President Donald Trump issued a sharp warning to Apple on Friday: if the tech giant doesn’t manufacture its iPhones in the United States, it will face a hefty 25% tariff.

Trump took to Truth Social early Friday morning to demand that Apple CEO Tim Cook ensure iPhones sold in the U.S. are made domestically. He wrote, “I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhones sold in the United States to be made in the U.S., not India or anywhere else. If not, a tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple.”

This move comes after Trump expressed frustration last week during his Middle East trip over Apple’s plans to build iPhones for the U.S. market at new factories in India. Apple has been shifting some production outside China as part of a diversification strategy, with India playing an increasing role.

On Apple’s recent earnings call, Cook acknowledged that most iPhones sold in the U.S. will soon be labeled “Made in India.” He also noted Apple expects to face tariff costs of up to $900 million this quarter due to these changes, though Trump exempted electronics from some of his earlier, heavier tariffs on Chinese goods.

Currently, about 90% of iPhone production happens in China, according to Wedbush Securities. Despite tariffs being reduced recently from as high as 145% on Chinese imports to around 30%, a 10% tariff still applies broadly to goods entering the U.S.

During his Middle East trip, Trump publicly challenged Cook over Apple’s overseas plans. “I had a little problem with Tim Cook,” Trump said in Qatar. “I told him, ‘You’re my friend. I treated you very well. You’re bringing in $500 billion. But I don’t want you building iPhones in India.’”

Cook and Trump met again at the White House earlier this week, though the topics of their conversation were not disclosed.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent weighed in Friday, highlighting the administration’s goal to bring advanced manufacturing back to America, particularly in critical areas like semiconductors. “Apple uses many semiconductor components, and we want them to help secure our supply chains,” Bessent told Fox News.

Apple already sources some chips from the U.S., thanks to its partnership with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which recently opened a chip plant in Arizona.

Why Apple Says U.S. iPhone Production Is Difficult

Despite being the most valuable company in the world, Apple has long argued it cannot fully manufacture iPhones in the U.S.

The company invests billions training engineers abroad, where large talent pools in China and India allow them to hire skilled workers at lower costs. Apple’s late co-founder Steve Jobs once told President Obama that the U.S. lacks enough industrial engineers to support large-scale manufacturing.

“You can’t find that many engineers in America to hire,” Jobs said in 2010. “If you could educate them, we could bring manufacturing back here.”

Tim Cook echoed this view in 2012, saying he hopes Apple can eventually produce more products domestically but that it would take significant effort and influence.

Experts Call U.S. iPhone Production “Unrealistic”

Industry analysts say shifting iPhone manufacturing back to the U.S. is not realistic in the near term.

Dan Ives, head of technology research at Wedbush Securities, called the idea a “fairy tale” and said the costs would skyrocket. He explained that replicating the complex Asian supply chain in America could cause iPhones to cost over $3,500—more than triple the current $1,000 price.

Ives estimated that even moving just 10% of Apple’s supply chain to the U.S. could take three years and cost about $30 billion. Fully relocating production might take five to ten years, if possible at all.

What a 25% Tariff Could Mean for Consumers

If Trump follows through with the tariff, iPhone prices in the U.S. could rise, further burdening American buyers. Rumors are already swirling that Apple may raise prices when launching its new iPhone models this fall, though the company is likely to avoid blaming tariffs directly.

Apple’s U.S. Investment Efforts

While full iPhone production in the U.S. may be out of reach, Apple has announced a $500 billion investment to expand operations stateside. This includes building a new data center in Houston to support Apple’s growing AI products, increasing data center capacity across several states, and investing in corporate offices and Apple TV+ production facilities nationwide.

Summary:

President Trump has demanded Apple manufacture iPhones in the U.S. or face a 25% tariff, citing national security and job creation goals. Apple, however, argues that current economic and workforce realities make full domestic production impossible. Experts agree the costs and timelines for reshoring production would be enormous, and tariffs could raise consumer prices. Meanwhile, Apple continues to invest heavily in U.S. facilities in other areas.

Source: CNN – Trump threatens Apple with a 25% tariff if it doesn’t build iPhones in America

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Siri’s AI Upgrade Faces Delays

When Apple introduced its revamped Siri in June 2024, the company promised a groundbreaking shift in how its digital assistant interacts with users. The vision was clear: Siri would seamlessly cross-reference emails, texts, and flight data to answer complex questions like, “When is my mom’s flight landing?” followed by “What’s our lunch plan?”

