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India is in Apple’s top 5 smartphone markets

In the overall India smartphone market, Samsung remained at the top position for the third consecutive quarter with an 18 per cent share….reports Asian Lite News

India is now among Apple’s top 5 markets globally as the iPhone maker continued to lead the ultra-premium segment (Rs 45,000 and above) with a 59 per cent share in the second quarter of 2023, a report showed on Monday.

India’s premium smartphone segment, that grew 112 per cent (year-on-year) in the April-June period, now contributes a record 17 per cent to its overall shipments, according to Counterpoint Research.

In the overall India smartphone market, Samsung remained at the top position for the third consecutive quarter with an 18 per cent share.

The South Korean brand also surpassed Apple to regain its top position in the premium smartphone segment (Rs 30,000 and above) after one year with a 34 per cent share.

“However, Apple continued to lead the ultra-premium segment with a 59 per cent share. India is now among Apple’s top-five markets,” said research analyst Shubham Singh.

Vivo maintained its second position and was the only brand among the top five to experience annual growth. OnePlus was the fastest-growing brand in India’s smartphone market in Q2 with 68 per cent YoY growth.

“In Q2, OEMs saw improvement in the inventory and demand situation ahead of the coming festive season. Aggressive measures were implemented by

OEMs as well as channels during the quarter to clear existing inventory through multiple sales and promotions,” said senior research analyst Shilpi Jain.

“We believe brands will be coming up with interesting launches and offers to lure consumers during the festive season and 5G will be a big growth driver here,” she added.

In the case of Vivo, strong offline presence, growth of sub-brand iQOO in online, and multiple launches across price tiers facilitated this growth.

OPPO emerged as the top brand in the upper mid-tier range (Rs 20,000-Rs 30,000) segment with a 21 per cent market share.

In Q2, 5G smartphone shipments in India crossed the 100-million cumulative mark as 5G upgrades picked up pace driven by the expansion of 5G networks and availability of affordable devices, said the report.

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Now Apple enters AI race

Ajax reportedly runs on Google Cloud and was built with Google JAX, the search giant’s machine learning framework….reports Asian Lite News

Apple has reportedly entered the generative artificial intelligence (AI) race with creating what is being referred to as ‘Apple GPT’ internally to take on OpenAI, Microsoft, Google and Meta.

The iPhone maker has created its own AI framework, codenamed “Ajax,” to create large language models, reports Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

Ajax reportedly runs on Google Cloud and was built with Google JAX, the search giant’s machine learning framework.

artificial intelligence.(photo:Pixabay.com)

Apple is leveraging Ajax to create large language models and serve as the foundation for the internal ChatGPT-style tool.

The company did not immediately comment on the report.

According to the report, Apple employees are using the chatbot to help with product prototyping. It is similar to Bard, ChatGPT and Bing AI.

Apple recently doubled down on hirings for generative AI talent. The company is looking for engineers with a “robust understanding of large language models and generative AI.”

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently said that the company would use AI on a “thoughtful basis.”

The news came as Meta also joined the AI race, with launching the release of Llama 2, an open-source large language model, with Microsoft.

Llama 2 is available through a variety of providers and free for commercial use and research.

“We’re opening access to Llama 2 with the support of a broad set of companies and people across tech, academia, and policy who also believe in an open innovation approach to today’s AI technologies,” said Meta.

Recent breakthroughs in AI, and generative AI in particular, have captured the public’s imagination and demonstrated what those developing these technologies have long known — they have the potential to help people do incredible things, create a new era of economic and social opportunities, and give individuals, creators, and businesses new ways to express themselves and connect with people, according to Meta.

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Apple slashes VR headset production plans

Apple or Luxshare declined to comment on the report….reports Asian Lite News

Apple has reportedly slashed Vision Pro Mixed Reality (MR) headset production plans amid manufacturing challenges in China.

According to a report in The Financial Times, citing sources, Apple has reportedly asked its main Vision Pro assembler Luxshare to make fewer than 400,000 units next year. It is reportedly down from an initial internal sales target of one million.

China-based Luxshare is said to be Apple’s main Vision Pro assembler, apart from several others.

Apple or Luxshare declined to comment on the report.

Earlier, Apple relied on Taiwanese suppliers like Foxconn to help it develop the first generations of new product lines.

Apple tapped Chinese electronics contract manufacturer Luxshare Precision Industry Co as the key assembler, along with six other Mainland China firms, for its $3,499 Vision Pro Mixed Reality (MR) headset.

