Google’s Search Remedies Verdict, A Big Win for Apple, What Was Wall Street Expecting?
Hello everyone. Today’s update will be dedicated to discussing the U.S. v. Google search remedies verdict. Let’s jump right in.
Google’s Search Remedies Verdict
Overall, this verdict was a major win for Google. The Court didn’t even take a middle-of-the-road path with a judgement tailored in such a way so that both sides could claim themselves as winners.
Google does not need to divest Chrome / Android.
Google can continue to pay for default (search) placement.
Based on Google’s response to the verdict, they will continue with their appeal of the initial antitrust ruling. As we will discuss shortly, that stance makes sense. If given the choice, Google would not want to follow a few of the remedies that the Court ruled on. However, looking at the Court’s ruling in its entirety, this verdict represents a huge sigh of relief for Google.
AI mania played a major role in how the Court’s remedies were crafted.
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The Competitive Landscape Favors the iPhone, More on Elon Musk Suing Apple
Hello everyone. The highly anticipated remedies verdict in U.S. v. Google (available here) was released a few hours ago. Based on a quick look over the ruling, things look pretty good for Apple (and Google for that matter). We will dedicate tomorrow’s update to the topic.
For today’s and Thursday’s updates we will focus on a few topics that are on my mind ahead of Apple’s big event next week.
Let’s jump right in.
The Competitive Landscape Favors the iPhone
A week from today, Apple will host its largest event of the year when it comes to generating buzz and attention. WWDC is the largest event when thinking of number of Apple Park guests and overall operation (there’s many moving parts). And one can certainly argue new software is vitally important for the Apple ecosystem. However, the flagship iPhone event in September is able generate more press than any other Apple event. It’s a truly global affair as well. The iPhone is Apple’s best tool for grabbing new users around the world.
From a hardware perspective, attempts to somehow displace iPhone from its perch have not been successful. We can point to AI hardware startups underestimating consumers’ love for iPhone. Meanwhile, Apple peers are struggling to recreate the Apple playbook of vertical integration and ecosystem cohesion.
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Elon Musk Sues Apple, Apple Eyeing JPMorgan Chase for Apple Card, Keep an Eye on JPMorgan Chase
Happy Wednesday. Let’s keep things going with three more stories that jumped out at me.
Elon Musk Sues Apple
Here's Ars Technica:
“After a public outburst over Grok’s App Store rankings, on Monday, Elon Musk followed through on his threat to sue Apple and OpenAI.
At first, Musk appeared fixated on ChatGPT consistently topping Apple's ‘Must Have’ app list—which Grok has never made—claiming Apple seemed to preference OpenAI, an Apple partner, over all chatbot rivals. But Musk's filing shows that the X and xAI owner isn't just trying to push for more Grok downloads on iPhones—he's concerned that Apple and OpenAI have teamed up to completely dash his ‘everything app’ dreams, which was the reason he bought Twitter.
At this point appearing to be genuinely panicked about OpenAI's insurmountable lead in the chatbot market, Musk has specifically alleged that an agreement integrating ChatGPT into the iOS violated antitrust and unfair competition laws. Allegedly, the conspiracy is designed to protect Apple's smartphone monopoly and block out AI rivals to lock in OpenAI's dominance in the chatbot market.
As Musk sees it, Apple is supposedly so worried that X will use Grok to create a ‘super app’ that replaces the need for a sophisticated smartphone that the iPhone maker decided to partner with OpenAI to limit X and xAI innovation.”
This lawsuit (available here) is nonsensical and says more about Elon Musk and his frustrations with OpenAI and ChatGPT adoption exceeding that of xAI and Grok than Apple’s handling of the App Store.
The opening paragraph to Musk’s filing comes across as a joke.
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Buffett Continues to Trim Apple Stake, Apple to Hit iPhone Milestone in India, iPhone Release Cadence Change Coming?
Hello everyone. We will continue to run forward with story topics that have come out in the past week or so and which deserve our focus. Let’s jump in.
