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☆ Google antitrust trial crystallizes Apple’s risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Robert Cyran | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The antitrust case against Google is spelling out some serious problems. The U.S. Department of Justice claims that Alphabet maintains its market dominance by striking deals to make Google the default search engine on other companies’ devices and browsers. One expert witness for Google said Apple receives 36% of the ad revenue Google makes from searches on Apple’s Safari browser. Kevin Murphy, an economics professor at the University of Chicago, and an expert witness for Google, made the remark, Bloomberg reported. The two companies have had a partnership since 2002, where Google shares advertising revenue generated from users of Apple devices, and Google is the default search engine for these devices.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Tim Cook, Bernstein, Kevin Murphy, Alphabet’s Google, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: Apple, REUTERS, Reuters, Google, U.S . Department of Justice, Microsoft, U.S . Department, University of Chicago, Bloomberg, Alphabet’s, Thomson

☆ Hey Siri: Screen iPhone calls on Apple’s valuation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Robert Cyran | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Signage is seen at the Apple Fifth Avenue store for the release of the Apple iPhone 14 range in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., September 16, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew KellyNEW YORK, Aug 3 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The iPhone 15 is probably coming soon, but the handset that anchors Apple (AAPL.O) is losing some of its allure. Apple sold nearly $40 billion of them in the quarter, a 2.5% dip from roughly the same three-month stretch in 2022. In 2017, though, existing U.S. owners waited 2.1 years to replace their iPhone, according to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. The segment’s revenue reached a record $21 billion in the quarter, or 8% more than the same period a year ago.

Persons: Andrew Kelly NEW, Boss Tim Cook, Cook, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam Organizations: Apple, REUTERS, Andrew Kelly NEW YORK, Reuters, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Apple Watch, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S

☆ Apple could overcome VR’s nerd and creepy factors
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Robert Cyran | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, June 6 (Reuters Breakingviews) - To be successful at launching a new technological device, a company must overcome both nerd and creepy factors. Meta Platforms (META.O), after buying headset company Oculus in 2014, uses its products to push Mark Zuckerberg's pet project, the Metaverse. And people may still be uncomfortable about switching between the real world and the virtual one. But as far as finding a device that is both aesthetic and copacetic, Apple's real world experience suggests it has a better chance at success than others. Follow @rob_cyran on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSApple revealed Vision Pro, the company’s virtual and augmented reality headset on June 5.

Persons: Tim Cook, Mark, Cook, Tim Cook’s, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: YORK, Reuters, Apple, Google, Meta, Thomson

☆ Apple’s balance sheet is golden and delicious
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Robert Cyran | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

But for Apple (AAPL.O), the sharp change in monetary conditions is golden and delicious. The iPhone maker said on Thursday that it ended the first quarter with cash and saleable investments $57 billion greater than its debts. That’s nearly enough to cover its newly-raised dividend for a year, and $90 billion buyback program, without touching the balance sheet. While the first two initiatives sit on Goldman’s balance sheet, the buy-now-pay-later product sits on Apple’s. Apple had $57 billion more in cash and saleable securities on its balance sheet than its debts at the end of the quarter.

☆ Everyone knows Siri is way behind. It's partly why top Apple engineers have jumped ship to Google, report says.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Apple is having a hard time convincing workers that Siri can keep up with new AI rivals. Apple lost three top engineers working on AI technology to Google, The Information reported. It's the latest example of how far behind Apple is seen to be on AI versus Google and OpenAI. Apple has lost three top engineers working on ChatGPT-like technology to Google, in a sign the iPhone-maker is struggling to supercharge its AI efforts and Siri as large language models go mainstream. They were personally poached by Google CEO Sundar Pichai after shunning Apple boss Tim Cook's efforts to keep them, the report said.

☆ Apple awkwardly pushes into buy-now-pay-later
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, March 29 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Apple (AAPL.O) is late to the buy-now-pay-later party. If anyone can help validate the product, it’s Apple, but times are considerably tougher. Apple will be well-versed in these risks, but a bigger crackdown is probably coming. What’s more, shifting consumer sentiment and a cooling economy could hurt demand and increase the risk of bad loans. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

HONG KONG, March 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - In the biblical parable of the prodigal son, a repentant wastrel returns home to a forgiving and beneficent father. In China, Alibaba (9988.HK) founder Jack Ma's homecoming and rehabilitation appears to be part of an official campaign to revive flagging private sector investment. However, if officials believe the mere sight of Ma in public will revive business confidence, that hope has a whiff of desperation. Ma the prodigal entrepreneur has returned, but perhaps not for long. Shares of Alibaba rallied as much as 4% in Hong Kong following the SCMP report before closing flat at HK$85.25 on March 27.

☆ Chinese commerce minister in talks with Apple boss Tim Cook
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, March 27 (Reuters) - Chinese commerce minister Wang Wentao met Apple (AAPL.O) CEO Tim Cook on Monday and exchanged views on the company's development in China, the commerce ministry said. The two talked about stabilising industrial and supply chains, the ministry said, adding that Wang told Cook China is willing to provide a good environment and services for foreign companies including Apple. Cook was in Beijing over the weekend to attend the government-organised China Development Forum. Wang told Cook that China unswervingly promotes a high-level opening-up of rules, regulations, management, standards and other systems, the ministry added. Reporting by Beijing newsroom Writing by Bernard Orr Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ CEOs take pay cuts after brutal 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The pay cuts are hitting some of America’s best-known and highest-paid bosses, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman and Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon. The bank then disclosed on Friday that Solomon’s 2022 pay is being cut by nearly 30%. Goldman Sachs’ profit dropped 49% last year as the slowdown in dealmaking curbed advisory fees. Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman (left), Apple boss Tim Cook (middle) and Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon (right) are among the leaders whose pay has been clipped in recent weeks. Tech bosses have received the biggest pay hikes, with the median CEO pay surging by 42.1% in 2021 to $19.1 million, Equilar said.

HONG KONG, Dec 1 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Covid-19 lockdowns and protests across China have highlighted the risks of the mutual dependence between Taiwan's Foxconn and its top customer Apple (AAPL.O). It makes 70% of the world’s iPhones, according to Fubon Research. Meanwhile Apple’s huge investments into Foxconn have paid off: the U.S. company is the most profitable smartphone maker by far. Foxconn has been scrambling to contain the fallout, offering bonuses to temporary workers and shifting production to other facilities. At the time, Foxconn said it was bringing the situation under control and was coordinating with other plants to increase production.

☆ Musk’s Apple fight could be his Twitter legacy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Jonathan Guilford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Nov 29 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Elon Musk doesn’t just want to force changes at Twitter. Musk isn’t the first to complain that Apple acts as a gatekeeper for companies distributing apps through its platforms. Losing a chunk of every $8 that a user pays to become a Twitter Blue subscriber makes that harder. Second, Musk attacked Apple’s policy of asking developers to moderate content in apps sold through its App Store. Videogame developer Epic Games sued Apple in part over this very issue, a fight Apple won.

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