However, that future is now further away than expected. On March 7, Apple announced it was delaying an upcoming Siri upgrade designed to provide more personalized responses and execute actions within apps. Bloomberg reported that the postponement has caused internal frustration, with Apple’s Siri division calling the delay “ugly” and “embarrassing.”

As artificial intelligence continues to redefine how people work, communicate, and access information, Apple’s position in the AI race is under scrutiny. The company revolutionized mobile computing with the iPhone in 2007, and now, it’s expected to do the same with AI. However, competitors are rapidly advancing, releasing new AI models, chips, and software features at an unprecedented pace.

Financial and Trade Challenges Loom

Beyond AI setbacks, Apple is also grappling with economic challenges. The company faces potential tariffs on Chinese imports, which could disrupt its supply chain. CEO Tim Cook revealed in a January earnings call that Apple’s sales in China had declined by 11% year-over-year. Additionally, global iPhone revenue—Apple’s financial backbone—failed to meet Wall Street’s expectations, contributing to a 12% drop in Apple’s stock value year-to-date.

Despite these setbacks, Apple remains resilient. Experts point to the iPhone’s ubiquity and strong user base as a key advantage.

“If times are tough, Apple is in a good position because their main business is a smartphone,” said Barton Crockett, a senior analyst at Rosenblatt Securities. “And the smartphone is arguably now a consumer staple—one of the most indispensable devices today.”

Apple’s Struggle to Lead the AI Race

Concerns have been mounting over Apple’s AI progress. The company’s AI initiative, branded as Apple Intelligence, has lagged behind competitors like Google and Samsung. While Apple rolled out its first set of AI features in October 2024, these updates arrived months after rivals had already introduced AI-powered tools on their devices.

One of Apple’s most ambitious AI upgrades involves overhauling Siri to function more intuitively, allowing users to retrieve old messages, edit photos, or find a lost recipe simply by asking. However, Bloomberg reported that these features were originally scheduled for an April 2025 software update but have now been postponed.

Company spokesperson Jacqueline Roy acknowledged the delay:

“It’s going to take us longer than we thought to deliver on these features, but we anticipate rolling them out in the coming year.”

Meanwhile, competitors continue to refine their AI assistants. Google’s Gemini AI now customizes responses based on a user’s search history, while Amazon has introduced Alexa+, a version of Alexa that remembers user preferences.

“Apple needs to stay relevant,” said Ben Bajarin, CEO of Creative Strategies. “The fact that they don’t have much to show for their AI efforts is what concerns most people.”

A Rare Setback for Apple

Apple is no stranger to market challenges, particularly in China, where domestic brands are gaining ground. The company has also previously navigated U.S. tariffs, managing to avoid some penalties during the Trump administration. However, product delays of this scale are unusual.

“I can’t recall Apple delaying a major feature like this before,” said Gene Munster, a longtime Apple analyst and managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management. “It doesn’t mean Apple has lost its edge, but it does indicate some scrambling internally.”

Beyond the iPhone: Apple’s Next Move

While the iPhone remains central to Apple’s business, the company is under pressure to innovate beyond smartphones. Consumers today upgrade their phones primarily out of necessity rather than excitement over new features. This makes it critical for Apple to establish itself in the next technological frontier—likely AI.

So far, Apple hasn’t proven it can lead in AI. The longer it takes for Siri’s new capabilities to roll out, the longer Apple will face skepticism about its AI ambitions.

Despite these concerns, some analysts remain optimistic. Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities recently wrote that Apple’s stock could reach new highs in 2025. Meanwhile, Cook reported strong iPhone sales in markets where Apple Intelligence features have already been deployed.

There may also be strategic reasons behind Apple’s decision to delay Siri’s new capabilities. A rushed rollout could lead to embarrassing missteps—like Google’s AI-generated search results that erroneously suggested putting glue on pizza.

In addition to AI, Apple is reportedly working on a slimmer iPhone model, according to reports from Bloomberg, The Information, and The Wall Street Journal. A fresh design could help reinvigorate interest in the iPhone as Chinese rivals experiment with innovative form factors, such as Huawei’s foldable “accordion-style” smartphone.

