As we stand at the crossroads of technological evolution, Apple Inc. finds itself at the forefront of innovation and market dynamics. The next decade promises a plethora of opportunities and challenges for the tech giant, as it continues to shape the future of consumer electronics, software, and services. In this article, we will explore the key factors that are expected to influence Apple's trajectory over the next 10 years. (more…)

Apple said on Tuesday it plans to ask a U.S. District Judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice and 15 U.S. states in March that alleged the company monopolized the smartphone market, hurting smaller rivals and driving up prices. David Shepardson for Reuters: ‎ In a letter to U.S. District Judge Julien X. Neals in New Jersey, Apple said “far from being a monopolist, Apple faces fierce competition from well-established rivals, and the complaint fails to allege that Apple has the ability to charge supra-competitive prices or restrict output in the alleged smartphone markets.” In the letter to the judge, Apple said the DOJ relies on a new “theory of antitrust liability that no court…

Apple is challenging a €1.8 billion (US$1.9 billion) European Union fine alleging the company thwarted fair competition among music-streaming rivals, including the perpetually whining Spotify. Samuel Stolton for Bloomberg News: ‎ [Apple] has filed a suit at the EU’s General Court in Luxembourg to topple the March decision, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity. The EU’s crackdown on Apple also included an order to stop preventing music-streaming apps from informing users of cheaper deals away from its App Store. Apple’s appeal sets up yet another court battle with the EU regulator, which previously slapped the Cupertino, California-based company with a record €13 billion tax bill in a dispute over Irish state aid. The…

The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ)’s antitrust case accusing Apple of somehow unlawfully monopolizing the smartphone market without having a monopoly was reassigned to U.S. District Judge Julien Neals in New Jersey on Wednesday after another judge recused himself due to a potential conflict of interest. Mike Scarcella for Reuters: ‎ U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz, who had been assigned to handle it, in a brief order said he was required to recuse from the case based on a judicial ethics rule that can restrict judges from hearing disputes in which they or a family member have some close connection or financial tie. The order said his recusal was mandatory, but Farbiarz did not state the precise reason for his disqualification.…

Apple Pay Russia’s antitrust agency on Thursday said it had written to Apple asking the company to explain why users of Apple devices in Russia do not have access to full functionality of banking and payment services. a href=”https://www.reuters.com/technology/russian-antitrust-agency-complains-apple-over-users-limited-payment-services-2024-04-04/”>Reuters: ‎ Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has fined Apple around $26 million in the last two years related to what it described as Apple’s abuse of its dominant position concerning the mobile apps market and in-app payments. Apple has previously “respectfully disagreed” with a FAS ruling that Apple’s distribution of apps through its iOS operating system gave its own products a competitive advantage. The FAS said most Russian banks had been removed from the App Store and that Apple was not…

Spawned by the U.S. DOJ’s antitrust action against Apple, the compan is facing multiple class-action lawsuits that could affect millions of consumers. Keerthi Vedantam for Kiplinger: ‎ [A]t least three class-action suits in California and New Jersey were filed on March 22, a day after the DOJ and 16 other state and district attorneys general slapped the iPhone maker with an antitrust suit, charging that it illegally monopolizes the smartphone market and stifles competition. According to the report, the class-action suits bring charges similar to what the government alleges.  One of the class-action complaints filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California charges that Apple’s smartphones have technological, psychological and expense barriers that make it difficult…