Apple Insider
Our industry expert rounds-up the biggest Apple corporate stories circulating this month
iPhone dials new record
With 13 million sales in three days, Apple’s iPhone 6s set fresh first weekend sales records once again. Calling the sales “phenomenal”, Apple CEO, Tim Cook, said they “[blew] past any previous first weekend sales results in Apple’s history”. Analysts think this is partly because the new phones initially shipped in 12 regions, including China, versus just 10 for last year’s iPhone 6.
IHS expects Apple to ship 236 million iPhones this year, 22% up on 2014. “Apple has changed the smartphone market. People spend more on their smartphones now than they did pre-iPhone and Apple has grown its share of the premium market at the expense of Samsung, LG and others. They have shaped the market as an Apple market”, said IHS analyst, Ian Fogg.
Apple rings Boeing’s Bell
Apple has recruited former chief financial officer and corporate president of The Boeing Company, James A. Bell to its Board of Directors. Bell brings four decades of experience in finance, strategic planning and leadership to Apple. During his 38 years at Boeing, he also oversaw Boeing Capital Corporation and Boeing Shared Services, and was interim CEO of Boeing in 2005. Bell is a member of the boards of directors of JP Morgan Chase, Dow Chemical Company, CDW, and a Trustee of Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center. He has an interest in education and has worked with New Leaders for New Schools to help develop talented educators, and served on many community-based boards.
Siri calls on UK’s VocalIQ
Apple has acquired UK speech technology startup, VocalIQ, a developer of self-learning natural speech-based user interfaces for applications including cars, wearables and internet-connected devices.
A previous VocalIQ blog wrote: “All major technology companies are pouring billions into building up of services like Siri, Google Now, Cortana and Alexa... Some ended being used only as toys, like Siri. The rest, forgotten. Unsurprisingly”. Apple has said nothing beyond its standard response that it “buys smaller technology companies from time to time”.