Looking Ahead

The Siri delay may be frustrating, but it’s not enough to call Apple’s overall vision into question.

“The roadmap is clear—Apple’s AI capabilities will continue to evolve,” said Crockett. “The future functionality of the iPhone will be better than the past. There’s still plenty to look forward to.”

While Apple faces short-term hurdles, its long-term prospects remain promising. The AI race is far from over, and Apple still has the potential to redefine the future of smart devices—just as it did with the iPhone.

Source: CNN – Apple is having a rough 2025 so far. But it’s not all doom and gloom

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iPhone Revenue Decline and Market Challenges

Apple reported a 1% year-over-year drop in iPhone revenue for the October-December quarter. This decline wasn’t entirely unexpected, as the first software update enabling AI features arrived just before Halloween and remains unavailable in many international markets, including China, a crucial market where Apple is losing ground.

CEO Tim Cook announced that AI-enabled software upgrades would expand to more European markets, Japan, and Korea in April. However, in China, Apple’s total revenue plunged 11% to $18.5 billion, reflecting the iPhone’s shrinking market share against local competitors like Huawei and Xiaomi, whose year-over-year shipments grew by over 20%, while Apple’s declined by nearly 10%, according to International Data Corp.

Financial Performance: Modest Growth

Despite the iPhone’s sluggish sales, Apple managed a slight overall revenue increase. The company reported:

• $124.3 billion in total revenue (+4% YoY)
• $36.3 billion in net earnings (+7% YoY)
• $69.1 billion in iPhone revenue

Apple’s stock initially dipped after the earnings report but later rose over 3% after Cook highlighted a record number of iPhone upgrades.

AI Hype vs. Reality

Apple’s AI push was expected to drive a surge in iPhone upgrades. This anticipation fueled a 30% stock surge in 2023, but as demand failed to meet expectations, Apple’s stock dropped 5% in January 2024.

While Apple has lagged behind Microsoft, Google, and Meta in AI investment, this cautious approach may prove beneficial. Chinese startup DeepSeek recently unveiled a cost-effective AI model, challenging the assumption that AI development requires massive spending.

Services Division: A Key Growth Engine

Outside the iPhone, Apple’s services division remains a key revenue driver, generating $26.3 billion (+14% YoY). However, a potential Google search monopoly ruling threatens the lucrative deal that makes Google the default search engine on Apple devices, which contributes over $20 billion annually.

Outlook: Optimism Amid Challenges

Cook remains bullish on Apple’s future, stating:

“I could not feel more optimistic about our product pipeline. There’s a lot of innovation left in the smartphone.”

Apple’s revenue forecast for the January-March quarter meets or exceeds analyst projections, boosting investor confidence despite concerns over AI adoption and competition in China.

Key Takeaways

iPhone revenue dipped 1%, with China sales falling 11%
Apple’s total revenue rose 4%, exceeding expectations
AI expansion planned for Europe, Japan, and Korea by April
Services revenue surged 14%, but Google deal faces legal risk
Apple’s stock rebounded 3% after positive upgrade trends
AI investment strategy could pay off amid cost-cutting breakthroughs

Apple’s long-term success hinges on AI integration, global expansion, and navigating competitive pressures—especially in China.

Source

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I’ve been using a beta version of Apple Intelligence on my iPhone 16 Pro for over a month now, and honestly, I haven’t noticed many changes since its features were introduced.

If you haven’t tried the public beta yet, you’ll soon get the chance. Apple is finally launching its highly anticipated artificial intelligence features with iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1. These updates are now being rolled out for select iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

Apple Intelligence, powered by the company’s large language models, has been marketed as one of the main reasons to purchase the new iPhone 16, iPad Mini, or iMac. At the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) this past June, Tim Cook claimed it would elevate the user experience of Apple products to “new heights.” However, the reality is that the current experience feels somewhat flat.

An Unusual Rollout

The rollout of Apple Intelligence is different from what we usually see from Apple. Typically, the company releases all its flagship features in one major update alongside new devices. In this case, iOS 18.1 arrives just a month after iOS 18 and the iPhone 16 series. After you install iOS 18.1, you’ll need to join a waitlist to access Apple Intelligence—provided your device is compatible. This waitlist approval usually takes only a few hours. However, many of the most exciting features won’t be available until the upcoming iOS 18.2 update.

