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USA Today
14-05-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Apple expands accessibility with braille note taker, Vision Pro upgrades and more
Apple expands accessibility with braille note taker, Vision Pro upgrades and more Show Caption Hide Caption Owned an Apple device in the last decade? Get your part of a $95M payout If you've owned an Apple device in the past decade you may be owed part of a $95 million settlement. Here's how to stake your claim. Straight Arrow News Apple AAPL.O said on Tuesday it is bringing a host of new features later this year that are geared towards making its devices more accessible, including a braille note taker and expanded 'zoom' for its mixed-reality headsets, Vision Pro. For users who are blind or visually impaired, vision accessibility features will be expanded using Vision Pro's camera system. The updated zoom features can help users magnify everything in view using the main camera, the iPhone maker said. "We are dedicated to pushing forward with new accessibility features for all of our products," said Sarah Herrlinger, Apple's senior director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives. In case you missed it: Did Apple's Siri eavesdrop on your call? Find out if eligible for part of $95M settlement Apple will allow approved apps to access the main camera on Vision Pro to provide live, person-to-person assistance for visual interpretation in apps such as Be My Eyes. Be My Eyes is an application that connects people who are blind or visually impaired with volunteers and companies worldwide through live video. The Vision Pro, lauded by analysts for its technology, represents Apple's entry into the headset market otherwise dominated by Meta Platforms META.O. Apple is also introducing 'Braille Access' that turns iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro into a braille note taker. With this feature, users can open any app by typing with a connected braille device or Braille Screen Input - an Apple system that allows users to enter braille into their devices. Apple's new features also include a system-wide reading mode designed to make text easier to read for users with disabilities such as dyslexia or low vision, the company said. Reporting by Arsheeya Bajwa in Bengaluru; Editing by Shreya Biswas
USA Today
24-02-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Apple\u00a0plans $500 billion in US investment, 20,000 research jobs in next four years
Apple plans $500 billion in US investment, 20,000 research jobs in next four years Show Caption Hide Caption Apple plans $500 billion in US investment in next 4 years Apple said it would spend $500 billion in U.S. investments in the next four years. The money will fund a giant factory in Texas for artificial intelligence servers and 20,000 research and development jobs across the country in that time. Apple AAPL.O said on Monday it would spend $500 billion in U.S. investments in the next four years that will include a giant factory in Texas for artificial intelligence servers and add about 20,000 research and development jobs across the country in that time. That $500 billion in expected spending includes everything from purchases from U.S. suppliers to U.S. filming of television shows and movies for its Apple TV+ service. The company declined to say how much of the figure it was already planning to spend with its U.S. supply base, which includes firms such as Corning GLW.N that makes glass for iPhones in Kentucky. The move comes after media reports that Apple CEO Tim Cook met President Donald Trump last week. Many of Apple's products that are assembled in China could face 10% tariffs imposed by Trump earlier this month, though the iPhone maker had secured some waivers from China tariffs in the first Trump administration. "This pledge represents a political gesture towards the Trump administration," said Gil Luria, analyst at D.A. Davidson, noting that the $500 billion likely includes all of Apple's spending in the U.S., including general and administrative costs. "It is unclear whether this announcement represents an acceleration in spend." Apple made a similar announcement about its U.S. spending plans in 2018, during the first Trump administration, when it said its new and ongoing investments would contribute $350 billion to the U.S. economy over five years. Shares were down 0.8% in pre-market trading. Trump, in a Truth Social post, thanked Apple and Cook, saying the move reflected the company's faith in his administration. Most of Apple's consumer products are assembled outside the U.S., though many of Apple components are still made there, including chips from Broadcom AVGO.O, SkyWorks Solutions SWKS.O and Qorovo QRVO.O. In case you missed it: Apple to launch new lower-cost iPhone to capture a broader market Apple said it last month started mass producing chips of its own design at an Arizona factory owned Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Bringing TSMC to Arizona and helping introduce legislation that later became the CHIPS Act to bolster U.S. semiconductor production were two of Trump's biggest industrial policy moves during his first term. Apple said on Monday it will work with Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry to build a 250,000-square-foot facility in Houston, where it will assemble servers that go into data centers to power Apple Intelligence, its suite of AI features that help draft emails and perform other tasks. Those servers are currently made outside of the U.S., Apple said. Apple said it plans to increase its Advanced Manufacturing Fund from $5 billion to $10 billion, with part of the expansion being a "multibillion-dollar commitment from Apple to produce advanced silicon" at TSMC's Arizona factory. Apple did not disclose details of its deal with TSMC, but it has in the past used the fund to help partners build out the infrastructure needed to deliver products or services for Apple. Apple will also open a manufacturing academy in Michigan where its engineers, along with local university staff, will offer free courses for small and mid-sized manufacturing firms in areas such as project management and manufacturing process optimization. Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco, additional reporting by Priyanka G in Bengaluru; Editing by Shri Navaratnam
