WhatsApp's 'Black Dot'&nbsp;bug, that recently affected Android devices, is reported to now have spread to iOS 11.3, iOS 11.4 Beta.

Reports emerged when Android device users complained of the messaging application to crash all of a sudden soon after they received a message with a black dot.&nbsp;

According to reports, for iPhone users, the instant messaging application crashes as soon as the message is opened.

It is now being suggested that the black dot is based on a Unicode text bug carrying thousands of hidden characters.&nbsp;

The application fails to operate and crashes as the device tries to read the text but fails due to limited memory and too much data hidden in the message.&nbsp;

Experts suggest ways to avoid the bug from harming your device. One of the ways is to avoid the message from appearing on the screen, a user can send a series of text messages to the sender of the 'Black Dot'&nbsp;message via voice assistance feature and make sure that the message with the bug goes way up in the chat history and therefore not displayed on the screen.&nbsp;

Users can also delete the conversation and try uninstalling the application.

The application fails to operate and crashes as the device tries to read the text but fails due to limited memory

WhatsApp's 'Black Dot' bug, that recently affected Android devices, is reported to now have spread to iOS 11.3, iOS 11.4 Beta. Reports emerged when Android device users complained of the messaging application to crash all of a sudden soon after they received a message with a black dot. According to reports, for iPhone users, the instant messaging application crashes as soon as the message is opened. It is now being suggested that the black dot is based on a Unicode text bug carrying thousands of hidden characters. The application fails to operate and crashes as the device tries to read the text but fails due to limited memory and too much data hidden in the message. Experts suggest ways to avoid the bug from harming your device. One of the ways is to avoid the message from appearing on the screen, a user can send a series of text messages to the sender of the 'Black Dot' message via voice assistance feature and make sure that the message with the bug goes way up in the chat history and therefore not displayed on the screen. Users can also delete the conversation and try uninstalling the application.

Notorious WhatsApp 'Black Dot' bug spreads to iPhone devices

Tech giant Apple has been sued by over 60,000 iPhone users&nbspin South Korea&nbspfor damages on Friday.

The compensation that is being demanded is $12 million in total with each customer demanding $188.

The lawsuit has been lodged by a local firm Hannuri in a Seoul Central district court against the local unit of iPhone manufacturer, Appl and Apple Korea.

According to reports, four lakh users were seeking legal action against the company initially but the number fell during the course of verification of documents and other legal procedures.

The company is accused of slowing down phones through software tweak after they release new model is released to make buyers purchase the latest one.

In December last year, the company confirmed the reports of slowing certain models deliberately in order to prevent phone from aging batteries.

The company further assured users that it does to 'protect your phone' as the lithium-ion batteries age through time and after that,&nbspit can't process at the same capacity which could cause a phone to shut down unexpectdely.

 
&nbsp

The compensation that is being demanded is $12 million in total with each customer demanding $188

Tech giant Apple has been sued by over 60,000 iPhone users&nbspin South Korea&nbspfor damages on Friday. The compensation that is being demanded is $12 million in total with each customer demanding $188. The lawsuit has been lodged by a local firm Hannuri in a Seoul Central district court against the local unit of iPhone manufacturer, Appl and Apple Korea. According to reports, four lakh users were seeking legal action against the company initially but the number fell during the course of verification of documents and other legal procedures. The company is accused of slowing down phones through software tweak after they release new model is released to make buyers purchase the latest one. In December last year, the company confirmed the reports of slowing certain models deliberately in order to prevent phone from aging batteries. The company further assured users that it does to 'protect your phone' as the lithium-ion batteries age through time and after that,&nbspit can't process at the same capacity which could cause a phone to shut down unexpectdely.

Over 60,000 iPhone users sue Apple in South Korea

Police in Sacramento, California shot dead an African American father of two in the backyard of his grandparents&#39; home fearing that he was carrying a weapon. He was actually holding an iPhone.

Body camera and surveillance helicopter footage released late Wednesday shows how police chased and then fired 20 rounds at Stephon Clark, killing him on the spot.

Following an uproar in the case, the Sacramento Police Department said it &quot;recognizes the significance of this incident and the impact it has on our community,&quot; and that it was &quot;committed to providing timely information and communicating openly with our community.&quot;

The incident was triggered by an emergency 911 phone call late Sunday stating that a man was smashing car windows in the neighborhood.

Clark, 22, appeared to fit the suspect&#39;s profile, and police chased after him, backed by a helicopter equipped with infrared cameras.

The videos caught by the helicopter and by the officer&#39;s body cameras showed Clark running through the neighborhood, then entering the backyard of his grandparents&#39; home, where he lived.

The officers then burst into the backyard with their weapons drawn and confront Clark, shouting out: &quot;Show me your hands!&quot; followed soon after by &quot;Gun, gun, gun!&quot;

The officers opened fire, with each shot appearing as a flash on the helicopter&#39;s infrared footage.

&quot;At the time of the shooting, the officers believed the suspect was pointing a firearm at them,&quot; Sacramento police said in a statement.

&quot;After an exhaustive search, scene investigators did not locate any firearms. The only items found near the suspect was a cellphone.&quot;

Hearing the gunshots, Clark&#39;s grandparents called 911, without realizing that police were shooting.

&quot;They finally told me, hours later, that there was a victim dead in my backyard,&quot; Sequita Thompson told FOX40 television.

Thompson ignored police orders to refrain from looking out the window -- and was horrified that the man who was shot dead was her grandson.

&quot;He was right there, dead,&quot; she said. &quot;And I told the officers, &#39;You guys are murderers, murderers.&#39;&quot;

Thompson later told The Sacramento Bee newspaper: &quot;He was at the wrong place at the wrong time in his own backyard?

&quot;C&#39;mon now, they didn&#39;t have to do that.&quot;

The officers involved in the shooting were put on leave pending an investigation.

The latest shooting has revived a recurring debate over police abuses against African Americans, who account for an overwhelming share of the number of suspects killed by law enforcement each year.

Police in Sacramento, California shot dead an African American father of two in the backyard of his grandparents' home fearing that he was carrying a weapon. He was actually holding an iPhone

Police in Sacramento, California shot dead an African American father of two in the backyard of his grandparents' home fearing that he was carrying a weapon. He was actually holding an iPhone. Body camera and surveillance helicopter footage released late Wednesday shows how police chased and then fired 20 rounds at Stephon Clark, killing him on the spot. Following an uproar in the case, the Sacramento Police Department said it "recognizes the significance of this incident and the impact it has on our community," and that it was "committed to providing timely information and communicating openly with our community." The incident was triggered by an emergency 911 phone call late Sunday stating that a man was smashing car windows in the neighborhood. Clark, 22, appeared to fit the suspect's profile, and police chased after him, backed by a helicopter equipped with infrared cameras. The videos caught by the helicopter and by the officer's body cameras showed Clark running through the neighborhood, then entering the backyard of his grandparents' home, where he lived. The officers then burst into the backyard with their weapons drawn and confront Clark, shouting out: "Show me your hands!" followed soon after by "Gun, gun, gun!" The officers opened fire, with each shot appearing as a flash on the helicopter's infrared footage. "At the time of the shooting, the officers believed the suspect was pointing a firearm at them," Sacramento police said in a statement. "After an exhaustive search, scene investigators did not locate any firearms. The only items found near the suspect was a cellphone." Hearing the gunshots, Clark's grandparents called 911, without realizing that police were shooting. "They finally told me, hours later, that there was a victim dead in my backyard," Sequita Thompson told FOX40 television. Thompson ignored police orders to refrain from looking out the window -- and was horrified that the man who was shot dead was her grandson. "He was right there, dead," she said. "And I told the officers, 'You guys are murderers, murderers.'" Thompson later told The Sacramento Bee newspaper: "He was at the wrong place at the wrong time in his own backyard? "C'mon now, they didn't have to do that." The officers involved in the shooting were put on leave pending an investigation. The latest shooting has revived a recurring debate over police abuses against African Americans, who account for an overwhelming share of the number of suspects killed by law enforcement each year.

Police fire 20 times at California man fearing he's carrying a weapon. He was holding an iPhone

Apple has reportedly blocked its app store access in Iran from Thursday afternoon.

What appears to be a ban, users are not able to install or uninstall any application, instead, the screen shows a message saying &#39;the App Store is unavailable in the country region you&#39;re in&#39;&nbsp;on their screen.

The app store restriction is IP address based as users have reported using the app store through virtual private network (VPN).

A tech support site Bleeping computer also quoted a researcher in their report&nbsp;saying that he was only able to access app store through VPN.

Apple has not issued any official statement regarding the restricted access.

Apple already does not&nbsp;sell its products in Iran due to US-imposed economic sanctions.

People import their iPhone&nbsp;from other countries.

Being a US company Apple has restricted its access in other ways in the past.

In 2017 all apps made by Iranian developers were removed from the store.

Many people on Twitter showed an outrage toward the company for blocking app store access.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<a href="https://twitter.com/AppStore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AppStore</a> why is Iran blocked from the list of countries able to download or update the applications which are available for all the world?We are also human and we pay for your products. We should be able to use App Store!
&mdash; Sina Keshavarz (@Sina_Dreamer) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sina_Dreamer/status/973853292777193473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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So <a href="https://twitter.com/Apple?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Apple</a> officially did it finally ;( <a href="https://t.co/NboTdPoFpC">pic.twitter.com/NboTdPoFpC</a>
&mdash; Meysam Firouzi (@R00tkitSMM) <a href="https://twitter.com/R00tkitSMM/status/974320282436501504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
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I really feel sorry for <a href="https://twitter.com/Apple?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Apple</a>&#39;s decision to completely <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ban?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ban</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iranian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Iranian</a> users from the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Appstore?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Appstore</a>. We are humans and demand <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EqualRights?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EqualRights</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/AppleSupport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AppleSupport</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Iran</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Apple?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Apple</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StopTheBan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StopTheBan</a> <a href="https://t.co/VWwPfo9TxF">pic.twitter.com/VWwPfo9TxF</a>
&mdash; Ali Fatehi (@fatehi1997) <a href="https://twitter.com/fatehi1997/status/974376036354977792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/Apple?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Apple</a> what is the problem here? Your customer is not the Govt of Iran it is the people, the citizens of Iran. Why are you diss-ing them? All your customers, world-wide, feel this in a very negative way. Has the Persian customer done &quot;bad&quot; to you?<a href="https://t.co/YU5FA7ckqi">https://t.co/YU5FA7ckqi</a>
&mdash; Ric Fink (@ricfink) <a href="https://twitter.com/ricfink/status/974389228971835392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Outrageous move from <a href="https://twitter.com/Apple?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@apple</a> to totally block <a href="https://twitter.com/AppStore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AppStore</a> in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Iran</a>. Steve Job believed that &quot;Man is the creator of change in this world. As such, he should be above systems and structures, and not subordinate to them.&quot; For <a href="https://twitter.com/tim_cook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tim_cook</a> this excludes Iranians. <a href="https://t.co/Nwkx0Z9Mvl">https://t.co/Nwkx0Z9Mvl</a>
&mdash; Esfandyar Batmanghelidj (@yarbatman) <a href="https://twitter.com/yarbatman/status/974548525710110720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

What appears to be a ban, users are not able to install or uninstall any application

Apple has reportedly blocked its app store access in Iran from Thursday afternoon. What appears to be a ban, users are not able to install or uninstall any application, instead, the screen shows a message saying 'the App Store is unavailable in the country region you're in' on their screen. The app store restriction is IP address based as users have reported using the app store through virtual private network (VPN). A tech support site Bleeping computer also quoted a researcher in their report saying that he was only able to access app store through VPN. Apple has not issued any official statement regarding the restricted access. Apple already does not sell its products in Iran due to US-imposed economic sanctions. People import their iPhone from other countries. Being a US company Apple has restricted its access in other ways in the past. In 2017 all apps made by Iranian developers were removed from the store. Many people on Twitter showed an outrage toward the company for blocking app store access. @AppStore why is Iran blocked from the list of countries able to download or update the applications which are available for all the world?We are also human and we pay for your products. We should be able to use App Store! — Sina Keshavarz (@Sina_Dreamer) March 14, 2018 × So @Apple officially did it finally ;( pic.twitter.com/NboTdPoFpC — Meysam Firouzi (@R00tkitSMM) March 15, 2018 × I really feel sorry for @Apple's decision to completely #ban #Iranian users from the #Appstore. We are humans and demand #EqualRights. @AppleSupport #Iran #Apple #StopTheBan pic.twitter.com/VWwPfo9TxF — Ali Fatehi (@fatehi1997) March 15, 2018 × .@Apple what is the problem here? Your customer is not the Govt of Iran it is the people, the citizens of Iran. Why are you diss-ing them? All your customers, world-wide, feel this in a very negative way. Has the Persian customer done "bad" to you?https://t.co/YU5FA7ckqi — Ric Fink (@ricfink) March 15, 2018 × Outrageous move from @apple to totally block @AppStore in #Iran. Steve Job believed that "Man is the creator of change in this world. As such, he should be above systems and structures, and not subordinate to them." For @tim_cook this excludes Iranians. https://t.co/Nwkx0Z9Mvl — Esfandyar Batmanghelidj (@yarbatman) March 16, 2018 ×

Iranian iPhone users blocked from App Store: Reports

Apple Inc&nbsp;, the world`s most valuable publicly listed company, is in danger of being beaten by Amazon.com Inc&nbsp;to the $1 trillion mark.

Wall Street`s optimism about last year`s 10th anniversary iPhone had propelled Apple`s stock 24 percent higher over the past 12 months, giving it a market capitalization of $893 billion.&nbsp;

That is $141 billion more than the $752 billion market value of Amazon, the world`s third most valuable publicly listed company, but Amazon has been quickly closing the gap. Amazon`s stock has surged 83 percent over the past year, bolstered by scorchingly fast revenue growth as more shopping moves online and businesses shift their computing operations to the cloud, where Amazon Web Services leads the market.&nbsp;

In January, Amazon announced that it, Berkshire Hathaway Inc&nbsp;and JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co&nbsp;would form a company to cut health care costs for their employees, which was widely seen as a threat to the existing U.S. healthcare system and underscored Amazon`s ability to disrupt markets.

Amazon dislodged Microsoft Corp&nbsp;as the No. 3 U.S. company by market capitalization in February.

At $783 billion, Alphabet Inc&nbsp;has the second largest market capitalization. The Google parent company`s stock has grown about 33 percent over the past year, faster than Apple but far slower than Amazon. 
Meanwhile, optimism about Apple`s iPhone X has given way to concerns that demand for the $1,000 device may be weaker than expected.

To be sure, past stock gains are not a reliable predictor of future performance, and the surge in Amazon shares in recent years has been exceptional by most standards.

But if Amazon`s stock were to keep growing on the trajectory seen over the past year, the company`s market capitalization would hit $1 trillion in late August. Apple would reach $1 trillion around a week later if its stock price continued to rise at the same pace seen over the past year.

