Apple has long been the gold standard in the tech world, sitting atop the list of the world’s most valuable companies. But as of June 18, 2025, cracks are showing in Apple’s armor. With a market cap hovering just under $3 billion and a stock price of $196.88, Apple’s growth has slowed, and the company is struggling to keep pace in the artificial intelligence (AI) race. Now, two tech giants, Amazon and Meta Platforms are making bold moves that could see them surpass Apple’s value within the next five years.
The Changing Landscape
Apple’s dominance is rooted in its iconic products and a loyal customer base. However, recent years have seen only modest revenue growth, and much of its stock surge is attributed to a rising price-to-earnings ratio rather than explosive business expansion.
The company’s AI initiatives, branded as Apple Intelligence, have faced repeated delays. Meanwhile, a lucrative revenue-sharing deal with Google is under threat after Alphabet’s loss in a high-profile antitrust trial, potentially putting a dent in Apple’s high-margin services revenue. With these headwinds, Apple’s upside appears limited, making room for competitors to leap ahead.
Amazon’s AI Power Play
Amazon, with a market cap of $2.3 billion and shares trading at $213.27 as of June 18, 2025, is well-positioned to overtake Apple. The company is a leader in both e-commerce and cloud computing, and it has fully embraced AI to drive efficiency and growth. Amazon’s e-commerce segment is growing at a healthy high single-digit to low double-digit percentage rate, with margins expanding thanks to AI-powered logistics and advertising. Its sponsored-ad business alone saw revenue soar 19% year-over-year to $13.9 billion quarter one of 2024. AI is now embedded throughout Amazon’s warehouses and delivery network, optimizing routes, reducing costs, and even detecting damaged goods.
But the real engine is Amazon Web Services (AWS). AWS remains Amazon’s most profitable and fastest-growing division, with revenue up 17% year-over-year to $29.3 billion and operating income jumping 22% to $11.5 billion in the latest quarter. The surge in demand for AI infrastructure has prompted Amazon to commit $100 billion in capital expenditures this year, mostly to expand AWS’s AI capabilities. With its aggressive investment in AI and proven ability to scale, Amazon is primed to surpass Apple’s market cap, especially as the AI boom continues to reshape the tech landscape.
Meta Platforms’ AI-Driven Growth
Meta Platforms, valued at $1.74 trillion with shares at $695.84, faces a steeper climb but has the momentum to challenge Apple’s throne. Meta operates as one of the world’s largest digital ad platforms through Facebook and Instagram, and it is leveraging its proprietary Llama large language model to supercharge both user engagement and ad effectiveness.
Meta’s AI tools are making ads more creative and better targeted, driving up both ad prices and engagement. In the last quarter, ad impressions grew 5% while the average price per ad climbed 10%. The company’s latest social media venture, Threads, has already surpassed 350 million monthly users. If Meta can successfully monetize Threads, it could become a major revenue driver. With its unmatched and a proven track record of scaling new platforms, Meta has the right ingredients to outgrow Apple in the next five years, especially as AI continues to transform digital advertising and user experiences.
Author’s Analysis
Apple’s position as one of the world’s most valuable companies is increasingly at risk due to slowing revenue growth and a lag in artificial intelligence innovation. Much of Apple’s recent stock performance has been driven by a higher price-to-earnings ratio, not by strong underlying business expansion. The company’s AI features, under the Apple Intelligence brand, have faced repeated delays, and its lucrative revenue-sharing deal with Google is under threat following Alphabet’s antitrust trial loss. This creates a real risk to Apple’s high-margin services revenue stream, limiting its growth prospects over the next several years.
In contrast, Amazon is leveraging its leadership in e-commerce and cloud computing to drive robust growth. The company’s aggressive integration of AI across its operations optimizing logistics, warehouse efficiency, and advertising has led to expanding margins and profitability. Amazon Web Services (AWS), the crown jewel of its business, continues to post double-digit revenue and operating income growth, fueled by surging demand for AI infrastructure positions Amazon to capture a significant share of the next wave of tech growth. Similarly, Meta Platforms, while smaller than Apple and Amazon, is rapidly closing the gap. The company’s ability to scale new platforms, such as Threads demonstrates its potential for future revenue growth.
Hence, Amazon and Meta are not only catching up to Apple they are redefining the pace and direction of tech industry growth. Their aggressive investment in AI, operational efficiencies, and ability to scale new business lines make them strong contenders to surpass Apple’s market value within five years. The future of tech leadership will be shaped by those who dominate AI, and both Amazon and Meta are well on their way to taking that crown.
Looking Ahead
The next five years could see a dramatic reshuffling at the top of the tech world. Apple’s innovation engine appears to be sputtering, while Amazon and Meta are surging ahead, powered by relentless AI investment and operational excellence. If current trends hold, both Amazon and Meta could be worth more than Apple by 2030.
For investors and tech enthusiasts alike, the message is clear: the future belongs to those who lead in AI. Amazon and Meta are not just catching up, they are poised to set the pace for the next era of tech dominance.
