Apple in recent years has made an aggressive move to expand operations on both the manufacturing and sales front in India. The company opened its online store in India in 2020 and its first physical stores in the country last year and India is growing into one of the company’s largest markets. Arjun Kharpal for CNBC: ‎ Apple has recently made an aggressive play to expand operations in India: the country has a huge population, with a growing middle class willing to splash out more on high-end phones. But it’s not just about sales for Apple. The tech giant has also boosted its manufacturing fo ..read more

Apple’s current Mac mini is powered with the M2 and M2 Pro Bloomberg News’ Mark Gurman reports that Apple could completely skip the M3 generation for some Macs, most notably the Mac mini, launching a new M4 Mac mini as soon as this year. Andrew Cunningham for Ars Technica: ‎ To be clear, Gurman doesn’t have specific insider information confirming that Apple is planning to skip the M3 mini. But based on Apple’s alleged late-2024-into-early-2025 timeline for the M4 mini, he believes that it’s “probably safe to say” that there’s not enough space on the calendar for an M3 mini to be released betw ..read more

Apple and FIFA are said to be nearing an agreement wthat ould give the tech company worldwide rights for a monthlong World Cup-style competition between top teams set to be played for the first time in the United States next summer. Tariq Panja for The New York Times: ‎ The agreement could be announced as soon as this month, according to three people familiar with the matter, who were not authorized to discuss the deal publicly because it has yet to be officially confirmed. It comes after several false starts for a competition championed by FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino. Plans to hold i ..read more

As it scrambles to catch up to rivals in GenAI, Apple has acquired the Paris-based artificial intelligence startup Datakalab which specializes in on-device AI processing. Hartley Charlton for MacRumors: ‎ Datakalab specializes in algorithm compression and embedded AI systems. The acquisition, finalized on December 17 last year, was quietly conducted but noted in a European Commission filing spotted by French publication Challenges (via iPhoneSoft). While the financial details of the transaction remain undisclosed, the move is almost certainly part of Apple’s broader strategy to bring more so ..read more

Bank of America (BofA) is bullish on Apple, naming it a top stock pick for 2024 ahead of Cupertino’s Q224 earnings report on May 2nd. Ryan Vlastelica for Bloomberg News: ‎ The company has a “rich catalyst path with defensive cash flows,” wrote analyst Wamsi Mohan, who has a buy rating and $225 price target on the stock. Apple’s second-quarter results are scheduled for release next week, and BofA is largely positive on the prospects, with “services revenue growth and margins to remain strong.” However, it cautioned that “the demand environment is weak and a lower guide for F2Q could influence ..read more

Some investors might worry that Apple carries $108 billion of long-term debt on its balance sheet. That debt figure alone would qualify as the world’s 139th-most-valuable company. Can Apple afford this massive amount of debt? Neil Patel for The Motley Fool: ‎ Investors can look at some key metrics to determine whether a business is able to handle its debt burden. When scrutinizing Apple in this regard, it’s clear that the company has absolutely no problem at all with its borrowings. Apple’s debt ratio of 31% (comparing its debt to assets) has actually come down in recent years. And it demons ..read more

Apple stock continues to underperform the market, but one Wells Fargo analyst recommends buying the dip ahead of some potential positive catalysts, even if shares fall after its Q224 earnings release after market close on Thursday, May 2nd. Angela Palumbo for Barron’s: ‎ Apple stock has fallen 14% so far this year while the S&P 500 has gained 4.1% as analysts have concerns over the company’s struggles in China, a lack of clarity over new general artificial intelligence projects, and competition with lower priced offerings. Shares have dropped for each of the last five trading days alone ..read more

Apple CEO Tim Cook Bloomberg News‘ Mark Gurman writes this week that “it feels like the Vision Pro is following the same script as every VR headset to come before it” as initial enthusiasm from early adopters dies out. Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News: ‎ After an exciting launch period with a sales surge and users flocking to stores for demos, interest has died down. Here’s what I’m hearing from Apple retail stores: Demand for demos is way down. People who do book appointments often don’t show up, and sales — at least at some locations — have gone from a couple of units a day to just a handful ..read more

Amazon’s warning label on Apple’s FineWoven accessories cautions ‘frequently returned’ Apple has reportedly stopped producing so-called “FineWoven” accessories, according to noted Apple-leaker “Kosutami.” Kosutami via X: ‎ FineWoven has gone. Since its durability were bad. All the production line was stopped and removed. Apple would move to another material — Again, not the leather. Hartley Charlton for MacRumors: ‎ Kosutami has revealed accurate information about FineWoven accessories in the past. The leaker unveiled Apple’s plans to introduce new Apple Watch bands made of a “woven fabric ..read more

Apple’s offer to open NFC in iPhone to rivals is set to be approved by EU antitrust regulators as soon as next month after it tweaked some of the terms, Reuters reports citing “people familiar with the matter.” Foo Yun Chee for Reuters: ‎ Apple’s bid to settle the four-year investigation would help it dodge a finding of wrongdoing and stave off a potential hefty fine that could be as much as 10% of its global annual turnover. The U.S. tech giant in January offered to let rivals access its NFC on its iPhones, iPads and other Apple mobile devices free of charge without having to use Apple Pay ..read more