Apple and Google named best global brands

For the third consecutive year, Apple and Google have topped a list of the world’s most valuable brands.
The Interbrand Best Global Brands report is released annually, offering an insight into the biggest brands in the world and how they stack up to one another.
As The New York Times explains, Interbrand figures these standings out with a formula that takes into account a company’s revenues, how influential a brand is in influencing purchase decisions, and the level of brand loyalty that exists for it.
It’s perhaps unsurprising, then, that based on those criteria Apple has hit the number on spot yet again. The report values Apple at $170 billion, which also makes Apple one of the report’s top risers, its value having increased 43 percent.
Google trails in second place with an estimated value of $120 billion.
Indeed, only the presence of Coca Cola at number three prevents a complete tech lock-out of the medal-winning positions, as Microsoft has climbed to number four in the listings.
Related: iPhone 6S vs Samsung Galaxy S6
Samsung is down in seventh, and Amazon has climbed from number 15 to number 10. Indeed, Amazon is another ‘top riser’ with a 29 percent increase in value.
Notable by their absences this time around are Nokia and Nintendo, both of which have dropped from the top 100 rankings after being swallowed by Microsoft and flopping in the sales charts respectively.
Take a look at our smartphone buyers guide: