Apple is preparing to pay an estimated $3.4 billion in tariffs by the end of 2025, a financial hit linked to iPhone-related imports and similar products. While the tech giant has chosen not to pass the cost to customers, analysts and enthusiasts are imagining what Apple could have done with that massive sum instead.
For context, Apple's ability to absorb such costs showcases its financial strength. Other companies, like Microsoft, have raised prices across product lines to offset similar expenses. Apple, on the other hand, has taken the high road -- protecting consumer prices even as it shoulders billions in additional fees.
If Apple decided to redirect that money, the possibilities would be striking. For instance, it could buy Jamf, a firm that manages Apple devices for enterprises, twice over when valued at $1.7 billion. Even now, after its $2.2 billion privatization, such an acquisition could significantly enhance Apple's corporate hardware ecosystem.
Another intriguing option would be purchasing Nikon, the Japanese optics giant, for approximately $3.78 billion. Integrating Nikon's imaging expertise could elevate Apple's already advanced camera systems. Alternatively, Apple could invest in WeRide, an autonomous driving company valued at $3.23 billion, to revive its long-abandoned Project Titan and re-enter the self-driving vehicle race.
And in a twist of irony, Apple could even buy BlackBerry for $2.8 billion -- closing the circle on one of tech's greatest rivalries.
If Apple wanted to splurge, it could buy every Apple Park employee a Bentley Bentayga -- 12,000 luxury SUVs at about $280,000 each. Or, for a populist move, the company could hand out $10 to every U.S. citizen, or buy a staggering 378 million Big Macs.
While these ideas are playful, they underscore the sheer scale of Apple's tariff burden. The $3.4 billion could reshape entire industries -- or, at the very least, fund one of the most lavish employee reward programs in history.