The iPhone 13 proved to be such a hot commodity that it helped Apple to vault past longtime rival Samsung and assume the mantle of the world’s top seller of smartphones during the final three months of last year,according to the research group International Data Corp.Credit:Bloomberg
Apple services division has mushroomed into a booming business that generated $68 billion in revenue during its last fiscal year,up from $US24 billion ($33 billion) in 2016 — the first year after its music streaming service came out. The company’s success in services also has turned into a regulatory mine field,sparking antitrust lawsuits and proposed legislations seeking to loosen Apple’s exclusive control on its iPhone app store,which collects lucrative commissions from digital transactions processed on the device.
The iPhone itself remains Apple’s biggest gold mine,with sales of $US192 billion in its last fiscal year,despite supply shortages that have curtailed production. Apple in January said those problems were easing as the pandemic let up and suppliers began to catch up with backlogs.
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Besides the new iPhone SE,Apple also used Tuesday’s showcase to announce its has struck a deal with Major League Baseball to begin showing two Friday night games each week on its video subscription after the sport resolves a labor dispute that has already delayed the start of its season. The deal marks latest foray by a major tech company into a sports programming niche that traditionally has been dominated by long-established television networks.
Although the addition of baseball games could help Apple sign up from subscribers to its 2-year-old video service,the company initially plans to make them available for free to all viewers.
AP