AAPL · 10-Q · 2026Q2 · Full report

R&D Investment (AI Infrastructure)

Apple Inc. · 2026-07-31 · Importance 29 · Surprise 30

Apple reports R&D expense increased in Q3 and the first nine months of fiscal 2026 primarily due to higher infrastructure-related costs, including investments in artificial intelligence, and headcount-related expenses. The company indicates these investments are ongoing and contributed to higher operating expenses year-over-year in fiscal 2026. The filing ties the increased R&D spend to strategic AI infrastructure buildout during the first nine months of fiscal 2026. No discrete dollar amount for AI infrastructure is provided in the excerpt, but total R&D expense for the three months ended June 27, 2026 was reported at $11,729 million.