USA Today
19-02-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Apple to launch new lower-cost iPhone to capture a broader market
Apple to launch new lower-cost iPhone to capture a broader market Show Caption Hide Caption Apple to pay $95M to settle Siri eavesdropping lawsuit Apple has agreed to pay $95 million in order to settle a lawsuit accusing the company of using the virtual assistant Siri to eavesdrop on people using its devices. unbranded - Newsworthy Apple AAPL.O is set to launch its latest budget iPhone model on Wednesday as it looks to grab a bigger share of the mid-range smartphone market and fend off competition from rivals such Samsung and China's Huawei. The fourth generation of the lower-cost model, so far known as iPhone SE, will take on popular Android smartphones at a time when consumer electronics makers are looking to add artificial intelligence tools into their devices. The current-generation of iPhone SE, released in 2022, is available at $429 and the latest version is likely to be priced at a premium to the outgoing model. The iPhone 16, launched in September, starts at $799 for the base variant. "If the SE 4 offers meaningful upgrades in design, performance, and AI features, it could reinvigorate its market appeal and strengthen Apple's position across different price segments," Counterpoint Research senior analyst Varun Mishra said. Apple launches iPhone 16e: Price, release date, what to know about cheaper smartphone option Apple late last month forecast strong sales growth signaling that the company will recover from a dip in iPhone sales as it rolls out artificial intelligence features in the coming months to more regions and languages. However, analysts have been cautious about the sales boost such tools could provide, as Apple's AI features are set to be rolled out in phases in some regions on its latest iPhone 16 line-up and the iPhone 15 Pro model. The SE model's sales as part of total revenue for iPhones has dropped from 10% from its introduction in 2016 to about 1% last year, according to Counterpoint Research. This year's update is expected to revamp its slab-design, ditch the physical home button and introduce its FaceID feature, apart from camera and processor updates to support AI features, according to analysts and media reports. The SE model would be the last among iPhones to adopt the USB Type-C port for charging, a departure from its proprietary Lightning connector. Apple has already discontinued the current SE and iPhone 14 in the European Union as the products do not conform with local laws requiring USB Type-C charging standard. The latest SE model would let it return to the EU. Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur
USA Today
31-01-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Apple shares rise as rosy forecast lifts hopes for iPhone rebound
Joel Jose and Siddarth S Reuters Apple shares rose 2% on Friday after a rosy forecast fuelled hopes of an iPhone sales rebound, even as tough competition and a lack of AI features weigh on demand in key market China. Already the world's most valuable company, Apple AAPL.O is set to add more than $81 billion to its market value of $3.573 trillion, if the gains hold. Apple, which has been grappling with investor worries over iPhone demand due to a slow rollout of its AI-powered Apple Intelligence features, expects revenue to rise in the low- to mid-single digit percentage range in the current quarter. The forecast suggested demand was picking up for the iPhone 16 series that was launched in September without most of the Apple Intelligence features but updates in recent months added services including ChatGPT integration. "Fears had mounted (heading into Apple's first-quarter earnings report). But the company flipped them to the mat," said Rosenblatt analyst Barton Crockett. Invest wisely: Best online brokers While Microsoft MSFT.O and Alphabet GOOGL.O have poured billions into AI-related investments, Apple has taken a more cautious approach, avoiding hefty capital spending and focusing on leveraging the technology for device sales. "With investors highly tuned into how AI spend will represent real revenue for big tech, Apple's results have provided ... reassurance," said Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown. Still, China — Apple's third-largest market — remains a concern. Read more:Apple agrees to pay $95M to settle Siri privacy lawsuit The company is yet to secure a local partner in China to roll out its AI features, while domestic rivals including a resurgent Huawei have been chipping away at its market share there with more splashy devices. Apple's sales declined 11% in China in the last three months of 2024, after a marginal decline in the previous quarter. But government stimulus measures rolled out earlier this month, would help Apple stem the sales decline, J.P. Morgan analysts noted. At least 12 analysts lifted their price targets on the stock. Apple shares gained about 30% last year. That compares with a more than 65% jump in Meta META.O, the best performer in the Big Tech group, and a 12% rise in laggard Microsoft MSFT.O. Apple's 12-month forward price-to-earnings ratio is 31.12, compared with Microsoft's 29.2 and Meta's 26.7. Reporting by Joel Jose and Siddarth S in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Samuel Indyk in London; Editing by Amanda Cooper and Shinjini Ganguli
