I applied through other source. The process took 1 day. I interviewed at Apple
Interview
Phone screen. It took over an hour. Interviewer was a contract recruiter and I didn't ask up front. Asked a lot of specific questions about projects and seemed particularly interested in my mobile expertise. The recruiter said he would get back to me within 24 hours because he knew i would be a great fit. He did not get back to me until I emailed him twice. He said the position was removed and he still wanted me to stay in touch. It seemed like I wasted time.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
He wanted to know what were the latest tools I use for mobile web development.
It was pretty painless. Apple is very selective in hiring so they want you to talk to a lot of people, but almost everyone is very friendly and accommodating.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
If you were designing a system, what would you do first?
I applied through an employee referral. The process took 6 weeks. I interviewed at Apple (Cupertino, CA) in Apr 2012
Interview
I happened to be interviewing with Google and Yelp at the exact same time, so while I won't directly reference the other two companies this is relevant info for understanding what stood out about the Apple interview process.
First, the hiring manager was surprisingly forthcoming about how the process was moving and how I was doing compared to other candidates. This was incredibly welcoming though it probably had to do with the fact that they were in a rush to hire.
Second, the process was shockingly unorganized. Interview rooms weren't booked, people didn't know when and where they were supposed to be meeting me, other groups kept trying to access the interview rooms and there was no one on-site who was obviously coordinating the process.
Third, Apple wants you to meet with as many people as possible. I met with almost 20 different people during the course of the interview process. You definitely got the vibe that culture fit is highly valued.
Fourth, every single interviewer asked me "Why Apple?" With a 100% ask rate, I am guessing this is the rule.