30/03/2026

BIZ & FINANCE MONDAY | MAR 30, 2026

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At 50, Apple confronts its next big challenge – AI o iPhone maker under pressure to deliver yet another culture-changing innovation

But the 28-year-old Baltimore resident’s search has brought him to a trio of vehicles that are essentially unavailable – because they’re from Chinese automakers. “I would love the opportunity to be able to get one in or even test-drive one,“ said Moosavy, who has narrowed his wish list to three models from BYD, Geely and Zeekr, attracted to their compactness, plush interiors, and above all, the price. Moosavy isn’t alone. As the average price of a new car in the US approaches US$50,000, more of the car-buying public is open to buying cheaper Chinese cars, despite resistance from the industry and both major US political parties. While Chinese autos hit the highways of Europe, Latin America and even Canada, the US government has effectively banned the cars with tariffs exceeding 100%, out of concerns over data security and protecting American jobs. In places like Europe, a number of Chinese SAN FRANCISCO: Apple celebrates its 50th anniversary as artificial intelligence challenges the Silicon Valley legend to prove it can deliver yet another culture-changing innovation. Steve Jobs, a driven marketing genius, and Steve Wozniak, who invented the Apple computer, revolutionised how people use technology in the internet age and built a company now worth more than US$3.6 trillion. The two college dropouts changed the way people use computers, listen to music and communicate on the go, giving rise to lifestyles revolving around smartphone apps. Apple’s hit products – the Mac, the iPhone, the Apple Watch and the iPad – command a cult-like following, long after the company’s humble beginnings on April 1, 1976 in Jobs’ Cupertino, California garage. Apple has sold more than 3.1 billion iPhones since the handsets debuted in 2007, generating about US$2.3 trillion in revenue, according to Counterpoint Research. For Counterpoint analyst Yang Wang, the iPhone is the most successful consumer electronics product ever, reshaping human communication while becoming “a global fashion and status symbol.” Before the iPhone, Apple shook up home computing with the 1984 Macintosh, whose icon-based interface and mouse made computing accessible beyond specialists – and sparked a legendary rivalry between Jobs and Microsoft’s Bill Gates. “Apple was founded on the simple notion that technology should be personal, and that belief – radical at the time – changed everything,” chief executive Tim Cook said in an anniversary letter posted online. Apple transformed the music market with the iPod and iTunes, made the smartphone a mass-market staple with the iPhone, and took tablets mainstream with the iPad. The Apple Watch quickly seized the lead in the smartwatch market, despite debuting later than its rivals. While not an inventor, Jobs – who died in 2011 at age 56 – was renowned for his uncompromising drive to marry technology with design to create products that were intuitive and hassle-free. Apple marketed the Macintosh as the “computer for the rest of us”, but it was the iPhone that fulfilled that promise, said David Pogue, author of the recently released “Apple: The First 50 Years.” The iPhone’s dominance reshaped Apple’s business model. With the premium smartphone market widely seen as saturated, Cook has increasingly turned to selling digital content and services to the company’s vast existing base of users. Central to that strategy is the App Store,

A man holds the newly released MacBook Neo during the ‘Special Apple Experience’ launch event at the Apple Store in the Manhattan borough of New York City. – AFPPIC

engineers to overhaul Siri, Apple has turned to Google for AI capability. But whether built in-house or outsourced, Apple’s obsession with user privacy and its premium hardware could position it to drive widespread adoption of personalized AI – and make it profitable, a goal that has proved elusive for much of the AI industry. Already, Apple’s AirPods are being steadily improved with sensors and smart software, and lessons learned from the Vision Pro could feed into AI smart glasses to rival Meta’s. “They are the ones that always seem able to create something so simple that users just fall in love with it,” said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies. – AFP

which Apple made the sole gateway to software on its devices, taking a cut of transactions – and thereby drawing accusations of monopoly abuse, regulatory scrutiny in Europe and court orders in the United States to open up its platform. No country has been more central to Apple’s rise – or more fraught for its future – than China, with Cook cementing ties to the Asian superpower through regular appearances at local Apple stores and official visits. Cook was the mastermind of the strategy that made China the primary manufacturing base for Apple devices, with the vast majority of iPhones assembled by contractor Foxconn and other suppliers in Chinese factories.

It is also one of Apple’s largest consumer markets, generating tens of billions of dollars in annual revenue. But the company faces mounting pressure on both fronts: trade tensions and tariffs have accelerated efforts to diversify manufacturing to India and Vietnam, while competition from domestic rivals such as Huawei has eaten into Apple’s Chinese market share. A concern haunting investors is that Apple appears to be easing into generative AI while rivals Google, Microsoft and OpenAI race ahead. A promised upgrade to its Siri digital assistant was delayed, in what analysts called a rare stumble for the company. And rather than relying on its own

Some US car buyers envy what they cannot have – affordable Chinese EVs DETROIT: Sooren Moosavy wants to buy an affordable electric car in the US, motivated by environmental concerns and a preference for the EV’s smoother ride. EVs sell at prices under US$30,000. Some of those cars include amenities like advanced driving assistance software, a built-in mini fridge, and the option to sing karaoke with your fellow passengers. government to keep Chinese carmakers out of the country, citing competitiveness concerns. Republican Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio said in January at an event at a Ford Motor plant that “as long as I have air in my body, there will not be Chinese vehicles sold in the United States of America.” brands into the US, and just 26% trust that they would comply with U.S. safety standards. Not meeting American safety standards is one reason Chinese EVs cannot yet be owned permanently in the US.

But those obstacles haven’t quieted the buzz. The Cox survey polled 802 US consumers who expect to buy a car in the next two years. Nearly half – 49% – rated Chinese cars as having very good or excellent value, and 40% say they support the idea of Chinese auto brands in the US market. Rich Benoit, a car enthusiast whose YouTube videos reviewing Chinese models garner millions of views, said the most compelling feature is the price. “That’s what a lot of people are looking for: efficient, quiet and low cost,“ he said. “They want to get to work – not everyone is a car enthusiast.” He’s considering buying a BYD model in Mexico and driving it across the border. “That’s the only way to get one. “They’ve been selling in Mexico for years ... I want to own a Chinese EV in America.” – Reuters

“The technology they offer for those lower price tags was astounding,“ said Clint Simone, senior features editor for car-shopping website Edmunds , who drove several Chinese vehicles while at the CES trade show earlier this year. China has surged past Japan in recent years to become the world’s top vehicle exporter. Canada became the latest country to open its doors to the cars, agreeing to cut tariffs to 6.1% on an initial allowance of 49,000 Chinese EVs annually. The cars are already being exported en masse to Mexico, where Chinese automakers are eyeing factory space. US President Donald Trump reiterated during an appearance in Detroit in January that he’s receptive to Chinese automakers opening stateside, as long as they employ US workers. But earlier this month, major auto trade groups submitted a letter urging the US

China’s embassy in Washington has rejected the automakers’ criticism, saying Chinese-made cars are popular because of their quality and technological innovation. Consumers have some concerns over allowing Chinese car imports, though, including over data security and protecting US businesses, survey results from The Harris Poll as well as Cox show. Rhett Ricart, an Ohio car dealer who sells several brands, including Ford, Chevrolet and Hyundai, said he has no doubt customers would snap up Chinese models if they became available. He and other dealers don’t want that to happen yet, according to a recent Cox Automotive survey, which found that just 15% of dealers supported the entry of Chinese auto