In intraday trading shortly after 2:30 p.m., Apple shares rose 1.8 percent, which gave the company a value of $227.1 billion. Shares of Microsoft declined about 1 percent, giving the company a market capitalization of $226.3 billion.

Apple retained the spot at the close, even as both shares declined. Microsoft dropped 4 percent to end the day with a market cap of $219.2 billion and Apple fell 1.1 percent to end at $222.1 billion.

The only American company valued higher is Exxon Mobil, with a market capitalization of $282 billion.

 the click-clack of the keyboard has ceded ground to the swoosh of a finger across a smartphone’s touch-screen.