Apple’s annual research spending rises 32% to US$45.77 billion
The increase outpaced revenue growth of 15%, while research expenses were nearly unchanged between the June and September quarters.
Apple spent US$45.77 billion on research and development in fiscal 2026, an increase of US$11.22 billion from the previous year, its financial statements showed. The company’s fiscal year ended on September 26.
The annual increase contrasted with little movement between the last two quarters. Research expenses totaled US$11.730 billion in the September quarter, compared with US$11.729 billion for the June quarter—a difference of US$1 million.
For the full year, research spending rose 32% from US$34.55 billion in fiscal 2025, exceeding the 15% increase in annual revenue. Apple’s research and development expenses now amount to close to one dollar for every ten dollars in revenue.
Apple had previously connected its expanding research budget with artificial intelligence. On an April earnings call, CFO Kevan Parekh said AI investment would be additional to spending already planned for the company’s product roadmap. Tim Cook, then CEO, also pointed to higher research spending in response to a question about Apple’s AI investments.
