Share your best photos shot on iPhone<br/>Apple is kicking off 2019 by celebrating the most stunning photographs captured on iPhone, the world’s most popular camera, by inviting iPhone users to submit their best shots. <br/>From January 22 to February 7, Apple is looking for outstanding photographs for a Shot on iPhone Challenge. A panel of judges will review worldwide submissions and select 10 winning photos, to be announced in February. The winning photos will be featured on billboards in select cities, Apple retail stores and online. <br/>iPhone X<span class="all-small-caps">S</span>, iPhone X<span class="all-small-caps">S</span> Max, and iPhone X<span class="all-small-caps">R</span> bring innovations to photography, from sophisticated portraits with an adjustable depth of field, to Smart HDR which leverages multiple technologies — like faster sensors, an enhanced ISP and advanced algorithms — to bring more highlight and shadow detail to photos.<br/>Meet the Judges <br/><strong>Pete Souza (US)</strong><br /> Pete was the chief official White House photographer for President Obama. His book, “Obama: An Intimate Portrait,” debuted as the #1 New York Times bestseller and is one of the best-selling photography books of all time. <br/><strong>Austin Mann (US)</strong><br /> Austin is an iPhone photographer, filmmaker and creative who’s traveled around the world and has worked with numerous non-profit organizations to help better cast their vision worldwide. Austin has published iPhone photography reviews in outlets including National Geographic and CNN over the years. <br/><strong>Annet de Graaf (Netherlands)</strong><br /> Graaf is a travel photographer who uses iPhone exclusively for her craft. She’s the author of two iPhone photography books: “Morning Amsterdam” and the upcoming “GO d’Azur,” the latter of which was shot entirely on iPhone 8 Plus. She’s taken portraits of Syrian ballet dancer Ahmad Joudeh as well as the late mayor of Amsterdam, Eberhard van der Laan. <br/><strong>Luísa Dörr (Brazil)</strong><br /> Luísa is a photographer based in Brazil who rose to fame after she photographed TIME’s Firsts issue exclusively on iPhone. TIME won Documentary Project of the Year for the story in the prestigious Pictures of the Year International. <br/><strong>Chen Man (China)</strong><br /> Chen is a Chinese contemporary visual artist and entrepreneur who created a unique visual language that revolutionized fashion photography in China. Her work has been permanently collected at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. She also co-founded an Internet company called Vnision that developed photography-based social apps including Bigshot. <br/><strong>Phil Schiller</strong><br /> Phil has helped Apple reinvent mobile phones with iPhone. A keen photographer, Phil helps with efforts in developing breakthrough camera technology as senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.<br /> <br/><strong>Kaiann Drance</strong><br /> Kaiann works with talented teams at Apple to deliver products that put great photographic tools in the hands of many, including the first iPod touch with a camera and multiple generations of iPhone, in her role as senior director in Worldwide Product Marketing. <br/><strong>Brooks Kraft</strong><br /> Brooks is a professional photographer and worked in editorial and commercial photography prior to joining Apple. He was a contributing photographer at TIME magazine, where he covered the White House during the Bush and Obama administrations, as well as seven presidential campaigns. <br/><strong>Sebastien Marineau-Mes</strong><br> Sebastien brings over 20 years of software development knowledge to iPhone in his role as vice president of Software at Apple. His focus on advanced photography features includes innovations like Smart HDR and Portrait mode with Depth Control. <br/><strong>Jon McCormack</strong><br /> Jon is an accomplished photographer who currently leads Apple’s camera software team. Jon’s images have been published by international organizations including TIME, The New York Times, UNESCO, The Nature Conservancy, Africa Geographic and others. <br/><strong>Arem Duplessis</strong><br /> Arem works closely with some of the most accomplished photographers in the world in his role as the director of photography in Apple’s marketing team. He previously served as design director of The New York Times Magazine for nearly a decade. <br/>Submitting Your Best Shot <br/>Post your best photo taken on iPhone to Instagram or Twitter with the #ShotOniPhone hashtag to participate in the the Shot on iPhone Challenge. Weibo users can participate as well using #ShotOniPhone#. In the image caption, note which model was used. Alternatively, you can also submit the photo in its highest resolution to shotoniphone@apple.com with the file format ‘firstname<em>lastname</em>iphonemodel.’ Photos can be straight from the camera, edited through Apple’s editing tools in the Photos app or with third-party software. Submissions for photos begins at 12:01 a.m. PST on January 22 and ends at 11:59 p.m. PST on February 7. You must be 18 years of age or older to participate, and this challenge is not open to Apple employees or their immediate families. <br/>Ten winning photos will be featured on Apple Newsroom, Apple’s Instagram channels, <a href="https://www.apple.com/" target="_blank">apple.com</a>, in Apple retail stores, Apple WeChat, Apple Twitter accounts, Apple Weibo accounts and billboards around the world. Winners will be notified on or about February 26, 2019. <br/>If you’re submitting your photo on social media, you must make your photos public. Ineligible submissions include photos that violate or infringe upon another person’s rights, including but not limited to copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity or any other intellectual property rights or civil rights; contain sexually explicit, nude, obscene, violent or other objectionable or inappropriate content; or in any way disparage Apple or any other person or party. <br/>You retain your rights to your photograph; however, by submitting your photo, you grant Apple a royalty-free, world-wide, irrevocable, non-exclusive license for one year to use, modify, publish, display, distribute, create derivative works from and reproduce the photo on Apple Newsroom, <a href="https://www.apple.com/" target="_blank">apple.com</a>, Apple Twitter accounts, Apple Instagram (@Apple), in Apple retail stores, Apple Weibo, Apple WeChat, on billboards and any Apple internal exhibitions. Any photograph reproduced will include a photographer credit. If your photo is selected to be featured on a billboard, you further agree to grant Apple exclusive commercial use of the photo for the life of the license. <br/>Press Contacts<br/>Andrew Kelly,Apple,andrewkelly@apple.com,(669) 283-1423<br/>Apple Media Helpline,media.help@apple.com,(408) 974-2042<br/> […]