Apart from Luxshare, other suppliers are Cowell E Holdings and Shenzhen Desay Battery Technology, which provides lithium batteries and power management systems, and audio components maker Goertek, reports South China Morning Post.

Luxshare is a major supplier of AirPods for Apple that has also won iPhone 15 orders.

There were 11 Taiwanese suppliers involved with the Vision Pro, including Largan Precision Co, Genius Electronic Optical Co, GIS-KY and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), according to a report by Taiwanese newspaper Commercial Times.

Apple Vision Pro will be available early next year, beginning with the US.

Vision Pro introduces a fully three-dimensional user interface controlled by a user’s eyes, hands, and voice. Featuring visionOS, the world’s first spatial operating system, Vision Pro lets users interact with digital content in a way that feels like it is physically present in their space.

Apple Vision Pro also features EyeSight, that helps users stay connected with those around them.

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Goldman Sachs exits partnership with Apple

Apple launched its credit card in partnership with Goldman Sachs in 2019…reports Asian Lite News

Goldman Sachs, which partnered Apple on the launch of Apple Card four years ago, may be eyeing an exit and is reportedly planning to offload its partnership to American Express.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the investment banking firm is “looking for a way out” of its high-profile deal with Apple.

“A retreat from the Apple credit card would effectively end Goldman Sachs’s consumer-lending business,” the report noted.

Apple and Goldman did not immediately comment on the report. The shift to American Express could affect where Apple cardholders can use their card. Apple Cards are currently issued by Mastercard, which is accepted at a majority of retailers across the US, while American Express has a bit less reach.

Apple launched its credit card in partnership with Goldman Sachs in 2019. Earlier this year, Goldman CEO David Solomon said he was “considering strategic alternatives” for the investment firm’s consumer arm. There are reports that Apple Card may soon enter the Indian market, although the company has not said anything about the plan.

In April, Apple launched a new high-yield savings account for Apple Card users that comes with a 4.15 annual percentage yield (APY). Users can also withdraw funds at any time through the Savings dashboard by transferring them to a linked bank account or to their Apple Cash card, with no fees.

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Apple touches new milestone

Apple has been here once before: On January 3, 2022, when it hit the $ 3 trillion mark during intraday trading, but failed to close there…reports Asian Lite News

Apple is once again worth $3 trillion, the only company ever to reach the milestone, a media report said.

Its shares rose 1 per cent on Friday to hit a record $191.34. With 15.7 billion shares outstanding, the stock price pushed Apple to its historic market value, CNN reported.

Apple has been here once before: On January 3, 2022, when it hit the $ 3 trillion mark during intraday trading, but failed to close there. If Apple closes above the $3 trillion mark, it will become the only company ever to achieve that feat, CNN reported.

The company’s stock closed Thursday at a record high share price for the third-straight day, but it merely budged 0.2% higher. Apple easily surpassed the $190.73 level it needed to break $3 trillion Friday.

The sky-high valuation for the tech giant comes on the heels of its risky launch of the Apple Vision Pro earlier this month and a stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings report in May – even though sales and profit slumped.

The Vision Pro, which will go on sale next year, impressed tech journalists who got an early preview of the augmented reality device. But it is entering a nascent market with little mainstream consumer adoption. Apple plans to charge a hefty $3,499 for its headset, which currently has limited apps and experiences, and requires users to stay tethered to a battery pack the size of an iPhone.

Apple’s stock has skyrocketed nearly 46% this year, boosted by a broader surge in Big Tech stocks as investors have jumped onto the AI bandwagon. Nvidia leads the S&P 500 with a 181% jump this year, followed by Meta at 137%, CNN reported.

This year’s stock market success for Apple comes in sharp contrast to 2022. At the start of 2023, Apple’s market cap fell below $2 trillion in trading for the first time since early 2021.

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Nokia renews patent license agreement with Apple

The new license pact covers Nokia’s fundamental inventions in 5G and other technologies….reports Asian Lite News

Nokia has signed a new patent license agreement with Apple which will replace the current license that is due to expire at the end of 2023.

Apple sued Nokia in 2009 for attempting to copy the iPhone as Nokia sued Apple for copyright violations. They settled in 2011. In 2016, they again filed lawsuits before reaching a deal in 2017 where Apple paid $2 billion to Nokia.

