Apple Stock Keeps Falling - Is The Company Losing Its Image?

Apple's stock has been taking a hit lately, and while much of the recent surge is due to the iPhone 5, there are a couple recent incidents that are beginning to slowly change the company's image.

Apple stock is currently trading at $670 as of 2:50 p.m. EDT on September 28. It has experienced a drop of $10 per share since the beginning of the day.

Despite the negative number, Apple can still rest easy. Apple's stock has risen 20 percent in the last three months and over 60 percent in the year-to-date, according to Rocco Pendola from MSN Money. These percentages are even more impressive when you take into consideration that Apple is the world's most valuable company and it could, in the future, become the first trillion dollar company ever. 

But behind Apple's success lies a few unsettling recent incidents. Apple recently took Samsung to court and won in the United States (lawsuits are pending in other countries as well), claiming that the South Korean-based company was blatantly ripping off their devices. While a legitimate claim, it also soured the public's perception of Apple. The company looked more like a bully as it requested that certain Samsung devices be banned in the United States, rather than the sleek, innovative, and hip company it has built itself into.

Then there's the recent Apple Maps fiasco. In the new iOS 6, Apple decided to completely drop Google Maps (and Youtube - perhaps more strong arming) from the mobile operating system. Instead, they launched their own in-house mapping system, that simply doesn't resonate well with various consumers.

The public outrage caused Apple CEO Tim Cook to write a letter to the public saying that Apple is "extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers." He even suggested that users create a link on their homescreen to the webpage for, wait for it, Google Maps.

Apple will continue to dominate the holiday season with a lineup that includes the iPhone 5, the new iPad, new iPods, and a possible iPad Mini, but it's the little things like these that could affect the Cupertino giant's image in the long run - and its stock prices.