Apple

The EU's landmark curbs on how tech titans do business online kick in from Thursday, but just how far Brussels succeeds in bringing the giants to heel will hinge on bitter battles that still lie ahead.

Asian shares mostly gained on Wednesday after global markets fell as traders locked in profits following recent tech-driven rallies.

Gold prices and bitcoin hit all-time highs Tuesday before reversing gains, while the sell-off in some technology stocks hit many markets around the world.

In a recent report by Counterpoint Research, a leading global technology market research firm, it has been revealed that Apple's iPhone sales in China took a significant hit during the first six weeks of 2024. Cited by CNBC, the report indicates a staggering 24% decline in iPhone sales within this period.

Apple has abandoned its ambitions to produce an electric car, U.S. media reported Tuesday, ending a struggling decade-long project.

The iPhone maker had dedicated nearly 2,000 employees to its secretive car development program, Bloomberg reported, but faced an increasingly competitive electric vehicle (EV) sector.

Apple has had its first box office flop.

"Argylle," the $200-million star-studded spy thriller from Apple Studios, debuted with $18 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates on Feb. 4. The film, directed by Matthew Vaughn, managed to lead the weekend box office, but still found little interest from moviegoers.

Microsoft joined Apple on Jan. 24 as a $3 trillion company, as its big bet on artificial intelligence continued to impress Wall Street.

Now second to Apple as the world's biggest company by market capitalization, Microsoft's shares were up 1.31 percent at $404.

After a years-long legal battle, Apple has said that it will begin allowing iPhone app developers to use alternative payment systems — but they will still have to pay fees and meet various conditions.

Microsoft briefly dethroned its rival Apple to become the world's most valuable company Thursday, illustrating the contrast between a firm driven by artificial intelligence and another whose iPhone sales are a cause for concern.

A federal court handed Apple a victory on Wednesday by suspending a ban on the U.S. sale of its latest watch models in a feud over patents with health company Masimo.

"We are thrilled to return the full Apple Watch lineup to customers in time for the new year," an Apple spokesperson said in an email to AFP.

Apple said on Tuesday it will appeal a U.S. ban on its latest smartwatch models after the Biden administration opted to not veto a ruling on patent infringements.

The ban on Apple's latest smartwatch models came into effect Tuesday, with the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 no longer available in stores or online.