Buffett Continues to Trim Apple Stake
Here’s 9to5Mac:
"Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has again scaled back its stake in Apple. In a regulatory filing this week, Berkshire disclosed that it sold 20 million shares of Apple during the June quarter. Nonetheless, Apple remains the conglomerate’s largest holding at 280 million shares, valued at over $64 billion.
Berkshire began buying Apple stock in 2016. At its peak in 2023, Berkshire Hathaway owned over 915 million shares of Apple, accounting for over 50% of the firm’s holdings. Buffett has trimmed those holdings over the last two years as part of a broader effort to stockpile cash. Berkshire currently holds more than $344 billion, as of the end of Q2 2025.
Buffett has been outspoken in his praise of Apple and Tim Cook. 'I’m somewhat embarrassed to say that Tim Cook has made Berkshire a lot more money than I’ve ever made,' Buffett said earlier this year. 'Nobody but Steve could have created Apple, but nobody but Tim could have developed it as he has. Steve picked Tim to succeed him, and he really made the right decision.'"
There was some thinking that Buffett may have been done with the Apple selling as Berkshire's Apple stake stood at an exact 300M shares. Berkshire's long-standing Coco-Cola stake is at an exact 400M shares.
As these share sales pile up (Buffett has trimmed Berkshire’s Apple stake by 70% from peak levels), my confidence level is growing that the selling has little to do with Apple’s business or valuation and more about Buffett wanting to give his successor Greg Abel the best chance of success.
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Apple Raises Apple TV+ Monthly Pricing by 30%, More Guerrilla Marketing Surfaces for Severance, Apple Reportedly Wants Out of MLB
Hello everyone. Welcome to a new week.
We will jump into things by venturing into Apple TV+ land.
Apple Raises Apple TV+ Monthly Pricing by 30%
In a press statement issued last Thursday, here’s Apple:
“The monthly subscription price for Apple TV+ will increase in the U.S. and select international markets for new subscribers beginning today, August 21. In the U.S., the monthly price is now $12.99 (up from $9.99). Existing subscribers will see the change 30 days after their next renewal date. The annual subscription price remains unchanged, as does pricing for Apple One, which is the easiest way to enjoy all of Apple’s subscription services in one plan at the best value.
Since its launch, Apple TV+ has expanded its deep library of hundreds of exclusive Apple Originals, with thousands of hours of premium programming across genres and brand new releases weekly — all ad-free.”
The following exhibit shows stated Apple TV+ monthly pricing since the 2019 launch including this newest 30% increase. The two prior increases were 40% (2022) and 43% (2023).
This latest price increase is different from the others as Apple did not alter Apple TV+ pricing for annual and Apple One subscriptions.
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Google Has No Taste, Google's Apple Envy, Pixel Poses No Threat to iPhone
Hello everyone.
Today’s update will be dedicated to discussing Google’s “Made By Google 2025” product event held this past Wednesday in NYC. Google uses the event to unveil new hardware ahead of the busy fall season. (Starting in 2023, Google has held the event in August to get ahead of Apple’s big event in September.)
Let’s jump right in.
Google Has No Taste
Before we talk about the products that were unveiled at Made by Google 2025, we need to spend time discussing the event itself.
Wednesday’s Google event easily ranked as one of most ridiculous product unveilings held in the consumer gadget space in the past decade and possibly even longer. Watching it would be a waste of your time.
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U.K. Backtracks on Apple Back Door Request, EU to Accept Apple’s Revised DMA Approach, U.S. Anti-Steering Injunction Ruling Looks Even More Absurd
Hello everyone. We will begin to attack our “to discuss” list with two stories involving Apple in Europe. In what feels like an outlier these days, Apple actually managed to secure some political wins.
Let’s jump in to discuss.
U.K. Backtracks on Apple Back Door Request
While services like Messages and FaceTime are end-to-end encrypted, such protection historically was not maintained when data was stored in the cloud. For example, iCloud backups allowed such data to be accessed via U.S. search warrants. In 2022, Apple unveiled Advanced Data Protection (ADP), an opt-in feature, which brought end-to-end encryption to additional Apple ecosystem features including iCloud backups. iCloud Mail, Contacts, and Calendars are not part of ADP.
