Samsung warns of 60 per cent drop in quarterly profits as smartphone sales slide April 5, 2019 Samsung Electronics has warned its first quarter profits are likely to plunge 60 per cent compared to the same period last year. The South Korean tech firm said its profit for the first three months of the year was likely to be between 6.1 trillion and 6.2 trillion won (£4.1bn), down from 13.6 trillion won [...]
DEBATE: Is Apple’s move into finance with the launch of a credit card a good idea for the tech giant? April 2, 2019 Is Apple’s move into finance with the launch of a credit card a good idea for the tech giant? YES, says Andrew Mitchell, vice president at JCB. Despite the steady growth of Apple Pay, it’s relatively early for Apple in the payments sphere. However, this product could be a catalyst, strengthening Apple’s position in financial services [...]
Global music industry revenue grows 10 per cent as streaming booms April 2, 2019 Global music industry revenues grew almost 10 per cent last year as the rise in streaming services offset a decline in physical formats. Revenues grew 9.7 per cent in 2018 to hit $19.1bn (£14.7bn), according to the latest figures from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). Read more: Music streaming revenues overtake ownership [...]
Watch out high street banks – Apple has a credit card and is out to steal your supper March 29, 2019 Every day, new competitors are coming out of the woodwork and vying for a piece of the high street banks’ pie. This has forced the big banks – some kicking and screaming – to evolve, and at a pace that they’ve never before experienced. Change is not a new concept for consumers when it comes [...]
Spotify makes latest podcast acquisition as it looks to cash in on true crime March 26, 2019 Spotify has snapped up its third podcast company of the year as it looks to double down on the format amid a boom in on-demand listening. The Swedish streaming service today said it had acquired Parcast, a podcast studio specialising in true crime series. Read more: Apple hits back at Spotify in App Store war [...]
Apple’s big ecosystem play March 26, 2019 | City Talk Doubts and unanswered questions aplenty following last night’s glitzy event, but make no mistake this was another big step in the pivot towards making Apple more of a services business. You would call this an ecosystem play, with new services designed to strengthen the bonds between consumers and the brand. Services revenues have soared lately [...]
Nine UK shares that tick all of Warren Buffett’s boxes March 26, 2019 | City Talk By Kyle Caldwell from interactive investor. Looking for equity-based ISA inspiration? We run through the investment checklist of the Berkshire Hathaway chairman to identify UK shares that pass his stockpicking rules. American investor Warren Buffett is to the world of investment what Lionel Messi is to football: the greatest of his generation in the profession [...]
Apple ‘show time’ event: Tim Cook debuts Apple TV streaming service March 25, 2019 Apple has unveiled a new streaming platform to take on Netflix during an eagerly-anticipated launch event in California this evening. Oprah, Steven Spielberg and Jennifer Aniston were among the celebrities who took to the stage during a dramatic presentation to announce a revamp of Apple’s TV service. Read more: Apple reveals UK pricing for its [...]
Credit where it’s due: Apple enlists help of Goldman Sachs to launch privacy-focused credit card March 25, 2019 | City Talk Apple has been giving its image a makeover. The world’s most valuable corporation has become far more than a purveyor of hardware – and software – in recent years. With the launch of its own credit card at its services-focused event in California on Monday, Apple ushered in a new era on its journey to become [...]
iSmash on rivalling Apple for tech repairs and launching more stores in a dying high street March 25, 2019 Many will be familiar with the trauma: you drop your smartphone and the screen shatters into a modern-day mosaic. You either learn to live with shards of glass jabbing your fingers, wait a week for a phone company to fix it, or pay for a bodge job at a corner shop. Except those are no longer [...]