FORM OF NOTE DUE 2021

Exhibit 4.2

FORM OF NOTE DUE 2021

UNLESS THIS NOTE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), TO THE ISSUER OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY NOTE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS A BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN.

TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY ARE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN WHOLE, BUT NOT IN PART, TO NOMINEES OF DTC OR TO A SUCCESSOR THEREOF OR SUCH SUCCESSOR’S NOMINEE AND TRANSFERS OF PORTIONS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY ARE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN THE INDENTURE REFERRED TO ON THE REVERSE HEREOF.

THIS SECURITY IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE REFERRED TO HEREIN AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE THEREOF. THIS SECURITY MAY NOT BE EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR A SECURITY REGISTERED, AND NO TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY IN WHOLE OR IN PART MAY BE REGISTERED, IN THE NAME OF ANY PERSON OTHER THAN SUCH DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE THEREOF, EXCEPT IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE.

APPLE INC.

2.250% Note due 2021

APPLE INC., a California corporation (the “Issuer”), for value received promises to pay to CEDE & CO. or registered assigns the principal sum listed on the Schedule of Exchanges of Notes on February 23, 2021.

Interest Payment Dates: February 23 and August 23, beginning on August 23, 2016 and on the maturity date (each, an “Interest Payment Date”).

Interest Record Dates: February 9 and August 9 (each, an “Interest Record Date”).

Reference is made to the further provisions of this Note contained herein, which will for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Issuer has caused this Note to be signed manually or by facsimile by its duly authorized officer.

This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein and referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

Dated: March 24, 2016

(REVERSE OF NOTE)

APPLE INC.

2.250% Note due 2021

Apple Inc. (the “Issuer”) promises to pay interest on the principal amount of this Note at the rate per annum described above. Cash interest on the Notes will accrue from February 23, 2016 or the most recent Interest Payment Date to which payment has been paid or provided for. Interest on this Note will be paid to, but excluding, the relevant Interest Payment Date. The Issuer will pay interest semi-annually in arrears on each Interest Payment Date, commencing August 23, 2016, to Holders of record on the immediately preceding Interest Record Date; provided, that if an Interest Payment Date for this Note falls on a day that is not a Business Day, the Interest Payment Date shall be postponed to the next succeeding Business Day. Interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months in a manner consistent with Rule 11620(b) of the FINRA Uniform Practice Code.

The Issuer shall pay interest on overdue principal from time to time on demand at the rate borne by the Notes and on overdue installments of interest (without regard to any applicable grace periods) to the extent lawful.

Initially, The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (the “Trustee”) will act as Paying Agent and Security Registrar. The Issuer may change any Paying Agent and Security Registrar without notice to the Holders.

This Note is one of the 2.250% Notes due 2021 (the “Notes”) issued under an indenture, dated as of April 29, 2013 (the “Base Indenture”), by and between the Issuer and the Trustee, as supplemented by an Officer’s Certificate, dated February 23, 2016, issued pursuant to Section 301 of the Indenture (together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”). This Note is a “Security” and the Notes are “Securities” under the Indenture.

For purposes of this Note, unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms herein are used as defined in the Indenture. The terms of the Notes include those stated in the Indenture and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act as in effect on the date on which the Indenture was qualified under the Trust Indenture Act. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Notes are subject to all such terms, and Holders of Notes are referred to the Indenture and the Trust Indenture Act for a statement of them. To the extent the terms of the Indenture and this Note are inconsistent, the terms of the Indenture shall govern.

The Notes are in registered form, without coupons, in denominations of $2,000 and any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof. A Holder shall register the transfer or exchange of Notes in accordance with the Indenture. The Issuer may require a Holder, among other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements and transfer documents and to pay certain transfer taxes or similar governmental charges payable in connection therewith as permitted by the Indenture. The Issuer need not issue, authenticate, register the transfer of or exchange any Notes or portions thereof for a period of fifteen (15) days before the mailing of a notice of redemption, nor need the Issuer register the transfer or exchange of any Note selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part.

Subject to certain exceptions, the Notes and the provisions of the Indenture relating to the Notes may be amended or supplemented and any existing default or Event of Default or compliance with certain provisions may be waived with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of each series of Outstanding Securities (including the Notes) under the Indenture that is affected by such amendment, supplement or waiver (voting as a single class). Without notice to or consent of any Holder of the Notes, the parties thereto may amend or supplement the Indenture and the Notes to, among other things, cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency or comply with any requirements of the Commission in connection with the qualification of the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act, or make any other change that does not adversely affect the rights of any Holder of the Notes in any material respect.

Prior to January 23, 2021, the Issuer may, at its option, redeem any of the Notes in whole or in part at any time and from time to time, each at a redemption price calculated by the Issuer equal to the greater of:

(i) 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed; or

(ii) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest on the Notes to be redeemed (assuming such Notes matured on January 23, 2021), exclusive of interest accrued to, but excluding, the date of redemption, discounted to the date of redemption on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at a rate equal to the sum of the applicable Treasury Rate (as defined below) plus 15 basis points, plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest on the principal amount being redeemed to, but excluding, the date of redemption.

On or after January 23, 2021, the Issuer may, at its option, redeem any of the Notes in whole or in part at any time and from time to time, each at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest on the principal amount being redeemed to, but excluding, the date of redemption.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, installments of interest on the Notes that are due and payable on interest payment dates falling on or prior to a redemption date will be payable on the interest payment date to the registered Holders as of the close of business on the relevant record date according to the Notes and the Indenture.