ADP likely played a role in the U.K. wanting Apple to build a backdoor so that the government can access content from any Apple user, regardless of location. Apple pulled ADP in the U.K. in what was a calculated move. U.S. lawmakers and government officials raised concerns.
Six months later, the U.K. officials changed their mind.
Here’s Reuters:
“Britain has dropped its demand for the iPhone maker Apple to provide a ‘backdoor’ that would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said.
Gabbard issued the statement on X on Monday in the U.S., saying she had worked for months with Britain, along with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, to arrive at a deal…
A spokesperson for the British government said on Tuesday that while they would not comment on any agreement, Britain had long worked with the U.S. to tackle security threats while seeking to protect the privacy of citizens in both countries.
We will always take all actions necessary at the domestic level to keep UK citizens safe,’ the spokesperson added.”
This is a big win for Apple and its customers around the world.
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Apple and Tech Musings From My Vacation
Hello everyone. It feels good to be back after a mini vacation and some time away. Even though last week was relatively quiet on the news front, my “possible discussion” list for these updates now sits at 20 topics.
The plan of attack is to get back into the swing of things gradually with some musings and observations that came to me last week while away.
Let’s jump in.
Apple and Tech Musings From My Vacation
Each year, taking some time off during the summer has allowed me to get fresh perspective when it comes to tech and gadget usage. For example, a few years back going a week without anything besides touch-based devices made my eventual return to macOS and a mouse/cursor feel odd almost as if my brain needed to be rewired. The experience offered a fresh feel for differences in intuitiveness. In addition to different device usage trends, vacations will often bring about new needs and use cases for certain apps and services.
For this year’s “vacation tech musings,” four topics jumped out at me:
Apple Intelligence features in Photos (iPhone).
Downsides found with unlimited streaming content.
Meta’s grip on young adults.
Apple Watch’s continued power.
Apple Intelligence features in Photos (iPhone). Apple positions three features within Photos as powered by Apple Intelligence:
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iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch Unit Sales Data
Hello everyone. We will continue our Apple 3Q25 earnings review. Leveraging the latest Apple financial data, we take a closer look at iPhone, Apple Watch, and Mac unit sales. In some ways, the three product categories are each telling a different story. Let's discuss.
iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch Unit Sales Data
After spending more time with Apple’s 3Q25 earnings and my Apple earnings model, the most intriguing takeaways from Apple’s quarter were found with something that the company doesn’t actually disclose themselves: HW unit sales. Specifically, iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch unit sales. Apple stopped disclosing unit sales data in 2018. My earnings model derives unit sales data from Apple HW revenue disclosures, management commentary, and my installed base models that track upgrading behavior.
We will circle back to talk more about the latest Apple margin trends tomorrow when going over Apple's 3Q25 earnings call with analysts. While there are fresh headwinds for margins in terms of tariffs and greater investments in AI, FX has flipped to being neutral to even slightly positive. In addition, Apple’s overall gross profit found with HW is moving higher despite margin percentages coming down a tad.
iPhone Unit Sales
Based on headlines and articles in recent years, one may think iPhone sales peaked a while ago and have been flat or even trending down since. This would be a misread of the situation.
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Initial Thoughts on Apple’s Strong 3Q25 Earnings
Hello everyone. Welcome to a special Friday edition of Above Avalon Daily. Apple reported 3Q25 earnings yesterday (Thursday). The results can be viewed here. Today's update will go over my initial thoughts on the release and earnings call. We will continue our discussion next week.
Have a great weekend.
Let's jump right into today's update.
Initial Thoughts on Apple’s Strong 3Q25 Earnings
Yesterday, Apple reported its strongest quarterly results in more than three years. Overall 3Q25 revenue was up 10%. We need to go back to 1Q22 for the last time Apple reported double-digit revenue growth (+11.2%). Results for iPhone and Mac were legitimately good. iPhone revenue was up 13% (strongest quarterly revenue growth since 4Q21) while Mac revenue was up 15% continuing what has been an upturn in the Mac business.
