News about AAPL

Apple is reportedly preparing for a legal dispute with the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which plans to publish consultation proposals next week on Apple's position in contactless payments. According to the Financial Times, the CMA plans to argue that Apple holds unfair control over the UK 'tap-to-pay' market and will call for iOS changes that let iPhone users choose an alternative payment service as default instead of Apple Pay. The proposals follow Apple's 'strategic market status' designation under new digital competition rules, which carries penalties of up to 10% of global turnover, and complaints from lenders and fintechs about the 0.15% fee on credit card transactions made through Apple Pay. Apple restricts third-party access to the iPhone's NFC chip, citing user privacy and fraud prevention, and two people briefed on the matter said the company is likely to appeal.

Last week, five stocks drew retail attention over product demand, restructuring, insider buying and setbacks. Apple's foldable iPhone Duo built a long preorder backlog, with delivery estimates for the $1,999 device slipping into January 2027, and Apple and Meta announced work to run Meta's Muse Spark model on Mac Studio computers. Netflix plans to cut about 1,000 jobs, or 6% of its workforce, while its co-CEOs said it remains on track for yearly financial targets. CEO Ryan Cohen bought 844,130 shares worth about $22.8 million last week, with insider purchases totaling about $99 million over two months. Tesla showed a revamped Roadster with SpaceX-developed thrusters, planned for production in 2028, and its stock fell 7.3% this week, while Rocket Lab's stock plunged over 25% after postponing its Neutron debut over carbon-fiber manufacturing problems.

Citing Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the article says Apple is planning a higher-end HomeView with a roughly 9-inch screen on a motorized arm that turns 360 degrees, targeted for 2027 or 2028, with no price yet. The robot, code-named J595, has slipped about a year from its earliest planned date. Meanwhile, revenue in the Wearables, Home and Accessories segment fell 13.5% from a peak of $41.24 billion in fiscal 2022 to $35.69 billion in fiscal 2025, while R&D spending nearly doubled to $42.90 billion over the last 12 months. The article calculates that at a price near $1,000, each million units would add about 2.8% to segment revenue.

Apple's stock keeps setting records, closing at $343 and up 26.7% for the year, after crossing a $5 trillion market value. Bitcoin has not set a new high in 2026; it trades around $81,977, 35% below its $126,080 peak and down 6.8% year to date. The article notes Apple returns cash through dividends and buybacks (a 4% dividend increase and an additional $100 billion for buybacks), whereas Bitcoin generates no earnings or dividends and its volatility could hurt retirees who may have to sell to cover expenses. It also flags Apple's risks, including a P/E of about 45 times earnings and rising memory costs, but notes Apple has beaten EPS estimates for nine consecutive quarters and iPhone revenue rose 22%. The author concludes Apple is the better choice for retirement funds, and says this view could shift if Apple misses its 9% to 11% revenue guidance while Bitcoin climbs back above $126,080.

Apple's iPhone Duo, its first foldable phone and most expensive iPhone, opened for preorder on Friday, with launch-day pickup inventory selling out quickly and some online delivery estimates slipping into late January. Apple called demand 'nothing short of extraordinary' and said it will keep taking online orders. The Duo starts at $1,999 and passes $3,000 at the 2TB tier, and supply is expected to be tight; IDC expects Apple to ship about 7 million units this year, roughly 3% of its total, and sees shipments growing 70% next year, which could give Apple about 40% of the foldable market. Analysts say the high price could lift revenue, but it could also stretch out upgrade cycles. Apple's latest quarter brought in $109.4 billion in revenue, up 16%, but it guided September-quarter revenue growth to 9% to 11%, citing supply limits and memory costs.