Alphabet would not reach $1 trillion until 2019 if its stock price continued to rise at the same pace seen over the past year.Most Wall Street analysts are not quite that enthusiastic about the growth of Apple and Amazon. Analysts on average expect Apple`s stock price to rise 11 percent and reach $195 within the next 12 months, which would put its market capitalization at $989 billion, according to Thomson Reuters data.&nbsp;

Analysts covering Amazon on average expect its stock to rise 10 percent within the next year to reach $1,700, which would give it a market value of $823 billion.&nbsp;

Apple on Thursday was up 0.60 percent at $176.05, while Amazon rose 0.31 percent to $1,549.90.&nbsp;

Apple on Thursday was up 0.60 percent at $176.05, while Amazon rose 0.31 percent to $1,549.90

Apple Inc , the world`s most valuable publicly listed company, is in danger of being beaten by Amazon.com Inc to the $1 trillion mark. Wall Street`s optimism about last year`s 10th anniversary iPhone had propelled Apple`s stock 24 percent higher over the past 12 months, giving it a market capitalization of $893 billion. That is $141 billion more than the $752 billion market value of Amazon, the world`s third most valuable publicly listed company, but Amazon has been quickly closing the gap. Amazon`s stock has surged 83 percent over the past year, bolstered by scorchingly fast revenue growth as more shopping moves online and businesses shift their computing operations to the cloud, where Amazon Web Services leads the market. In January, Amazon announced that it, Berkshire Hathaway Inc and JPMorgan Chase & Co would form a company to cut health care costs for their employees, which was widely seen as a threat to the existing U.S. healthcare system and underscored Amazon`s ability to disrupt markets. Amazon dislodged Microsoft Corp as the No. 3 U.S. company by market capitalization in February. At $783 billion, Alphabet Inc has the second largest market capitalization. The Google parent company`s stock has grown about 33 percent over the past year, faster than Apple but far slower than Amazon. Meanwhile, optimism about Apple`s iPhone X has given way to concerns that demand for the $1,000 device may be weaker than expected. To be sure, past stock gains are not a reliable predictor of future performance, and the surge in Amazon shares in recent years has been exceptional by most standards. But if Amazon`s stock were to keep growing on the trajectory seen over the past year, the company`s market capitalization would hit $1 trillion in late August. Apple would reach $1 trillion around a week later if its stock price continued to rise at the same pace seen over the past year. Alphabet would not reach $1 trillion until 2019 if its stock price continued to rise at the same pace seen over the past year.Most Wall Street analysts are not quite that enthusiastic about the growth of Apple and Amazon. Analysts on average expect Apple`s stock price to rise 11 percent and reach $195 within the next 12 months, which would put its market capitalization at $989 billion, according to Thomson Reuters data. Analysts covering Amazon on average expect its stock to rise 10 percent within the next year to reach $1,700, which would give it a market value of $823 billion. Apple on Thursday was up 0.60 percent at $176.05, while Amazon rose 0.31 percent to $1,549.90.

Hold the iPhone! Amazon primed to be larger than Apple

WhatsApp has now begun testing a new feature that will let a user know if the message sent has been a forwarded one. The move comes in a bid to stop mass-level spam circulation on the platform.&nbsp;

WhatsApp update tracker, WABetaInfo, was the first to sport the feature-in-progress. There is also a possibility that the company will roll-out a feature where users will be able to forward stickers to other chats. The features are currently under-development and disabled.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, WhatsApp has also rolled out a range of new features for iPhone users. WhatsApp&#39;s iPhone version 2.18.30 lets Instagram-like location and time stickers to be added to photos or videos.&nbsp;

WhatsApp update tracker, WABetaInfo, was the first to sport the feature-in-progress

WhatsApp has now begun testing a new feature that will let a user know if the message sent has been a forwarded one. The move comes in a bid to stop mass-level spam circulation on the platform. WhatsApp update tracker, WABetaInfo, was the first to sport the feature-in-progress. There is also a possibility that the company will roll-out a feature where users will be able to forward stickers to other chats. The features are currently under-development and disabled. Meanwhile, WhatsApp has also rolled out a range of new features for iPhone users. WhatsApp's iPhone version 2.18.30 lets Instagram-like location and time stickers to be added to photos or videos.

WhatsApp 'forwarded message' feature in the offing?

Apple is preparing to release three new smartphones later this year, including the largest iPhone ever, a device that may have a bigger display than arch-rival Samsung&#39;s flagship phone, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the products.

The trio also includes an upgraded handset the same size as the current iPhone X and a less expensive model with some of the X&#39;s key features.

The new phones could revive the screen size wars of years past at a time when smartphone makers are straining to come up with new features to lure buyers in a saturated market. Global smartphone sales were down 0.1 per cent last year, according to research firm IDC, with Apple and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd expanding shipments only 1.9 per cent and 0.2 per cent, respectively.

The iPhone maker is already running production tests with suppliers and is expected to announce the new phones this fall. However, the plans could still change, the report said.&nbsp;

Apple declined to comment. Its shares were up almost 2 per cent at $178.95 in midday trade. Earlier in the day, billionaire Warren Buffett talked up his company&#39;s stake in the iPhone maker, which also helped boost shares.

Bloomberg reported the largest iPhone could have a screen of close to 6.5 inches (16.5 cm), larger than the 6.2-inch (15.75 cm) Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus announced on Monday in Barcelona, Spain, and larger than the current Samsung Note 8&#39;s 6.3-inch screen. Samsung traditionally announces new Note series devices in the fall, so it is possible it might launch a larger screen around the same time Apple&#39;s new models hit the market.

But Bob O&#39;Donnell, head of Technalysis Research, said the reported trio of new iPhones was &quot;a very logical extension of the product line&quot; for Apple: &quot;One bigger, one cheaper, and one upgrade to the existing iPhone X.&quot;

The Cupertino-based company earlier this month forecast disappointing revenue of $60 billion to $62 billion for its fiscal second quarter ending in March, with a number of media reports pointing to slack demand for iPhone X after unit sales failed to meet expectations in the run-up to Christmas.

With global smartphone sales roughly flat, vendors are focusing on features designed to encourage consumers to ditch their old phones earlier than they would have previously.

&quot;The whole nature of smartphone purchase decisions have changed,&quot; O&#39;Donnell said. &quot;It&#39;s not about what is the newest, greatest model. It&#39;s about when is my phone so old I need to upgrade, and what&#39;s available when I need a new one.&quot;

Samsung on Sunday unveiled its flagship Galaxy S9 smartphone with an emphasis on visual applications for social media, improved cameras, and an artificial intelligence-powered voice tool.

Bloomberg said the body of the larger phone will be about the same size as the iPhone 8 Plus, but the screen will be about an inch larger than 8 Plus&#39;s, thanks to edge-to-edge design. Apple also plans a gold-colored device to help boost sales in Asia, Bloomberg reported.

Apple is also preparing an update to the regular-sized iPhone X, Bloomberg said, adding that the phones are expected to use next-generation A12 processors and will continue to include stainless steel edges and will be Apple&#39;s high-end smartphone offerings.

What remains unclear is whether Apple will also cut any current iPhone models from its lineup. The company has kept older models like the iPhone SE - essentially an updated iPhone 5 - on shelves to an unprecedented degree, providing lower-priced offerings for developing markets like India.

Apple has also embraced the used iPhone market as a way to expand its share of smartphone users. When customers sell their old iPhone for a new one, the old iPhone &ldquo;winds up with another customer somewhere else that is perfectly fine with having a previously owned iPhone,&quot; CEO Tim Cook told investors on an earnings call earlier this month.

Apple is preparing to release three new smartphones later this year, including the largest iPhone ever

Apple is preparing to release three new smartphones later this year, including the largest iPhone ever, a device that may have a bigger display than arch-rival Samsung's flagship phone, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the products. The trio also includes an upgraded handset the same size as the current iPhone X and a less expensive model with some of the X's key features. The new phones could revive the screen size wars of years past at a time when smartphone makers are straining to come up with new features to lure buyers in a saturated market. Global smartphone sales were down 0.1 per cent last year, according to research firm IDC, with Apple and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd expanding shipments only 1.9 per cent and 0.2 per cent, respectively. The iPhone maker is already running production tests with suppliers and is expected to announce the new phones this fall. However, the plans could still change, the report said. Apple declined to comment. Its shares were up almost 2 per cent at $178.95 in midday trade. Earlier in the day, billionaire Warren Buffett talked up his company's stake in the iPhone maker, which also helped boost shares. Bloomberg reported the largest iPhone could have a screen of close to 6.5 inches (16.5 cm), larger than the 6.2-inch (15.75 cm) Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus announced on Monday in Barcelona, Spain, and larger than the current Samsung Note 8's 6.3-inch screen. Samsung traditionally announces new Note series devices in the fall, so it is possible it might launch a larger screen around the same time Apple's new models hit the market. But Bob O'Donnell, head of Technalysis Research, said the reported trio of new iPhones was "a very logical extension of the product line" for Apple: "One bigger, one cheaper, and one upgrade to the existing iPhone X." The Cupertino-based company earlier this month forecast disappointing revenue of $60 billion to $62 billion for its fiscal second quarter ending in March, with a number of media reports pointing to slack demand for iPhone X after unit sales failed to meet expectations in the run-up to Christmas. With global smartphone sales roughly flat, vendors are focusing on features designed to encourage consumers to ditch their old phones earlier than they would have previously. "The whole nature of smartphone purchase decisions have changed," O'Donnell said. "It's not about what is the newest, greatest model. It's about when is my phone so old I need to upgrade, and what's available when I need a new one." Samsung on Sunday unveiled its flagship Galaxy S9 smartphone with an emphasis on visual applications for social media, improved cameras, and an artificial intelligence-powered voice tool. Bloomberg said the body of the larger phone will be about the same size as the iPhone 8 Plus, but the screen will be about an inch larger than 8 Plus's, thanks to edge-to-edge design. Apple also plans a gold-colored device to help boost sales in Asia, Bloomberg reported. Apple is also preparing an update to the regular-sized iPhone X, Bloomberg said, adding that the phones are expected to use next-generation A12 processors and will continue to include stainless steel edges and will be Apple's high-end smartphone offerings. What remains unclear is whether Apple will also cut any current iPhone models from its lineup. The company has kept older models like the iPhone SE - essentially an updated iPhone 5 - on shelves to an unprecedented degree, providing lower-priced offerings for developing markets like India. Apple has also embraced the used iPhone market as a way to expand its share of smartphone users. When customers sell their old iPhone for a new one, the old iPhone “winds up with another customer somewhere else that is perfectly fine with having a previously owned iPhone," CEO Tim Cook told investors on an earnings call earlier this month.

Apple plans biggest iPhone yet for 2018: Report

With Apple set to report quarterly results, Thursday investors and others are cautiously watching to see whether its newest iPhone will help fuel momentum for the world&#39;s most valuable company.

Despite Apple&#39;s spectacular trajectory in the decade since the introduction of the iPhone, the California technology titan is facing challenges on whether it can continue growing.

Apple&#39;s image meanwhile has been bruised by revelations that the company updated its mobile software to slow the performance of old iPhones as batteries weaken from age.

Apple share price has eroded in recent weeks on speculation that sales of its flagship iPhone X have been far less than expected.

The company is staking much of its future on the redesigned iPhone X -- the 10th-anniversary edition of the iconic handset -- introduced last year.

Although Apple does not normally break down sales by individual models, some analysts have expressed concern that the newest and most expensive iPhone is a laggard, while others say Apple has delivered on its promise with a fuller range of handsets.

Kantar Worldpanel ComTech data released on Tuesday indicated that Apple&#39;s flagship iPhone X in December was among the top three best-selling devices across Europe, Australia, Japan, &quot;urban China,&quot; and the US.

&quot;The full results for the last quarter of the year show that Apple&#39;s decision to release three new handsets over a staggered period, including the ultra high-end iPhone X, has been a sound one,&quot; said KWC global director Dominic Sunnebo.

&quot;Given that in December iPhone X made it into the top three best-selling devices across all key regions, particularly in urban China where it was the top-selling model, the pricing strategy seems to have been vindicated.&quot;

Some analysts say Apple needs to think beyond the smartphone if it is looking to secure its future.

&quot;We&#39;re rapidly approaching the era of smartphone market maturation, and quite possibly, the end of smartphone market growth,&quot; said chief analyst Bob O`Donnell of Technalysis Research.

And, while smartphones remain popular, voice-commanded machines, wearable computing, augmented-reality glasses and other innovations could make handsets seem like &#39;old technology&#39; in the not too distant future, the analyst reasoned.

&quot;Challenges for the iPhone X and other high-end smartphones go well beyond just the appearance (or not) of a replacement &#39;super cycle,&#39;&quot; O`Donnell said in a blog post.

Smartphone upgrade rates are at record low levels and do not appear poised to rebound in the current quarter, according to BTIG analyst Walter Piecyk.

&quot;The sustained lengthening of the replacement cycle appears driven simply by customer choice to hold onto their phone longer,&quot; Piecyk said in a note.

Apple is in a unique position following a major tax overhaul which has prompted the company to reveal plans to bring back most of its $269 billion in profits held overseas, providing funds to pay dividends, buy back shares, invest in research, or make acquisitions.

Rumors being floated included the notion that Apple might want to buy streaming television giant Netflix to beef content in its services business.

Netflix&#39;s value based on its share price is more than $88 billion, an amount of cash Apple could afford given its overseas cash, according to Swarup Gupta of Zacks Investment Research.

&quot;Such a buyout would also add to Apple`s services muscle,&quot; Gupta said. 
While there appear to be threats to Apple share price this year, there also appear to be an array of opportunities, according to Gupta.

Apple has touted the growth of its services business, revenue from which rose 34 percent last year to almost $8.5 billion, according to Zacks.

Apple could also start making money from sales of voice-commanded HomePod speakers infused with Siri virtual assistant software.

HomePod will make a belated debut this year, taking on Amazon Echo and Google Home devices.

Gupta noted that the controversy over slowing of older iPhones &quot;has dented the reputation&quot; of the brand.

&quot;But given the nature of Apple&#39;s fan following, it could easily be forgotten in the months to come unless another major slip up happens on the company`s part,&quot; he said.

&nbsp;

Apple share price has eroded in recent weeks on speculation that sales of its flagship iPhone X have been far less than expected

With Apple set to report quarterly results, Thursday investors and others are cautiously watching to see whether its newest iPhone will help fuel momentum for the world's most valuable company. Despite Apple's spectacular trajectory in the decade since the introduction of the iPhone, the California technology titan is facing challenges on whether it can continue growing. Apple's image meanwhile has been bruised by revelations that the company updated its mobile software to slow the performance of old iPhones as batteries weaken from age. Apple share price has eroded in recent weeks on speculation that sales of its flagship iPhone X have been far less than expected. The company is staking much of its future on the redesigned iPhone X -- the 10th-anniversary edition of the iconic handset -- introduced last year. Although Apple does not normally break down sales by individual models, some analysts have expressed concern that the newest and most expensive iPhone is a laggard, while others say Apple has delivered on its promise with a fuller range of handsets. Kantar Worldpanel ComTech data released on Tuesday indicated that Apple's flagship iPhone X in December was among the top three best-selling devices across Europe, Australia, Japan, "urban China," and the US. "The full results for the last quarter of the year show that Apple's decision to release three new handsets over a staggered period, including the ultra high-end iPhone X, has been a sound one," said KWC global director Dominic Sunnebo. "Given that in December iPhone X made it into the top three best-selling devices across all key regions, particularly in urban China where it was the top-selling model, the pricing strategy seems to have been vindicated." Some analysts say Apple needs to think beyond the smartphone if it is looking to secure its future. "We're rapidly approaching the era of smartphone market maturation, and quite possibly, the end of smartphone market growth," said chief analyst Bob O`Donnell of Technalysis Research. And, while smartphones remain popular, voice-commanded machines, wearable computing, augmented-reality glasses and other innovations could make handsets seem like 'old technology' in the not too distant future, the analyst reasoned. "Challenges for the iPhone X and other high-end smartphones go well beyond just the appearance (or not) of a replacement 'super cycle,'" O`Donnell said in a blog post. Smartphone upgrade rates are at record low levels and do not appear poised to rebound in the current quarter, according to BTIG analyst Walter Piecyk. "The sustained lengthening of the replacement cycle appears driven simply by customer choice to hold onto their phone longer," Piecyk said in a note. Apple is in a unique position following a major tax overhaul which has prompted the company to reveal plans to bring back most of its $269 billion in profits held overseas, providing funds to pay dividends, buy back shares, invest in research, or make acquisitions. Rumors being floated included the notion that Apple might want to buy streaming television giant Netflix to beef content in its services business. Netflix's value based on its share price is more than $88 billion, an amount of cash Apple could afford given its overseas cash, according to Swarup Gupta of Zacks Investment Research. "Such a buyout would also add to Apple`s services muscle," Gupta said. While there appear to be threats to Apple share price this year, there also appear to be an array of opportunities, according to Gupta. Apple has touted the growth of its services business, revenue from which rose 34 percent last year to almost $8.5 billion, according to Zacks. Apple could also start making money from sales of voice-commanded HomePod speakers infused with Siri virtual assistant software. HomePod will make a belated debut this year, taking on Amazon Echo and Google Home devices. Gupta noted that the controversy over slowing of older iPhones "has dented the reputation" of the brand. "But given the nature of Apple's fan following, it could easily be forgotten in the months to come unless another major slip up happens on the company`s part," he said.

Apple challenged to show iPhone star shines

WhatsApp rolls out its YouTube integration feature for iPhone users.