While the iPhone and Mac were the two Apple product categories that stood to see the greatest impact from a pull forward in demand related to tariff fears, Apple said such pull forward was not the primary driver for the strong quarterly performance. For iPhone, approximately 20% of 3Q25 revenue growth was attributed to pull forward. Overall, about 10% of Apple’s 3Q25 revenue growth was related to pull forward.
Apple also said iPhone channel inventory
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My Apple 3Q25 Earnings Estimates, Above Avalon Expectation Meters
Happy Wednesday.
A few quick housekeeping items.
Daily Updates Schedule. With Apple releasing earnings tomorrow (Thursday) after market close, the next update will go out on Friday.
Updated / Revised Financial Models. My updated Apple earnings model (works with Excel and Numbers) is now available to members with the Financial Models add-on attached to their Above Avalon Daily subscription. For those of you with the add-on, log into the Above Avalon payer portal (here). Once signed in, go to the "Digital Package" tab which will bring you to your personalized page where the model can be downloaded. In addition to the updated earnings model being available, my iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch installed base models have also been updated ahead of Apple earnings. If you are interested in accessing these models, learn more about the Financial Models add-on by going to this page.
Let’s jump in.
My Apple 3Q25 Earnings Estimates
Here are my expectations for Apple’s key 3Q25 metrics:
Revenue: $89.9B (consensus is at $89.2B).
EPS: $1.47 (consensus is at $1.43).
iPhone revenue: $40.9B.
Services:
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Thoughts Heading Into Apple’s 3Q25 Earnings Release
Hello everyone. Apple reports earnings on Thursday. For today's update, we will begin to prepare for the earnings release.
Thoughts Heading Into Apple’s 3Q25 Earnings Release
As we will discuss in greater detail tomorrow, Apple’s 3Q25 results should be relatively fine. Revenue growth will likely be close to 2Q25 levels while margins may get dinged a little bit by tariffs. And yet, the numbers themselves probably won’t matter a whole lot. Instead, Apple finds itself stuck in mud on Wall Street. A growing list of headwinds have contributed to Apple shares experiencing some of their worst underperformance relative to peers and the market in recent memory.
While every other Big Tech company has moved notably higher from the tariff-induced lows of early April, Apple has barely participated.
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Alphabet 2Q25: By the Numbers, Alphabet Earnings Call Highlights, Overall Alphabet Takeaways
Hello everyone. Welcome to a new week. Apple will report earnings on Thursday. We will begin our earnings review tomorrow while also covering other news items and events. For today's update, we will continue our 2Q25 tech earnings reviews by going over Alphabet's earnings. Alphabet continues to be more of an Apple partner than competitor although the line between the two is blurred at times.
Let's jump in.
Alphabet 2Q25: By the Numbers
Overall, Alphabet’s 2Q25 revenue growth story was very much intact. Mid-teens growth with a little bit of FX headwind is not shabby at all. There may be a little bit of disappointment that margins aren’t improving alongside that double-digit revenue growth. Such concerns may be sticking around too as Alphabet’s depreciation expense continues to rise (tied to ballooning capex). We talked about that trend earlier in the month in the July 9th update available here.
Alphabet 2Q25 key numbers:
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Apple Unveils AppleCare One, Revisiting Apple Hardware as a Service, Crunching Some AppleCare One Numbers, ChatGPT Agent Follow-Up
Hello everyone. This update ended up taking a lot longer than expected to write. As you will see, the discussion goes over quite a few new financial / business assumptions involving AppleCare+ that needed some time to breathe in my head before publishing.
Given the lack of an update yesterday, today’s update will also be longer as we go into more in-depth on one story that originally was going to be published on Thursday.
Above Avalon Week-In-Review. A recap of analysis published elsewhere in the Above Avalon ecosystem this week.
