US President Joe Biden greeted his successor Donald Trump at the White House with the message "welcome home" as Trump's motorcade arrived at the official presidential residence. Biden and Trump then went inside the White House for their traditional tea. Trump, 78, will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, succeeding Biden, 82. The ceremony has been moved inside the Rotunda from outside the Capitol Hill facing the majestic National Mall.
The new mantra was to align Apple's ambition with the government's, focusing on Modi's favourite themes of Make in India, employment generation and India as a high-tech export hub.
The government's target of hitting $52 billion to $58 billion in mobile phone exports in FY26 has been faltering; an Indian corporate group with financial muscle will help.
The manufacturing of iPhone 14 in India within weeks of the global launch demonstrates the maturity of Apple's manufacturing capabilities in the country, according to Moody's Investors Service. Increasing volumes of locally-manufactured iPhones will also accelerate Apple's expansion strategy in India, Raj Joshi, Senior Vice President, Corporate Finance Group, Moody's said. The Indian smartphone market's large size and strong growth prospects as the country unveils its 5G network "make it an attractive long-term market for Apple", according to a note by Moody's.
Apple Inc has rolled out a beta programme to enable 5G on Apple devices as the upgrade lets users try out pre-release software. This software upgrade enables 5G access on Apple devices, as and when service providers Jio, Airtel and Vodafone enable 5G network access, sources said. Apple users have to enrol for the beta programme on the website, install a profile and download the software.
India is at a "tipping point" and a major focus for Apple, the technology giant's CEO Tim Cook has said, terming the opening of its first two retail stores in the country - in Mumbai and Delhi - as a "milestone" for the company. Speaking at Apple's Q2 2023 earnings call on Thursday, Cook emphasised the dynamism and vibrancy in the Indian market, calling it "unbelievable". "Looking at the business in India, we did set a quarterly record, grew very strong, double digits year-over-year.
Apple is hoping to assemble in India 25 per cent of all iPhones produced globally to reduce its heavy dependence on China.
Technology giant Apple, which recorded $83 billion in revenue for the quarter ended June 2022, has reported a "near doubling" of revenue in India. Announcing financial results for its fiscal 2022 quarter ended June 25, Apple on Thursday said it has achieved a revenue record of $83 billion, up 2 per cent year-over-year. Apple CEO Tim Cook, during an earnings call, said the 83 billion dollar revenue was "better than we expected despite supply constraints, strong foreign exchange headwinds and the impact of our business in Russia."
The Prayagraj airport in India is experiencing a surge in air traffic due to the Maha Kumbh, a major religious festival. The airport is handling an average of 40 non-scheduled charters and private jets daily, with figures reaching 70 on weekends. This is in addition to the average 148 scheduled commercial passenger aircraft operating daily. The airport recently received a contingent of about 180 politicians from Rajasthan and has seen corporate bigwigs like the Ambani brothers, Gautam Adani, and Pawan Munjal pass through. The airport has also hosted four international flights since the beginning of the Maha Kumbh, including a flight carrying Laurene Powell Jobs, the wife of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. The airport is currently undergoing an upgrade and expansion, and officials are looking forward to the government's plans to integrate Prayagraj with the airports at Kashi and Ayodhya to promote tourism in the region.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Friday ordered a detailed probe against technology major Apple for alleged unfair business practices with respect to its App Store. In a 20-page order, the watchdog said that Apple's App Store is the only channel for app developers to distribute their apps to iOS consumers which is pre-installed on every iPhone and iPad.
'As the global economy undergoes significant transformations in 2025, India's ability to navigate the complexities of trade wars, financial realignments, and emerging blocs will be pivotal,' explain Harsh V Pant and Soumya Bhowmik.
18% cent GST on iPhones continues to weigh heavily on the final cost to Indian consumers, limiting the impact of price cuts.
India's e-commerce market alone is projected to reach $200 billion by 2026, making it a prime industry for ambitious entrepreneurs, explains rediffGURU Harsh Bharwani.
Apple Pay will be available in 250,000 locations across the UK.
'If they are taking marquee locations and, say, are paying 50 per cent higher rent, those locations will see a spurt in rates as well.'
'There is simply too much to watch, read and absorb.' 'Just online consumption (news, entertainment, social media) in India was 2.5 hours a day in November 2024.' 'Add TV (just under 4 hours), other media, and the figure is closer to 7 to 8 hours a day for over one-third of Indians,' points out Vanita Kohli Khandekar.
In a sign of the expanding Apple supplier ecosystem in India, American multinational Jabil Inc will set up an electronics manufacturing facility in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu with an investment of Rs 2,000 crore. Jabil is one of the 14 Apple suppliers in India, of around 200 globally, while another 14 have reportedly received preliminary clearance to form joint ventures with Indian companies to set up facilities. Interestingly, of the 14 existing manufacturing units in the Apple supply chain, seven are already in Tamil Nadu.
We the people are left in the wind, waiting on the whims of an unengaged president and an oligarch with a nearly bottomless wallet, observes Sree Sreenivasan.
Two years after his dismissive stance on India's AI potential raised eyebrows here, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Wednesday gave a ringing endorsement to Artificial Intelligence momentum in the country -- and billed India as an important market not just for the new-age technology itself but for the ChatGPT creator as well. In New Delhi on Wednesday, Altman -- while sharing dais with Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw -- said India is the second biggest market for the company and that Open AI had tripled its users here in the last year.