The Facebook-owned messaging application was planning to introduce the YouTube support feature for a long time.&nbsp;

The &#39;Picture-in-Picture&#39; YouTube feature can be accessed after installing the latest WhatsApp version --v2.18.11-- on an iPhone.&nbsp;

The feature enables a user to view YouTube content in the chat interface without opening the YouTube app or a browser window.

Users will be able to play, pause or access YouTube content in fullscreen right from within the chat interface.&nbsp;

The YouTube video continues to play even when the chat is exited or if a person switches between multiple chats.&nbsp;

It must be noted that only those videos can be viewed which a user receives from other contacts on WhatsApp.

YouTube videos shared with others cannot be watched within&nbsp;WhatsApp&#39;s interface.

The feature was earlier made available to BETA users and is now accessible to iPhone users.

There is no information on when will the feature be rolled out on other operating systems.&nbsp;

To access the 'Picture-in-Picture' YouTube feature, users need to install the latest version of WhatsApp -- v2.18.11

WhatsApp rolls out its YouTube integration feature for iPhone users. The Facebook-owned messaging application was planning to introduce the YouTube support feature for a long time. The 'Picture-in-Picture' YouTube feature can be accessed after installing the latest WhatsApp version --v2.18.11-- on an iPhone. The feature enables a user to view YouTube content in the chat interface without opening the YouTube app or a browser window. Users will be able to play, pause or access YouTube content in fullscreen right from within the chat interface. The YouTube video continues to play even when the chat is exited or if a person switches between multiple chats. It must be noted that only those videos can be viewed which a user receives from other contacts on WhatsApp. YouTube videos shared with others cannot be watched within WhatsApp's interface. The feature was earlier made available to BETA users and is now accessible to iPhone users. There is no information on when will the feature be rolled out on other operating systems.

Now, iPhone users can watch YouTube videos on WhatsApp

The chairman of a US Senate committee overseeing business issues asked Apple to answer questions about its disclosure that it slowed older iPhones with flagging batteries, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

The California-based company apologised over the issue on December 28, cut battery replacement costs and said it will change its software to show users whether their phone battery is good.

Senator John Thune, a Republican who chairs the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, said in a January 9 letter to Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook that &quot;the large volume of consumer criticism leveled against the company in light of its admission suggests that there should have been better transparency.&quot;

Apple said it will cut the price of a replacement for an out-of-warranty battery to $29 from $79 for an iPhone 6 or later. The company also will update its iOS operating system so users can see whether the battery is in poor condition and affecting the phone&#39;s performance.

Thune asked if Apple considered making free battery replacements available or if it explored offering rebates for customers who paid full price for replacement batteries.

He also wants to know if Apple notified consumers of the throttling feature in software updates, which slows the phone, and if customers had the option of declining the update. The letter also asked if the similar software was used in earlier iPhone models.

Thune wants Apple&#39;s answers by January 23

An Apple spokesman did not respond to a request for comment early Wednesday.

Apple addressed the concerns about the quality and durability of its products at a time when it is charging $999 for its newest flagship model, the iPhone X.

&quot;We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down,&quot;it said last month. &quot;We apologize.&quot;

Apple acknowledged earlier in December that iPhone software can slow down some phones with battery problems. Apple said the problem was that aging lithium batteries delivered power unevenly, which could cause iPhones to shut down unexpectedly to protect the delicate circuits inside.

That disclosure played on a common belief among consumers that Apple purposely slows down older phones to encourage customers to buy newer iPhone models. While no credible evidence has emerged that Apple engaged in such conduct, the better disclosure struck a nerve on social media and elsewhere.

Lawsuits have been filed in California, New York and Illinois alleging the company defrauded users by slowing down devices without warning.

The company also faces a legal complaint in France, where so-called &quot;planned obsolesce&quot; is against the law.

The California-based company apologised over the issue on December 28, cut battery replacement costs and said it will change its software to show users whether their phone battery is good

The chairman of a US Senate committee overseeing business issues asked Apple to answer questions about its disclosure that it slowed older iPhones with flagging batteries, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Wednesday. The California-based company apologised over the issue on December 28, cut battery replacement costs and said it will change its software to show users whether their phone battery is good. Senator John Thune, a Republican who chairs the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, said in a January 9 letter to Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook that "the large volume of consumer criticism leveled against the company in light of its admission suggests that there should have been better transparency." Apple said it will cut the price of a replacement for an out-of-warranty battery to $29 from $79 for an iPhone 6 or later. The company also will update its iOS operating system so users can see whether the battery is in poor condition and affecting the phone's performance. Thune asked if Apple considered making free battery replacements available or if it explored offering rebates for customers who paid full price for replacement batteries. He also wants to know if Apple notified consumers of the throttling feature in software updates, which slows the phone, and if customers had the option of declining the update. The letter also asked if the similar software was used in earlier iPhone models. Thune wants Apple's answers by January 23 An Apple spokesman did not respond to a request for comment early Wednesday. Apple addressed the concerns about the quality and durability of its products at a time when it is charging $999 for its newest flagship model, the iPhone X. "We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down,"it said last month. "We apologize." Apple acknowledged earlier in December that iPhone software can slow down some phones with battery problems. Apple said the problem was that aging lithium batteries delivered power unevenly, which could cause iPhones to shut down unexpectedly to protect the delicate circuits inside. That disclosure played on a common belief among consumers that Apple purposely slows down older phones to encourage customers to buy newer iPhone models. While no credible evidence has emerged that Apple engaged in such conduct, the better disclosure struck a nerve on social media and elsewhere. Lawsuits have been filed in California, New York and Illinois alleging the company defrauded users by slowing down devices without warning. The company also faces a legal complaint in France, where so-called "planned obsolesce" is against the law.

US senator wants Apple to answer questions on slowing iPhones

Citi analysts&nbsp;Jim Suva and Asiya Merchant&nbsp;have anticipated a 40 per cent chance of Apple acquiring Netflix.

Several media reports citing the analysts have said that Apple may acquire the popular entertainment company Netflix.

The prediction has come after the clearing of US President&#39;s&nbsp;new corporate tax.

The recent change to the tax system will allow Apple to bring back huge funds in the country that was stocked outside due to the previous&nbsp;taxation system.

Reports say that about 90 per cent of the Apple&#39;s cash is sitting overseas.&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s Corporate Tax cut will repatriate over $200 billion cash to Apple, which it can utilise to buy the leading entertainment company.&nbsp;

Analysts have said that the tech giant had been avoiding repatriating cash to the US under the previous tax system to avoid high taxation.&nbsp;

Apple had been trying to offer compelling TV shows and movies, however, with the popularity of services such as Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, the tech giant was struggling to offer such services.&nbsp;Though iTunes had been a huge hit for the company.

Netflix, one of the leading video streaming services,&nbsp;has&nbsp;emerged as a major player in the TV game.

The company diverts billions of dollars on original series. The streaming service has designed some of the most popular shows like House of Cards, Black Mirror, 13 reasons why, Better call Saul and many more.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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Citi analysts?Jim Suva and Asiya Merchant?have anticipated a 40 per cent chance of Apple acquiring Netflix

Citi analysts Jim Suva and Asiya Merchant have anticipated a 40 per cent chance of Apple acquiring Netflix. Several media reports citing the analysts have said that Apple may acquire the popular entertainment company Netflix. The prediction has come after the clearing of US President's new corporate tax. The recent change to the tax system will allow Apple to bring back huge funds in the country that was stocked outside due to the previous taxation system. Reports say that about 90 per cent of the Apple's cash is sitting overseas. Trump's Corporate Tax cut will repatriate over $200 billion cash to Apple, which it can utilise to buy the leading entertainment company. Analysts have said that the tech giant had been avoiding repatriating cash to the US under the previous tax system to avoid high taxation. Apple had been trying to offer compelling TV shows and movies, however, with the popularity of services such as Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, the tech giant was struggling to offer such services. Though iTunes had been a huge hit for the company. Netflix, one of the leading video streaming services, has emerged as a major player in the TV game. The company diverts billions of dollars on original series. The streaming service has designed some of the most popular shows like House of Cards, Black Mirror, 13 reasons why, Better call Saul and many more.

Apple may acquire Netflix: Reports

Apple today apologised to its customers for slowing down the performance of older iPhone models and said it would discount replacement batteries for some of its handsets.

The move by Apple responded to an uproar from iPhone users -- and a series of lawsuits -- after news of the battery problems stoked concerns the company was unfairly nudging consumers to upgrade.

&quot;We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down. We apologise,&quot; Apple said in a message to customers on its website.

&quot;We&#39;ve always wanted our customers to be able to use their iPhones as long as possible. We&#39;re proud that Apple products are known for their durability, and for holding their value longer than our competitors&#39; devices.&quot;

Apple said it was reducing the price of an out-of-warranty iPhone battery replacement from&nbsp; $79 to $29 for anyone with an iPhone 6 or later model whose battery needs to be replaced, starting in late January through December 2018.

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The company said it also would issue a software update to make it easier for customers to see if an ageing battery is affecting performance.

&quot;As always, our team is working on ways to make the user experience even better, including improving how we manage performance and avoid unexpected shutdowns as batteries age,&quot; the statement said.

The controversy erupted last week after Apple acknowledged a feature to &quot;smooth out&quot; spikes in demand for power to prevent iPhone 6 models from shutting down due to the cold or weak batteries.

Rumours had persisted for years at tech news websites devoted to Apple products and among fans of the company&#39;s products that iPhone performance was being intentionally slowed, perhaps to push users to buy newer models.

Apple&#39;s latest statement said that &quot;we have never -- and would never -- do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades.&quot;

But it noted that &quot;batteries are consumable components that become less effective as they chemically age&quot; and that factors such as heat can affect performance.

Apple said a software update last year &quot;manages the maximum performance of some system components when needed to prevent a shutdown&quot; and that &quot;in some cases&nbsp;users may experience longer launch times for apps and other reductions in performance.&quot;

'We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down. We apologise' Apple said in a message to customers on its website

Apple today apologised to its customers for slowing down the performance of older iPhone models and said it would discount replacement batteries for some of its handsets. The move by Apple responded to an uproar from iPhone users -- and a series of lawsuits -- after news of the battery problems stoked concerns the company was unfairly nudging consumers to upgrade. "We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down. We apologise," Apple said in a message to customers on its website. "We've always wanted our customers to be able to use their iPhones as long as possible. We're proud that Apple products are known for their durability, and for holding their value longer than our competitors' devices." Apple said it was reducing the price of an out-of-warranty iPhone battery replacement from $79 to $29 for anyone with an iPhone 6 or later model whose battery needs to be replaced, starting in late January through December 2018. × The company said it also would issue a software update to make it easier for customers to see if an ageing battery is affecting performance. "As always, our team is working on ways to make the user experience even better, including improving how we manage performance and avoid unexpected shutdowns as batteries age," the statement said. The controversy erupted last week after Apple acknowledged a feature to "smooth out" spikes in demand for power to prevent iPhone 6 models from shutting down due to the cold or weak batteries. Rumours had persisted for years at tech news websites devoted to Apple products and among fans of the company's products that iPhone performance was being intentionally slowed, perhaps to push users to buy newer models. Apple's latest statement said that "we have never -- and would never -- do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades." But it noted that "batteries are consumable components that become less effective as they chemically age" and that factors such as heat can affect performance. Apple said a software update last year "manages the maximum performance of some system components when needed to prevent a shutdown" and that "in some cases users may experience longer launch times for apps and other reductions in performance."

Apple apologises for slowing iPhones, offers discounted batteries

As the year-end draws closer, Apple has revealed a list summing up best apps and top games of the year. &#39;Enlight Videoleap&#39; was rated as the best app. &lsquo;Affinity Photo&rsquo; was the best app of the year on iPad. The list of top apps for 2017 includes WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook, PayTm, Messenger, SHAREit, Instagram, Google Maps, Uber, Hotstar, Amazon, Ola cabs, Gmail, Wynk, MyJio, My Airtel, Google Chrome, Flipkart, Snapchat and imo video calls and chat. Aurora HDR 2018 emerged as the best app of the year for Mac. Calm featured as the best app of the year on iPhone in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, USA and the United Kingdom.&nbsp;

For die-heart gamers, the list also revealed the top game of the year, Splitter Clitters topped the list in most countries. The Witness featured as the best game on iPad in a host of countries. The world of apps and gaming saw a significant boost this year. Augmented Reality was one of the top features across some of the most noticeable applications and games this year. Besides this, real-time competitive gaming also garnered much popularity in 2017.&nbsp;

Not only this, Apple also revealed the most popular movies, music across Apple Music, iTunes and iStore for the year. &quot;Our App Store editors have chosen the most download-worthy games and apps based on topics and trends that were popular on the App Store throughout the year,&quot; noted the official release.&nbsp;

It must be noted that the list varies from country to country.&nbsp;

Apple also revealed the most popular movies, music across Apple Music, iTunes and iStore for the year

As the year-end draws closer, Apple has revealed a list summing up best apps and top games of the year. 'Enlight Videoleap' was rated as the best app. ‘Affinity Photo’ was the best app of the year on iPad. The list of top apps for 2017 includes WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook, PayTm, Messenger, SHAREit, Instagram, Google Maps, Uber, Hotstar, Amazon, Ola cabs, Gmail, Wynk, MyJio, My Airtel, Google Chrome, Flipkart, Snapchat and imo video calls and chat. Aurora HDR 2018 emerged as the best app of the year for Mac. Calm featured as the best app of the year on iPhone in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, USA and the United Kingdom. For die-heart gamers, the list also revealed the top game of the year, Splitter Clitters topped the list in most countries. The Witness featured as the best game on iPad in a host of countries. The world of apps and gaming saw a significant boost this year. Augmented Reality was one of the top features across some of the most noticeable applications and games this year. Besides this, real-time competitive gaming also garnered much popularity in 2017. Not only this, Apple also revealed the most popular movies, music across Apple Music, iTunes and iStore for the year. "Our App Store editors have chosen the most download-worthy games and apps based on topics and trends that were popular on the App Store throughout the year," noted the official release. It must be noted that the list varies from country to country.

Best of 2017: Apple reveals top games and apps of the year

Apple has started selling the SIM-free version of the iPhone X in the US after launching the device in tie-up with carriers on November 3. The delivery dates for shipping are fixed to 5 business days indicating there aren&rsquo;t any supply constraints for the device now.

The unlocked version of the iPhone X&nbsp;will work with any carrier and will support all GSM and CDMA networks. It is priced at $999 for the 64GB variant and $1,149 for the 256GB model and is being offered in silver or space gray color options. Those not wishing to wait for five business days can alternatively pick up the device from an Apple Store.

Apple iPhone X was announced alongside the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus&nbsp;in September and it is the first major redesign in nearly four years. It features an edge-to-edge display design with 5.8-inch Samsung-made OLED display. It comes with 3GB RAM and is powered by Apple&rsquo;s hexa-core A11 Bionic chipset.

The iPhone X features a 12-megapixel dual-camera setup at the rear, similar to iPhone 8 Plus, but both the lenses are optically stabilized here. It is also the only smartphone to support 4K video recording at 60fps and 1080p slow-mo at 240fps. With the iPhone X, Apple is also bringing the Portrait Lighting mode to the front 7MP selfie camera.

Research firm IHS Markit recently noted&nbsp;that iPhone X is off to a great start in terms of initial adoption in some markets and has surpassed 2 percent active install base. The smartphone is seen to revive Apple&rsquo;s declining sales in markets like China and is expected to push the average selling price of iPhones to around $700.

During the quarter ended October, Apple&rsquo;s market share&nbsp;declined&nbsp;in some key regions suggesting sales of iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus didn&rsquo;t contribute much. However, with the anniversary iPhone&rsquo;s availability improving and Apple selling SIM-free version, the numbers are likely to improve going forward.

This article was first published on <a href="http://www.bgr.in">BGR.in</a>. To read the original article, <a href="http://www.bgr.in/news/apple-starts-selling-sim-free-version-of-iphone-x/">click here</a>

The unlocked version of the iPhone X will work with any carrier and will support all GSM and CDMA networks.

