Apple to Continue Donating 100% of (PRODUCT)RED Profits to COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Throughout 2021

Near the end of last year, Apple announced that it was going to step up its efforts to help COVID-19 relief by donating 100% of the profits from sales of special edition (PRODUCT)RED products to support the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic in developing nations.

Although this initiative was originally scheduled to end on June 30, Apple has quietly announced that it plans to continue donating all of these profits to the Global Fund’s COVID-19 Response until at least December 30.

Of course, Apple is no stranger to (RED), the global charity that has been working for years to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in developing nations. In fact, it was one of the very first partners of the Global Fund when it launched back in 2006, with a special (PRODUCT)RED edition of the second-generation iPod nano, from which it donated $10 of every sale.

This continued with every subsequent generation of iPod nano, and even the iPod shuffle and the iPod touch. Although the iPhone didn’t get the (PRODUCT)RED treatment until early 2017 with the iPhone 7 lineup, Apple did sell a variety of (PRODUCT)RED iPhone cases and other accessories over the years.

Back in 2013, Apple also famously created a stunning one-off (PRODUCT)RED Mac Pro, specially designed by Jony Ive and Marc Newson, that was auctioned off for $977,000 — well above the $50,000 that Sotheby’s thought it would bring in.

Today, Apple sells a range of both full products and accessories in (PRODUCT)RED editions, including the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 11, iPhone XR, and iPhone SE, Apple Watch Series 6, iPod touch, Beats Solo3 headphones, and the Beats Pill+ portable speaker.

While the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max aren’t available in (RED), Apple does sell (PRODUCT)RED leather cases for the entire iPhone 12 lineup. There’s also an array of (RED) Apple Watch bands, including the Solo Loop, Braided Solo Loop, Sport Loop, and Sport Band, and even a (PRODUCT)RED leather key tag for Apple’s AirTag.

The (RED) Mission

Since its inception, the goal of (RED) has been to create a Global Fund to fight not only AIDS, but also tuberculosis and malaria in developing nations like Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Rwanda, and South Africa, where funding for doctors, nurses, and medical research is normally scarce at best.

However, the rise of COVID-19 in these nations made it obvious that efforts needed to be redirected to fight the global health pandemic instead, since this created an entirely new set of challenges in accessing care, diagnostics, and supplies.

Apple has always donated a portion of the profits from its (PRODUCT)RED sales to the Global Fund’s overall efforts, with over $250 million donated to date. This year, however, Apple has increased that to 100% of its profits, and it’s specifically directing those to the Global Fund’s COVID-19 response until the end of 2021.

This will provide critical support to health systems most threatened by the outbreak and, in turn, help preserve lifesaving HIV/AIDS programs in sub-Saharan Africa.

Apple

Apple’s contributions have already helped to support more contact tracing, secured critical personal protective equipment, emergency medical equipment, and more for communities that have been isolated by COVID-19.

It’s not just about direct COVID-19 relief either, as the Global Fund notes that the additional funding will also help preserve live-saving HIV/AIDS services, which have become a much lower priority in the face of COVID-19.