Latest news with #AppleStores
India Today
02-05-2025
- Business
- India Today
Apple to open new retail stores in India later this year, confirms CEO Tim Cook
Apple has confirmed that its phase two retail expansion in India will officially kick off later this year with new stores expected to further its reach and connect with customers. Today, it has two physical stores, but soon four more will be added, bolstering its footprint and giving buyers more options to experience and buy a wide range of Apple devices from iPhone to Mac, Apple Watch and announcement came during Apple's fiscal Q2 2025 earnings call, where CEO Tim Cook highlighted the company's steadfast growth in global markets, including Tim Cook confirms India retail expansion'We set a number of quarterly records in countries and regions across the world, including India,' Cook said. 'In retail, in addition to the two stores we opened during the quarter, we're also looking forward to a new retail store in the UAE, the arrival of the online store in Saudi Arabia, and new retail stores in India starting later this year.' The launch was imminent. Though Apple has not shared the exact locations, we know that new Apple stores are in the pipeline for Pune, Delhi NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. Earlier this year, the company started hiring for these retail journey In India started with the online store - Apple Store Online - in 2020. The company doubled down on 'online' with the Apple Store app India edition in January 2024. The first wave of physical Apple Stores - where you can touch and feel the devices before buying - came in April 2023, beginning with Mumbai (BKC) and Delhi (Saket). Apple says the stores have received a phenomenal becomes key iPhone manufacturing hub for the US marketApple and India seem inseparable at the moment. It's as if the stars have aligned. Beyond retail, Apple is also actively strengthening its manufacturing base and capabilities in the country. Cook has previously emphasised that Apple must make in India in order to stay competitive, a need that has only become stronger in the wake of growing uncertainty around tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, particularly on have been reports that Apple was looking to move much of the iPhone manufacturing to India for US-bound shipments to offset the impact and keep prices from going up significantly. Those reports have now been confirmed to be true.'For the June quarter, we do expect the majority of iPhones sold in the U.S. will have India as their country of origin,' Cook asked about any potential impact the tariffs might have on prices - now and in the future - Cook said while the company was able to streamline everything properly and efficiently in this quarter, in the next quarter, there could be an additional burden of around $900 million if the current tariff regime remains unchanged. Whether Apple will absorb the cost or pass it on to the buyer remains it is imperative that Apple moves quickly to diversify its manufacturing, reducing dependency on China which has been slapped by a tariff of a staggering 145 percent (in response, China has increased tariffs on American imports to 125 percent). Most Apple products for sale outside the US will continue to be made in China, Cook has reiterated, but iPhones and other devices meant for the US will be split between India and Vietnam, the latter serving as the country of origin for most iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and of 2025, Apple makes the entire iPhone 16 lineup locally, from the entry-level iPhone 16e to the high-end iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. It is almost certain that the upcoming iPhone 17 series will be made in India, too. Apple began manufacturing in India in Q2 2025 resultsApple reported revenue of $95.4 billion, a 5 percent increase year over year, and earnings per share of $1.65, up 8 percent, in the second quarter ended March 29, 2025. Though the iPhone 16e, iPad Air and Mac refreshes launched recently were mentioned, Apple did not give any specific numbers reflecting how they have been performing. The company saw double-digit growth in Services, which refers to the suite of subscription-based and digital content offerings that it has beyond hardware. These include iCloud, Apple Music, Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade and more. Apple's installed base of active devices also hit an 'all-time high' across all regions and product lines during the quarter.
