2025 was a groundbreaking year for Apple's services, with a series of milestones and achievements that left an indelible mark on the industry. But here's where it gets controversial: some argue that Apple's success is not just about innovation, but also about its ability to connect with users on a global scale.
Apple celebrated significant anniversaries across its services, including Apple Podcasts, Music, and News. These platforms thrive because of the incredible talent behind them: artists, creators, journalists, and storytellers who bring these digital worlds to life. And in 2025, Apple brought its services to more users than ever before, with Apple Pay now accessible in 89 markets and Find My launching in South Korea. Apple Fitness+ expanded to 28 additional countries and regions, making it more inclusive and accessible.
Apple TV's engagement soared in December, with a 36% increase in viewing hours compared to the previous year. This success was driven by robust audience growth in Europe and Latin America, continued expansion in the U.S., and the global streaming debuts of F1, Pluribus, and The Family Plan 2. The timeless classic A Charlie Brown Christmas also contributed to this milestone year. F1, Apple's summer blockbuster, was the No. 1 movie at the global box office and the highest-grossing sports movie of all time. Pluribus, Apple TV's biggest series to date, was also widely acclaimed.
Apple Pay continues to add value for users, merchants, and banks worldwide. Now available in 89 markets and with over 11,000 banks and network partners, Apple Pay has eliminated over $1 billion in fraud globally and generated more than $100 billion in incremental merchant sales. During the peak holiday shopping weekend, Apple Pay purchases significantly outpaced overall consumer spending levels. With iOS 26, Apple Pay allows banks and lenders to offer users installment payments and rewards in stores.
Apple Maps expanded its Detailed City Experience to New Orleans, Singapore, and Monaco, showcasing 3D landmarks and a custom F1 Monaco Grand Prix experience. Maps also brought its all-new map to Mexico and Thailand, offering more accurate navigation and cycling directions. With iOS 26, Maps became more personalized and intelligent, introducing features like Preferred Routes and Visited Places to enhance the user experience.
In 2025, Apple Fitness+ expanded to 28 new countries and regions, including Chile, Hong Kong, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, and Taiwan, with Japan joining early this year. To make Fitness+ more welcoming, the service introduced digitally dubbed workouts and meditations in Spanish and German, featuring generated voices based on the actual voices of the 28 Fitness+ trainers. Today, Fitness+ offers over 8,000 workouts and meditations in 4K Ultra HD, along with powerful personalization features and real-time performance metrics for extra motivation.
Apple Podcasts had its best year yet in 2025, achieving record listeners, plays, and subscribers. Celebrating 20 years, Podcasts drove innovation, growth, and content recognition. It curated "20 Years, 20 Podcasts We Love" and introduced new accessibility and discovery features, including enhanced dialogue, new playback speeds, automatically created chapters, timed links, and expanded transcripts in 13 languages for over 125 million episodes. Podcasts also launched its "Best So Far" editorial list and awarded its Show of the Year to The Rest Is History, a first for a UK series.
As Apple News celebrated its 10th anniversary, it solidified its position as the No. 1 news app in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, and No. 2 in the UK. News features over 3,000 publications and more than 600 titles with Apple News+. News+ expanded its offerings with Apple News+ Food, which includes 100,000 recipes from 60 publications in the U.S., the UK, Australia, and English-speaking Canada. It also introduced the Emoji Game puzzle in the U.S. and Canada. Apple News now includes over 150 local newspapers and news feeds across 50 U.S. states, seven Canadian markets, and London, providing critical local coverage to more users.
Apple One offers a simple monthly plan that gives users access to the best of Apple services, providing incredible value for individuals and families. Apple One Individual and Family plans, which include iCloud+, Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Arcade, are available in over 100 markets worldwide. Apple One Premier, which also includes Apple Fitness+, is available in more than 20 markets, and the full Premier bundle, which includes Apple News+, is available in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the UK.
And this is the part most people miss: Apple's success is not just about technology, but also about the human connections and experiences it facilitates. From Apple Pay's fraud prevention to Apple Maps' personalized routes, and from Apple Podcasts' accessibility features to Apple News' local coverage, Apple's services are designed to enhance our daily lives and bring people together.
So, what do you think? Is Apple's success solely due to its innovative products, or is there something more to it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
