Interbrand’s annual brand value report lists Apple as the world’s most valuable brand for the fourth year running, estimating the total worth of the brand at $178B, up 5% on the previous year. Apple first knocked Coca-Cola out of Interbrand’s top slot in 2013. The company says that Apple’s ecosystem is the biggest contributor to the value of the brand … Apple is a technology company that leads innovation with their products and software platforms, providing seamless experiences across devices, and empowering people with breakthrough services....

And if you thought Steve Jobs’ passing would make the company go down, think again: the only way seems to be up. The first-quarter figures Apple posted today have every reason to make Tim Cook one very happy CEO. He has made no secret of it in the press release. Here’s the big picture: for the quarter ending on December 31, last year, the revenue of $46.33 billion, profits of $13....

Alongside the long-awaited launch of AirTag, Apple has also announced the availability of AirTag accessories. Apple offers polyurethane and leather holders which can be attached to everyday bags, luggage and other items, including a keychain attachment … There is also a special Hermès range of both AirTags and holders. Users can easily place AirTag into a bag or pocket on its own, or utilize a wide range of Apple-designed AirTag accessories, including the Polyurethane Loop, which is both lightweight and durable, and the Leather Loop and Leather Key Ring,4 featuring specially tanned European leather....

Today’s images show Apple’s Campus 2 as it is seen from Homestead Road in Cupertino, which runs alongside the building. In the images you can see the exterior panels for the building going up. Apple has previously said that very little of its new headquarters will be able to be seen from the street for privacy reasons, and that certainly seems to be the case in these new images. Last month, however, it was revealed that Campus 2 will feature a visitor’s center with a rooftop observation deck, allowing people to view Apple’s new headquarters from the inside....

Apple Card partner bank Goldman Sachs is again pessimistic about AAPL, predicting that the stock will lose one-third of its value this year. The company previously predicted a 26% hit to the stock… Goldman’s previous suggestion was based on the idea that Apple accounting for its Apple TV freebie for hardware buyers would confuse investors. That prediction turned out to be erroneous, but that isn’t stopping the bank’s chief US equity strategist David Kostin from predicting that AAPL stock has ridden too high and is due for a fall....

Apple today officially opened its first retail store in Mexico. The store is located in Vía Santa Fe and marks the “first time customers in Mexico City can experience all of Apple’s products and services in one place.” Apple shared images from the grand opening experience this evening in a news release… Apple noted in its release that “crowds of customers” lined up overnight to experience the grand opening, with the first customers arriving at 7PM on Friday night....

The company explains that Safari has always been a leader when it comes to user privacy, being the first browser to block third-party cookies by default and more. macOS High Sierra adds a feature called Intelligent Tracking Prevision that takes purging data and cookies to the next level. Apple says the feature works to detect and eliminate cookies and other data used for cross-site tracking – and it’s quick to clarify that the feature doesn’t block ads or interfere with legitimate tracking:...

In a filing for shareholders today, Apple announced that Millard Drexler, a member of the eight-person Board of Directors, is retiring from the Board. Apple has not yet named a replacement. Drexler’s term will end in March upon the next official shareholder meeting. Drexler will be the second board member to retire within the last year. In mid-2014, former director Bill Campbell retired. He was replaced by BlackRock Founding Partner Susan Wagner, who, along with the rest of Apple’s board, is up for reelection in March....

Multiple leakers this morning have suggested the idea of the March 23rd date for Apple’s next product event. Apple often holds spring events to announce new products, but it isn’t a guarantee. Depending on the year, Apple sometimes releases products simply via press releases, like last year with the 2020 iPad Pro. The lines are blurred currently as ‘Apple events’ are all held virtually because of the pandemic, but the main difference between an event and press release announcements is the inclusion of a prepared scripted video presentation....

A month after rolling out carrier billing for iTunes and App Store content with German carrier O2, CNBC reports Apple is expanding the initiative with a similar service in Russia. The carrier billing feature allows customers to have purchases made from Apple’s iTunes and App Store charged directly to their wireless account with a local carrier. For Russia, Apple is reportedly first partnering with Amsterdam-based carrier VimpelCom for customers of its Beeline brand....