Apple has started selling the SIM-free version of the iPhone X in the US after launching the device in tie-up with carriers on November 3. The delivery dates for shipping are fixed to 5 business days indicating there aren’t any supply constraints for the device now. The unlocked version of the iPhone X will work with any carrier and will support all GSM and CDMA networks. It is priced at $999 for the 64GB variant and $1,149 for the 256GB model and is being offered in silver or space gray color options. Those not wishing to wait for five business days can alternatively pick up the device from an Apple Store. Apple iPhone X was announced alongside the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus in September and it is the first major redesign in nearly four years. It features an edge-to-edge display design with 5.8-inch Samsung-made OLED display. It comes with 3GB RAM and is powered by Apple’s hexa-core A11 Bionic chipset. The iPhone X features a 12-megapixel dual-camera setup at the rear, similar to iPhone 8 Plus, but both the lenses are optically stabilized here. It is also the only smartphone to support 4K video recording at 60fps and 1080p slow-mo at 240fps. With the iPhone X, Apple is also bringing the Portrait Lighting mode to the front 7MP selfie camera. Research firm IHS Markit recently noted that iPhone X is off to a great start in terms of initial adoption in some markets and has surpassed 2 percent active install base. The smartphone is seen to revive Apple’s declining sales in markets like China and is expected to push the average selling price of iPhones to around $700. During the quarter ended October, Apple’s market share declined in some key regions suggesting sales of iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus didn’t contribute much. However, with the anniversary iPhone’s availability improving and Apple selling SIM-free version, the numbers are likely to improve going forward. This article was first published on BGR.in. To read the original article, click here

Apple starts selling SIM-free version of iPhone X in US

Razer Inc, a Singapore-based American company that specialises in computer hardware specifically for gamers has made its entry into the world of smartphones.&nbsp;

Continuing with its specialisation into gaming hardware, the company has designed a new phone priced at $700, which will be best suited&nbsp;for video games.&nbsp;

The phone is equipped with technology offered by highest of high-end gaming PCs.&nbsp;

The company&#39;s CEO Min-Liang Tan highlighted&nbsp;Razor&#39;s Ultramotion feature&nbsp;which synchronizes the graphics chip in the phone with the screen offering smooth gameplay at high frame rates.

The phone is designed to run on Android games on&nbsp;Google Play store.&nbsp;

Just like most of the newly launched smartphones, the Razer is also launched without a standard headphone jack.&nbsp;

However, it lacks some of the common features of new smartphone including water resistance, OLED screen, ultra-narrow borders without display.&nbsp;The device is designed in an all-aluminium case with a 5.7 inch Quad HD display.

The powerful Qualcomm&#39;s Snapdragon 835 processor has 8GB RAM with the&nbsp;power to store memory equivalent to the amount of memory that comes with many PCs.&nbsp;

The phone has dual front-facing speakers.&nbsp;The side of the phone is also adorned with a fingerprint sensor on the power button.

Razer was founded by Min-Liang Tan and Robert Krakoff and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.&nbsp;

The company announced the launch of the phone on Wednesday, with pre-orders.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The device will be available in the market&nbsp;on November 17.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Razer Inc, a Singaporean based American Company that specialises in Computer hardware specifically for gamers has made its entry into the world of Smartphones

Razer Inc, a Singapore-based American company that specialises in computer hardware specifically for gamers has made its entry into the world of smartphones. Continuing with its specialisation into gaming hardware, the company has designed a new phone priced at $700, which will be best suited for video games. The phone is equipped with technology offered by highest of high-end gaming PCs. The company's CEO Min-Liang Tan highlighted Razor's Ultramotion feature which synchronizes the graphics chip in the phone with the screen offering smooth gameplay at high frame rates. The phone is designed to run on Android games on Google Play store. Just like most of the newly launched smartphones, the Razer is also launched without a standard headphone jack. However, it lacks some of the common features of new smartphone including water resistance, OLED screen, ultra-narrow borders without display. The device is designed in an all-aluminium case with a 5.7 inch Quad HD display. The powerful Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 processor has 8GB RAM with the power to store memory equivalent to the amount of memory that comes with many PCs. The phone has dual front-facing speakers. The side of the phone is also adorned with a fingerprint sensor on the power button. Razer was founded by Min-Liang Tan and Robert Krakoff and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. The company announced the launch of the phone on Wednesday, with pre-orders. The device will be available in the market on November 17.

Razer designs smartphone for gamers

The much-awaited worldwide launch of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/new-iphone-brings-face-recognition-and-fears-to-the-masses-23088" target="_blank">Apple iPhone X</a> is finally here!

However, unlike the previous iPhone launch when the stores had widespread availability of the device, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/iphone-x-launches-with-catastrophic-stock-shortage-22997" target="_blank">this year the company will be facing supply problems with iPhone X</a>.

Only the ones who have placed confirmed pre-order with the delivery date as November 3 will&nbsp;get the phone.&nbsp;

Retail employees have confirmed that the stores do not have much iPhone X stock. The in-store inventory at launch will be very limited.&nbsp;

You will be lucky if you manage to get hold of the new phone.&nbsp;

However, all stores will have a demo device of the new launch.The customers can analyse it and make their bookings.&nbsp;

The deliveries for them will be available in December or January.&nbsp;Meanwhile, reports have come out stating that some people who initially got the shipping date as November 10-17, will now be getting the phones on November 3.

While few others who were supposed to get the phone on November 17-24 are expected to get the deliveries on November 8.&nbsp;

iPhone is certainly trying to improve the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pre-orders-for-iphone-x-phone-everyone-said-was-too-expensive-sell-out-in-minutes-23075" target="_blank">production of iPhone X</a>.

Last month&nbsp;Apple launched three models together. The other two iPhone 8 and 8Plus have experienced weak sales.&nbsp;

This resulted in the downfall of Apple&#39;s shares last week.&nbsp;

The weak sales of the other two models is because of the slew of options that&nbsp;the tech giant provided to its users.

All stores will have a demo device of iPhone X. The customers can analyse it and make their bookings?

The much-awaited worldwide launch of Apple iPhone X is finally here! However, unlike the previous iPhone launch when the stores had widespread availability of the device, this year the company will be facing supply problems with iPhone X. Only the ones who have placed confirmed pre-order with the delivery date as November 3 will get the phone. Retail employees have confirmed that the stores do not have much iPhone X stock. The in-store inventory at launch will be very limited. You will be lucky if you manage to get hold of the new phone. However, all stores will have a demo device of the new launch.The customers can analyse it and make their bookings. The deliveries for them will be available in December or January. Meanwhile, reports have come out stating that some people who initially got the shipping date as November 10-17, will now be getting the phones on November 3. While few others who were supposed to get the phone on November 17-24 are expected to get the deliveries on November 8. iPhone is certainly trying to improve the production of iPhone X. Last month Apple launched three models together. The other two iPhone 8 and 8Plus have experienced weak sales. This resulted in the downfall of Apple's shares last week. The weak sales of the other two models is because of the slew of options that the tech giant provided to its users.

iPhone X to be launched with severe shortage supply

Samsung has launched the Galaxy Note 8 in India for Rs 67,900.&nbsp;

Samsung has a lot riding on the 8, with Samsung having withdrawn its predecessor after a number of batteries of the Note 7 combusted.&nbsp;

Zee Business reported that the Note 8 has already received over 2.5 lakh pre-bookings in India.

Similar to the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+, the Note 8 also sports an &quot;Infinity Display&quot; with an aspect ratio of 18.5:9.

Its 6.3-inch screen is Super AMOLED with a resolution of 1440 x 2960 pixels.

The Note 8 sports other features such as a 64-bit Exynos 8895 octa-core processor chipset with 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage.

The two cameras have OIS and are designed to obtain different photos from a single click data.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/samsung-galaxy-note-8-to-be-launched-in-india-on-september-12-19966">Similar to the iPhone X, the Note 8 can be charged wirelessly</a>.&nbsp;

The handset also supports Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream VR.

The Note 8 was launched in New York in August.

&nbsp;

The latest launch comes with a new feature, a dual camera setup

Samsung has launched the Galaxy Note 8 in India for Rs 67,900. Samsung has a lot riding on the 8, with Samsung having withdrawn its predecessor after a number of batteries of the Note 7 combusted. Zee Business reported that the Note 8 has already received over 2.5 lakh pre-bookings in India. Similar to the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+, the Note 8 also sports an "Infinity Display" with an aspect ratio of 18.5:9. Its 6.3-inch screen is Super AMOLED with a resolution of 1440 x 2960 pixels. The Note 8 sports other features such as a 64-bit Exynos 8895 octa-core processor chipset with 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. The two cameras have OIS and are designed to obtain different photos from a single click data. Similar to the iPhone X, the Note 8 can be charged wirelessly. The handset also supports Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream VR. The Note 8 was launched in New York in August.

Samsung launches Galaxy Note 8 in India at Rs 67,900

Disappointment over the timing of&nbsp;Apple&rsquo;s iPhone X release hampered further gains for world stock markets on Wednesday after an easing of concerns about North Korea sent indices to record highs.

While a broadly weaker yen pushed Tokyo higher, MSCI&#39;s main indicator of Asian shares outside Japan fell back from a 10-year peak and Europe&#39;s main markets were flat.

Apple&nbsp;suppliers including AMS and Dialog fell by 1-3 percent in morning trade in Europe, with traders citing the later than expected Nov. 3 shipping date for the new iPhone. British semi-conductor firm IQE Plc sank more than 6 percent.

Apple&nbsp;shares, which finished with a small loss on Tuesday, fell another 0.4 percent in pre-market trade. Wall Street overall was seen opening slightly lower.

&quot;It would appear that a running start to the week and fresh record highs in the S&amp;P 500 has proven a little much for some traders, with profit taking seen ahead of Wednesday&rsquo;s open,&quot; said Craig Erlam, an analyst with online broker Oanda.

The pan-European STOXX 600 dipped 0.1 percent as weakness in chipmakers was compounded by a drop in miners.

Chipmakers have been the best-performing among Europe&#39;s tech&nbsp;stocks&nbsp;this year, accounting for a large chunk of the sector&#39;s outperformance. AMS shares have gained 165 percent year-to-date.

&quot;The economics of the&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;announcement are interesting because it will really test this theory that inflation is going to be weak,&quot; said Mike Bell,&nbsp;global&nbsp;markets strategist with JP Morgan Asset Management in London.

&quot;With the iPhone coming in around $1,000 it will be interesting to see how healthy demand is. If it&#39;s relatively healthy I think it shows that there is still quite a lot of pricing power for U.S. companies and consumers have confidence.&quot;

In currency markets the dominant trend this week has been a recovery for the dollar and sterling. The dollar hit a 12-day high above 110 yen in Asian time before easing back as traders awaited U.S. inflation numbers on Thursday.

Britain&#39;s pound hit a one-year high above $1.33 and a six-week high on a trade-weighted basis before falling back after weak wage data that may undermine any threat the Bank of England might make about raising interest rates.

&quot;Now it&#39;s &#39;Wait and see&#39; for U.S. dollar investors,&quot; said Esther Reichelt, a strategist with Commerzbank in Frankfurt. &quot;Everyone&#39;s waiting for the inflation data tomorrow and the Fed next week.&quot;

After a soft start, oil prices were around half a percent higher after the International Energy Agency (IEA) said the&nbsp;global&nbsp;oil surplus was starting to shrink due to robust&nbsp;global&nbsp;demand and an output drop from OPEC and other producers

While a broadly weaker yen pushed Tokyo higher, MSCI's main indicator of Asian shares outside Japan fell back from a 10-year peak and Europe's main markets were flat.

Disappointment over the timing of Apple’s iPhone X release hampered further gains for world stock markets on Wednesday after an easing of concerns about North Korea sent indices to record highs. While a broadly weaker yen pushed Tokyo higher, MSCI's main indicator of Asian shares outside Japan fell back from a 10-year peak and Europe's main markets were flat. Apple suppliers including AMS and Dialog fell by 1-3 percent in morning trade in Europe, with traders citing the later than expected Nov. 3 shipping date for the new iPhone. British semi-conductor firm IQE Plc sank more than 6 percent. Apple shares, which finished with a small loss on Tuesday, fell another 0.4 percent in pre-market trade. Wall Street overall was seen opening slightly lower. "It would appear that a running start to the week and fresh record highs in the S&P 500 has proven a little much for some traders, with profit taking seen ahead of Wednesday’s open," said Craig Erlam, an analyst with online broker Oanda. The pan-European STOXX 600 dipped 0.1 percent as weakness in chipmakers was compounded by a drop in miners. Chipmakers have been the best-performing among Europe's tech stocks this year, accounting for a large chunk of the sector's outperformance. AMS shares have gained 165 percent year-to-date. "The economics of the Apple announcement are interesting because it will really test this theory that inflation is going to be weak," said Mike Bell, global markets strategist with JP Morgan Asset Management in London. "With the iPhone coming in around $1,000 it will be interesting to see how healthy demand is. If it's relatively healthy I think it shows that there is still quite a lot of pricing power for U.S. companies and consumers have confidence." In currency markets the dominant trend this week has been a recovery for the dollar and sterling. The dollar hit a 12-day high above 110 yen in Asian time before easing back as traders awaited U.S. inflation numbers on Thursday. Britain's pound hit a one-year high above $1.33 and a six-week high on a trade-weighted basis before falling back after weak wage data that may undermine any threat the Bank of England might make about raising interest rates. "Now it's 'Wait and see' for U.S. dollar investors," said Esther Reichelt, a strategist with Commerzbank in Frankfurt. "Everyone's waiting for the inflation data tomorrow and the Fed next week." After a soft start, oil prices were around half a percent higher after the International Energy Agency (IEA) said the global oil surplus was starting to shrink due to robust global demand and an output drop from OPEC and other producers

Apple takes shine off global stocks rally

The potential move of Apple into streaming video could reshape an industry which is already feeling the impact from new players like Netflix.

While Apple has not revealed any plans publicly, a report that the iPhone maker could spend a billion dollars on its own shows suggested more disruption for a sector seeing rapid changes.

The move by deep-pocketed Apple would challenge entrenched services such as Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime, which have been increasingly challenging the established media-entertainment world of Hollywood.

Apple declined to comment on a Wall Street journal report on its billion-dollar budget for new content.

Analysts consider original, exclusive content imperative for fielding a viable video streaming service, something that Apple has yet to do despite being early to market with an Apple TV set-top box linked to the internet. 
&quot;If Apple wants to stay relevant they have to go into the subscription streaming space, and that means original content,&quot; said Jackdaw Research chief analyst Jan Dawson.

Analyst Paul Verna at eMarketer said video fits nicely into Apple&#39;s business strategy: &quot;Content is a vital missing link that could help Apple complete a powerful ecosystem of programming, devices and services,&quot; he said.

Global streaming television king Netflix is expected to spend about $7 billion this year on content, with slightly less than half of that money going to making its shows it can distribute how and where it wishes.

&nbsp;&#39;Kick-Ass&#39;&nbsp;

Netflix recently ordered a new animated adult comedy from &quot;The Simpsons&quot; mastermind Matt Groening.

The Silicon Valley-based company is also buying comic book publisher Millarworld, creator of popular series including &quot;Kick-Ass&quot; and &quot;Kingsman.&quot;

Netflix said in a statement the deal was part of the company&#39;s effort &quot;to work directly with prolific and skilled creators and to acquire intellectual property and ownership of stories featuring compelling characters and timeless, interwoven fictional worlds.&quot;

Netflix describes itself as the world&#39;s leading internet television network, with 104 million members in more than 190 countries.

During a recent quarterly earnings call, Amazon executives once again vowed to ramp spending on original shows this year as the internet giant chases after Netflix with is Prime service.

While Amazon doesn&#39;t reveal exact figures, its budget for shows is said to be in the billions of dollars.

Google continues to make a priority of content for YouTube, which features a subscription service along with free shared video posts.

Facebook too is rolling out a new video service offering professionally produced shows in a challenge to rivals such as YouTube, and potentially to streaming providers like Netflix.

The Facebook service called Watch will include a range of shows, from reality to comedy to live sports. Facebook has funded some of the creators to get the service going.

&nbsp;Money to burn&nbsp;

These moves comes as viewers in the US and other markets increasingly turn to on-demand internet platforms instead of &quot;linear&quot; television.

Hollywood powerhouse Walt Disney&nbsp;this month announced plans to launch a &quot;multi-sport&quot; streaming service under its ESPN brand in early 2018 and a Disney branded direct-to-consumer service in 2019. 
HBO and CBS also have standalone streaming options.

Entering a market late and succeeding would be nothing new for Apple, Dawson said while discussing unconfirmed talk of the company investing in original shows.

