Apple Music rival Spotify could finally turn a profit in 2107, one of its board members told the media Thursday. Asked if the Swedish music service could become profitable soon, Par-Jorgen Parson, one of Spotify's first investors, told Reuters that it was “absolutely” the case.
Spotify currently operates in 60 markets and has more than 40 million paid subscribers. Apple Music is available in 115 markets and has 17 million paying customers and over 30 million songs in its catalog.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump repeatedly said during his campaign that he would force domestic technology companies like Apple to build its “computers and things” in the United States.
One time, he even openly called for boycotting Apple products unless the company doesn't bring back manufacturing jobs it had outsourced to China many, many, many years ago.
Japanese outlet Nikkei is reporting today that iPhone contract manufactures Foxconn and Pegatron were approached recently by the Cupertino firm regarding the possibility of establishing iPhone manufactories in the United States.
Reuters is reporting that some users in China are giving their older iPhones a makeover to look like the latest iPhone 7 rather than buying brand new devices. Folks who don't have the money to upgrade to the latest and greatest iPhone have resorted to replacing their iPhone 6/6s back casing with a fake iPhone 7 shell complete with false dual-cameras and even dust plugs to hide the removed headphone jack.
“The makeover quirk mirrors a broader view among some Chinese users that the iPhone 7 doesn't have enough new features to convince them to trade up,” writes Reuters.
Some quite interesting data points in a new report from app marketing firm App Annie suggest that China has now overtaken the United States as Apple's top market for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch apps, with a fifteen percent higher App Store revenue than the U.S. in the September quarter.
Chinese users spent more than five times the amount they spent just two years prior in the App Store.
Apple was granted a seat on the board of Didi Chuxing following its staggering $1 billion investment in the ride-hailing company, reports The Information. Citing a regulatory filing, the outlet says the appointment occurred in late June—a few weeks after the deal was finalized. Adrian Perica, Apple's mergers and acquisitions chief, represents Apple on the board. Perica also played a major roll in the company's $3 billion Beats acquisition back in 2014.
Apple plans to set up a new research and development center in China's manufacturing capital Shenzhen, reports Shenzhen Economic Daily (via Reuters). The outlet says Tim Cook announced the plan during a meeting with senior city officials while attending a nation-wide event on innovation. Apparently Foxconn CEO Terry Gou was also in attendance.
Tim Cook said during his August charm offensive in China that his company could deepen its cooperation with the local government by launching its first Asia-Pacific research and development center. According to local media reports today, the facility will open in Zhongguancun Science Park, situated in the Haidian District in northwestern Beijing.
Apple today issued a press release updating the public on its environmental progress in China while applauding its supplier Lens Technology, which in an unprecedented move has committed to utilize 100 percent renewable energy in all its glass production for the Cupertino firm by 2018.
Lens will use wind energy to power its two facilities in Changsha, Hunan province which are used for Apple manufacturing. The move will avoid nearly 450,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, equivalent to the energy use in 380,000 Chinese homes.
Tim Cook is on the road again, visiting China, where he's promised to increase investment by opening up a research and development center in the increasingly tough 1.33 billion people market by the end of 2016. Cook has confirmed the move to Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, one of China's most senior officials, Reuters reports this morning.
Apple's carrier partner China Unicom may have just hinted subtly that the next iPhone could come in an all-new Deep Blue colorway, as first suggested two months ago by the Japanese blog Mac Otakara.
According to Dutch blog TechTastic.nl, China Unicom on its Facebook page posted an image featuring an iPhone 7-like dual lens camera superimposed on a huge “7” surrounded by four squares that allude to existing Space Gray, Gold and Rose Gold colors, plus the rumored Deep Blue colorway.
Soon after, the carrier removed its post from Facebook.
Now we (probably) know why Apple poured a cool $1 billion into China's leading ride-sharing service Didi Chuxing as that company's just invested—you guessed right—$1 billion into its biggest rival, Uber China. The transaction, subject to closing conditions, will also give a 20 percent stake in the combined firm for Uber and its shareholders, said Bloomberg.
Apple has donated one million dollars to help China's flood relief efforts, USA Today reported yesterday. The 1.33 billion people country was recently hit by the worst flooding in years. The Cupertino firm is the first United States corporation that has donated to the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA) in this year’s flood, said the organization on its website.