The Wall Street Journal reports that Taiwan’s Fair Trade Commission has fined Apple approximately US$670,000 for its attempts to influence phone pricing set by distributors and service providers in the region. According to a statement from the commission, Apple was forcing at least three carriers to submit pricing plans for iPhone ahead of offering the devices for sale: The report adds that Apple could face an additional fine of NT$50 million (around $1....

As Apple continues its marketing campaign for the Apple Watch along with its release, the company has shared a recent interview with Christy Turlington Burns hosted by fitness lead Jay Blahnik at the Regent Street Apple Store in London. Turlington Burns ran in the London Marathon on Sunday wearing the Apple Watch. Since her appearance on stage at Apple’s March event for the new device, she’s been highlighting using the Watch to prepare for the marathon with updates of her experience on Apple’s website each week....

Apple just issued a press release to confirm the iPhone 5 would land in South Korea and 50 additional countries in December. Apple noted that it has currently launched the iPhone 5 in 47 countries. Moreover, with the December launches announced today, it is on track to meet its goal of 100 countries by the end of the year. South Korea will officially get the device Dec. 7, while other countries will get access Dec....

While it’s widely rumored that the iPhone 7 will drop the headphone jack when it launches later this year, known Apple audio supplier Cirrus Logic may have hinted about how Apple plans to handle this transition. Speaking to analysts and investors during the company’s latest earnings call (via BI), CEO Jason Rhode made a few interesting comments about what might be planned for later this year. Cirrus Logic, which specializes in audio-related technology for mobile devices, has been traced back to hardware inside iPhones through product teardowns in the past, although the company is quiet about its relationship with Apple like most firms that partner with the iPhone maker....

Apple has made significant enhancements to its upcoming Health application for iOS 8 in the latest beta of the new iPhone operating system. Most notably, the Health application can now utilize the iPhone’s own M7 motion tracking hardware for data sourcing. The Health app’s Steps counter tab can now report steps without connecting to any third party applications or hardware devices. Because this feature likely uses the M7 processor, an iPhone 5s is required to get the steps data directly from the device…...

In the chaos of iPhone 7 preorder night last week, one widespread complaint was Apple’s apparent neglect of customers signed up with the company’s iPhone Upgrade Program. As Zac noted last week, one of the biggest problems with the plan is that customers must buy from Apple in-store, not from a third-party store like Best Buy or even online from Apple. Now, Apple has been hit with a class action lawsuit because the issues surrounding the iPhone Upgrade Program....

Not even a week after being requested to pull The New York Times app from the Chinese Apple App Store, both Apple and Google will have to pull the LinkedIn app from their respective app stores. According to The New York Times, the removal comes after a court ruled that LinkedIn had violated Russia’s data protection laws. The specifics of the court ruling indicate that any company that keeps personal digital data of Russian citizens must do so on physical servers within the country....

While this afternoon’s Apple announcements didn’t focus on the Apple TV, the company today did take the first steps towards officially phasing out the third-generation Apple TV model. Apple has removed the third-gen Apple TV from its online store, while a source indicates to us that Apple retail locations are also pulling the device from shelves. Apple has not officially commented on its phasing out of the third-gen Apple TV, though it’s clear that the process has at least begun....

Apple has been cleared of infringing five wireless patents originally held by Nokia in its iPhones and iPads. The patents were later acquired by a subsidiary of Conversant Intellectual Property Management Inc, which sued Apple for $100M by calculating a per-device license fee. Apple argued that even if it had infringed the patents, which it denied, a fair license fee would be less than $1M. Reuters reports that a federal jury in Texas took five hours to deliberate yesterday before finding in favor of Apple....

All Apple Stores outside of China are closed until further notice due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and it’s preventing some customers from picking up their repaired devices. Business Insider reports that customers who didn’t pick up their devices before stores closed are now unable to do so. As we noted last week, Apple Stores remained partially open for two days following the shutdown announcement. During this time, Apple contacted customers with pending device repairs and asked them to come pick up their products....