Group 1: Apple Inc. - Apple is positioned strongly for the holiday shopping season, having driven 26% of smartphone sales during China's Singles Day event [1] - The company is expected to achieve over $130 billion in revenue this quarter, marking it as potentially the best quarter in its history [2] - The iPhone 17 has received positive consumer feedback as an upgrade over the disappointing iPhone 16, which was linked to AI shortcomings [3] Group 2: AI Competition - Apple is still perceived to be lagging in AI development, although the pace of AI advancements has been slower than anticipated [4][5] - Google has centralized its AI operations under the Google DeepMind unit, moving around 250 engineers from its search division to enhance AI capabilities [7] - Google's search business remains strong and unchallenged, generating $56 billion in revenue in the most recent quarter, while AI advertising is projected to reach $24 billion by 2030 [8][9] Group 3: OpenAI - OpenAI has gained significant traction with around 800 to 900 million weekly users of ChatGPT, indicating strong user engagement [10] - The potential for OpenAI and Google to coexist in the market is acknowledged, with both companies likely to have substantial businesses operating side by side [12] - Concerns exist regarding Apple's ability to catch up in AI, with expectations that significant advancements may not occur until mid-next year [13]
AI remains a long-term threat for Apple, says Big Technology's Alex Kantrowitz