An Apple Music service launched in a streaming radio market with dominant players, but is now second only to Spotify, the analyst noted.

Apple could get the same kind of results in streaming video, not overtaking Netflix over the short term but quickly becoming a force to be reconned with in the market, Dawson said.

While Apple has about a quarter of a trillion dollars in cash stockpiled, providing ample cash to spend on original content, such a move could distract it from the devices on which the company&#39;s fortune rests, according to analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group 
Entertainment is also a very different industry than making iPhones, and comes with film talent to manage and other challenges likely new to Apple, Enderle said.

&quot;Entertainment is no cheap date; it is a very hands-on business,&quot; Enderle said.

&quot;I think that because Apple is having so much difficulty coming up with innovation in their core area, they are starting to panic and come up with &#39;Hail Mary&#39; passes in other areas.&quot;

While Apple has not revealed any plans publicly, a report that the iPhone maker could spend a billion dollars on its own shows suggested more disruption for a sector seeing rapid changes

The potential move of Apple into streaming video could reshape an industry which is already feeling the impact from new players like Netflix. While Apple has not revealed any plans publicly, a report that the iPhone maker could spend a billion dollars on its own shows suggested more disruption for a sector seeing rapid changes. The move by deep-pocketed Apple would challenge entrenched services such as Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime, which have been increasingly challenging the established media-entertainment world of Hollywood. Apple declined to comment on a Wall Street journal report on its billion-dollar budget for new content. Analysts consider original, exclusive content imperative for fielding a viable video streaming service, something that Apple has yet to do despite being early to market with an Apple TV set-top box linked to the internet. "If Apple wants to stay relevant they have to go into the subscription streaming space, and that means original content," said Jackdaw Research chief analyst Jan Dawson. Analyst Paul Verna at eMarketer said video fits nicely into Apple's business strategy: "Content is a vital missing link that could help Apple complete a powerful ecosystem of programming, devices and services," he said. Global streaming television king Netflix is expected to spend about $7 billion this year on content, with slightly less than half of that money going to making its shows it can distribute how and where it wishes. 'Kick-Ass' Netflix recently ordered a new animated adult comedy from "The Simpsons" mastermind Matt Groening. The Silicon Valley-based company is also buying comic book publisher Millarworld, creator of popular series including "Kick-Ass" and "Kingsman." Netflix said in a statement the deal was part of the company's effort "to work directly with prolific and skilled creators and to acquire intellectual property and ownership of stories featuring compelling characters and timeless, interwoven fictional worlds." Netflix describes itself as the world's leading internet television network, with 104 million members in more than 190 countries. During a recent quarterly earnings call, Amazon executives once again vowed to ramp spending on original shows this year as the internet giant chases after Netflix with is Prime service. While Amazon doesn't reveal exact figures, its budget for shows is said to be in the billions of dollars. Google continues to make a priority of content for YouTube, which features a subscription service along with free shared video posts. Facebook too is rolling out a new video service offering professionally produced shows in a challenge to rivals such as YouTube, and potentially to streaming providers like Netflix. The Facebook service called Watch will include a range of shows, from reality to comedy to live sports. Facebook has funded some of the creators to get the service going. Money to burn These moves comes as viewers in the US and other markets increasingly turn to on-demand internet platforms instead of "linear" television. Hollywood powerhouse Walt Disney this month announced plans to launch a "multi-sport" streaming service under its ESPN brand in early 2018 and a Disney branded direct-to-consumer service in 2019. HBO and CBS also have standalone streaming options. Entering a market late and succeeding would be nothing new for Apple, Dawson said while discussing unconfirmed talk of the company investing in original shows. An Apple Music service launched in a streaming radio market with dominant players, but is now second only to Spotify, the analyst noted. Apple could get the same kind of results in streaming video, not overtaking Netflix over the short term but quickly becoming a force to be reconned with in the market, Dawson said. While Apple has about a quarter of a trillion dollars in cash stockpiled, providing ample cash to spend on original content, such a move could distract it from the devices on which the company's fortune rests, according to analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group Entertainment is also a very different industry than making iPhones, and comes with film talent to manage and other challenges likely new to Apple, Enderle said. "Entertainment is no cheap date; it is a very hands-on business," Enderle said. "I think that because Apple is having so much difficulty coming up with innovation in their core area, they are starting to panic and come up with 'Hail Mary' passes in other areas."

Apple's deep pockets could take on Hollywood, Netflix

U.S. trade officials have agreed to investigate Qualcomm Inc&#39;s allegations that Apple Inc infringed on patents with its iPhone 7 and other devices, the U.S. International Trade Commission said on Tuesday.

The ITC will make its decision &quot;at the earliest practicable time&quot; and will set a target date for completing its investigation within the next 45 days, the commission said in a statement.

Qualcomm filed the complaint in early July, asking U.S. trade regulators to ban certain models of the iPhone that contain so-called broadband modem chips, which help phones connect to wireless data networks, that were not made by Qualcomm. Apple began using broadband modem chips made by Intel Corp in the iPhone 7.

Qualcomm has not alleged that Intel chips violate its patents but says the way Apple uses them in the iPhone does.

&quot;We look forward to the ITC&rsquo;s expeditious investigation of Apple&rsquo;s ongoing infringement of our intellectual property and the accelerated relief that the commission can provide,&rdquo; Don Rosenberg, executive vice president and general counsel of Qualcomm, said in a statement.

Intel declined to comment. Apple pointed to Chief Executive Tim Cook&#39;s earlier comments that Qualcomm had not yet offered it &quot;fair and reasonable&quot; licensing terms for Qualcomm&#39;s technology.

&quot;I don&#39;t believe anyone is going to decide to enjoin the iPhone based on that,&quot; Cook told investors in May on the company&#39;s earnings call, his most recent public comment on the topic. &quot;I think that there&#39;s plenty of case law on that subject, but we shall see.&rdquo;

As the ITC considered whether to take up the case, a group representing Alphabet Inc&#39;s Google, Amazon.com Inc, Microsoft Corp and Facebook Inc sided last month with Apple, saying Qualcomm&#39;s request to bar the import of some iPhones would hurt consumers.

In turn, Qualcomm accused the group of &quot;a coordinated effort aimed at misdirecting&quot; the trade regulators. It said Apple was free to choose chips from a variety of vendors without necessarily infringing Qualcomm&#39;s patents.

The fight before trade regulators in Washington is one of the several major legal battles involving Qualcomm and Apple. The two companies have cases pending before separate federal courts in California, and Qualcomm also faces a complaint from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

Analysts are watching the ITC case closely because the trade regulator moves more quickly than many courts and could deliver a decision ahead of the pending lawsuits.

Qualcomm filed the complaint in early July, asking U.S. trade regulators to ban certain models of the iPhone

U.S. trade officials have agreed to investigate Qualcomm Inc's allegations that Apple Inc infringed on patents with its iPhone 7 and other devices, the U.S. International Trade Commission said on Tuesday. The ITC will make its decision "at the earliest practicable time" and will set a target date for completing its investigation within the next 45 days, the commission said in a statement. Qualcomm filed the complaint in early July, asking U.S. trade regulators to ban certain models of the iPhone that contain so-called broadband modem chips, which help phones connect to wireless data networks, that were not made by Qualcomm. Apple began using broadband modem chips made by Intel Corp in the iPhone 7. Qualcomm has not alleged that Intel chips violate its patents but says the way Apple uses them in the iPhone does. "We look forward to the ITC’s expeditious investigation of Apple’s ongoing infringement of our intellectual property and the accelerated relief that the commission can provide,” Don Rosenberg, executive vice president and general counsel of Qualcomm, said in a statement. Intel declined to comment. Apple pointed to Chief Executive Tim Cook's earlier comments that Qualcomm had not yet offered it "fair and reasonable" licensing terms for Qualcomm's technology. "I don't believe anyone is going to decide to enjoin the iPhone based on that," Cook told investors in May on the company's earnings call, his most recent public comment on the topic. "I think that there's plenty of case law on that subject, but we shall see.” As the ITC considered whether to take up the case, a group representing Alphabet Inc's Google, Amazon.com Inc, Microsoft Corp and Facebook Inc sided last month with Apple, saying Qualcomm's request to bar the import of some iPhones would hurt consumers. In turn, Qualcomm accused the group of "a coordinated effort aimed at misdirecting" the trade regulators. It said Apple was free to choose chips from a variety of vendors without necessarily infringing Qualcomm's patents. The fight before trade regulators in Washington is one of the several major legal battles involving Qualcomm and Apple. The two companies have cases pending before separate federal courts in California, and Qualcomm also faces a complaint from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Analysts are watching the ITC case closely because the trade regulator moves more quickly than many courts and could deliver a decision ahead of the pending lawsuits.

US Trade Commission to investigate Apple-Qualcomm legal dispute

&nbsp;Apple delivered surprisingly strong fiscal third-quarter earnings and signalled that its upcoming 10th-anniversary phone lineup is on schedule, driving the stock up 6 per cent to an all-time high in after-hours trading.

The stock climbed above its intraday record high to $159.10 after the company reported better-than-expected iPhone sales, revenue, and earnings per share. The stock price move was expected to help drive the Dow Jones Industrial Average over the 22,000 mark on Wednesday.

Apple&nbsp;also said it hit a milestone of 1.2 billion iPhones sold.

The April-June quarter is traditionally a soft one for&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;as the market waits for the September launch of new iPhone models. But Tuesday&rsquo;s results show that iPhone buyers may be less inclined than they once were to delay purchases until a new model is out.

The iPad product lines also showed unexpected strength, service revenue continues to grow at a healthy clip, and even the much-maligned&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;Watch showed a 50 per cent sales increase.

Apple&nbsp;is widely tipped to adopt higher-resolution OLED displays for the latest iPhone, along with better touchscreen technology and wireless charging, which could come with a $1,000 plus price tag.

The phone is expected to launch in September.

The company forecast total revenue of between $49 billion and $52 billion for the current fourth quarter, while analysts on average were expecting $49.21 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Apple&#39;s fourth quarter generally includes first-weekend sales of the company&#39;s latest devices.

The forecast &quot;makes it fairly certain that at least some new iPhone models will be released on the normal schedule,&rdquo; said analyst Jan Dawson of Jackdaw Research. &ldquo;That doesn&rsquo;t necessarily mean all new models will go on sale then, or that they&rsquo;ll all be in abundant supply, but I would think it means that at the very least the successors to the current phones will be available.&quot;

But Bob O&#39;Donnell, chief analyst at TECHnalysis Research, cautioned that if&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;releases cheaper models before the premium models in its 10th-anniversary phone lineup, the cheaper models could dampen sales of more expensive units released closer to the holidays.

The company said iPhone sales rose 1.6 per cent to 41.03 million in the third quarter ended July 1, above analysts&#39; average estimate of 40.7 million units, according to FactSet StreetAccount.&nbsp;Apple sold 40.4 million iPhones a year earlier.

But a lower average iPhone selling price of $606, well below Wall Street expectations of $621, caused iPhone revenue to come in at $24.8 billion, below expectations of $25.5 billion.

Apple&nbsp;Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri told Reuters the weak price was partly explained by apple&nbsp;lowering the flow of inventory by 3.3 million units, which he said was &ldquo;entirely at the high end of the range.&rdquo;

Apple&nbsp;reports how many phones it sells to retailers, not how many phones it sells to consumers, what is known as a sell-in basis. When factoring how many existing &ldquo;high end&rdquo; phones the company cleared out of retail inventory, Maestri said average selling prices were higher.

The company&#39;s net income rose to $8.72 billion, or $1.67 per share, from $7.80 billion, or $1.42 per share, a year earlier.

Revenue rose to $45.41 billion from $42.36 billion in the quarter, typically the company&#39;s weakest, beating expectations of $44.89 billion.

China Revenue Down, Autonomy to the Future

Apple&nbsp;said revenue from emerging markets excluding China grew 18 per cent, a bright spot. But sales from the Greater China region fell 9.5 per cent to $8 billion in the latest quarter, as consumers switched to newer domestic offerings.

The decline was smaller than recent quarters.&nbsp;Apple&#39;s Maestri said mainland China revenue was flat, as were iPhone sales in the mainland. Sales of other&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;products rose in mainland China and were also up in Taiwan.

&ldquo;The decline from a market standpoint was concentrated in Hong Kong, which is a place that has been really affected by a reduction in tourism because the Hong Kong Dollar is pegged to the US dollar,&rdquo; Maestri said.

Apple&nbsp;CEO Tim Cook also directly addressed the company&#39;s decision to remove so-called VPN apps from the App Store in China. Those apps help Chinese users circumnavigate government internet restrictions.

&quot;We would obviously rather not remove the apps, but like we do in other countries we follow the law wherever we do business,&quot; Cook said. &quot;We believe in engaging with governments even when we disagree. This particular case, we&rsquo;re hopeful that over time the restrictions we&rsquo;re seeing are lessened because innovation really requires freedom to collaborate and communicate.&quot;

Strong iPad sales of $4.9 billion, almost $1 billion above Wall Street expectations, and a 21.6 per cent jump in the company&#39;s services business that includes the App Store also helped boost revenue. In particular,&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;said that Walmart Stores would buy 19,000 iPads to train as many as 225,000 employees. The company also said it increased production of AirPods, its wireless headphones.

Apple&nbsp;CEO Tim Cook declined to directly address US President Donald Trump&#39;s claims that Apple&nbsp;will build three new factories in the US, instead citing the company&#39;s job creation efforts and a $1 billion US manufacturing fund.

Cook also hinted that&nbsp;Apple&#39;s experiments with self-driving cars may include ambitions that extend beyond cars. He said the company is making a &quot;big investment&quot; in autonomous systems.

&quot;From our point of view, autonomy is sort of the mother of all AI projects,&quot; Cook said. &quot;And the autonomous systems can be used in a variety of ways, and a vehicle is only one, but there are many different areas of it. And I don&#39;t want to go any further with that.&quot;

The April-June quarter is traditionally a soft one for?Apple?as the market waits for the September launch of new iPhone models. But Tuesday?s results show that iPhone buyers may be less inclined than they once were to delay purchases until a new model is out.

