Apple's AI Investments Bring It to Edge of $4 Trillion Valuation

Group 1 - Apple has surpassed Nvidia and Microsoft in market valuation, with shares rising 16% recently, adding approximately $500 billion to its market capitalization [1] - Morgan Stanley analyst Erik Woodring identifies Apple as the brokerage's "top pick" for the upcoming year, attributing muted near-term iPhone demand to limited features and geographic availability [2] - Apple is on the verge of becoming a $4 trillion company, driven by the iPhone "supercycles," which refer to a surge in consumer upgrades leading to increased sales [3] Group 2 - OpenAI has launched more integrations of ChatGPT with Apple desktop apps, enhancing user automation capabilities [4] - Apple is in discussions with Tencent and ByteDance to incorporate AI models into its smartphones sold in China, aiming to bolster its AI offerings [5] - Analyst Tom Forte notes that investor enthusiasm for AI is expected to lead to a supercycle of iPhone upgrades [6] Group 3 - Apple anticipates overall revenue growth in the "low- to mid-single digits" for its fiscal first quarter, raising questions about iPhone 16 sales momentum, although analysts predict a recovery in iPhone revenue next year [7] - OpenAI's Chief Product Officer indicates that ChatGPT will evolve to perform tasks on behalf of users, enhancing its integration with Apple devices, although the chatbot is not available in China [8]