Apple Pay coming to Target, Taco Bell and more top US retail locations<br/>Seventy-Four of the Top 100 US Merchants Now Accept Apple Pay<br/>Target, Taco Bell, Hy-Vee supermarkets in the Midwest, Speedway convenience stores and Jack in the Box are the latest merchants to support Apple Pay, the most popular mobile contactless payment system in the world that lets customers easily and securely pay in stores using their iPhone and Apple Watch. With the addition of these national retailers, 74 of the top 100 merchants in the US and 65 percent of all retail locations across the country will support Apple Pay. <br/>“Whether customers are buying everyday household items, groceries, snacks for a road trip or grabbing a quick meal, Apple Pay is the easiest way to pay in stores, while also being secure and faster than using a credit or debit card at the register,” said Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Internet Services. “We’re thrilled even more customers will be able to pay at their favorite stores and restaurants using the Apple devices that are always with them.”<br /> <br/>Apple Pay is rolling out now in Target stores and will be available in all 1,850 locations across the US in the coming weeks. Customers can use Apple Pay today at more than 245 Hy-Vee stores in the Midwest and inside the store at all of Speedway’s approximately 3,000 locations across the Midwest, East Coast and Southeast. Apple Pay is also rolling out to more than 7,000 Taco Bell and 2,200 Jack in the Box locations in the next few months. <br/>These top merchants join other national retailers that already support Apple Pay. In 2018, Costco completed the rollout of Apple Pay to over 500 US warehouses and CVS Pharmacy introduced Apple Pay at all of its nearly 8,400 stand-alone locations. 7-Eleven launched Apple Pay at 95 percent of its US stores last year.&nbsp; <br/>Press Contacts<br/>Hannah Wong,Apple,hannahw@apple.com,(408) 974-7077<br/>Apple Media Helpline,media.help@apple.com,(408) 974-2042<br/> […]

Out of a culture of giving, a world of difference<br/>How Apple Volunteers are Helping Transform Lives<br/>Fourteen-year-old Michael Normoyle jumps out of his chair to write his cipher on the board: <em>ZLANZRVFZVPUNRY.</em> <br/>The rest of the class starts furiously scribbling at their desks, hoping to be the first to solve the puzzle. <br/>In coding class at Terence MacSwiney School in Cork, Ireland, things tend to get very competitive among this group of fourteen and fifteen year olds. That’s especially true for Normoyle and classmates Seán Harris and Michael McGlue — all three are vying to be named the year’s standout coding student. <br/>The program is part of a special initiative made possible by Apple volunteers from the company’s nearby Cork campus. Once a week, more than a dozen volunteers visit the school to help teach coding, drawing, photography, music and video. Since the program began three years ago, the school — one of the most economically disadvantaged in Ireland — and its students have been transformed. <br/>It’s one of thousands of organizations where Apple employees volunteer their time. And for every hour an employee gives, or dollar they donate, Apple provides matching funds for both. In 2018, that added up to more than a quarter of a million hours volunteered and more than $125 million donated to organizations around the world. <br/>That includes China, where Apple is one of the only global companies matching employee donations. Thirty-two Chinese charitable organizations are now eligible to receive funds, including the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, which aided more than 175,000 people across 24 provinces with disaster relief and preparedness in 2018 alone. <br/>“You have to create hope, no matter what context you work in. Sometimes you need a bit of help with that.” <br/>All told, since its inception eight years ago, Apple’s Giving program has become a powerful force for global good, raising more than $365 million for nonprofits around the world. Though if you ask the people whose lives have been changed by these efforts, they’ll tell you that the benefit can be measured in so much more than dollars and cents. <br/>“We have a lot of students that have the odds stacked against them,” says Terence MacSwiney’s Principal Phil O’Flynn. “But this program has helped nurture them, and we’ve discovered talents that we never knew they had.” <br/>Before they started the program, Normoyle, Harris and McGlue never expected their future careers to involve coding. All three would be the first in their families to complete a post-secondary degree, something their teacher Linda Cagney and Principal O’Flynn say is now well within their reach. <br/>“You have to create hope, no matter what context you work in,” says O’Flynn. “Sometimes you need a bit of help with that, and that’s what this program does — it lifts the school.” <br/>Back in coding class, students are still trying to decipher Normoyle’s cipher. Eventually, someone shouts out: “My name is Michael.”  <br/>He smiles, and confirms that’s exactly right. <br/><center><em>*</em></center> <br/>Lauren Cook, 24, was a senior at San Jose State University in 2017, working four jobs to make ends meet when she saw a flyer advertising a Second Harvest food pantry at the school. She left with more than bags full of fresh produce. <br/>“Second Harvest helped me become the person I am today — sorry, I’m getting a little emotional,” says Cook, through tears. “It meant I had to work only one job, and it allowed me to focus on being a college student.” <br/>Since the Great Recession in 2008, the number of people served each month by Second Harvest Food Bank in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties, which include most of Silicon Valley, has seen a 47 percent jump — from an average of 175,000 to 260,000. In 2018 alone that translated to almost 55 million meals. <br/>Apple’s history of volunteering with Second Harvest goes back to 2000. Last year, its employees spent almost 3000 hours sorting and distributing food, which makes the food bank one of the largest recipients of Apple volunteer hours in the US.&nbsp; <br/>“What’s so important about this partnership is that we have Apple volunteers that we can depend on,” said Second Harvest CEO Leslie Bacho. “That long-term commitment makes it possible to try new things and innovate, which includes our food pantries at colleges. It’s what gives me hope that if there’s anywhere in the country we can solve hunger, it would be here.” <br/><center><em>*</em></center> <br/>When Samuel Snowe, 29, opened the package containing his chest binder, he was surprised to find something else. <br/>“Be the person you want to be,” the note began. “Loving yourself is the first step. Thank you for being your amazing self.” <br/>It was signed only, ‘Megan.’ Snowe was overcome with emotion — those twenty one words reminded him he wasn’t alone.&nbsp; <br/>In 2009, Aydian Dowling came out as transgender, but medical insurance wouldn’t cover his transition. He eventually raised enough funds on his own and with the support of friends, but the negative experience left him wanting to help others. Two years ago, he co-founded Point of Pride, whose mission statement is “to benefit trans people in need through gender-affirming support programs that empower them to live more authentically.” <br/>That includes the organization’s apparel program, which has sent out more than 3500 free chest binders to people around the world including Snowe, along with a personal note of encouragement. <br/>The idea to include a note began when the organization linked up with Apple employee Liz Byrne, who now sits on Point of Pride’s board. Liz received a letter of encouragement from a close friend while going through a difficult time in high school. Liz has since organized almost 20 writing sessions at Apple’s Cupertino, Austin and Sacramento campuses, attended by hundreds of employees.&nbsp; <br/>For Snowe, receiving the free binder was essential, but he credits the note with even more.  <br/>“Being transgender, there’s a lot of moments where you don’t feel like you deserve to be alive — like you’re less of a human,” says Snowe. “And things like this remind us that we’re still human, we’re still alive, we’re still people, and we’re important to somebody.”  <br/>Press Contacts<br/>Apple Media Helpline,media.help@apple.com,(408) 974-2042<br/> […]

HomePod available in China starting Friday, January 18<br/>Breakthrough Wireless Speaker Delivers an Immersive Listening Experience with High-Fidelity Sound<br/>HomePod, the innovative wireless speaker from Apple, will be available in mainland China and Hong Kong markets starting Friday, January 18. <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/01/homepod-arrives-february-9-available-to-order-this-friday/" target="_blank">HomePod</a> delivers stunning audio quality wherever it’s placed, playing any style of music. It’s easy and fun for everyone to use in the home, provides unmatched stereo sound with a stereo pair that offers a wider, <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/05/ios-11-4-brings-stereo-pairs-and-multi-room-audio-with-airplay-2/" target="_blank">more immersive soundstage</a> than traditional stereo speakers, and works together with an Apple Music subscription to stream millions of songs directly to HomePod. <br/>HomePod supports AirPlay 2, creating an effortless way for people to stream audio content from popular apps and services directly from an iOS device to HomePod and still experience breakthrough audio quality, whether listening to an audiobook, live radio or other popular music services. <br/>“HomePod is the perfect wireless speaker for music lovers. It delivers an unmatched music listening experience with high-fidelity sound wherever it is placed and creates a new way to discover and interact with music using Siri,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “We’re excited to bring HomePod to our customers in mainland China and Hong Kong markets. We can’t wait for them to experience how great it sounds in their home, we think they are going to love it.” <br/>HomePod combines Apple-engineered audio technology and advanced software to set a new audio quality standard for a small speaker. Featuring an Apple-designed woofer for deep, clean bass, a custom array of seven beamforming tweeters that provide pure high frequency acoustics with incredible directional control and powerful technologies built right in, HomePod is able to preserve the richness and intent of the original recordings. <br/>HomePod is designed for voice control with an array of six microphones, so everyone in the family can interact with it from across the room, even while loud music is playing. Apple Music learns personal preferences based on the songs a user listens to and likes and these music tastes are shared across devices. Ask Siri to “play something I like” or choose from a variety of moods and genres such as Mandopop and Cantopop. HomePod, Apple Music and Siri deliver the best ad-free music experience in the home. <br/>The New Artist of the Week program provides new talent with a prominent platform across greater China for their work to be discovered. Since launching in 2015, Apple Music has featured the debut releases of popular new artists coming from all over Asia, with music spanning a wide variety of genres and languages. New artists from mainland China include Corsak, Chace, Lucie Cheung, Gong, Dean Ting and Lu Xianghui. Popular playlists include The A-List International Pop, Today’s Hits, Best of the Week, The A-List Mandopop and Mandopop Replay, containing recent Mandopop hits from the past five years. <br/>HomePod delivers an even more immersive listening experience when two HomePod speakers become a stereo pair, delivering high-fidelity sound with a wide soundstage. Using spatial awareness to sense their location in the room, each HomePod automatically adjusts the audio to sound great wherever it is placed and sound great together. And with AirPlay 2, it’s easy to stream music and other audio content from any AirPlay-supported apps, including QQ Music, DeDao, iHuman Story, Dragonfly FM and Penguin FM in mainland China, and Spotify, KKBOX, JOOX and Podcast in Hong Kong, and still experience high-fidelity sound from HomePod. <br/>AirPlay 2 delivers the best wireless multi-room audio system and makes it easy to play and control music throughout the house with a powerful yet simple interface that works across any AirPlay-compatible speakers and TVs. It’s easy to play music in another room, move music from one room to another or play the same song on multiple HomePod speakers. AirPlay 2 controls are available across iOS within any app and in Control Center for quick access to what’s playing in every room, on every speaker. <br/>HomePod is a convenient way to check the weather or the latest sports scores, set multiple timers and reminders, <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/09/homepod-adds-new-features-and-siri-languages/" target="_blank">make and receive phone calls</a> and more. In China, Siri on HomePod also offers storytelling for children, just say “Hey Siri, tell me a story.” As a smart home hub, HomePod controls a wide range of <a href="https://www.apple.com/ios/home/" target="_blank">HomeKit</a> smart home accessories, including lights, air quality monitors, door locks, security cameras and more, from over 50 brands worldwide.¹Simply say, “Hey Siri, what’s the air quality in my home?” or “Hey Siri, turn on the lights in the kitchen and living room.” <br/>Siri Shortcuts, introduced with iOS 12, open up a world of apps to work on HomePod. As Siri learns routines and suggests “shortcuts” on iPhone and iPad, these same shortcuts are now accessible on HomePod. Personalizing shortcuts for HomePod with a series of tasks is easy with a new Shortcuts app. For example, “Hey Siri, Good Morning” could run a routine that turns on the kitchen lights, starts the water kettle, shares the weather forecast and then plays a favorite playlist — all with one simple, customizable command. <br/>Security and privacy are fundamental to the design of Apple hardware, software and services. With HomePod, only after “Hey Siri” is recognized locally on the device will any information be sent to Apple servers, encrypted and sent using an anonymous Siri identifier. Searches and requests are not associated with a specific identity, so personal information isn’t gathered to sell to advertisers or other organizations. End-to-end encryption ensures that data cannot be accessed, even by Apple. Personal requests, such as the ability to send messages, make phone calls, check calendar appointments and more, are only available if the feature is turned on in Settings and the iOS device is on the same network as HomePod. <br/>HomePod will be available starting Friday, January 18 in mainland China and Hong Kong markets in white and space gray. HomePod is available in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico and Spain. HomePod is compatible with iPhone 5s or later, iPad Pro, iPad Air or later, iPad mini 2 or later, or iPod touch (6th generation). <br/>¹ HomeKit accessories may not be available in all areas.<br/>Press Contacts<br/>Jacqueline Roy,Apple,jacqueline_roy@apple.com ,(408) 862-4386<br/>Apple Media Helpline,media.help@apple.com,(408) 974-2042<br/> […]

App Store caps record-breaking 2018 with blockbuster holiday week<br/>Customers Spent $1.22B During the 2018 Holiday and Kicked off 2019 With a New Single-Day Record on New Year’s Day<br/>Cupertino, California — Apple today announced that App Store customers worldwide set new spending records over the holidays, wrapping up a record-breaking year. App Store spending topped $1.22 billion between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Customers also spent over $322 million on New Year’s Day 2019 alone, setting a new single-day record. <br/>“The App Store had a record-breaking holiday week and New Year's Day. The holiday week was our biggest week ever with more than $1.22 billion spent on apps and games, and New Year’s Day set a new single-day record at more than $322 million,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Thanks to the inspiring work of our talented developers and the support of our incredible customers around the world, the App Store finished off an outstanding 2018 and kicked off 2019 with a bang.” <br/>Apple announced Wednesday that the App Store helped drive Services revenue to an all-time record in the holiday quarter. Apple services set new all-time records in multiple categories, including the App Store, Apple Music, Cloud Services, Apple Pay and the App Store’s search ad business.<br /> <br/>Gaming and self-care were the most popular categories of app downloads and subscriptions during the holidays. Globally, multiplayer games including Fortnite and PUBG were among the top downloaded games over the holidays, along with Brawl Stars, Asphalt 9 and Monster Strike. Productivity, Health &amp; Fitness and Education apps are already capturing the attention of customers in the first few days of the year with 1Password, Sweat and Lumosity charting in their respective categories.<br> <br/>Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple’s four software platforms — iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.<br /> <br/>Press Contacts<br/>Stephanie Saffer,Apple, ssaffer@apple.com ,(408) 974-5160 <br/>Tammy Levine,Apple,tammy_levine@apple.com,(408) 862-8600<br/>Apple Media Helpline,media.help@apple.com,(408) 974-2042<br/> […]

Letter from Tim Cook to Apple investors<br/>January 2, 2019<br> <br/>To Apple investors: <br/>Today we are revising our guidance for Apple’s fiscal 2019 first quarter, which ended on December 29. We now expect the following: <br/><ul> <li>Revenue of approximately $84 billion</li> <li>Gross margin of approximately 38 percent</li> <li>Operating expenses of approximately $8.7 billion</li> <li>Other income/(expense) of approximately $550 million</li> <li>Tax rate of approximately 16.5 percent before discrete items</li> </ul> <br/>We expect the number of shares used in computing diluted EPS to be approximately 4.77 billion. <br/>Based on these estimates, our revenue will be lower than our original guidance for the quarter, with other items remaining broadly in line with our guidance.  <br/>While it will be a number of weeks before we complete and report our final results, we wanted to get some preliminary information to you now. Our final results may differ somewhat from these preliminary estimates.  <br/>When we discussed our Q1 guidance with you about 60 days ago, we knew the first quarter would be impacted by both macroeconomic and Apple-specific factors. Based on our best estimates of how these would play out, we predicted that we would report slight revenue growth year-over-year for the quarter. As you may recall, we discussed four factors: <br/>First, we knew the different timing of our iPhone launches would affect our year-over-year compares. Our top models, iPhone X<span class="all-small-caps">S</span> and iPhone X<span class="all-small-caps">S</span> Max, shipped in Q4’18—placing the channel fill and early sales in that quarter, whereas last year iPhone X shipped in Q1’18, placing the channel fill and early sales in the December quarter. We knew this would create a difficult compare for Q1’19, and this played out broadly in line with our expectations. <br/>Second, we knew the strong US dollar would create foreign exchange headwinds and forecasted this would reduce our revenue growth by about 200 basis points as compared to the previous year. This also played out broadly in line with our expectations. <br/>Third, we knew we had an unprecedented number of new products to ramp during the quarter and predicted that supply constraints would gate our sales of certain products during Q1. Again, this also played out broadly in line with our expectations. Sales of Apple Watch Series 4 and iPad Pro were constrained much or all of the quarter. AirPods and MacBook Air were also constrained. <br/>Fourth, we expected economic weakness in some emerging markets. This turned out to have a significantly greater impact than we had projected.  <br/>In addition, these and other factors resulted in fewer iPhone upgrades than we had anticipated.  <br/>These last two points have led us to reduce our revenue guidance. I’d like to go a bit deeper on both.  <br/><strong>Emerging Market Challenges</strong> <br/>While we anticipated some challenges in key emerging markets, we did not foresee the magnitude of the economic deceleration, particularly in Greater China. In fact, most of our revenue shortfall to our guidance, and over 100 percent of our year-over-year worldwide revenue decline, occurred in Greater China across iPhone, Mac and iPad. <br/>China’s economy began to slow in the second half of 2018. The government-reported GDP growth during the September quarter was the second lowest in the last 25 years. We believe the economic environment in China has been further impacted by rising trade tensions with the United States. As the climate of mounting uncertainty weighed on financial markets, the effects appeared to reach consumers as well, with traffic to our retail stores and our channel partners in China declining as the quarter progressed. And market data has shown that the contraction in Greater China’s smartphone market has been particularly sharp. <br/>Despite these challenges, we believe that our business in China has a bright future. The iOS developer community in China is among the most innovative, creative and vibrant in the world. Our products enjoy a strong following among customers, with a very high level of engagement and satisfaction. Our results in China include a new record for Services revenue, and our installed base of devices grew over the last year. We are proud to participate in the Chinese marketplace. <br/><strong>iPhone</strong> <br/>Lower than anticipated iPhone revenue, primarily in Greater China, accounts for all of our revenue shortfall to our guidance and for much more than our entire year-over-year revenue decline. In fact, categories outside of iPhone (Services, Mac, iPad, Wearables/Home/Accessories) combined to grow almost 19 percent year-over-year.  <br/>While Greater China and other emerging markets accounted for the vast majority of the year-over-year iPhone revenue decline, in some developed markets, iPhone upgrades also were not as strong as we thought they would be. While macroeconomic challenges in some markets were a key contributor to this trend, we believe there are other factors broadly impacting our iPhone performance, including consumers adapting to a world with fewer carrier subsidies, US dollar strength-related price increases, and some customers taking advantage of significantly reduced pricing for iPhone battery replacements.  <br/><strong>Many Positive Results in the December Quarter</strong> <br/>While it’s disappointing to revise our guidance, our performance in many areas showed remarkable strength in spite of these challenges.  <br/>Our installed base of active devices hit a new all-time high—growing by more than 100 million units in 12 months. There are more Apple devices being used than ever before, and it’s a testament to the ongoing loyalty, satisfaction and engagement of our customers.  <br/>Also, as I mentioned earlier, revenue outside of our iPhone business grew by almost 19 percent year-over-year, including all-time record revenue from Services, Wearables and Mac. Our non-iPhone businesses have less exposure to emerging markets, and the vast majority of Services revenue is related to the size of the installed base, not current period sales.  <br/>Services generated over $10.8 billion in revenue during the quarter, growing to a new quarterly record in every geographic segment, and we are on track to achieve our goal of doubling the size of this business from 2016 to 2020. <br/>Wearables grew by almost 50 percent year-over-year, as Apple Watch and AirPods were wildly popular among holiday shoppers; launches of MacBook Air and Mac mini powered the Mac to year-over-year revenue growth and the launch of the new iPad Pro drove iPad to year-over-year double-digit revenue growth.  <br/>We also expect to set all-time revenue records in several developed countries, including the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Korea. And, while we saw challenges in some emerging markets, others set records, including Mexico, Poland, Malaysia and Vietnam. <br/>Finally, we also expect to report a new all-time record for Apple’s earnings per share. <br/><strong>Looking Ahead</strong> <br/>Our profitability and cash flow generation are strong, and we expect to exit the quarter with approximately $130 billion in net cash. As we have stated before, we plan to become net-cash neutral over time. <br/>As we exit a challenging quarter, we are as confident as ever in the fundamental strength of our business. We manage Apple for the long term, and Apple has always used periods of adversity to re-examine our approach, to take advantage of our culture of flexibility, adaptability and creativity, and to emerge better as a result.  <br/>Most importantly, we are confident and excited about our pipeline of future products and services. Apple innovates like no other company on earth, and we are not taking our foot off the gas. <br/>We can’t change macroeconomic conditions, but we are undertaking and accelerating other initiatives to improve our results. One such initiative is making it simple to trade in a phone in our stores, finance the purchase over time, and get help transferring data from the current to the new phone. This is not only great for the environment, it is great for the customer, as their existing phone acts as a subsidy for their new phone, and it is great for developers, as it can help grow our installed base.  <br/>This is one of a number of steps we are taking to respond. We can make these adjustments because Apple’s strength is in our resilience, the talent and creativity of our team, and the deeply held passion for the work we do every day. <br/>Expectations are high for Apple because they should be. We are committed to exceeding those expectations every day. <br/>That has always been the Apple way, and it always will be. <br/>Tim <br/>The information presented in this letter is preliminary and our actual results may differ. Apple plans to discuss final results during our first quarter conference call on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. PST / 5:00 p.m. EST. <br/>This letter contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include without limitation those about Apple’s estimated revenue, gross margin, operating expenses, other income/(expense), tax rate, net cash, share count and plans for return of capital. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation: the effect of global and regional economic conditions on Apple’s business, including effects on purchasing decisions by consumers and businesses; the ability of Apple to compete in markets that are highly competitive and subject to rapid technological change; the ability of Apple to manage frequent introductions and transitions of products and services, including delivering to the marketplace, and stimulating customer demand for, new products, services and technological innovations on a timely basis; the effect that shifts in the mix of products and services and in the geographic, currency or channel mix, component cost increases, price competition, or the introduction of new products, including new products with higher cost structures, could have on Apple’s gross margin; the dependency of Apple on the performance of distributors of Apple’s products, including cellular network carriers and other resellers; the inventory and other asset risks associated with Apple’s need to order, or commit to order, product components in advance of customer orders; the continued availability on acceptable terms, or at all, of certain components, services and new technologies essential to Apple’s business, including components and technologies that may only be available from single or limited sources; the dependency of Apple on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties, many of which are located outside of the US and which may affect the quality, quantity or cost of products manufactured or services rendered to Apple; the effect of product and services design and manufacturing defects on Apple’s financial performance and reputation; the dependency of Apple on third-party intellectual property and digital content, which may not be available to Apple on commercially reasonable terms or at all; the dependency of Apple on support from third-party software developers to develop and maintain software applications and services for Apple’s products; the impact of unfavorable legal proceedings, such as a potential finding that Apple has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; the impact of changes to laws and regulations that affect Apple’s activities, including Apple’s ability to offer products or services to customers in different regions; the ability of Apple to manage risks associated with its international activities, including complying with laws and regulations affecting Apple’s international operations; the ability of Apple to manage risks associated with Apple’s retail stores; the ability of Apple to manage risks associated with Apple’s investments in new business strategies and acquisitions; the impact on Apple’s business and reputation from information technology system failures, network disruptions or losses or unauthorized access to, or release of, confidential information; the ability of Apple to comply with laws and regulations regarding data protection; the continued service and availability of key executives and employees; political events, international trade disputes, war, terrorism, natural disasters, public health issues, and other business interruptions that could disrupt supply or delivery of, or demand for, Apple’s products; financial risks, including risks relating to currency fluctuations, credit risks and fluctuations in the market value of Apple’s investment portfolio; and changes in tax rates and exposure to additional tax liabilities. More information on these risks and other potential factors that could affect Apple’s financial results is included in Apple’s filings with the SEC, including in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of Apple’s most recently filed periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and subsequent filings. Apple assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates. <br/>Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple’s four software platforms — iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it. <br/>Press Contact<br/>Josh Rosenstock,Apple,jrosenstock@apple.com,(408) 862-1142<br/>Investor Relations Contacts<br/>Nancy Paxton,Apple,paxton1@apple.com,(408) 974-5420<br/>Matt Blake,Apple,mattblake@apple.com,(408) 974-7406<br/>© 2019 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.<br/> […]

John Giannandrea named to Apple’s executive team<br/>Cupertino, California — Apple today announced that John Giannandrea has been named to the company’s executive team as senior vice president of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Strategy. He joined Apple in April 2018. <br/>Giannandrea oversees the strategy for AI and Machine Learning across all Apple products and services, as well as the development of Core ML and Siri technologies. His team's focus on advancing and tightly integrating machine learning into Apple products is delivering more personal, intelligent and natural interactions for customers while protecting user privacy.  <br/>“John hit the ground running at Apple and we are thrilled to have him as part of our executive team,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Machine learning and AI are important to Apple’s future as they are fundamentally changing the way people interact with technology, and already helping our customers live better lives. We’re fortunate to have John, a leader in the AI industry, driving our efforts in this critical area.”  <br/>Giannandrea’s team is also helping to enhance the developer experience with tools including Core ML and Create ML, making it easier and faster to integrate machine learning into apps. <br/>Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple’s four software platforms — iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.<br> <br/>Press Contacts<br/>Cat Franklin,Apple,cfranklin3@apple.com,(669) 276-1209<br/>Apple Media Helpline,media.help@apple.com,(408) 974-2042<br/> […]

Shot on iPhone X<span class="all-small-caps">R</span> and iPhone X<span class="all-small-caps">S</span>: Holiday cheer, winter landscapes and more<br/>Photographers around the world are capturing stunning images this holiday season with iPhone X<span class="all-small-caps">r</span>, iPhone X<span class="all-small-caps">s</span> and iPhone X<span class="all-small-caps">s</span> Max. <br/>New camera features including Smart HDR bring better highlight and shadow detail across photos. iPhone’s Portrait mode adds a dramatic background blur, and the larger and deeper pixels improve low-light performance in photos. <br/>For tips and techniques to help capture great photos and videos on iPhone, visit: <a href="https://www.apple.com/iphone/photography-how-to/" target="_blank">apple.com/iphone/photography-how-to/</a>. <br/>Press Contacts<br/>Andrew Kelly,Apple,andrewkelly@apple.com,(669) 283-1423<br/>Michele Wyman,Apple,michele_wyman@apple.com,(669) 276-1208<br/>Apple Media Helpline,media.help@apple.com,(408) 974-2042<br/> […]