Apple delivered surprisingly strong fiscal third-quarter earnings and signalled that its upcoming 10th-anniversary phone lineup is on schedule, driving the stock up 6 per cent to an all-time high in after-hours trading. The stock climbed above its intraday record high to $159.10 after the company reported better-than-expected iPhone sales, revenue, and earnings per share. The stock price move was expected to help drive the Dow Jones Industrial Average over the 22,000 mark on Wednesday. Apple also said it hit a milestone of 1.2 billion iPhones sold. The April-June quarter is traditionally a soft one for Apple as the market waits for the September launch of new iPhone models. But Tuesday’s results show that iPhone buyers may be less inclined than they once were to delay purchases until a new model is out. The iPad product lines also showed unexpected strength, service revenue continues to grow at a healthy clip, and even the much-maligned Apple Watch showed a 50 per cent sales increase. Apple is widely tipped to adopt higher-resolution OLED displays for the latest iPhone, along with better touchscreen technology and wireless charging, which could come with a $1,000 plus price tag. The phone is expected to launch in September. The company forecast total revenue of between $49 billion and $52 billion for the current fourth quarter, while analysts on average were expecting $49.21 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Apple's fourth quarter generally includes first-weekend sales of the company's latest devices. The forecast "makes it fairly certain that at least some new iPhone models will be released on the normal schedule,” said analyst Jan Dawson of Jackdaw Research. “That doesn’t necessarily mean all new models will go on sale then, or that they’ll all be in abundant supply, but I would think it means that at the very least the successors to the current phones will be available." But Bob O'Donnell, chief analyst at TECHnalysis Research, cautioned that if Apple releases cheaper models before the premium models in its 10th-anniversary phone lineup, the cheaper models could dampen sales of more expensive units released closer to the holidays. The company said iPhone sales rose 1.6 per cent to 41.03 million in the third quarter ended July 1, above analysts' average estimate of 40.7 million units, according to FactSet StreetAccount. Apple sold 40.4 million iPhones a year earlier. But a lower average iPhone selling price of $606, well below Wall Street expectations of $621, caused iPhone revenue to come in at $24.8 billion, below expectations of $25.5 billion. Apple Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri told Reuters the weak price was partly explained by apple lowering the flow of inventory by 3.3 million units, which he said was “entirely at the high end of the range.” Apple reports how many phones it sells to retailers, not how many phones it sells to consumers, what is known as a sell-in basis. When factoring how many existing “high end” phones the company cleared out of retail inventory, Maestri said average selling prices were higher. The company's net income rose to $8.72 billion, or $1.67 per share, from $7.80 billion, or $1.42 per share, a year earlier. Revenue rose to $45.41 billion from $42.36 billion in the quarter, typically the company's weakest, beating expectations of $44.89 billion. China Revenue Down, Autonomy to the Future Apple said revenue from emerging markets excluding China grew 18 per cent, a bright spot. But sales from the Greater China region fell 9.5 per cent to $8 billion in the latest quarter, as consumers switched to newer domestic offerings. The decline was smaller than recent quarters. Apple's Maestri said mainland China revenue was flat, as were iPhone sales in the mainland. Sales of other Apple products rose in mainland China and were also up in Taiwan. “The decline from a market standpoint was concentrated in Hong Kong, which is a place that has been really affected by a reduction in tourism because the Hong Kong Dollar is pegged to the US dollar,” Maestri said. Apple CEO Tim Cook also directly addressed the company's decision to remove so-called VPN apps from the App Store in China. Those apps help Chinese users circumnavigate government internet restrictions. "We would obviously rather not remove the apps, but like we do in other countries we follow the law wherever we do business," Cook said. "We believe in engaging with governments even when we disagree. This particular case, we’re hopeful that over time the restrictions we’re seeing are lessened because innovation really requires freedom to collaborate and communicate." Strong iPad sales of $4.9 billion, almost $1 billion above Wall Street expectations, and a 21.6 per cent jump in the company's services business that includes the App Store also helped boost revenue. In particular, Apple said that Walmart Stores would buy 19,000 iPads to train as many as 225,000 employees. The company also said it increased production of AirPods, its wireless headphones. Apple CEO Tim Cook declined to directly address US President Donald Trump's claims that Apple will build three new factories in the US, instead citing the company's job creation efforts and a $1 billion US manufacturing fund. Cook also hinted that Apple's experiments with self-driving cars may include ambitions that extend beyond cars. He said the company is making a "big investment" in autonomous systems. "From our point of view, autonomy is sort of the mother of all AI projects," Cook said. "And the autonomous systems can be used in a variety of ways, and a vehicle is only one, but there are many different areas of it. And I don't want to go any further with that."

Apple stocks on record high over iPhone sales

A group representing major&nbsp;technology companies has aligned itself against Qualcomm in its legal&nbsp;dispute&nbsp;with Apple by calling on regulators to reject Qualcomm&#39;s bid to ban the import of iPhones.

A lobbying group that represents Alphabet&#39;s Google, Amazon.com, Microsoft, and Facebook&nbsp;filed comments with the US International Trade Commission. They argued that barring Apple from importing foreign-assembled iPhones that use Intel chips, as Qualcomm has requested, would cause &quot;significant shocks to supply&quot; for phones and would hurt consumers.

Qualcomm declined to comment.

Intel and Apple rival Samsung are members of the group, called the Computer &amp; Communications Industry Association. Apple is not a member of the group.

&quot;If the ITC were to grant this exclusion order, it would help Qualcomm use its monopoly power for further leverage against Apple and allow them to drive up prices on consumer devices,&quot; Ed Black, the CEO of the group, said in a statement. &ldquo;What&rsquo;s at stake here is certainly the availability of iPhones and other smartphones at better prices.&quot;

Qualcomm supplies so-called modem chips to Apple, which help iPhones and iPads connect to cellular data networks. The two have been locked in a sprawling legal battle in which Apple has objected to Qualcomm&#39;s business model of requiring customers to sign patent license agreements before buying chips.

In turn, Qualcomm has accused Apple of directing its contract manufacturers like Foxconn&nbsp;to withhold license payments in a bid to hurt Qualcomm. The conflict has taken a toll on Qualcomm&#39;s profit outlook.

Earlier this month, Qualcomm sued Apple on separate allegations that Apple infringed six patents around making iPhones work better without draining the battery.

Simultaneously, Qualcomm filed a complaint with the US ITC seeking to ban iPhones that use chips &quot;other than those supplied by Qualcomm affiliates.&quot; Apple began using Intel chips in the iPhone 7.&nbsp;

They argued barring Apple from importing foreign-assembled iPhones that use Intel chips would cause 'significant shocks to supply' and would hurt consumers

A group representing major technology companies has aligned itself against Qualcomm in its legal dispute with Apple by calling on regulators to reject Qualcomm's bid to ban the import of iPhones. A lobbying group that represents Alphabet's Google, Amazon.com, Microsoft, and Facebook filed comments with the US International Trade Commission. They argued that barring Apple from importing foreign-assembled iPhones that use Intel chips, as Qualcomm has requested, would cause "significant shocks to supply" for phones and would hurt consumers. Qualcomm declined to comment. Intel and Apple rival Samsung are members of the group, called the Computer & Communications Industry Association. Apple is not a member of the group. "If the ITC were to grant this exclusion order, it would help Qualcomm use its monopoly power for further leverage against Apple and allow them to drive up prices on consumer devices," Ed Black, the CEO of the group, said in a statement. “What’s at stake here is certainly the availability of iPhones and other smartphones at better prices." Qualcomm supplies so-called modem chips to Apple, which help iPhones and iPads connect to cellular data networks. The two have been locked in a sprawling legal battle in which Apple has objected to Qualcomm's business model of requiring customers to sign patent license agreements before buying chips. In turn, Qualcomm has accused Apple of directing its contract manufacturers like Foxconn to withhold license payments in a bid to hurt Qualcomm. The conflict has taken a toll on Qualcomm's profit outlook. Earlier this month, Qualcomm sued Apple on separate allegations that Apple infringed six patents around making iPhones work better without draining the battery. Simultaneously, Qualcomm filed a complaint with the US ITC seeking to ban iPhones that use chips "other than those supplied by Qualcomm affiliates." Apple began using Intel chips in the iPhone 7.

Tech group sides with Apple in Qualcomm's iPhone ban dispute

Morris Chang, the 86-year-old founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing company (TSMC), has become&nbsp;a &nbsp;billionaire after his&nbsp;company&#39;s shares surged.&nbsp;

TSMC share price zoomed after reports of&nbsp;expected revenue boost as the new iPhone is set to be launched&nbsp;in a few months.&nbsp;TSMC makes chips for&nbsp;iphones&nbsp;on contract,&nbsp;it is also&nbsp;the world&#39;s largest chipmaker.

TSMC shares have surged 27 per cent in the past year.&nbsp;

&nbsp;According to a Taiwan stock exchange&nbsp;May 2017 report, Morris Chang owns 0.5 per cent of TSMC&nbsp;directly and through his family.&nbsp;

Chang is a graduate of&nbsp;Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. He founded TSMC in 1987 when he was in his mid-50s.

Chang known as the &quot;Silicon Godfather&quot; is widely recognised as the man behind Taiwan&rsquo;s rise in the semiconductor industry.

He was the first to initiate a semiconductor factory that made chips based on its customer&#39;s design. He resigned from the TSMC&nbsp;post as&nbsp;CEO in 2005 but joined again four years later to revive the declining company.

Before establishing his own company, Chang worked in Texas Instruments.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Morris Chang, founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing company turned a billionaire after the company's share surged.

Morris Chang, the 86-year-old founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing company (TSMC), has become a billionaire after his company's shares surged. TSMC share price zoomed after reports of expected revenue boost as the new iPhone is set to be launched in a few months. TSMC makes chips for iphones on contract, it is also the world's largest chipmaker. TSMC shares have surged 27 per cent in the past year. According to a Taiwan stock exchange May 2017 report, Morris Chang owns 0.5 per cent of TSMC directly and through his family. Chang is a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. He founded TSMC in 1987 when he was in his mid-50s. Chang known as the "Silicon Godfather" is widely recognised as the man behind Taiwan’s rise in the semiconductor industry. He was the first to initiate a semiconductor factory that made chips based on its customer's design. He resigned from the TSMC post as CEO in 2005 but joined again four years later to revive the declining company. Before establishing his own company, Chang worked in Texas Instruments.

Morris Chang, 86-year-old iphone chipmaker turns billionaire

Apple CEO Tim Cook highlighted the economic impact the company is having on India in a meeting with its prime minister as the iPhone maker seeks deeper access to the world&#39;s third-largest smartphone market behind the United States and China.

Cook met with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a business summit in Washington at a time when Apple is targeting the nascent Indian market as a revenue source after its sales in China slipped.

Apple has asked Indian government officials for a range of tax and policy changes to help build out its iPhone assembly work in the country. It is seeking permission to open its own retail stores in India where it currently sells iPhones through resellers.

In his meeting with Modi, Cook disclosed that Apple expected its Indian operations to be run completely from renewable energy within the next six months. Cook reiterated that Apple had generated 7,40,000 jobs in India through its so-called &quot;app economy&quot; and Indian developers had created nearly 1,00,000 apps for the App Store.

Modi talked with Cook and other US corporate leaders ahead of a meeting with President Donald Trump.&nbsp;

Apple, working with contract manufacturer Winstron, began assembling the iPhone SE in Bengaluru last month. Indian authorities have offered Apple tax concessions for the work with the requirement that more local components be used over time.

The company is looking to India after sales in the greater China region, once a major factor in Apple&#39;s rise, fell 14 percent year over year to $10.7 billion in the most recent quarter. Apple has not disclosed how much revenue it generates in India but said that sales grew by &#39;strong double digits&#39; there in the most recent quarter.

&quot;We have a ton of energy going into the country on a number of fronts,&quot; Cook told analysts about Apple&#39;s efforts in India during the company&#39;s most recent earnings call. &quot;We believe, particularly now that the 4G infrastructure is going in the country and it&#39;s continuing to be expanded, there is a huge opportunity for Apple there.&quot;

Apple has asked Indian government officials for a range of tax and policy changes to help build out its iPhone assembly work in the country

Apple CEO Tim Cook highlighted the economic impact the company is having on India in a meeting with its prime minister as the iPhone maker seeks deeper access to the world's third-largest smartphone market behind the United States and China. Cook met with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a business summit in Washington at a time when Apple is targeting the nascent Indian market as a revenue source after its sales in China slipped. Apple has asked Indian government officials for a range of tax and policy changes to help build out its iPhone assembly work in the country. It is seeking permission to open its own retail stores in India where it currently sells iPhones through resellers. In his meeting with Modi, Cook disclosed that Apple expected its Indian operations to be run completely from renewable energy within the next six months. Cook reiterated that Apple had generated 7,40,000 jobs in India through its so-called "app economy" and Indian developers had created nearly 1,00,000 apps for the App Store. Modi talked with Cook and other US corporate leaders ahead of a meeting with President Donald Trump. Apple, working with contract manufacturer Winstron, began assembling the iPhone SE in Bengaluru last month. Indian authorities have offered Apple tax concessions for the work with the requirement that more local components be used over time. The company is looking to India after sales in the greater China region, once a major factor in Apple's rise, fell 14 percent year over year to $10.7 billion in the most recent quarter. Apple has not disclosed how much revenue it generates in India but said that sales grew by 'strong double digits' there in the most recent quarter. "We have a ton of energy going into the country on a number of fronts," Cook told analysts about Apple's efforts in India during the company's most recent earnings call. "We believe, particularly now that the 4G infrastructure is going in the country and it's continuing to be expanded, there is a huge opportunity for Apple there."

How Apple aims to dive deeper into Indian market

Hey Siri, where can I get my cracked iPhone screen fixed?

Apple customers will soon have more choices as the company looks to reduce long wait times for iPhone repairs at its retail stores. By the end of 2017, Apple will put its proprietary machines for mending cracked iPhone glass in about 400 authorised third-party repair centers in 25 countries, company executives told Reuters.

Among the first recipients is Minneapolis-based Best Buy, which has long sold and serviced Apple products. The electronics retailer already has one of the screen-repair machines at a Miami-area store and one coming soon to an outlet in Sunnyvale, California.

Fixing cracked screens may seem like small potatoes, but it&#39;s a multi-billion-dollar global business. The move is also a major shift for Apple. The company had previously restricted use of its so-called Horizon Machine to its nearly 500 retail stores and mail-in repair centers; and it has guarded its design closely.

The change also comes as eight US states have launched &quot;right to repair&quot; bills aimed at prying open the tightly controlled repair networks of Apple and other high-tech manufacturers.

Apple said legislative pressure was not a factor in its decision to share its technology. It allowed Reuters to view and photograph the machines in action at a lab near its Cupertino, California headquarters. Until now, Apple had never formally acknowledged the Horizon Machine&#39;s existence.

The initial rollout aims to put machines in 200, or about 4 per cent, of Apple&#39;s 4,800 authorised service providers worldwide over the next few months. The company plans to double that figure by the end of the year.

&quot;We&#39;ve been on a quest to expand our reach,&quot; said Brian Naumann, senior director of service operations at Apple. He said repair wait times have grown at some of the company&#39;s busiest retail stores.

Pilot testing started a year ago. In addition to Miami, a few machines already are operating at third-party repair centers in the Bay Area, London, Shanghai and Singapore. Shops in some countries where Apple has no retail presence will also be early recipients, including locations in Colombia, Norway and South Korea. Apple would not say how much its partners are paying for the equipment.

To be sure, any mall repair kiosk can replace a cracked iPhone screen. Apple says its customers can get their devices fixed at non-authorized shops without voiding their warranties as long as the technician caused no damage.

But the Horizon Machine is needed to remedy the trickiest mishaps, such as when the fingerprint sensor attached to the back of the glass gets damaged when a phone is dropped.

For security, only Apple&#39;s fix-it machine can tell the iPhone&#39;s processor, its silicon brain, to recognise a replacement sensor. Without it, the iPhone won&#39;t unlock with the touch of a finger. Banking apps that require a fingerprint won&#39;t work either, including the Apple Pay digital wallet.

&quot;Right to repair&quot; gaining steam

Apple has sold more than 1 billion iPhones worldwide, many to customers who don&#39;t live near an Apple Store or an authorized third-party repair centre.

For fixes, many have turned to mom-and-pop shops and independent technicians that now dominate the trade. Research firm IBISWorld estimates the global cell phone repair business generates about $4 billion in revenue per year.

Many of these entrepreneurs do good work. Some don&#39;t. All use copycat parts because Apple, like other major manufacturers, doesn&#39;t supply original parts or repair manuals to anyone but authorised service partners.

Big companies defend this arrangement as the only way they can guarantee high-quality repair work and keep hackers away from the proprietary software that makes their products tick.

Consumer advocates, however, say their aim is to wring outsized profits from repairs. Independent technicians often charge less than the cost of a factory fix.

Enter right-to-repair bills. New York, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas and Wyoming have introduced legislation looking to aid small shops and do-it-yourself tinkerers.

These proposed measures would require manufacturers to supply repair manuals, diagnostic tools and authentic replacement parts at fair prices to independent technicians and the general public.

Apple, heavy equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc and medical device maker Medtronic have lobbied against New York&#39;s bill. In Nebraska, Apple sent its state and local lobbying chief Steve Kester to visit the Republican lawmaker sponsoring that state&#39;s measure.

&quot;Apple is telling me this is a bad thing because you&#39;re going to have a mecca for hackers in Nebraska,&quot; State Sen. Lydia Brasch said of Kester&#39;s February visit.

Apple hasn&#39;t commented on the bills, but a trade group it belongs to contends the Nebraska measure would force the company to divulge how it secures sensitive data on the iPhone.

&quot;Think about how much of our personal lives are in this device,&quot; said Mike Lanigan, head engineer for Apple&#39;s service efforts.

Inside the lab

Apple got into the screen-fixing business just three years ago with the introduction of the iPhone 5. Up until then, customers whose phones were out of warranty paid a &quot;repair&quot; fee, but Apple simply replaced the entire phone.

Lanigan said customers have been requesting repair service since shortly after the introduction of the iPhone in 2007, but the company waited until it could perfect the process.

&quot;We view the service aspect of this as all part of the overall Apple experience,&quot; Lanigan said.

Apple doesn&#39;t break out repair revenue in its financial statements. Analysts estimate it at $1 billion to $2 billion annually for all products.

