It’s been a quiet week for Apple on the hardware front, but that doesn’t mean it’s been a slow week for the company.
Quite the contrary, Apple has been awfully busy over the last several days. The company on Monday announced that it was opening registration for its big Worldwide Developers Conference later this year (WWDC) and followed that up with the release of its highly anticipated mobile operating system release, iOS 10.3. That operating system delivers several enhancements, including a big fix to a flaw that could have allowed hackers to overwhelm 911 emergency lines.
This is Coins2Day ’s weekly roundup of the biggest Apple news this week. To see last week’s roundup, click here.
Best of all for Apple (AAPL), it was called the world’s “most intimate” brand.
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Read on for all that and more in this week’s Apple news roundup:
- Apple this week released iOS 10.3, an update to the company’s mobile operating system. The free update offers a new feature that lets AirPods owners track the wireless earbuds, and delivers several enhancements to Apple’s virtual personal assistant Siri. There are also several under-the-hood improvements that boost the operating system’s performance and security.
- One of those security updates fixed a flaw that caused the iPhone to automatically call 911 emergency lines. The flaw was allegedly exploited by a teenager who created code that, when sent to others, would prompt user iPhones to place the calls to the emergency lines. The teenager was charged last year with four counts of felony computer tampering. Apple’s operating system update now requires users to confirm they want to call a number before the emergency services are dialed.
- Apple this week was crowned the world’s most intimate brand in a study from MBLM, an agency that attempts to build emotion connections between people and companies. The agency found that Apple, more than any other companies, makes products consumers “can’t live without.” About 16% of the survey’s respondents said that they’d be willing to pay 20% more for Apple products and still remain loyal the brand.
- Apple’s director of Artificial Intelligence research, Ruslan Salakhutdinov, said this week that there are real limitations to artificial intelligence, despite some big gains. He said specifically that while AI has become useful for helping computers recognize items in photos or recommend products to consumers, it still has a long way to go to remember things like humans and think in the same way as a person. He didn’t, however, say what Apple’s plans might be for artificial intelligence.
- Apple opened its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) registration this week. Thousands are expected to attend the event in June, where Apple will likely announce new versions of its mobile and desktop operating systems.
- Could Apple become America’s first $1 trillion company? Here’s an in-depth look at how—and when—it could happen.
One more thing… There’s reason to believe Apple’s stock will move higher in the coming months, according to UBS analyst Steven Milunovich. And now might present a “golden opportunity” for savvy Apple investors.