He said that as compared to global models costing 2.5 to 3 US dollars per hour usage, India's AI model will cost less than less than Rs 100 per hour (1.16 US dollars per hour) after 40 percent government subsidy.
If reports that Apple Inc plans to triple its iPhone production in India come true, it is likely to help the country become a supply hub for the American company. There are some 190 Apple suppliers globally, but only 12 have manufacturing facilities in India now. Apple's strategy is to focus on India and a clutch of other countries as it diversifies its supply chain out of China.
'The facility works on Apple's iPhone and everything is damaged -- CNC machines, computers and CCTVs worth crores.'
rediffGURU Chandrakant Lahariya tells you how to lower your blood sugar levels and manage your diabetes.
Apple reduced channel inventory by $3.6 billion.
Goods and services tax (GST) collections from mobile device companies, amounting to Rs 1.82 trillion between 2020-21 (FY21) and 2023-24 (FY24), have already generated more than five times the revenue for the government compared to the Rs 34,149 crore allocated under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for mobile devices over six years ending 2025-26 (FY26). Currently, the GST on mobile devices stands at 18 per cent.
The users of 5G-enabled Apple iPhones will be able to try 5G telecom services - wherever available publicly in the country - from next week, both on standalone (Reliance Jio) and non-standalone networks (Bharti Airtel). Airtel and Jio customers who download the iOS 16 Beta software update as part of its 'Apple Beta Software Program' can try the service and send their feedback to the company. The final updated software will become available sometime in December.
Apple unveiled its highly anticipated iPhone 14 during its 'Far Out' event on Wednesday along with the iPhone 14 Plus variant, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. This new lineup is inspired by the iPhone 13, with sharp metal edges, rounded corners, a glass back, the recognisable notch at the top of the handset, and a lightning port.
Technology major Apple earned nearly one-third of its revenue from emerging markets and doubled its business in India and Vietnam in fiscal 2021, according to its CEO Tim Cook said. Apple posted a 29 per cent year-on-year growth in revenue at $83.4 billion in the fourth quarter ended September 25, 2021. Its net income stood at $20.55 billion in the said quarter as against $12.67 billion in the year-ago period.
Rising mobile viewership is paving way for online TV subscription.
Bengaluru-based Sunny Gupta had been searching for a laptop for months. In August, while sitting at a coffee shop, he decided to order an Acer Predator laptop - typically priced between Rs 95,000 and Rs 2.5 lakh - through the quick-commerce (q-com) platform Flipkart Minutes. "It took exactly 13 minutes from payment to receiving it at the Starbucks I ordered it to," he wrote in a now-viral post on social media platform X.
Rising prevalence of work-from-home and e-learning is driving sales of notebooks and tablets for most brands, but Apple's superior performance has more to do with its product quality.
Amazon has reclaimed the top spot as the world's most valuable brand despite its brand value falling 15 per cent this year from $350.3 billion to $299.3 billion, said a new report. According to brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance's report, "Global 500 2023", while Amazon is back at No 1, its brand value has fallen by over $50 billion this year, with its rating slipping from AAA+ to AAA. This is as consumers evaluate it more harshly in the post-pandemic world. Brand Finance's research has found that perception of customer service at Amazon has fallen - at the same time as delivery times have lengthened.
'While criticising India's high tariffs, Mr Trump stated he would impose reciprocal taxes on Indian products if re-elected.' 'However, since India's tariffs follow WTO rules, Mr Trump's actions would violate these rules,' Ajay Srivastava points out.
Apple Inc is commencing assembly of its iPhone 12 model in the country, a move that is expected to help the US tech giant further consolidate its position in the burgeoning smartphone market in India. Apple has partnered with third-party manufacturers like Foxconn and Wistron to make some of its phones in India. These include iPhone SE, iPhone 10R and iPhone 11.
Apple will soon bring its latest lineup of MacBook Pro models along with HomePod mini, AirPods and a new music experience under Apple Music Voice Plan for Indian consumers. Apple's new M1 Pro and M1 Max, available in 14 and 16-inch models, delivers groundbreaking processing, graphics and machine learning (ML) performance. The new MacBook Pro range with M1 Pro and M1 Max are available to order via Apple's online store and will begin arriving to customers and its authorised resellers from October 26.
Certain foods can help prevent flare-ups by reducing the production of stomach acid and soothing the digestive system, says Dr Gaurav Kumar Patil.
'India needs many more job creators, both in manufacturing and services, to make it big.' 'For that, the red carpet must be rolled out fully and for all investors without holding back,' suggests Nivedita Mookerji.
Tech giant Apple on Wednesday said it has slashed its App Store commission by half to 15 per cent for small businesses earning up to $1 million (about Rs 7.4 crore) per year on the platform. In the past, tech majors Apple and Google have been criticised for the high commissions charged from app developers. Apple, in a statement, said the new developer programme will accelerate innovation and help small businesses and independent developers propel their businesses forward with the next generation of groundbreaking apps on the App Store.
How exciting is the Apple Watch Series 5? Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com finds out.