Yeah, successfully vertically integrated companies like Apple choose very carefully which things they integrate vertically and which things they don't. Apple silicon for example isn't truly apple silicon. They still cooperate with a company for the manufacturing. Apple still buys gorilla glass from Corning, etc.
And in the areas where they do compete, they pour in top dollar to make actually competitive products.
It's way too early to tell how Apple is going to end. They've only been where they are for a small number of years. What happens if Zen3 turns out to be significantly faster than Apple Silicon, or next year Intel gets 7nm right? Do they abandon it or do they fall behind? What do they do if Google gets worried about their market share and decides to start selling a top of the line phone for cost and marketing it on google.com?
And the opposite failure mode is just as bad -- you actually succeed in monopolizing the market and then get smashed by antitrust.
>And in the areas where they do compete, they pour in top dollar to make actually competitive products.
Apple TV+, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple News+. Every single one of them were done to mask the profits of their Services Revenue. ( You could argue they provide decent value if you think they are competitive. )
I think that is where it all start to feel like Apple wasn't actually going in because they want to do better. They are doing it for numbers and finance.
And it irritates the heck out of me those money aren't being put or spend on better product and services ( on the actual product ).
And in the areas where they do compete, they pour in top dollar to make actually competitive products.