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Audible has over 40,000 AI-narrated titles, per Bloomberg, and Apple Books added AI-narrated options in 2023. Spotify said its goal is to boost the number of audiobook authors on its platform and make audiobook narration more cost-effective. AI everywhere: Spotify is incorporating AI throughout its offering.

Podcast rivals: The inclusion of ad-free podcasts in a premium-lite tier would come amid heightened competition for podcast listening dominance among YouTube, Spotify, and Apple. If a cheaper YouTube Premium subscription can compete with Spotify鈥檚 Premium plan, which costs $11.99 per month, it could steal podcast listeners from the music streamer.

Japan鈥檚 biggest shopping seasons revolve around the year-end and New Year, when it鈥檚 customary to give children money gifts ("otoshidama") and surprise bags filled with discounted items from the likes of Apple, Uniqlo, and department chains.

When Apple, which pledged $500 million to US manufacturing, faced UK pressure for an iCloud encryption backdoor, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard called it 鈥渁 clear and egregious violation of Americans鈥� privacy and civil liberties,鈥� per The Associated Press. Gabbard asked the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and other US agencies to review the request.

Though companies like Apple have returned since Trump鈥檚 election, X鈥檚 ad revenues are likely to continue falling, per our forecast. Its revenues lag significantly behind competitors like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. While X is promoting new AI-generated ad creations features to attract brands that increasingly rely on AI, this might not be enough given consumers鈥� mixed feelings on the tech.

Apple is working on both humanoid and non-humanoid designs for a future smart home ecosystem. Mass production, if pursued, could begin by 2028. Google invested $350 million into Apptronik, a robotics company backed by NVIDIA and NASA that鈥檚 developing Apollo, and has plans to bring robots into everyday life.

Apple Intelligence aims to revitalize Siri. The upcoming Apple Intelligence suite could yield significant upgrades to Siri鈥檚 capabilities, potentially increasing both iPhone sales and Siri usage if the features function as promised. By integrating ChatGPT and improving language understanding, Apple aims to address long-standing criticisms of Siri鈥檚 limitations.

Note: Our audio creator revenues forecast includes all revenues generated by US-based independent creators on digital audio distribution platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify and independent distribution platforms. It includes advertising, sponsorships, platform payouts, subscriptions, merchandising, and other revenues from podcasts, audiobooks, and digital music and radio content.

President Donald Trump has signaled support for striking a deal that gives a US company鈥攐r the US government itself鈥攑artial ownership of the app, and Bondi鈥檚 assurances to Google and Apple reflect a desire to keep the app available for US consumers.

Is India the next China? Retailers from Apple to Dior to Levi鈥檚 are looking to expand in the world鈥檚 fastest-growing retail market, but success isn鈥檛 guaranteed.

Even going to the Apple Store, going to the Genius Bar, that's an experience that mall offers and the things that are around that Genius store are the places that might get more traffic. It might be good to be near the Apple Store because that's where I'm headed while they're fixing my iPad.

Key stat: Apple is the most valuable brand in the world, with a value of $574.5 billion, according to Brand Finance's 2025 ranking of the most valuable global brands. Microsoft ranks second with a value of $461.1 billion, and Google follows at $413.0 billion.

Apple鈥檚 AI play is focused on driving iPhone sales, which are better in markets where Apple Intelligence is available. That explains its recent losses in China, where the feature is unavailable. Earnings revelations: Despite record investments, Big Tech鈥檚 AI and cloud strategies face headwinds. Cloud growth is slowing.

Taco Bell鈥檚 Q4 2024 promotion, which featured iconic menu items including the 1980s Meximelt tortilla and 2000s Caramel Apple Empanada, was credited with helping drive the 5% YoY increase in Taco Bell鈥檚 Q4 same-store sales. Parent Yum! Brands said the throwback items 鈥済enerated strong product innovation, brand excitement, and exclusive merchandise for loyalty members鈥� on its recent earnings call.

Apple and Google remove ByteDance apps from stores: While TikTok restored service for existing users, Apple and Google have yet to reinstate it to their app stores, which means the app can't be downloaded or updated. Apple also summarily removed ByteDance鈥檚 other apps, including Lemon8 and CapCut. Apple, Google, and internet service providers are on the hook for non-compliance with the TikTok ban.

XFinity鈥檚 StreamSaver bundle, priced at $15 per month and including Peacock, Netflix, and Apple TV+, continues the industry鈥檚 push toward bundling. Why it matters:. Bundles are a proven retention strategy. Streaming services are shifting from subscriber growth to retention, as churn rates in the US have nearly tripled to 5.5% over the past four years.

Our take: This tie-up with Apple is a win for Synchrony. Both features can boost cardholder satisfaction, especially after they go live for the issuer鈥檚 co-brand and private label cards, given they make up the majority of its portfolio. The features could also make Synchrony a more attractive partner for retaining and attracting private label and co-brand cards鈥攊ncluding potentially with Apple itself.

(Given that Sensor Tower鈥檚 data includes only Apple Store and Google Play, China鈥檚 share is likely to be underrepresented. Google Play is blocked in the country, and many of the AI apps that originated in the country are available only domestically.).

Meanwhile, trust is rising for the likes of PayPal (from 33.1% to 37.3%) and Apple (13.9% to 19.8%). Their strong brand names, seamless user experiences, and integration into daily life give them a clear edge in financial services. Banks are already feeling the squeeze as Big Tech and fintechs have overtaken them in core areas of consumer lending.

And 64% said major tech companies like Google, Apple, Meta, TikTok, and Microsoft don鈥檛 care about their mental health or well-being. Trust issues: Sixty-two percent of teens lack confidence that tech companies will protect their safety when profits are at stake, and about half (52%) doubt that their personal information will be kept secure.

With the exception of Apple TV+, the most popular US subscription streamers offer ad tiers. (Apple TV+ offers advertising only in the few live sports games it airs.) For the most-used services, ad tiers tend to offer higher average revenues per user (ARPU) than ad-free tiers. But that鈥檚 not universally true.

Amazon isn鈥檛 the only tech company looking at X with new eyes: Apple is also reportedly considering re-upping spending. Why the return? Despite the launch of a new video tab and other initiatives, X鈥檚 revenues remain unimpressive.

As Musk has been spending most of his time at the White House, big-name advertisers including Amazon and Apple have resumed spending. That鈥檚 part of a broader trend of big tech companies aligning themselves with the Trump administration. Some of those companies are facing regulatory scrutiny: Amazon鈥檚 and Apple鈥檚 antitrust trials, for example, are scheduled for 2026.

Companies like Apple are returning to X following Trump鈥檚 election after leaving in light of Musk鈥檚 takeover, indicating brands鈥� increasing concerns over drawing the ire of powerful figures. Why it matters: Situations like the Bud Light and Dylan Mulvaney controversy and subsequent boycott have contributed to a marketing landscape where advertisers don鈥檛 want to step on anyone鈥檚 toes.