The AVALON Podcast. Episode 8: “The Art of the iPhone Fold,” was dedicated to discussing foldables. After going over some smartphone history, we discuss how the smartphone operating environment is changing, growing rumors of a foldable iPhone and ultra thin iPhone, and how the two trends could be related. The discussion also revisited the iPad mini vs. phablet dilemma that Apple faced in the 2010s and lessons learned from that era that can be applicable to foldables. The episode included other discussion topics including Give Me A Break (one ridiculous item from this week) and Tell Me More (something that caught my attention this week). AVALON is a weekly audio podcast loosely modeled after Apple's Monday morning meetings. Bundle the podcast with this daily newsletter and receive 40% off AVALON pricing. To bundle the podcast with this newsletter, fill out out this form. The Podcasts add-on, which includes access to both AVALON and these updates in audio form, can also be bundled with this newsletter here.
Inside Orchard. “Ten Uncomfortable Truths in Tech.” There is A LOT of movement and change in tech. The essay includes ten observations on what's unfolding. Topics range from Elon Musk and Ray-Ban Meta glasses to the Mac and Robinhood. To bundle Inside Orchard with this newsletter, fill out this form.
Let's jump into today's update.
Apple Unveils AppleCare One
Relying on the same branding as Apple One for bundling various Apple subscriptions into one large subscription, Apple is bringing bundling to AppleCare+ with AppleCare One.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, here’s Apple:
“Apple today unveiled AppleCare One, a new way for customers to cover multiple Apple products with one simple plan. For just $19.99 per month, customers can protect up to three products in one plan, with the option to add more at any time for $5.99 per month for each device. With AppleCare One, customers receive one-stop service and support from Apple experts across all of the Apple products in their plan for simple, affordable peace of mind. Starting tomorrow, customers in the U.S. can sign up for AppleCare One directly on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac, or by visiting their nearest Apple Store.”
Some early reaction online to this unveiling went along the lines of: It was about time that Apple offering something like this. AppleCare+ became available as a monthly subscription in 2019.
While the comment may have been said in jest, there is truth found in the broader idea that Apple is under, not over, monetizing its installed base. Instead of milking users with subpar and inferior products and services, the key is to sell offerings that improve the user experience found with being in the Apple ecosystem. This AppleCare One bundle offering would seem to fit that description as an increasing number of Apple customers have more than two Apple devices.
Another common reaction online to this news has been
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ChatGPT Agent Doesn’t Cut It
Hello everyone. Happy Tuesday.
Today’s update may make some people deep in AI mania a little bit uncomfortable as it has to do with signs of trouble on the horizon. The latest example is found with OpenAI and AI agents. Let’s discuss.
ChatGPT Agent Doesn’t Cut It
Last week, OpenAI unveiled a general purpose AI agent.
Here’s TechCrunch:
“OpenAI is launching a new general purpose AI agent in ChatGPT, which the company says can complete a wide variety of computer-based tasks on behalf of users. OpenAI says the agent can automatically navigate a user’s calendar, generate editable presentations and slideshows, and run code.
The tool, called ChatGPT agent, combines several capabilities from OpenAI’s previous agentic tools, including Operator’s ability to click around on websites, as well as Deep Research’s ability to synthesize information from dozens of websites into a concise research report. OpenAI says users will be able to interact with the agent simply by prompting ChatGPT in natural language.
ChatGPT agent is rolling out on Thursday to subscribers to OpenAI’s Pro, Plus, and Team plans…
The launch of ChatGPT agent represents OpenAI’s boldest attempt yet to turn ChatGPT into an agentic product that can take actions and offload tasks for users, rather than just answering questions. In recent years, Silicon Valley companies including OpenAI, Google, and Perplexity have unveiled dozens of AI agents that have promised to do just that. However, these early version AI agents have proven to struggle with complex tasks, and they seem less compelling as products than the ultimate vision tech executives pitch around AI agents."
OpenAI told The Verge that agent is a result of the Operator and Deep Research teams being combined to produce a team of approximately two to three dozen people.
The basic idea on display here isn’t exactly new. Every prior attempt to figure out agents has led to dead ends, forgotten promises, and an overall yawn.