As Apple&#39;s screen mending has matured, its prices have dropped to $129 to $149, depending on screen size, from $229. That&#39;s competitive with many independent shops for newer iPhones. Still, some technicians charge as little as $60 to fix older models.

Apple says its process aims to make the display look like it just came out of the box. To demonstrate, the company allowed Reuters to observe the Horizon Machine at a repair lab in Sunnyvale, California.

In the cavernous, brightly lit lab painted in Apple&#39;s signature sparkling white, two lab technicians clad in T-shirts, shorts and tennis shoes scurried between rows of long white metal tables stuffed with test equipment.

Dozens of Horizon Machines lined the tables. The contraptions, gray metal boxes the size of a microwave with a swing-out windowed door, vary slightly in shape depending on the model of iPhone they repair. Apple would not say where the machines were made or by whom.

In a smaller training room, a technician laid out the tools Apple uses to fix iPhone screens: special screwdrivers for the iPhone&#39;s five- and three-lobed screws, a custom suction-cup for loosening the screen without tearing the delicate ribbon cables behind it, and a press to squeeze iPhone 7s to ensure waterproofing.

Once the new screen is mounted, the iPhone goes into the Horizon Machine, which allows Apple&#39;s software to communicate with the fresh hardware. Over the course of 10 to 12 minutes, the machine talks to the phone&#39;s operating system to pair the fingerprint sensor to the phone&#39;s brain.

While that unfolds, a mechanical finger jabs the screen in multiple places to test the touch-sensitive surface. The machine also fine tunes the display and software to match the precise colors and calibration of the original.

&quot;We design for a customer experience that exceeds anything our competitors try to do,&quot; said Naumann, Apple&#39;s service chief. &quot;We endeavour to make it right at the same standard as when the customer bought the product.&quot;

(Reuters)

By the end of 2017, Apple will put its proprietary machines for mending cracked iPhone glass in about 400 authorised third-party repair centers in 25 countries.

Hey Siri, where can I get my cracked iPhone screen fixed? Apple customers will soon have more choices as the company looks to reduce long wait times for iPhone repairs at its retail stores. By the end of 2017, Apple will put its proprietary machines for mending cracked iPhone glass in about 400 authorised third-party repair centers in 25 countries, company executives told Reuters. Among the first recipients is Minneapolis-based Best Buy, which has long sold and serviced Apple products. The electronics retailer already has one of the screen-repair machines at a Miami-area store and one coming soon to an outlet in Sunnyvale, California. Fixing cracked screens may seem like small potatoes, but it's a multi-billion-dollar global business. The move is also a major shift for Apple. The company had previously restricted use of its so-called Horizon Machine to its nearly 500 retail stores and mail-in repair centers; and it has guarded its design closely. The change also comes as eight US states have launched "right to repair" bills aimed at prying open the tightly controlled repair networks of Apple and other high-tech manufacturers. Apple said legislative pressure was not a factor in its decision to share its technology. It allowed Reuters to view and photograph the machines in action at a lab near its Cupertino, California headquarters. Until now, Apple had never formally acknowledged the Horizon Machine's existence. The initial rollout aims to put machines in 200, or about 4 per cent, of Apple's 4,800 authorised service providers worldwide over the next few months. The company plans to double that figure by the end of the year. "We've been on a quest to expand our reach," said Brian Naumann, senior director of service operations at Apple. He said repair wait times have grown at some of the company's busiest retail stores. Pilot testing started a year ago. In addition to Miami, a few machines already are operating at third-party repair centers in the Bay Area, London, Shanghai and Singapore. Shops in some countries where Apple has no retail presence will also be early recipients, including locations in Colombia, Norway and South Korea. Apple would not say how much its partners are paying for the equipment. To be sure, any mall repair kiosk can replace a cracked iPhone screen. Apple says its customers can get their devices fixed at non-authorized shops without voiding their warranties as long as the technician caused no damage. But the Horizon Machine is needed to remedy the trickiest mishaps, such as when the fingerprint sensor attached to the back of the glass gets damaged when a phone is dropped. For security, only Apple's fix-it machine can tell the iPhone's processor, its silicon brain, to recognise a replacement sensor. Without it, the iPhone won't unlock with the touch of a finger. Banking apps that require a fingerprint won't work either, including the Apple Pay digital wallet. "Right to repair" gaining steam Apple has sold more than 1 billion iPhones worldwide, many to customers who don't live near an Apple Store or an authorized third-party repair centre. For fixes, many have turned to mom-and-pop shops and independent technicians that now dominate the trade. Research firm IBISWorld estimates the global cell phone repair business generates about $4 billion in revenue per year. Many of these entrepreneurs do good work. Some don't. All use copycat parts because Apple, like other major manufacturers, doesn't supply original parts or repair manuals to anyone but authorised service partners. Big companies defend this arrangement as the only way they can guarantee high-quality repair work and keep hackers away from the proprietary software that makes their products tick. Consumer advocates, however, say their aim is to wring outsized profits from repairs. Independent technicians often charge less than the cost of a factory fix. Enter right-to-repair bills. New York, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas and Wyoming have introduced legislation looking to aid small shops and do-it-yourself tinkerers. These proposed measures would require manufacturers to supply repair manuals, diagnostic tools and authentic replacement parts at fair prices to independent technicians and the general public. Apple, heavy equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc and medical device maker Medtronic have lobbied against New York's bill. In Nebraska, Apple sent its state and local lobbying chief Steve Kester to visit the Republican lawmaker sponsoring that state's measure. "Apple is telling me this is a bad thing because you're going to have a mecca for hackers in Nebraska," State Sen. Lydia Brasch said of Kester's February visit. Apple hasn't commented on the bills, but a trade group it belongs to contends the Nebraska measure would force the company to divulge how it secures sensitive data on the iPhone. "Think about how much of our personal lives are in this device," said Mike Lanigan, head engineer for Apple's service efforts. Inside the lab Apple got into the screen-fixing business just three years ago with the introduction of the iPhone 5. Up until then, customers whose phones were out of warranty paid a "repair" fee, but Apple simply replaced the entire phone. Lanigan said customers have been requesting repair service since shortly after the introduction of the iPhone in 2007, but the company waited until it could perfect the process. "We view the service aspect of this as all part of the overall Apple experience," Lanigan said. Apple doesn't break out repair revenue in its financial statements. Analysts estimate it at $1 billion to $2 billion annually for all products. As Apple's screen mending has matured, its prices have dropped to $129 to $149, depending on screen size, from $229. That's competitive with many independent shops for newer iPhones. Still, some technicians charge as little as $60 to fix older models. Apple says its process aims to make the display look like it just came out of the box. To demonstrate, the company allowed Reuters to observe the Horizon Machine at a repair lab in Sunnyvale, California. In the cavernous, brightly lit lab painted in Apple's signature sparkling white, two lab technicians clad in T-shirts, shorts and tennis shoes scurried between rows of long white metal tables stuffed with test equipment. Dozens of Horizon Machines lined the tables. The contraptions, gray metal boxes the size of a microwave with a swing-out windowed door, vary slightly in shape depending on the model of iPhone they repair. Apple would not say where the machines were made or by whom. In a smaller training room, a technician laid out the tools Apple uses to fix iPhone screens: special screwdrivers for the iPhone's five- and three-lobed screws, a custom suction-cup for loosening the screen without tearing the delicate ribbon cables behind it, and a press to squeeze iPhone 7s to ensure waterproofing. Once the new screen is mounted, the iPhone goes into the Horizon Machine, which allows Apple's software to communicate with the fresh hardware. Over the course of 10 to 12 minutes, the machine talks to the phone's operating system to pair the fingerprint sensor to the phone's brain. While that unfolds, a mechanical finger jabs the screen in multiple places to test the touch-sensitive surface. The machine also fine tunes the display and software to match the precise colors and calibration of the original. "We design for a customer experience that exceeds anything our competitors try to do," said Naumann, Apple's service chief. "We endeavour to make it right at the same standard as when the customer bought the product." (Reuters)

Now, it will be a lot easier to get your broken iPhones fixed

Andy Rubin, the co-creator&nbsp;of the Android mobile phone operating system, has launched a new company called Essential Products to sell a high-end smartphone and a home assistant device.

Palo Alto-based Essential said the new Essential Phone features an edge-to-edge screen, a titanium-and-ceramic case and dual cameras. The phone sells for $699 and will run the Android operating system. The price pits it against high-end smartphones including Apple&#39;s iPhone and Samsung&#39;s Galaxy S8.

Also Watch:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ipsS4_DV_s">Samsung&#39;s Galaxy S8 review</a>

Essential also launched a household assistant called Home that looks like an angled hockey puck with a screen. The device will compete against Amazon&#39;s Echo and Alphabet&#39;s Google Home speaker, which are powered by the Alexa and the Google Assistant voice services respectively.

Essential confirmed the Home device will let the user choose between Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri. It was not immediately clear how Siri would be available on Essential. While Amazon and Google have released the software needed to embed their assistants on devices they do not make, Apple has not done so.

Essential declined to elaborate on how it plans to embed Siri on the device, and Apple declined to comment.

The Essential Home takes a page from Apple&#39;s privacy play book. Like an iPhone, the Home will do much of the processing for voice and image recognition on the device itself rather than sending data to remote servers.

Essential also said the Home device will communicate with home appliances like lights and thermostats directly over the home network, rather than sending data to remote servers. Apple&#39;s HomeKit system takes similar approach.

Rubin, Essential&#39;s CEO, co-founded Android and sold it to Google in 2005. He ran Google&#39;s mobile efforts until 2013 before a brief stint running the firm&#39;s robotics division. He left Google in 2014 to focus on starting hardware companies.

Investors in Essential include Chinese tech company Tencent Holdings, iPhone contract manufacturer Foxconn, Redpoint Ventures and Altimeter Capital.

Essential plans to announce a ship date for the devices in the next few weeks. The company did not say whether it planned to sell the phone directly to customers online or in physical stores.

Essential for the first time revealed its staff on its website, listing Wolfgang Muller as head of channel sales. Muller previously ran North American retail operations for phone maker HTC, according to his LinkedIn profile, suggesting that Essential plans to sell phones through retail stores, carriers or both.

(Reuters)
<centre><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HCjjnVNXDLI" width="854"></iframe><centre> </centre></centre>

Investors Chinese tech company Tencent Holdings, iPhone contract manufacturer Foxconn, Redpoint Ventures and Altimeter Capital

Andy Rubin, the co-creator of the Android mobile phone operating system, has launched a new company called Essential Products to sell a high-end smartphone and a home assistant device. Palo Alto-based Essential said the new Essential Phone features an edge-to-edge screen, a titanium-and-ceramic case and dual cameras. The phone sells for $699 and will run the Android operating system. The price pits it against high-end smartphones including Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy S8. Also Watch: Samsung's Galaxy S8 review Essential also launched a household assistant called Home that looks like an angled hockey puck with a screen. The device will compete against Amazon's Echo and Alphabet's Google Home speaker, which are powered by the Alexa and the Google Assistant voice services respectively. Essential confirmed the Home device will let the user choose between Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri. It was not immediately clear how Siri would be available on Essential. While Amazon and Google have released the software needed to embed their assistants on devices they do not make, Apple has not done so. Essential declined to elaborate on how it plans to embed Siri on the device, and Apple declined to comment. The Essential Home takes a page from Apple's privacy play book. Like an iPhone, the Home will do much of the processing for voice and image recognition on the device itself rather than sending data to remote servers. Essential also said the Home device will communicate with home appliances like lights and thermostats directly over the home network, rather than sending data to remote servers. Apple's HomeKit system takes similar approach. Rubin, Essential's CEO, co-founded Android and sold it to Google in 2005. He ran Google's mobile efforts until 2013 before a brief stint running the firm's robotics division. He left Google in 2014 to focus on starting hardware companies. Investors in Essential include Chinese tech company Tencent Holdings, iPhone contract manufacturer Foxconn, Redpoint Ventures and Altimeter Capital. Essential plans to announce a ship date for the devices in the next few weeks. The company did not say whether it planned to sell the phone directly to customers online or in physical stores. Essential for the first time revealed its staff on its website, listing Wolfgang Muller as head of channel sales. Muller previously ran North American retail operations for phone maker HTC, according to his LinkedIn profile, suggesting that Essential plans to sell phones through retail stores, carriers or both. (Reuters)

Android co-founder Andy Rubin launches new company, unveils Essential Phone

Apple has announced the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in a vibrant red aluminum finish. The red-colored variant has been introduced to acknowledge 10 years of partnership between Apple and (RED), an organization to help fight AIDS.

This special edition iPhone will be available to order online worldwide and in stores from March 24. &quot;This gives customers an unprecedented way to contribute to the Global Fund and bring the world a step closer to an AIDS-free generation,&quot; says Apple.

This special edition iPhone will be available in 128GB and 256GB models starting at $749.

&quot;Since we began working with (RED) 10 years ago, our customers have made a significant impact in fighting the spread of AIDS through the purchase of our products, from the original iPod nano (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition all the way to today&rsquo;s lineup of Beats products and accessories for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch,&rdquo; says Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Both special edition models will be shipped to customers by the end of March in the US and more than 40 countries and regions, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the UK and United Arab Emirates. Brazil, Chile, Colombia, India, Turkey. Other countries will get this edition in April.

(WION)

Both the new iPhone models will go on sale from March 24

Apple has announced the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in a vibrant red aluminum finish. The red-colored variant has been introduced to acknowledge 10 years of partnership between Apple and (RED), an organization to help fight AIDS. This special edition iPhone will be available to order online worldwide and in stores from March 24. "This gives customers an unprecedented way to contribute to the Global Fund and bring the world a step closer to an AIDS-free generation," says Apple. This special edition iPhone will be available in 128GB and 256GB models starting at $749. "Since we began working with (RED) 10 years ago, our customers have made a significant impact in fighting the spread of AIDS through the purchase of our products, from the original iPod nano (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition all the way to today’s lineup of Beats products and accessories for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch,” says Apple CEO Tim Cook. Both special edition models will be shipped to customers by the end of March in the US and more than 40 countries and regions, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the UK and United Arab Emirates. Brazil, Chile, Colombia, India, Turkey. Other countries will get this edition in April. (WION)

Apple introduces iPhone 7, iPhone Plus in red colour

When Apple launches its much-anticipated 10th anniversary iPhone this fall, it will offer an unwitting lesson in how much the smartphone industry it pioneered has matured.

The new iPhone is expected to include new features such as high-resolution displays, wireless charging and 3D sensors. Rather than representing major breakthroughs, however, most of the innovations have been available in competing phones for several years.

Apple&#39;s relatively slow adoption of new features both reflects and reinforces the fact smartphone customers are holding onto their phones longer. Timothy Arcuri, an analyst at Cowen &amp; Co, believes upwards of 40 per cent of iPhones on the market are more than two years old, a historical high.

That is a big reason why investors have driven Apple shares to an all-time high. There is pent-up demand for a new iPhone, even if it does not offer breakthrough technologies.

It is not clear whether Apple deliberately held off on packing some of the new features into the current iPhone 7, which has been criticised for a lack of differentiation from its predecessor. Apple declined to comment on the upcoming product.

Still, the development and roll-out of the anniversary iPhone suggest Apple&rsquo;s product strategy is driven less by technological innovation than by consumer upgrade cycles and Apple&rsquo;s own business and marketing needs.

&quot;When a market gets saturated, the growth is all about refresh,&quot; said Bob O&rsquo;Donnell of Technalysis Research. &quot;This is exactly what happened to PCs. It&#39;s exactly what happened to tablets. It&#39;s starting to happen to smartphones.&quot;

Apple is close-mouthed about upcoming product features, but analysts and reports from Asian component suppliers and others indicate that high-resolution displays based on OLED technology - possibly with curved edges - are likely to be part of the anniversary phone. A radical new design is not expected, according to analysts.

Some of the anticipated new technologies, notably wireless charging, remain messy. Samsung Electronics phones, for example, feature wireless charging but support two different sets of standards, one called Qi and the other AirFuel.

Apple recently joined the group backing Qi. But there are still at least five different groups working on wireless charging technology within Apple, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

As to 3D sensors, there is already one hiding in the iPhone 7. The front camera features what is known as a time-of-flight sensor, which helps it autofocus and is used in numerous phones including the Blackberry, according to TechInsights, a firm that examines the chips inside tech devices.

