices are key to Apple's effort to offset slowing iPhone unit sales. Though the company reported record annual revenue on Nov. 1 due to higher iPhone prices, it also said it would stop reporting the number of iPhones sold--a metric that has been stagnant lately--a decision that many analysts interpreted as signaling the iPhone's growth years are in the past. Apple's stock price has declined by nearly a quarter since then. While the push beyond its Silicon Valley home could aid those efforts, it also will test a highly centralized company that has thrived due to a concentrated workforce located near its Cupertino, Calif., headquarters, analysts said. "This idea of'Designed in Cupertino' has really been the ethos of Apple, and now you're going to have AI and services designed outside Cupertino," said Gene Munster, managing partner at investment and research firm Loup Ventures.