“Comparable Treasury Issue” means the United States Treasury security selected by an Independent Investment Banker as having a maturity comparable to the remaining term (“Remaining Life”) of the Notes to be redeemed (assuming such Notes matured on January 23, 2021) that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable maturity to the remaining term of such Notes (assuming such Notes matured on January 23, 2021).

“Comparable Treasury Price” means, with respect to any redemption date, (1) the average of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such redemption date, after excluding the highest and lowest Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, or (2) if the Independent Investment Banker obtains fewer than four such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such quotations.

“Independent Investment Banker” means one of the Reference Treasury Dealers that the Issuer shall appoint to act as the Independent Investment Banker from time to time.

“Reference Treasury Dealer” means (1) each of Goldman, Sachs & Co., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and their respective successors, unless any of them ceases to be a primary U.S. Government securities dealer in New York City (a “Primary Treasury Dealer”), in which case the Issuer will substitute another Primary Treasury Dealer and (2) any other Primary Treasury Dealer(s) the Issuer shall select.

“Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations” means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any redemption date, the average, as determined by the Independent Investment Banker, of the bid and asked prices for the applicable Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Independent Investment Banker by such Reference Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the third business day preceding such redemption date.

“Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any redemption date, the rate per year equal to: (1) the yield, under the heading which represents the average for the immediately preceding week, appearing in the most recently published statistical release designated “H.15(519)” or any successor publication which is published weekly by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and which establishes yields on actively traded United States Treasury securities adjusted to constant maturity under the caption “Treasury Constant Maturities,” for the maturity corresponding to the applicable Comparable Treasury Issue; provided that, if no maturity is within three months before or after the Remaining Life of the Notes to be redeemed, yields for the two published maturities most closely corresponding to the applicable Comparable Treasury Issue will be determined and the Treasury Rate will be interpolated or extrapolated from those yields on a straight line basis, rounding to the nearest month; or (2) if such release (or any successor release) is not published during the week preceding the calculation date or does not contain such yields, the rate per year equal to the semiannual equivalent yield to maturity of the applicable Comparable Treasury Issue, calculated using a price for the applicable Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the related Comparable Treasury Price for such redemption date. The Treasury Rate will be calculated by the Issuer on the third business day preceding the redemption date. As used in the immediately preceding sentence and in the definition of “Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations” above, the term “business day” means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York City are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

The provisions of Article XI of the Indenture shall apply to any redemption of the Notes.

Notice of any redemption will be mailed or electronically delivered at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before the redemption date to each Holder of record of the Notes to be redeemed at its registered address. The notice of redemption for the Notes will state, among other things, the amount of Notes to be redeemed, the redemption date, the manner in which the redemption price will be calculated and the place or places that payments will be made upon presentation and surrender of the Notes to be redeemed. Unless the Issuer defaults in payment of the redemption price, on and after the redemption date, interest will cease to accrue on the Notes or portions thereof called for redemption. If less than all of the Notes are to be redeemed, the Notes to be redeemed will be selected by the applicable procedures of the Depositary, in the case of Notes represented by a Global Note, or by lot, in the case of Notes that are not represented by a Global Note.

If an Event of Default (other than certain bankruptcy Events of Default with respect to the Issuer) under the Indenture occurs with respect to the Notes and is continuing, then the Trustee may and, at the direction of the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Notes, shall by written notice, require the Issuer to repay immediately the entire principal amount of the Outstanding Notes, together with all accrued and unpaid interest and premium, if any. If a bankruptcy Event of Default with respect to the Issuer occurs and is continuing, then the entire principal amount of the Outstanding Notes together with all accrued and unpaid interest and premium, if any, will automatically become due immediately and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holder of the Notes. Holders of Notes may not enforce the Indenture or the Notes except as provided in the Indenture. The Trustee is not obligated to enforce the Indenture or the Notes unless it has received indemnity as it reasonably requires. The Indenture permits, subject to certain limitations therein provided, Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then Outstanding to direct the Trustee in its exercise of any trust or power. The Trustee may withhold from Holders of Notes notice of certain continuing defaults or Events of Default if it determines that withholding notice is not opposed to their interest.

This Note shall not be valid until the Trustee manually signs the certificate of authentication on this Note.

Customary abbreviations may be used in the name of a Holder of a Note or an assignee, such as: TEN COM (= tenants in common), TEN ENT (= tenants by the entireties), JT TEN (= joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common), CUST (= Custodian), and U/G/M/A (= Uniform Gifts to Minors Act).

Pursuant to a recommendation promulgated by the Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures, the Issuer has caused CUSIP numbers to be printed on the Notes as a convenience to the Holders of Notes. No representation is made as to the accuracy of such numbers as printed on the Notes and reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed hereon.

The Indenture and the Notes shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of New York.

ASSIGNMENT FORM

To assign this Note, fill in the form below:

I or we assign and transfer this Note to

(Print or type assignee’s name, address and zip code)

(Insert assignee’s soc. sec. or tax I.D. No.)

and irrevocably appoint                                                       agent to transfer this Note on the books of the Issuer. The agent may substitute another to act for him.

Sign exactly as your name appears on the other side of this Note.

Signature Guarantee:

Signatures must be guaranteed by an “eligible guarantor institution” meeting the requirements of the Security Registrar, which requirements include membership or participation in the Security Transfer Agent Medallion Program (“STAMP”) or such other “signature guarantee program” as may be determined by the Security Registrar in addition to, or in substitution for, STAMP, all in accordance with the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

SCHEDULE OF EXCHANGES OF NOTES

The initial principal amount of this Global Note is $ [    ].

The following exchanges of a part of this Global Note for physical Notes or a part of another Global Note have been made: