Yahoo Finance·2026-01-21 16:50Group 1 - Artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly driven the rally in tech stocks, with the Nasdaq Composite surging by 115% over the past three years due to heavy spending on AI hardware and software solutions [1] - Apple has underperformed the broader tech sector, with its stock rising only 89% compared to the Nasdaq's triple-digit gains, primarily due to the lack of groundbreaking AI-related initiatives [2] - Despite recent underperformance, Apple is expected to benefit from the proliferation of AI, making it a potentially smart long-term investment for patient investors [2] Group 2 - AI is projected to become a growth driver for Apple, with the global smartphone market expected to see a 2% shipment growth in 2025, while Apple's iPhone shipments grew by 10% last year, giving it a 20% market share [4] - The success of Apple's latest iPhone lineup, which includes the Apple Intelligence suite of features, has contributed to its robust growth and increased user adoption [5] - Apple is enhancing its AI offerings, including improvements to its Siri voice assistant through collaboration with Alphabet's Gemini large language model, which could lead to monetization opportunities for Apple [6][7] Group 3 - The partnership with Alphabet's Gemini could be beneficial for both companies, as it allows Apple to enhance its devices while potentially sharing in subscription revenue from Alphabet's monetization efforts [7] - Alphabet's Gemini is gaining traction in the generative AI space, competing with OpenAI's ChatGPT, and the partnership may help both companies capitalize on the intelligent virtual assistant market, projected to generate nearly $179 billion in revenue by 2034 [8]