Features Available Now

So, what can you do with Apple Intelligence right now? One of the standout tools is the Writing Tools feature. This tool helps you rewrite, proofread, or summarize text throughout the operating system. For instance, the Rewrite function can adjust a sentence’s tone from casual to professional, while the Proofread feature corrects typos and improves grammar.

Unfortunately, this feature can be hard to remember since it only appears when you highlight text. It might be more useful if it were integrated as a button on the virtual keyboard.

You can also now type commands to Siri, although this isn’t entirely new. Previously, this was an accessibility feature, but Apple has now made it a default capability, catching up to Alexa and Google Assistant, which have offered this for years. Siri also has a new design, featuring a glowing effect around the screen and improved understanding of questions, even if you stumble while asking. Despite these updates, using Siri still feels familiar and somewhat underwhelming.

In the Messages and Mail apps, you can send Smart Replies—quick, AI-generated responses based on the context of your conversation, like “Thank you” or “Sounds good.” While this feature is convenient, it’s hard to feel excited about something Gmail has offered since 2017.

Summarizing content is another key feature of Apple Intelligence. You can get quick overviews of web pages and notifications. For example, if you have multiple messages in a group chat, the summary will highlight the important points, allowing you to click through for full details. However, I’ve found this feature can be unreliable; my summaries often come out as a jumbled mess. Once, it mentioned a “medical emergency” in my work emails, prompting me to check my inbox unnecessarily.

More Practical Features

Some of the most useful features of Apple Intelligence are the Clean Up tool and real-time transcription capabilities in the Phone, Notes, and Voice Memo apps. The Clean Up tool allows you to erase unwanted objects in photos, similar to a feature Google introduced on its Pixel phones in 2021. Simply select the photo, hit Edit, and choose Clean Up to remove selected items seamlessly.

The transcription feature is particularly handy for me as a journalist. It allows you to record in Notes, Voice Memo, or during phone calls and saves the transcription automatically.

A lesser-known but valuable feature is the enhanced search function in Apple Photos. Now, when you search for a photo, you have more flexibility. For instance, you can type “at the park with [your spouse’s name],” and it will pull up all relevant images in your library. This functionality relies on features like labeling people and pets, similar to Google Photos.

Looking Ahead

The few features available in this initial Apple Intelligence update are largely things we’ve seen from competitors for years. While it doesn’t matter if Apple is playing catch-up, it’s worth noting that these capabilities are now available to users in a more private and secure manner thanks to Apple’s Private Cloud Compute.

However, Apple should have waited to launch Apple Intelligence until all key features were ready to go. Siri’s reputation has been shaky for some time, and while Apple Intelligence promises improvement, Siri still feels largely the same in iOS 18.1. Most queries return the standard response: “Here’s what I found on the web.” The more advanced features will come with iOS 18.2, which includes integration with ChatGPT, allowing for more open-ended questions and detailed responses.

The upcoming update will also enhance Siri’s functionality, enabling it to understand the context of your screen. For example, if someone texts you an address, you can ask Siri to save it to their contact card. Siri will also be able to access your emails and messages, providing personalized responses based on your context. You might ask, “When do I need to leave for the airport to pick up my sister?” and Siri will respond by considering flight information and traffic estimates.

The most exciting features, which might truly elevate the iPhone experience, will arrive with iOS 18.2. These include Image Playground, which generates images from text; Genmoji, which creates custom emojis from text; and Visual Intelligence, which identifies objects in your environment and provides contextual information (like the name of an actor on a poster). I anticipate that Genmoji will become quite popular, as who wouldn’t want to create their own emojis?

I’ve downloaded the developer beta of iOS 18.2, which was released recently. So far, I’ve only accessed Visual Intelligence, but it’s more engaging than many of the current Apple Intelligence features. To use it, press and hold the Camera Control button and point your camera at something in the real world you want to learn more about. You can then “Ask” through ChatGPT or “Search” through Google. Is this similar to Google Lens, which has been around for seven years? Yes, but I’ve found myself using this feature more in the past week than any other Apple Intelligence functions.

For example, my wife was curious about our neighbor’s flowers and wondered why they were still blooming beautifully. She pulled out Google Lens on her Pixel, while I used Visual Intelligence on my iPhone. We both snapped pictures of the flowers, and both technologies confirmed we were looking at daisies, noting that some varieties can bloom in the fall with proper care.