Apple to build new campus in Austin and add jobs across the US<br/>New sites in Seattle, San Diego and Culver City, California<br/>Cupertino, California and Austin, Texas — Apple today announced a major expansion of its operations in Austin, including an investment of $1 billion to build a new campus in North Austin. The company also announced plans to establish new sites in Seattle, San Diego and Culver City and expand in cities across the United States including Pittsburgh, New York and Boulder, Colorado over the next three years, with the potential for additional expansion elsewhere in the US over time. <br/>The announcement caps a year of continued job creation. Apple added 6,000 jobs to its American workforce in 2018 and now employs 90,000 people in all 50 states. As announced in January, the company is on track to create 20,000 jobs in the US by 2023. In 16 states, Apple today employs over 1,000 people. <br/>“Apple is proud to bring new investment, jobs and opportunity to cities across the United States and to significantly deepen our quarter-century partnership with the city and people of Austin,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Talent, creativity and tomorrow’s breakthrough ideas aren’t limited by region or zip code, and, with this new expansion, we’re redoubling our commitment to cultivating the high-tech sector and workforce nationwide.” <br/>Austin Campus <br/>Apple’s newest Austin campus will be located less than a mile from its existing facilities. The 133-acre campus will initially accommodate 5,000 additional employees, with the capacity to grow to 15,000, and is expected to make Apple the largest private employer in Austin. <br/>“Apple is among the world’s most innovative companies and an avid creator of jobs in Texas and across the country,” said Texas Governor Greg Abbott. “Their decision to expand operations in our state is a testament to the high-quality workforce and unmatched economic environment that Texas offers. I thank Apple for this tremendous investment in Texas, and I look forward to building upon our strong partnership to create an even brighter future for the Lone Star State.” <br/>Jobs created at the new campus will include a broad range of functions including engineering, R&amp;D, operations, finance, sales and customer support. At 6,200 people, Austin already represents the largest population of Apple employees outside Cupertino. <br/>“Apple has been a vital part of the Austin community for a quarter century, and we are thrilled that they are deepening their investment in our people and the city we love,” said Austin Mayor Steve Adler. “Apple and Austin share a creative spark and a commitment to getting big things done. We share their commitment to diversity and inclusion. We’re excited they are bringing more middle-skilled jobs to the area. And we’re particularly gratified by their commitment to providing a great place to work for a large and growing number of America's veterans.” <br/>“Apple is truly a part of our Texas family,” said Williamson County Director of Administration Rebecca Clemons. “Apple’s vision on innovation, quality and simplicity align with the values here in Williamson County. We are both committed to continued job creation and outstanding quality of life. This new expansion is a perfect example of the astounding growth and opportunity that are possible when a company and a community work together.” <br/>The new campus will include 50 acres of preserved open space and, like all Apple facilities worldwide, its workspaces will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy. <br/>Nationwide Growth <br/>Apple plans to grow its employee base in regions across the United States over the next three years, expanding to over 1,000 employees in Seattle, San Diego and Culver City each, and adding hundreds of new jobs in Pittsburgh, New York, Boulder, Boston and Portland, Oregon. The company recently opened its newest office in Nashville, Tennessee and Apple’s Miami office is projected to double in size. <br/>Apple plans to invest $10 billion in US data centers over the next five years, including $4.5 billion this year and next. Apple’s data centers in North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada are currently being expanded. In Iowa, preparations are underway for the company’s newest <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2017/08/apples-next-us-data-center-will-be-built-in-iowa/" target="_blank">data center in Waukee</a>. All of the company’s data centers are run on 100 percent renewable energy. <br/>Apple’s Job Creation <br/>Apple is already responsible for creating and supporting more than 2 million jobs in all 50 states, including workers at 9,000 suppliers and manufacturers in the US. The booming App Store ecosystem is responsible for more than 1.5 million American jobs, bringing growth and opportunity from Atlanta to Anchorage, Alaska. <br/>Apple’s job creation efforts span a wide range of roles — from advanced design, engineering and research, to the most innovative retail, operations and customer support functions in the world. Apple operates retail stores in 44 states plus the District of Columbia, and has added 7,000 US retail jobs over the past five years. Apple plans to add more stores and reimagine the customer experience at many existing retail locations across the country. <br/>Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple’s four software platforms — iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it. <br/>Press Contacts<br/>Fred Sainz,Apple, sainz@apple.com ,(669) 227-0492<br/>Colin Johnson,Apple, colin_johnson@apple.com ,(408) 974-6284<br/>Apple Media Helpline,media.help@apple.com,(408) 974-2042<br/> […]

ECG app and irregular heart rhythm notification available today on Apple Watch<br/>Starting today, the ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 marks the first direct-to-consumer product that enables customers to take an electrocardiogram right from their wrist, capturing heart rhythm in a moment when they experience symptoms like a rapid or skipped heart beat and helping to provide critical data to physicians. The irregular rhythm notification feature on Apple Watch can now also occasionally check heart rhythms in the background and send a notification if an irregular heart rhythm that appears to be atrial fibrillation (AFib) is identified. Apple worked with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a number of years to receive De Novo classification for the ECG app and the irregular heart rhythm notification, making the features available over the counter. <br/>Available today as part of a free update to watchOS 5.1.2, the ECG app¹ and irregular heart rhythm notification feature² will help users identify signs of AFib, the most common form of irregular rhythm. When left untreated, AFib is one of the leading conditions that can result in stroke, the second most common cause of death around the world. The CDC estimates AFib can affect up to two percent of the younger population and nine percent of those 65 years and older in the US. <br/>“Apple Watch has helped so many people around the world and we are humbled that it has become such an important part of our customers’ lives,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. “With the release of these heart features, Apple Watch takes the next step in empowering people with more information about their health.” <br/>“We are confident in the ability of these features to help users have more informed conversations with their physicians,” said Sumbul Desai, MD, Apple’s vice president of Health. “With the ECG app and irregular rhythm notification feature, customers can now better understand aspects of their heart health in a more meaningful way.” <br/>ECG App <br/>New electrodes built into the back crystal and Digital Crown on Apple Watch Series 4 work together with the ECG app to enable customers to take an ECG similar to a single-lead reading. To take an ECG recording at any time or following an irregular rhythm notification, users launch the new ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 and hold their finger on the Digital Crown. As the user touches the Digital Crown, the circuit is completed and electrical signals across their heart are measured. After 30 seconds, the heart rhythm is classified as either AFib, sinus rhythm or inconclusive. All recordings, their associated classifications and any noted symptoms are stored securely in the Health app on iPhone. Users can share a PDF of the results with physicians. <br/>Irregular Rhythm Notification <br/>Using the optical heart sensor in Apple Watch Series 1 or later, the irregular rhythm notification feature will occasionally check the user’s heart rhythm in the background for signs of an irregular heart rhythm that appears to be AFib and alerts the user with a notification if an irregular rhythm is detected on five rhythm checks over a minimum of 65 minutes. <br/>“The role that technology plays in allowing patients to capture meaningful data about what’s happening with their heart, right when it’s happening, like the functionality of an on-demand ECG, could be significant in new clinical care models and shared decision making between people and their healthcare providers,” said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, the world’s leading voluntary organization focused on heart and brain health. “At the American Heart Association, we are committed to educating and empowering people to be proactive in all areas of their heart health and general well-being.” <br/>“The idea that wearables can be used by both patients and their health care providers to manage and improve heart health holds promise and should also be approached with caution to ensure information and data are used responsibly and in concert with other evidence-based tools and guidelines,” said C. Michael Valentine, MD, FACC, president of the American College of Cardiology. “The ACC, through its focus on innovation, is committed to exploring ways that new technologies can optimize patient care and outcomes.” <br/>The ECG app’s ability to accurately classify an ECG recording into AFib and sinus rhythm was validated in a clinical trial of around 600 participants. Rhythm classification from a gold standard 12-lead ECG by a cardiologist was compared to the rhythm classification of a simultaneously collected ECG from the ECG app. The study found the ECG app on Apple Watch demonstrated 98.3 percent sensitivity in classifying AFib and 99.6 percent specificity in classifying sinus rhythm in classifiable recordings. In the study, 87.8 percent of recordings could be classified by the ECG app. <br/>The irregular rhythm notification feature was recently studied in the Apple Heart Study. With over 400,000 participants, the Apple Heart Study was the largest screening study on atrial fibrillation ever conducted, also making it one of the largest cardiovascular trials to date. A subset of the data from the Apple Heart Study was submitted to the FDA to support clearance of the irregular rhythm notification feature. In that sub-study, of the participants that received an irregular rhythm notification on their Apple Watch while simultaneously wearing an ECG patch, 80 percent showed AFib on the ECG patch and 98 percent showed AFib or other clinically relevant arrhythmias. <br/>To enable these new heart features, customers will be taken through an onscreen setup flow that includes details about who can use these features, what the features can and cannot do, what results users may get, how to interpret those results and clear instructions for what to do if users are feeling symptoms that require immediate medical attention. <br/>watchOS 5.1.2 will be available for download today. More information on the ECG app can be found <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208955/" target="_blank">here</a> and more information on the irregular rhythm notification can be found <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208931/" target="_blank">here</a>. Medical professionals and providers can find more information on Apple Watch, the ECG app and irregular rhythm notifications <a href="https://www.apple.com/healthcare/apple-watch/" target="_blank">here</a>. <br/>¹ This feature is available on Apple Watch Series 4 in the US, Puerto Rico, Guam and US Virgin Islands, and requires iPhone 5s or later on iOS 12.1.1. The ECG app does not detect a heart attack, blood clots, a stroke or other heart-related conditions including high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, high cholesterol or other forms of arrhythmia. <br> ² This feature is available for Apple Watch Series 1 and later and requires iPhone 5s or later on iOS 12.1.1 in the US, Puerto Rico, Guam and US Virgin Islands. The irregular rhythm notification feature does not detect a heart attack, blood clots, a stroke or other heart-related conditions including high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, high cholesterol or other forms of arrhythmia.<br/>Press Contacts<br/>Lance Lin,Apple,lance_lin@apple.com,(408) 974-5036<br/>Nikki Rothberg,Apple,nrothberg@apple.com,(408) 974-4427<br/>Apple Media Helpline,media.help@apple.com,(408) 974-2042<br/> […]