Not to bury the lede: This agent unveiling and launch was not good enough.
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Netflix 2Q25: By the Numbers, Netflix Earnings Call Highlights, Overall Netflix Takeaways
Happy Monday. Tech 2Q25 earnings season has arrived. Netflix reported last Thursday. We have a few earnings releases this week. Apple reports next week.
Given the influx of new Above Avalon Daily subscribers since the AVALON podcast launched (welcome!), it’s worth quickly going over my philosophy when it comes to covering earnings in these updates.
There is value found in staying abreast on the latest trends and developments in industries that Apple either currently plays in or may play in. The idea isn't to simply note industry norms and best practices but rather gauge potential openings and opportunities for the company.
We will kick off our earnings reviews with Netflix which offers a look at the paid streaming market. While not the largest video streamer (that award goes to YouTube), Netflix provides one of the purer looks at paid streaming.
Netflix 2Q25: By the Numbers
Netflix has longed wanted Wall Street to look at revenue (for gauging growth) and margins (for gauging profitability). Based on those two metrics, the Netflix story was very much intact in 2Q25 (April to June).
The company is growing its membership (helps revenue), pushing sizable price increases (helps revenue as long as churn remains measured), all while being more rational on the content spending versus the past (helps margins).
Revenue: $11.1B (+15.9% from 2Q24). Guidance for the current quarter (3Q25) points to a slight acceleration in revenue growth to 17.3%. Management cited new members, price increases, and increased ad revenue as growth drivers.
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Rivian Shifts to Google Maps, Uber Partnering With Lucid and Nuro on Autonomous Fleet, Tesla’s Awful 2Q25 Delivery Figures
Hello everyone.
We will wrap up the week in the automobile space.
Before we jump into today's update, a quick Above Avalon Weekly Recap - new analysis published this week elsewhere in the Above Avalon ecosystem.
The AVALON Podcast. Episode 7 – “Tim Cook’s Tim Cook Is Retiring” included approximately an hour-long discussion regarding Jeff Williams, the Apple COO transition, Apple CEO succession, and how all of these moving parts impact Apple product development. Additional podcast discussion topics included Robinhood and Apple’s Journal app. AVALON, my new weekly podcast loosely modeled after Apple's Monday morning meetings, is available via a standalone subscription. Bundle the podcast with this daily newsletter and receive 40% off AVALON pricing (just +$6/month or +$60/year). More information is available here.
Rivian Shifts to Google Maps
Here’s TechCrunch:
“For 18 months, Rivian and Google engineers worked together. Today, they’re showing off their work.
Rivian is pushing out a software update that will bring a unique version of Google Maps into its EVs. It’s the latest step in Rivian’s continued effort to distinguish its vehicles with software — an effort that has helped it strike up a joint venture with one of the world’s biggest automakers, Volkswagen.
This isn’t a typical Google Maps integration and it’s unlike the tech company’s other collaborations in the automotive sector. For years, Google has pushed into automotive through its smartphone projection app called Android Auto, as well as Google Built-In, an Android Automotive operating system that integrates Google services directly into the vehicle and is used by automakers like Volvo.
The collaboration with Rivian is neither. Instead, Rivian customers who use the in-car navigation will no longer see the Mapbox-based maps. Now, they’ll see Google Maps, but with a lot of Rivian DNA sprinkled on top, including its trip planner, user interface, and design, and EV charger locations, according to Rivian’s chief of software, Wassym Bensaid.”
This news didn’t receive too much attention as Rivian is a niche EV manufacturer (~130,000 vehicle sales to date). In addition, Rivian isn’t shifting from Apple to Google which would have led to a wave of sensational headlines. Instead, Rivian is moving from its own in-house mapping solution to a highly customizable Google Maps solution.
On some levels, this shift looks like Rivian coming up
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Apple TV+ Scores (Again) With Emmy Nominations, Apple TV+ Perception Is Changing, Netflix Losing Share in Video Streaming
Happy Wednesday.
We will keep this week’s discussion pace up by jumping straight into today’s update.
