Apple Stock News: Investment in British Chip Designer Arm
Apple Stock News: Apple plans to invest in Arm, a British chip design company, as its owner SoftBank Group goes public on Nasdaq in September. Arm’s market capitalization is expected to exceed $60 billion by then, making it this year’s largest IPO. Chipmakers aim to become medium- to long-term stakeholders in Arm and influence its management. SoftBank’s IPO preparations follow the failed attempt to sell Arm to Nvidia due to regulatory issues. Arm, established in 1990, provides semiconductor design data and licenses its chip designs to over 500 companies, including Apple, which employs Arm architecture in its processors.
Test AI Services Using Foxconn Servers
Foxconn will produce dedicated servers for Apple’s AI services, used for training and testing, as stated by Taiwan’s Economic Daily News. These servers will be manufactured in Vietnam, aligning with Apple’s strategy to diversify its supply chain beyond China. Currently, Foxconn is a key supplier of data center servers for Apple. While Apple is developing AI projects like “Apple GPT,” it lacks a consumer product strategy. A significant AI announcement could come in 2024, though no concrete plans are confirmed. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo indicates Apple’s generative AI progress lags behind competitors, with no expected AI service launch in the coming year. Apple CEO Tim Cook emphasized AI’s crucial role across their product line during an earnings call, affirming Apple’s extensive exploration of generative AI over several years.
Magic Battery
Apple has named the external battery pack for the Vision Pro headset the “Magic Battery,” as revealed in tvOS beta 5 code references. Initially called the “MagSafe Battery Pack,” this Magic Battery offers two hours of tethered power to the mixed reality headset. It connects via a single woven braided cable to the left side of the Vision Pro, usable either with a static power source or on-the-go by attaching to the battery. While designed to be pocket-sized and swappable, the Vision Pro ships with one battery, requiring users to purchase extra packs for extended usage. Apple’s Vision Pro, set for an early 2024 release at $3,499, boasts advanced hardware including dual 4K micro-OLED displays, numerous cameras and sensors, dual Apple silicon processors, and more, aiming for a higher-end market despite relying on an external battery pack.