That sensor could be upgraded to a higher-resolution version that could handle 3-D mapping for facial recognition, said Jim Morrison, vice president at TechInsights.

Some analysts also speculate the company could remove the phone&#39;s home button, placing it and a fingerprint sensor beneath the front display glass, based on patents the company has filed.

&nbsp;

Slow growth

Global smartphone sales were up only 2.3 per cent to 1.47 billion units in 2016, according to IDC. Many carriers in the United States have stopped subsidising phones, causing phone buyers to think harder about their next purchase.

Apple will likely make a heavy marketing push around the phone&rsquo;s 10th anniversary. &ldquo;IPhone set the standard for mobile computing in its first decade and we are just getting started. The best is yet to come,&rdquo; Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said in a statement January 8, the date the iPhone was announced by then-CEO Steve Jobs in 2007.

In 2015, the last year it disclosed the figure, Apple spent $1.8 billion on advertising, up 50 per cent from the year before and nearly four times the $467 million it spent in 2007 when it first released the iPhone.

And the company continues to excel at selling higher-priced phones. Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri attributed the most recent quarter&#39;s record-setting 78.3 million iPhones sold to the iPhone 7 Plus, which for the first time included a new dual camera feature not found in other models.

The iPhone 7 Plus tops out at $969 with memory upgrades and a jet black finish. O&#39;Donnell of Technalysis Research believes that with the next iPhone, Apple might even introduce a $1,000-plus &ldquo;ultra-premium device for the real Apple-crazed folks out there who want to stand out.&quot;

(Reuters)

Some analysts speculate that Apple could remove the phone's home button in the new iPhone

When Apple launches its much-anticipated 10th anniversary iPhone this fall, it will offer an unwitting lesson in how much the smartphone industry it pioneered has matured. The new iPhone is expected to include new features such as high-resolution displays, wireless charging and 3D sensors. Rather than representing major breakthroughs, however, most of the innovations have been available in competing phones for several years. Apple's relatively slow adoption of new features both reflects and reinforces the fact smartphone customers are holding onto their phones longer. Timothy Arcuri, an analyst at Cowen & Co, believes upwards of 40 per cent of iPhones on the market are more than two years old, a historical high. That is a big reason why investors have driven Apple shares to an all-time high. There is pent-up demand for a new iPhone, even if it does not offer breakthrough technologies. It is not clear whether Apple deliberately held off on packing some of the new features into the current iPhone 7, which has been criticised for a lack of differentiation from its predecessor. Apple declined to comment on the upcoming product. Still, the development and roll-out of the anniversary iPhone suggest Apple’s product strategy is driven less by technological innovation than by consumer upgrade cycles and Apple’s own business and marketing needs. "When a market gets saturated, the growth is all about refresh," said Bob O’Donnell of Technalysis Research. "This is exactly what happened to PCs. It's exactly what happened to tablets. It's starting to happen to smartphones." Apple is close-mouthed about upcoming product features, but analysts and reports from Asian component suppliers and others indicate that high-resolution displays based on OLED technology - possibly with curved edges - are likely to be part of the anniversary phone. A radical new design is not expected, according to analysts. Some of the anticipated new technologies, notably wireless charging, remain messy. Samsung Electronics phones, for example, feature wireless charging but support two different sets of standards, one called Qi and the other AirFuel. Apple recently joined the group backing Qi. But there are still at least five different groups working on wireless charging technology within Apple, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. As to 3D sensors, there is already one hiding in the iPhone 7. The front camera features what is known as a time-of-flight sensor, which helps it autofocus and is used in numerous phones including the Blackberry, according to TechInsights, a firm that examines the chips inside tech devices. That sensor could be upgraded to a higher-resolution version that could handle 3-D mapping for facial recognition, said Jim Morrison, vice president at TechInsights. Some analysts also speculate the company could remove the phone's home button, placing it and a fingerprint sensor beneath the front display glass, based on patents the company has filed. Slow growth Global smartphone sales were up only 2.3 per cent to 1.47 billion units in 2016, according to IDC. Many carriers in the United States have stopped subsidising phones, causing phone buyers to think harder about their next purchase. Apple will likely make a heavy marketing push around the phone’s 10th anniversary. “IPhone set the standard for mobile computing in its first decade and we are just getting started. The best is yet to come,” Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said in a statement January 8, the date the iPhone was announced by then-CEO Steve Jobs in 2007. In 2015, the last year it disclosed the figure, Apple spent $1.8 billion on advertising, up 50 per cent from the year before and nearly four times the $467 million it spent in 2007 when it first released the iPhone. And the company continues to excel at selling higher-priced phones. Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri attributed the most recent quarter's record-setting 78.3 million iPhones sold to the iPhone 7 Plus, which for the first time included a new dual camera feature not found in other models. The iPhone 7 Plus tops out at $969 with memory upgrades and a jet black finish. O'Donnell of Technalysis Research believes that with the next iPhone, Apple might even introduce a $1,000-plus “ultra-premium device for the real Apple-crazed folks out there who want to stand out." (Reuters)

Why the new Apple iPhone may not come with breakthrough features - yet again

Apple is all set to start making iPhones in India this year, a local government official said on Friday, as the firm looks to tap a booming middle class as sales in China slow.

The US giant has not confirmed the move, but chief executive Tim Cook said this week the company intended to &quot;invest significantly&quot; in India, where a pick-up in the economy provides ample opportunity for growth.

&quot;We have an understanding with Apple and we expect them to start manufacturing in Karnataka by the end of April,&quot; Priyank Kharge, minister of information technology and biotechnology in southern Karnataka state, told AFP.

He also added, &quot;Apple&#39;s intentions to manufacture in Bengaluru will foster cutting edge technology eco system and supply chain development in the state, which are critical for India to compete globally.&quot;

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Apple&#39;s intentions to make iPhones in Bengaluru will foster cutting-edge technology ecosystem &amp; supply chain development in the state.
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He said the new operation would likely assemble iPhones for the domestic market.

Apple has only a two per cent share of the Indian market, well behind rival Samsung on 23 per cent, according to research firm Canalys.

However, last year it had 48 per cent of the premium sector in which phones sell for $450 and above.

Experts said manufacturing locally would reduce the company&#39;s costs and enable it to lower prices.

&quot;They&rsquo;re eager to be here because they&#39;ve identified India as a strategic focus market,&quot; said Jaideep Mehta of research firm IDC.

&quot;They had a fantastic 2016 in India and shipped more two million devices to India, and now they&rsquo;re looking to ultimately manufacture here as that gives them more flexibility to respond to market changes.&quot;

Apple currently sells its phones in India through third-party retailers. It is eager to open its own stores but Indian law would require it to procure 30 per cent of the components of its products locally.

It is not clear whether the Karnataka plans would help it clear that hurdle. Reports in Indian media said Wistron Corp, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, was lined up to assemble iPhones at a plant on the outskirts of tech hub Bangalore.

Apple outsources all its manufacturing globally. Analysts said that if confirmed the move would be a coup for India&#39;s government, which has been trying to persuade foreign companies to manufacture in the country.

Apple representatives met with federal and state government officials in India last week, as it is lobbying hard for a raft of tax and sourcing concessions from India, before it begins to assemble iPhones in the country.

Following the meetings, Apple said it appreciated the open and constructive dialogue it held with Indian officials, around the expansion of its local operations in the country.

Any final decision around manufacturing in India, however, is likely to still be contingent on the government&#39;s willingness to concede ground on the concessions sought by the company.

(WION with inouts from Agencies)

Apple looks to tap a booming middle class as sales in China slow.

Apple is all set to start making iPhones in India this year, a local government official said on Friday, as the firm looks to tap a booming middle class as sales in China slow. The US giant has not confirmed the move, but chief executive Tim Cook said this week the company intended to "invest significantly" in India, where a pick-up in the economy provides ample opportunity for growth. "We have an understanding with Apple and we expect them to start manufacturing in Karnataka by the end of April," Priyank Kharge, minister of information technology and biotechnology in southern Karnataka state, told AFP. He also added, "Apple's intentions to manufacture in Bengaluru will foster cutting edge technology eco system and supply chain development in the state, which are critical for India to compete globally." Apple's intentions to make iPhones in Bengaluru will foster cutting-edge technology ecosystem & supply chain development in the state. — Priyank Kharge (@PriyankKharge) February 2, 2017 × He said the new operation would likely assemble iPhones for the domestic market. Apple has only a two per cent share of the Indian market, well behind rival Samsung on 23 per cent, according to research firm Canalys. However, last year it had 48 per cent of the premium sector in which phones sell for $450 and above. Experts said manufacturing locally would reduce the company's costs and enable it to lower prices. "They’re eager to be here because they've identified India as a strategic focus market," said Jaideep Mehta of research firm IDC. "They had a fantastic 2016 in India and shipped more two million devices to India, and now they’re looking to ultimately manufacture here as that gives them more flexibility to respond to market changes." Apple currently sells its phones in India through third-party retailers. It is eager to open its own stores but Indian law would require it to procure 30 per cent of the components of its products locally. It is not clear whether the Karnataka plans would help it clear that hurdle. Reports in Indian media said Wistron Corp, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, was lined up to assemble iPhones at a plant on the outskirts of tech hub Bangalore. Apple outsources all its manufacturing globally. Analysts said that if confirmed the move would be a coup for India's government, which has been trying to persuade foreign companies to manufacture in the country. Apple representatives met with federal and state government officials in India last week, as it is lobbying hard for a raft of tax and sourcing concessions from India, before it begins to assemble iPhones in the country. Following the meetings, Apple said it appreciated the open and constructive dialogue it held with Indian officials, around the expansion of its local operations in the country. Any final decision around manufacturing in India, however, is likely to still be contingent on the government's willingness to concede ground on the concessions sought by the company. (WION with inouts from Agencies)

Apple will start making iPhones in India by April

Apple has cut its CEO Tim Cook&#39;s salary by 15 per cent for 2016 as annual sales declined for the year, missing targets that also led to the tech giant&#39;s first annual revenue decline in 15 years.

The company gave the 56-year-old $8.75 million in total compensation last year, down from the $10.28 million he received in 2015, according to a Securities and Exchange (SEC) filing released yesterday.

Cook&#39;s salary rose to $3 million from $2 million last year - a 50 per cent increase, his cash bonus took a hit. Apple awarded Cook and other executives 89.5 per cent of their target, instead of the maximum amount like in recent years.

Hence, Cook&#39;s cash bonus fell to $5.4 million in 2016, down from $8 million the year before and declining for the first time since he assumed leadership of the company in 2011.

Apple specifically cited the company&#39;s failure to meet its performance goals for both sales and profits. Sales volume of the iPhone fell in fiscal 2016 for the first time since the device was introduced in 2007, causing the tech icon to suffer its first annual revenue decline in 15 years.

The company said its annual sales were down nearly 4 per cent, or $215.6 billion, from its target of $223.6 billion, and its operating income was down 0.5 per cent from its target at $60 billion, according to the filing.

&quot;Overall, our 2016 performance with respect to net sales and operating income was 7.7 per cent and 15.7 per cent below our record-breaking 2015 levels,&quot; Apple said in the filing. &quot;However, the 2016 payouts to our named executive officers were significantly less than the annual cash incentive payouts for 2015, reflecting strong pay-for-performance alignment.&quot;

Apple&#39;s rare sales slump is directly linked to the loss of momentum for the iPhone, which generates the majority of the company&#39;s sales.

Sales of iPhones have declined in each of the past three quarters, slipping to 45.5 million in the September quarter, with reports saying Apple has faced steep competition from Samsung and other smartphone makers and the newest iPhones did not feature enough upgrades to attract customers.

In October, Cook said that demand for the iPhone 7 and the bigger 7 Plus, which feature enhanced cameras and longer battery life, have outpaced supply though Apple would only report quarterly sales for those phones on January 31.

(PTI)

Apple's rare sales slump is directly linked to the loss of momentum for the iPhone, which generates the majority of the company's sales

Apple has cut its CEO Tim Cook's salary by 15 per cent for 2016 as annual sales declined for the year, missing targets that also led to the tech giant's first annual revenue decline in 15 years. The company gave the 56-year-old $8.75 million in total compensation last year, down from the $10.28 million he received in 2015, according to a Securities and Exchange (SEC) filing released yesterday. Cook's salary rose to $3 million from $2 million last year - a 50 per cent increase, his cash bonus took a hit. Apple awarded Cook and other executives 89.5 per cent of their target, instead of the maximum amount like in recent years. Hence, Cook's cash bonus fell to $5.4 million in 2016, down from $8 million the year before and declining for the first time since he assumed leadership of the company in 2011. Apple specifically cited the company's failure to meet its performance goals for both sales and profits. Sales volume of the iPhone fell in fiscal 2016 for the first time since the device was introduced in 2007, causing the tech icon to suffer its first annual revenue decline in 15 years. The company said its annual sales were down nearly 4 per cent, or $215.6 billion, from its target of $223.6 billion, and its operating income was down 0.5 per cent from its target at $60 billion, according to the filing. "Overall, our 2016 performance with respect to net sales and operating income was 7.7 per cent and 15.7 per cent below our record-breaking 2015 levels," Apple said in the filing. "However, the 2016 payouts to our named executive officers were significantly less than the annual cash incentive payouts for 2015, reflecting strong pay-for-performance alignment." Apple's rare sales slump is directly linked to the loss of momentum for the iPhone, which generates the majority of the company's sales. Sales of iPhones have declined in each of the past three quarters, slipping to 45.5 million in the September quarter, with reports saying Apple has faced steep competition from Samsung and other smartphone makers and the newest iPhones did not feature enough upgrades to attract customers. In October, Cook said that demand for the iPhone 7 and the bigger 7 Plus, which feature enhanced cameras and longer battery life, have outpaced supply though Apple would only report quarterly sales for those phones on January 31. (PTI)

Apple cuts CEO's pay as iPhone sales drop first time

Popular social media application WhatsApp has stopped working in older iPhones and Android handsets to ensure that it could continue to introduce new features and stay secure, which relies on the app being used on newer operating systems.

Anyone using Android 2.1 or 2.2, an iPhone 3GS or iOS 6 will find the app has stopped working.

The same will happen to anyone on Windows Phone 7, the Independent reported yesterday.

The company has advised that anyone with one of those older handsets who want to keep chatting with friends simply has to buy a newer phone.

WhatsApp had initially said that all BlackBerry models and some Nokia handsets would also find themselves unable to get onto the chat app.

But it went back late last year, apparently in response to complaints.

&quot;We are extending support for BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10, Nokia S40 and Nokia Symbian S60 until June 30, 2017,&quot; the company wrote in an update to its blog.

The changes are thought to be in large part to allow WhatsApp to more deeply integrate encryption and other privacy services.&nbsp;

Such technology stops messages from being read, and has led to WhatsApp facing criticism from governments who believe that WhatsApp conversations should be made public, the report said.

It&#39;s also likely to allow for a&nbsp;more rapid introduction of new features.&nbsp;

Rumoured updates scheduled in 2017 include a new feature that would allow people to edit or entirely delete messages after they have been sent.&nbsp;

(PTI)

This act is to ensure that it could continue to introduce new features and stay secure, which relies on the app being used on newer OS

Popular social media application WhatsApp has stopped working in older iPhones and Android handsets to ensure that it could continue to introduce new features and stay secure, which relies on the app being used on newer operating systems. Anyone using Android 2.1 or 2.2, an iPhone 3GS or iOS 6 will find the app has stopped working. The same will happen to anyone on Windows Phone 7, the Independent reported yesterday. The company has advised that anyone with one of those older handsets who want to keep chatting with friends simply has to buy a newer phone. WhatsApp had initially said that all BlackBerry models and some Nokia handsets would also find themselves unable to get onto the chat app. But it went back late last year, apparently in response to complaints. "We are extending support for BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10, Nokia S40 and Nokia Symbian S60 until June 30, 2017," the company wrote in an update to its blog. The changes are thought to be in large part to allow WhatsApp to more deeply integrate encryption and other privacy services. Such technology stops messages from being read, and has led to WhatsApp facing criticism from governments who believe that WhatsApp conversations should be made public, the report said. It's also likely to allow for a more rapid introduction of new features. Rumoured updates scheduled in 2017 include a new feature that would allow people to edit or entirely delete messages after they have been sent. (PTI)

WhatsApp stops working in older iPhones, Android and Windows Phone 7 handsets

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