Apple TV+ Scores (Again) with Emmy Nominations
In a press release issued yesterday, here’s Apple:
“Apple TV+ today earned a record-breaking 81 Emmy Award nominations across 14 hit Apple Original titles for this year’s 77th Emmy Awards. Severance became this year’s most-nominated series with 27 nominations, and The Studio made history as the most-nominated freshman comedy series with 23 nominations in total. Additionally, with top program nominations for drama (Slow Horses) and comedy (Shrinking), Apple TV+ became the only network to have multiple titles nominated in the Outstanding Comedy and Drama Series categories. Apple also landed the most acting nominations of any network or studio this year, with 31 performance nods total.”
Apple has remained tight-lipped about Apple TV+ subscriber and revenue numbers. While there are some decent but not great ways of backing into OK estimates, we don’t have anything official from the company.
In terms of measurable data points, one thing we have for Apple TV+ is the number of Hollywood award nominations. Consider the past five year’s worth of Emmy nomination totals for Apple:
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NVIDIA Gets H20 Chip Permit for China, Revisiting Trump's Middle East Trip, Apple Places $500M Bet on American Rare Earth Magnets
Happy Tuesday. Let’s jump right into today’s update.
NVIDIA Gets H20 Chip Permit for China
Here’s the AP:
“Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang says the technology giant has won approval from the Trump administration to sell its advanced H20 computer chips used to develop artificial intelligence to China.
The news came in a company blog post late Monday and Huang also spoke about the coup on China’s state-run CGTN television network in remarks shown on X.
‘The U.S. government has assured Nvidia that licenses will be granted, and Nvidia hopes to start deliveries soon,’ the post said.
‘Today, I’m announcing that the U.S. government has approved for us filing licenses to start shipping H20s,’ Huang told reporters in Beijing. He noted that half of the world’s AI researchers are in China.
‘It’s so innovative and dynamic here in China that it’s really important that American companies are able to compete and serve the market here in China,’ he said.”
NVIDIA’s H20 chip, designed for inference tasks rather than training, is the most powerful chip that can be sold to China based on existing export controls. Based on the amount of order front-running conducted by Chinese firms in 1Q25, ahead of possible sales ban, the H20 chip is in high demand.
This is a good-sized win for NVIDIA. Huang appears to have played the back-and-forth political game very well. China represents about 15% of NVIDIA’s overall business which isn’t that much lower than the percentage that China represents of Apple’s business.
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Apple Seeking Formula 1 Media Rights, Apple Needs to Bet Big on Immersive Video, Factors in Apple’s Favor
Happy Monday. We will kick off a new week of updates with Apple reportedly being close to securing Formula 1 media rights. Let’s jump right in.
Apple Seeking Formula 1 Media Rights
In a report published on July 9th, here's the Financial Times:
“Apple is in talks to acquire the US rights to screen Formula 1 as the tech group chases the success of its hit movie based on the race car series and delves further into showing live sport.
The iPhone maker is challenging Disney’s ESPN — Formula 1’s current American broadcaster — when the broadcast contract becomes available next year, according to two people familiar with the discussions…
The race car series makes in the region of $85mn a year from its existing broadcast partner ESPN. F1 also streams live races on its own streaming service in the US, charging fans directly…
F1 is yet to make a decision on its future broadcasting arrangements and ESPN may yet retain the rights, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter.
ESPN had an exclusive period of time to negotiate a deal without competition from other bidders. However, that window ended without a deal last year, opening the process to rivals. Other bidders are also expected to seek the rights.”
Back in 2022, Apple Studios secured what went on to be "F1 The Movie." The film required extensive collaboration between Formula 1 (F1) and Apple / productions crews. While that was going on, Apple had been rumored to also have an interest in bidding for F1 media rights. It was logical to assume that Apple thought highly enough of F1 to want to also play in their media rights.
There was a stretch in which Apple was no longer mentioned as a potential suitor for F1 media rights. That may not necessarily have been due to Apple losing interest, but rather shortcomings in reporting.
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