The new license pact covers Nokia’s fundamental inventions in 5G and other technologies.

Nokia will “receive payments from Apple for a multi-year period.”

“We are delighted to have concluded a long-term patent license agreement with Apple on an amicable basis. The agreement reflects the strength of Nokia’s patent portfolio, decades-long investments in R&D, and contributions to cellular standards and other technologies,” said Jenni Lukander, President of Nokia Technologies.

Nokia’s industry-leading patent portfolio is built on more than 140 billion euros invested in R&D since 2000 and is composed of around 20,000 patent families, including over 5,500 patent families declared essential to 5G. 

Nokia contributes its inventions to open standards in return for the right to license them on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. 

In the 2016 lawsuit, Nokia had accused Apple of infringing on dozens of patents it owns, as well as patents owned by Nokia subsidiaries. 

Apple has had a licensing deal with Nokia in place since 2011, after the two settled their last patent dispute.

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Apple Vision Pro to restrict camera access for third party apps

When making a FaceTime call using Apple Vision Pro, the recipient’s persona will be displayed instead of their actual face…reports Asian Lite News

Tech giant Apple recently unveiled its first augmented reality headset, Apple Vision Pro, at its 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference. (WWC) according to the website Mashable. An Apple engineer, cited by the US website stated that the Apple Vision Pro’s camera feeds will not be made available to third-party developers.

Because of privacy concerns, Apple is blocking access to the camera. During developer talks at WWDC 2023, an Apple engineer revealed that third-party developers will not have access to Apple Vision Pro camera feeds (via UploadVR). Due to privacy concerns, Apple will block unauthorised access to the mixed reality headset’s camera. When making a FaceTime call using Apple Vision Pro, the recipient’s persona will be displayed instead of their actual face.

Using machine learning techniques developed by Apple, Personas can be generated to mimic the user’s facial expressions and hand gestures in realtime. It has been speculated that meeting apps like Zoom and WebEx make use of Personas as well. VisionOS’s default behaviour for the back camera is to provide a black feed with a “no camera” icon in the middle. The app wouldn’t crash and programmers wouldn’t be able to add their own vision enhancements if they did this, as per Mashable website.

UploadVR claims that rivals like the Meta Quest headsets are not permitted access to raw camera data. HTC also restricts access to the raw camera feed on the Vive XR Elite. But with the introduction of cutting-edge headsets, that could all change in the near future. The Apple Vision Pro will retail for $3,499 (Rs 2,88,500) in the United States beginning in 2024. It’s powered by visionOS and has two ultra-high-resolution micro-OLED screens. The M2 and the new R1 chipsets from Apple are what drive it, reported Mashable website.

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Apple launches Vision Pro’s software development kit

Apple releases Vision Pro's software development kit

The new visionOS simulator allows developers to interact with their apps while exploring and testing different room layouts and lighting scenarios…reports Asian Lite News

Tech giant Apple has announced the availability of new software tools and technologies that allows developers to create app experiences for the Vision Pro headset.

“Featuring visionOS, the world’s first spatial operating system, Vision Pro lets users interact with digital content in their physical space using the most natural and intuitive inputs possible– their eyes, hands, and voice,” the company said in a blogpost on Wednesday.

Now, Apple’s global community of developers will be able to create a new class of spatial computing applications that take full advantage of the infinite canvas in Vision Pro and seamlessly blend digital content with the physical world to enable new experiences.

With the help of the visionOS software development kit (SDK), developers can create entirely new app experiences across a range of categories, including productivity, design, gaming, and more, taking advantage of the powerful and unique features of Vision Pro and visionOS.

Next month, the company will open developer labs in Cupertino, London, Munich, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo to provide developers with hands-on experience to test their apps on Vision Pro hardware and get support from Apple engineers.

“Developers can get started building visionOS apps using the powerful frameworks they already know, and take their development even further with new innovative tools and technologies like Reality Composer Pro, to design all-new experiences for their users,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations.

To help developers optimise 3D content for their visionOS apps and games, a brand-new tool called Reality Composer Pro, included with Xcode, enables developers to preview and prepare 3D models, animations, photos, and sounds so they look amazing on Vision Pro.

Also, the new visionOS simulator allows developers to interact with their apps while exploring and testing different room layouts and lighting scenarios.

“Starting next month, developers who have been building 3D apps and games with Unity’s robust authoring tools can port their Unity apps to Apple Vision Pro and take full advantage of its powerful capabilities,” the tech giant said.

