MyAppleMenu

The Pretty-Good-Outcome Edition Friday, May 2, 2025

Apple Posts Stronger-than-expected Q2 Results, Says Majority Of US iPhones Sold Will Come From India, by Michael Liedtke and Barbara Ortutay, AP

Apple CEO Tim Cook said Thursday that the majority of iPhones sold in the U.S. in the current fiscal quarter will be sourced from India, while iPads and other devices will come from Vietnam as the company works to avoid the impact of President Trump’s tariffs on its business.

Apple’s earnings for the first three months of the year topped Wall Street’s expectations thanks to high demand for its iPhones, and the company said tariffs had a limited effect on the fiscal second quarter’s results.

Apple CEO Tim Cook Says Tariffs To Add Only $900M In Costs In Q3, by Sarah Perez, TechCrunch

Apple CEO Tim Cook offered the company’s first comments on the impact of President Trump’s tariffs during Thursday’s second-quarter earnings call with investors. While the iPhone maker saw only “limited impact” from tariffs in the March quarter, Cook said Apple couldn’t forecast what that would mean for the coming quarter. However, if things remained the same, the company estimates tariffs will only add $900 million to its costs in Q3.

The news was a relief to investors, with one even calling it a “pretty good outcome.” However, investors were still concerned as to what the next quarters could hold, given the rapid changes to U.S. trade policy in recent weeks.

Tim Cook: Apple Is 'Making Progress' On Apple Intelligence Siri Features, by Juli Clover, MacRumors

During today's earnings call covering the second fiscal quarter of 2025, Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged the Apple Intelligence Siri features that have been delayed. Cook said that Apple needs more time to ensure ‌Siri‌ meets its quality bar, but progress is being made.

This Is Tim: Complete Transcript Of Apple’s Q2 2025 Financial Call, by Six Colors

"For our part, we will manage the company the way we always have, with thoughtful and deliberate decisions, with a focus on investing for the long term, and with dedication to innovation and the possibilities it creates. As we look ahead, we remain confident. Confident that we will continue to build the world’s best products and services. Confident in our ability to innovate and enrich our users’ lives. And confident that we can continue to run our business in a way that has always set Apple apart."

On App Stores

Apple Updates U.S. App Review Guidelines Following Epic Games Ruling, by Eric Slivka, MacRumors

In the wake of yesterday's court ruling in the dispute between Apple and Epic Games over Apple's policies restricting developers' ability to inform users about alternatives to making purchases through Apple's in-app purchasing system, Apple has updated its App Review Guidelines to comply with the ruling.

[...]

The changes are currently limited to the United States given the scope of the court case.

Apple Approves Spotify App Update With External Payment Links, by Chance Miller, 9to5Mac

Apple has officially approved the first app with links to external payment options in the United States. After submitting its update to Apple yesterday afternoon, Spotify says that Apple has approved a new version of the app that takes advantage of the latest changes to the App Store Guidelines.

Stripe Shows Developers How To Bypass Apple’s In-app Payment Cut, by Zac Hall, 9to5Mac

Payments processor Stripe has published new documentation for developers looking to accept out-of-app payments for digital goods and subscriptions on iPhone and iPad.

The move follows a court ruling that bars Apple from preventing developers from directing users to web-based payment options from within their apps.

‘Cook Chose Poorly’: How Apple Blew Up Its Control Over The App Store, by Jacob Kastrenakes, The Verge

In a furious opinion, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said that she wouldn’t give Apple a second chance to get it right: instead, she’s demanding specific changes to the App Store, ripping away Apple’s grip after years of unsubstantial alterations in response.

The ruling describes a deliberate process by which Apple sized up how to comply with the court’s original order, only to choose an anticompetitive option “at every step.”

Stuff

I've Tested The Apple Mac Studio M4 Max, And It's Clearly Just Gotten Better, by Ian Evenden, Creative Bloq

It’s overkill for many situations - Photoshop will run almost as well on much cheaper machines, as will a web browser - but if you’re video editing, rendering, using AI or perhaps doing all three things at once, the Mac Studio is one of the best desktop PCs around.

Develop

Something Alarming Is Happening To The Job Market, by Derek Thompson, The Atlantic

No matter the interpretation, the labor market for young grads is flashing a yellow light. It could be the signal of short-term economic drag, or medium-term changes to the value of the college degree, or long-term changes to the relationship between people and AI. This is a number to watch.

Notes

Apple Must Pay Optis $502 Million Lump Sum In UK Patent Dispute, Court Rules, by Sam Tobin, Reuters

Apple must pay a U.S. patent holder $502 million for the use of 4G patents in devices including iPhones and iPads, London's Court of Appeal ruled on Thursday, in the latest stage of a long-running legal battle.

[...]

An Apple spokesperson said they were "disappointed by this decision and plan to appeal".

"Optis makes no products and their sole business is to sue companies using patents they buy," the spokesperson added. "We will continue to defend against their attempts to extract unreasonable payments."

Bottom of the Page

We all expected Mr Tim Cook to not retire at least for the next four years because of, well, all the stuff he has to deal with from the US executive branch.

But now, we can also argue that Tim Cook may want to retire because of US judiciary.

~

Thanks for reading.