If you’re feeling underwhelmed by Apple Intelligence, especially with Siri, rest assured that the next update aims to enhance this long-standing assistant and bring it up to par with the competition. However, given Siri’s history, it’s reasonable to be skeptical about whether it will ever be useful for anything beyond checking the weather.

Source

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ASUS has now officially announced the ROG Phone 9 series and it’s coming a lot sooner than the previous model. Aimed at gamers the ROG Phone series has always been about delivering top-end performance for mobile gaming and that isn’t changing. What is changing is ASUS’s launch timing. With the ROG Phone 8 series, ASUS announced the phone in late December of 2023. It then fully revealed the phone at CES this year in January. The phone was available by the end of the month, with the US launch happening at the beginning of March.

This time around ASUS is pushing things up a bit. Now that the phone is officially announced, it plans to have a full reveal of the phone in November. Naturally, this is also going to push up the launch date of the phone, too. However, availability will vary depending on the region, and launch dates will be different for the US.

ASUS has announced the ROG Phone 9 will launch on November 19

Today’s announcement of the phone really only serves as a means to confirm that the phone’s launch date is coming up.

At this time ASUS hasn’t shared much information about the phone itself. Those details are being saved for the November 19 launch date, where the company will reveal the full set of specs and features for the phone. That being said, ASUS has shared an official image of the ROG Phone 9, along with one major spec detail. ASUS also teases that the ROG Phone 9 series will offer some new AI features. Again there are no specifics here. But, there is a message that says “AI on, Game on” that accompanies the event page.

AI features aren’t new to the ROG Phone series. The ROG Phone 8 series offered a handful of AI features that would help enhance gaming. It seems like the company will have more up its sleeve for the latest ROG Phone.

The ROG Phone 9 series will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite

The only specification that ASUS has confirmed at this time is the phone’s chipset. It’ll be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, the new mobile platform that Qualcomm just announced at the Qualcomm Summit this afternoon. The Snapdragon 8 Elite comes with “an innovative Oryon CPU and the enhanced Adreno GPU,” ASUS says.

The phone will no doubt be powerful when it comes to performance. That being said, this is always the case with every ROG phone. ASUS always used the most powerful Qualcomm chipset at the time and there was no reason to believe it would be any different with the new phone.

Although ASUS doesn’t mention specifics, it does state that the ROG Phone 9 will deliver unparalleled performance. “The ROG Phone 9 series pushes the boundaries of mobile gaming to new limits, delivering industry-leading speed, power, and graphical fidelity,” ASUS says.

Now judging by the image that ASUS shared, the phone’s physical design is hardly changing from the ROG Phone 8 series. Which we love since we loved the ROG Phone 8’s design. The rear camera bump is the same shape and it has three sensors. It does appear to have a slightly different finish on the back that’s more like the ROG Phone 8 Pro models. Additionally, the standard model now appears to be using the AniMe Matrix LED display.

Update: October 21 – 3:23PM PST

While ASUS didn’t initially mention any specs details about the ROG Phone 9 series in its press release, there are some details that were now mentioned during the Snapdragon Summit. The ROG Phone 9 will come in two colors, black and white, although it’s still unclear what the official color names will be. ASUS also notes that the phone will have advanced cooling. This will presumably go above and beyond what you’d experience with the ROG Phone 8 series.

The ROG Phone 9 will have up to 30% power improvement so you can game for longer. Games like Genshin Impact, Zenless Zone Zero, Honkai Star Rail, and Wuthering Waves were specifically mentioned. So expect a decent drop in battery drain when playing these kinds of high-end, demanding games.

ASUS only mentions a standard model

For now, ASUS hasn’t confirmed anything other than the standard model of the ROG Phone 9. However, it does refer to this announcement as being about the ROG Phone 9 “series.” There will no doubt be more than just the standard model launching, but it’s unclear what ASUS will officially call it. It’s also likely to have most of the same specs as the standard model. What you can expect to be different are the RAM and storage.

With the ROG Phone 8 for example, ASUS offered the device with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM, but only with 256GB of storage. The ROG Phone 8 Pro bumped up the RAM to 16GB only, and the storage went up to 512GB. Then there was the ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition model which came with 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

We can’t say for certain if ASUS will do something like that again this year. What is certain is that ASUS has offered a “pro” version of the ROG Phone for several generations now. So that probably isn’t changing here.

Source

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