“With Apple Vision Pro, Complete HeartX will help prepare medical students for clinical practice by using hyper-realistic 3D models and animations that help them understand and visualize medical issues, such as ventricular fibrillation, and how to apply their knowledge with patients,” said Jan Herzhoff, Elsevier Health’s president.

The iPhone maker unveiled the Vision Pro headset earlier this month. Priced at $3,499, the headset will be available early next year, beginning with the US.

ALSO READ-Apple updates App Store rules to crack down on clones

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Business

Apple updates App Store rules to crack down on clones

The new rule change focuses on apps copying the looks and nomenclature of other apps…reports Asian Lite News

Apple has updated its App Store Review Guidelines to crack down on app clones and copycats. The company in a blog said impersonating an app is now considered a violation of the App Store’s rules, Tech Crunch reported.

“Submitting apps which impersonate other apps or services is considered a violation of the Developer Code of Conduct and may result in removal from the Apple Developer Program,” Apple said.

The updated guidelines mention that developers shouldn’t copy the app’s code or user interface, or have a similar name to another popular app.

“Come up with your own ideas. We know you have them, so make yours come to life. Don’t simply copy the latest popular app on the App Store, or make some minor changes to another app’s name or UI and pass it off as your own,” the new section in the guidelines reads. “In addition to risking an intellectual property infringement claim, it makes the App Store harder to navigate and just isn’t fair to your fellow developers,” the rules stated.

The new rule change focuses on apps copying the looks and nomenclature of other apps.

Meanwhile, Apple has launched several new products at its 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference.

The company introduced 15-inch Macbook, M2 chip as well as updates to iOS, iPadOS, MacOS and WatchOs versions. But the highlight of the event was ‘Vision Pro’, the much-awaited mixed reality headset. Apple Vision Pro’s starting price is USD 3499 and it will be available in the United States from next year. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Apple teams up with 7 Chinese firms for Vision Pro MR headset

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Apple teams up with 7 Chinese firms for Vision Pro MR headset

Apple enters AR era with Vision Pro headset, starts at $3,499

Seven Mainland China companies will serve as suppliers to Apple’s Vision Pro headset launched last week as a “spatial computing” device…reports Asian Lite News

Apple has tapped Chinese electronics contract manufacturer Luxshare Precision Industry Co as the key assembler, along with six other Mainland China firms, for its $3,499 Vision Pro Mixed Reality (MR) headset.

According to the latest bill of materials (BOM) analysis by local consultancy Wellsenn XR, seven Mainland China companies will serve as suppliers to Apple’s Vision Pro headset launched last week as a “spatial computing” device, reports South China Morning Post.

Apart from Luxshare, other suppliers are Cowell E Holdings and Shenzhen Desay Battery Technology, which provides lithium batteries and power management systems, and audio components maker Goertek, according to Wellsenn XR.

Luxshare is a major supplier of AirPods for Apple that has also won iPhone 15 orders.

“Taiwanese companies, however, still accounted for most of the suppliers involved in the production of Apple’s Vision Pro headset,” the report noted.

There were 11 Taiwanese suppliers involved with the Vision Pro, including Largan Precision Co, Genius Electronic Optical Co, GIS-KY and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), according to a report by Taiwanese newspaper Commercial Times.

Wellsenn XR’s analysis also revealed that the estimated BOM cost of all components and materials used in the production of the Vision Pro headset was $1,590, which is about less than half of the device’s $3,499 retail price.

Apple also acquired augmented reality (AR) headset startup Mira for an undisclosed amount, as the company launched its $3,499 Vision Pro AR headset.

Based in Los Angeles and founded by Taft in 2016, Mira had been making AR headsets for customers including Universal Studios for attractions at its Nintendo World theme parks. Jony Ive, Apple’s former product designer, was once an advisor to Mira, according to reports.

Apple entered the era of augmented/virtual reality (AR-VR) by launching ‘Vision Pro’ headset that seamlessly blends the digital world with the real one around us.

Apple Vision Pro will be available early next year, beginning with the US.

Vision Pro introduces a fully three-dimensional user interface controlled by a user’s eyes, hands, and voice. Featuring visionOS, the world’s first spatial operating system, Vision Pro lets users interact with digital content in a way that feels like it is physically present in their space.

Apple Vision Pro also features EyeSight, that helps users stay connected with those around them.

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