Forbes
24-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
6 Safe Bond Funds For The Unwinding Of The Global ‘Long U.S.' Trade
Red arrow And dollar finance decline graph. For the past 16 years, the world has piled into a 'long U.S.' trade. American stocks, bought with dollars, have propped up investment portfolios around the globe since the Great Financial Crisis. From March 2009 to early 2025, the S&P 500 soared by 600%—that's seven times! Why would anyone own anything else when SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was sizzling? But bulls don't run forever. Last summer, we contrarians discussed a potential inflection point for SPY—the likelihood that the index's best gains were behind it. And here we are. A global trade war has triggered a flight from SPY. The U.S. has increased its average tariff rate to 22%, the highest since 1910. The S&P 500 sits 16% below its highs from earlier this year and the dollar's shed 10% from its recent peak—a crazy big move in a short amount of time for a currency. Meanwhile, Fed Chair Jay Powell watches with detachment, to say the least. Last week he disappointed investors when he took the beloved 'Fed put'—the implicit rescue by lower interest rates that investors have counted on since 1987—off the table. Fed Put Timeline While I don't believe the Fed put is ever off the table, I do believe Powell's strike price may very well be at much lower levels. (S&P 4000 or lower, perhaps?) Powell has reiterated that inflation remains priority number one, which means he is prepared to watch the market drop more. Inflation though is likely to remain an issue as long as China—America's main supplier—is tariffed at 145%. While levies may be mildly deflationary at lower levels (because they reduce economic activity), the tariffs on China are obviously inflationary. Just look at inflation-fearing hordes swarming Apple Stores across the nation! The downward spiraling SPY, by the way, is worse for international investors than for you and me. We see an index 16% off its highs. They have a position down 16% plus the 10% drop in currency they used—a double whammy! In this environment, bonds, at a glance, seem like the best option. But if a recession looms, we want to skew towards safe credit like US Treasuries. And even here, we need to be careful! China—ye of 145% levies—owns $760 billion in long-term Treasuries. They will not be adding to their position and on a testy day they may mess with Trump and sell a bunch. Two weeks ago we saw serious selling in Asia's overnight session that led to Trump's tariff pause the following day. Which is why the 'short end'—shorter duration bonds—of the yield curve is safer right now. It is insulated from overseas sales because these yields key off the Fed Funds Rate. When the Fed begins to cut again, these divvies will decline, so this may be the 'last call' to find safety and yields up to 4.8%. Last week we featured five safe bond funds and readers asked for more ideas. So, this week, we are moving farther out the yield curve to focus on durations between 1 and 3 years on average. The bonds owned by these funds are still generally protected from a Chinese fire sale of US Treasuries. And if the Fed cuts, these six yields will stay higher for longer than their ultra-short brethren: Six Bond Funds iShares 1-5 Year Investment Grade Corp Bond ETF (IGSB) yields 4.8% via short-term (2.7 years, on average) investment-grade bonds. It offers a bit more income than shorter-term Treasuries. Its high-quality paper should be safe in a garden-variety recession. iShares Core 1-5 Year USB Bond ETF (ISTB) blends short-duration US government and corporate bonds. It pays 4.4% and is even safer than IGSB thanks to our global printing press backing the US-portion of this portfolio. iShares Short Maturity Bond ETF (NEAR) invests in short-term corporate bonds. Its 2-year duration is reasonable. NEAR yields 4.5%. Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF (BSV) yields 4.1%, on the lower end of our group, thanks to its blend of short-term Treasuries with corporates. Its 2.8-year duration brings more rate sensitivity but also a bit more potential upside for those inclined. Schwab Short-Term US Treasury ETF (SCHO) yields 4.0% and only owns short-term Treasuries. For those concerned with the potential of a 2008 sequel, this fund combines generous liquidity and security to hedge against an ugly financial scenario. iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHY) is right there with SCHO with a focus on Uncle Sam's short-term paper. Its average duration is 1.9 years and the fund yields 3.8%. Brett Owens is Chief Investment Strategist for Contrarian Outlook. For more great income ideas, get your free copy his latest special report: How to Live off Huge Monthly Dividends (up to 8.7%) — Practically Forever. Disclosure: none
Forbes
17-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Apple Launches New Money-Off Promotion When You Recycle Old Gadgets
A new promotion has just begun in Apple Stores. To celebrate Earth Day, which falls on April 22, you can recycle an eligible device, and receive 10% off selected accessories — something Apple rarely offers. Apple Store discounts now live for Earth Day. Getty Images The promotion began on April 16 and runs until May 16, 2025 in stores in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, China, Japan and more. The idea seems to be that rather than choosing devices which have a trade-in value, that you take old tech into the Apple Store and recycle it. Actually, you can take a wide range of devices into any Apple Store and they'll recycle it for free — this has been the case for a long time, though it's not that widely known. But for this promotion, you can get a discount on a range of Apple accessories. Specifically, you can snag 10% off this list of products: Apple Branded Adapters, AirPods 4 with or without Active Noise Cancellation, AirTag, Apple Pencil, Apple TV 4K, Apple Watch bands Apple Branded cables and chargers, HomePod mini, Apple Branded iPad and iPhone cases, Apple Branded Magic Keyboard (excluding Magic Keyboard for iPad) and the Magic Mouse. You can recycle up to five devices and receive the 10% discount each time, and you have to be an adult to do this. It's only available instore. Note that if you return the thing you've bought, you'll get a refund or credit for what you paid, and you won't get your recycled device back. Because this promotion seems to be about recycling electronic devices, the range of stuff you can recycle to get the discount is pretty wide. Specifically, Apple says: 'AirPods, AirPort, AirTag, Apple TV, Computers, Displays, Hard Drives & Storage, Headphones & Speakers, HomePod, Mice & Keyboards, Networking, Printers & Scanners, Smartphones, Tablets, Watches and iPod,' all qualify.
