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iPhone drops from 1st to 3rd place in China, as Apple struggles to launch AI features

iPhone drops from 1st to 3rd place in China, as Apple struggles to launch AI features | Riverside buildings at night in Fuzhou, China

The iPhone has lost its crown as the best-selling phone in China, dropping to 3rd place in the latest market intelligence data.

One factor is the company’s struggle to launch Apple Intelligence features in the country after being unable to get permission to use its own generative AI model there …

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The $17B gamble made on the basis of a handshake with Steve Jobs

The $17B gamble made on the basis of a handshake with Steve Jobs | iPhone 3G shown

It seems to be a week for interesting peeks at Apple history, a new piece telling the story of Softbank founder Masayoshi Son making a $17B gamble on the basis of a gentleman’s agreement with Steve Jobs.

Invariably known as Masa, the Japanese entrepreneur – who holds the interesting record of having been the richest man in the world for three days – figured out that Apple had to be working on a phone, two years before it was announced …

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Latest Apple store again has curved frontage with seamless transition to interior

Latest Apple store again has curved frontage with seamless transition to interior | Photo of Apple MixC Hefei

The latest Apple store opens on Saturday, and the company has shown off a few photos ahead of time. It has the same curved frontage we’ve seen in a couple of earlier mall stores.

Apple has previously aimed for a relatively seamless transition between the exterior and interior of these stores, and the latest example in Hefei, China, continues this trend …

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Deals: Apple Watch Ultra 2 refurb up to $324 off, navy Alpine Loop, AirTags from $17.50, Beats Pill, more

Today’s fresh batch of price drops join ongoing deals on iPad mini 7 and Apple Pencil Pro, not to mention the 2024 Apple Watch Milanese Loop in black. To kick things off we have some notable deals on Apple Watch Ultra 2 with open-box and certified refurbished listings as low as $475, or $324 off the sticker price. That deal sits nicely alongside the return of all-time low pricing on Apple’s latest navy Alpine Loop, AirTag down at $23 (or the 4-pack at $70) as well as even more accessories and charging gear. Everything awaits down below. 

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9to5Mac Daily: January 15, 2025 – Face ID technology, more

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Here are the 5 best Apple-related announcements I saw at CES 2025

CES 2025 was a whirlwind of a time. It is the only convention in the world where you can see the future of the toothbrush industry right next to a booth all about robot vacuums with robotic arms coming out of them. Everyone brand now has some sort of AI assistant or smartglasses or health wearable or 1000W GaN charger that can charge 18 different laptops at full speed (A bit of an exaggeration). However, through all that noise, a few products and brands stood out to me regarding Apple-related products and accessories. Here are 5 of the best products I saw at CES.

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TikTok may shut down totally on Sunday unless the ban is delayed by new law [U]

TikTok may get a 270-day extension before a ban; denies Elon Musk report | Image shows the TikTok name with a prohibited symbol as the letter O

TikTok may shut down totally in the US on Sunday, with the app no longer opening at all, according to a new report. This would go well beyond the legal requirement of the ban, which would only prevent new downloads.

However, Congress may be about to throw the company a lifeline, through a proposed new law granting it another 270 days before the ban comes into effect

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