Apple Stock News
During this past year, Apple has been sending a message that AI, or Artificial Intelligence, is the future and that Apple will be a part of that future. Apple’s AI is already visible with Siri, the voice assistant, but that is only a small part of Apple’s AI. What Apple excels at is “offline AI.” Due to Apple’s emphasis on user privacy, the company has focused on “on-device computing” which has the AI capabilities on the device itself and not on the cloud, allowing it to use AI offline. This differs from Google, Amazon, and Microsoft with their use of the more prevalent “online AI.” With online AI, user data is aggregated in the cloud which has led to AI systems that learn quickly as a result of the steady inflow of new data. Apple’s offline AI uses a technique called differential privacy which is capable of identifying trends without transmitting personal data.
The iPhone 8 and iPhone X both employ this offline AI technology with the help of Apple’s A11 Bionic Chip with its own built-in neural engine which Apple described as “the most powerful and smartest chip ever in a smartphone.” The chip was designed specifically for machine learning AI algorithms. After Apple’s release of the Core ML iOS 11 software update, even developers now have access to the A11 chip for certain AI applications which they can integrate into their apps without the data ever leaving the phone. As data and privacy rights become increasingly important globally, it is reassuring to know that Apple is on the side of user privacy.
Currently, Apple is still primarily a maker of premium hardware with a focus on customer experience, but their AI technology could expand their reach in so many ways. For example, their AI could be used to help diagnose complex health problems before the user is even aware that they’re at risk. Wearables such as the Apple Watch would help to gather this data and analyze it for patterns. Apple’s AI will also be employed in software for self-driving cars as well as in augmented-reality applications.
In Other News
Apple devices accounted for 44% of smartphone and tablet activations globally during the holiday season with the leading Apple devices being the iPhone 7, iPhone 6, and iPhone X.
It is also being reported that Apple is in licensing discussions with Riyadh on investing in Saudi Arabia. Apple currently sells its products via third parties, but they yet to establish a direct presence. About 70% of the Saudi population is under 30 and they are heavy users of smartphones and social media.
For the latest Apple Stock News, AAPL closed at $171.08 per share on December 28th, 2017. It increased 0.28% from its previous close on December 27th, 2017, when it closed at $170.60 per share.
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