Forbes
14-04-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Apple Watch Owners Can Claim Free Rewards By Doing One Simple Thing
Apple's Close Your Rings badge Apple has announced its Close Your Rings day celebrations, which lets Apple Watch fans claim both physical and virtual freebies. Close Your Rings days takes place on April 24, to celebrate 10 years of Apple's iconic Activity rings' existence. 'A decade ago, we introduced Activity rings — and since then, Apple Watch has grown to offer an extensive set of features designed to empower every user,' says Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams. If you manage to close your rings on that day, you'll unlock 10 animated stickers and a badge for use in the Messages app. Doing so will also unlock a 'limited-edition award' within the Apple Watch Activity app. What I really want, though, is the physical pin badge Apple will give out at Apple Stores from April 24. 'Customers can pick up a pin at Apple Store locations worldwide starting April 24, while supplies last,' says Apple. It's not clear how limited these pin badges will be. The design of the pin is based on the virtual award you unlock, seen at the top of this article, suggesting it will be a cross between a medal and the graphic representing Apple's Activity rings. Pretty neat. If you're more interested in the stickers, here's what they represent: These animated stickers all feature visual elements that nod to the design of Apple's Activity rings. You can see them in action at the Apple website. To backup the importance of the Activity Rings as a motivating factor for activity and exercise, Apple has also highlighted some stats derived from one of its major health studies. Apple says those who 'frequently' close their Activity Rings are 48% less likely to have poor quality sleep, and are 57% less likely to suffer from higher levels of stress, per their own self-reporting. Activity Rings have been a key part of the Apple Watch since the series's inception in 2015. And while having daily goals was nothing new at that point, the design has become an important, and often copied, part of the company's iconography.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Apple will reportedly announce a new iPhone SE next week
In just few days, Apple could finally unveil a new iPhone SE. According to Bloomberg, the company will announce its latest lower-cost model as soon as next week before it goes on sale later this month. The last iPhone SE was released back in 2022, and the publication says that Apple Stores have been running low on stocks in recent weeks. A few days ago, a Twitter user who goes by "Majin Bu" posted a video of a device that's supposedly Apple's upcoming low-cost iPhone model. Unlike the current version, it no longer has a home button marking the death of a feature that once identified the company's mobile devices. The upcoming iPhone SE will reportedly have a camera notch at the top, which Apple had removed from its latest phones in favor of its Dynamic Island design. It's also expected to have a USB-C port, which will allow Apple to sell it in the European Union, where all mobile devices are required to have USB-C charging capability. Apple had to stop selling the 2022 version and the iPhone 14 in the region late last year when the rule came into effect. Bloomberg previously reported that the new iPhone SE will be the first Apple device to use the company's in-house cellular modem, replacing the Qualcomm chips it's been using up until now. The phone is also expected to have Face ID and Apple Intelligence, made possible by the company's A18 processor. The publication's sources said Apple isn't likely to hold a launch event for the device and will simply just start selling it on its website. At launch, the older version carried a retail price of $429, but that was two years ago — you can probably expect the new model with its more modern specs to cost a bit more.
