ReportWire

Tag: Mobile Applications Software

  • Apple says it will fix app software problems blamed for making iPhone 15 models too hot to handle

    Apple says it will fix app software problems blamed for making iPhone 15 models too hot to handle

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    Apple Inc. is blaming a software bug and other issues tied to popular apps such as Instagram and Uber for causing its recently released iPhone 15 models to heat up and spark complaints about becoming too hot to handle.

    The Cupertino, Calif., company
    AAPL,
    +0.30%
    said Saturday that it is working on an update to the iOS17 system that powers the iPhone 15 lineup to prevent the devices from becoming uncomfortably hot and is working with apps that are running in ways “causing them to overload the system.”

    Instagram, owned by Meta Platforms
    META,
    -1.23%    ,
    modified its social media app earlier this week to prevent it from heating up the device on the latest iPhone operating system.

    Read: The Magnificent Seven could be considered the messy seven after a ‘meh’ third quarter

    Uber
    UBER,
    -0.33%
    and other apps such as the video game Asphalt 9 are still in the process of rolling out their updates, Apple said. It didn’t specify a timeline for when its own software fix would be issued but said no safety issues should prevent iPhone 15 owners from using their devices while awaiting the update.

    “We have identified a few conditions which can cause iPhone to run warmer than expected,” Apple in a short statement provided to The Associated Press after media reports detailed overheating complaints that are peppering online message boards.

    The Wall Street Journal amplified the worries in a story citing the overheating problem in its own testing of the new iPhones, which went on sale a week ago.

    Read: Here’s what Apple’s iPhone 15 says about the world

    It’s not unusual for new iPhones to get uncomfortably warm during the first few days of use or when they are being restored with backup information stored in the cloud — issues that Apple already flags for users. The devices also can get hot when using apps such as video games and augmented reality technology that require a lot of processing power, but the heating issues with the iPhone 15 models have gone beyond those typical situations.

    In its acknowledgement, Apple stressed that the trouble isn’t related to the sleek titanium casing that houses the high-end iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max instead of the stainless steel used on older smartphones.

    Apple also dismissed speculation that the overheating problem in the new models might be tied to a shift from its proprietary Lightning charging cable to the more widely used USB-C port that allowed it to comply with a mandate issued by European regulators.

    Although Apple expressed confidence that the overheating issue can be quickly fixed with the upcoming software updates, the problem still could dampen sales of its marquee product at time when the company has faced three consecutive quarters of year-over-year declines in overall sales.

    The downturn has affected iPhone sales, which fell by a combined 4% in the nine months covered by Apple’s past three fiscal quarters compared with a year earlier.

    Apple is trying to pump up its sales in part by raising the starting price for its top-of-the-line iPhone 15 Pro Max to $1,200, an increase of $100, or 9%, from last year’s comparable model.

    Investor worries about Apple’s uncharacteristic sales funk already have wiped out more than $300 billion in shareholder wealth since the company’s market value closed at $3 trillion for the first time in late June.

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  • Sorry, Elon, a ‘super app’ is never going to fly in the U.S.

    Sorry, Elon, a ‘super app’ is never going to fly in the U.S.

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    “Super apps” have never truly existed in the United States, and it is apparent at this point that they never will.

    That isn’t stopping some executives and investment analysts from still dreaming of becoming one-stop shops for their users’ needs, something only a small handful of apps in Asia have managed to do. The most prominent is Elon Musk, the Tesla Inc. TSLAchief executive who purchased Twitter last year and has proclaimed that he will turn it into an “everything app” called X that resembles super apps in China.

    “I…

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  • Meta launches Threads, its app to rival Twitter, a day early

    Meta launches Threads, its app to rival Twitter, a day early

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    Meta Platforms Inc. launched Threads, its rival to Twitter, a day early Wednesday.

    “Let’s do this. Welcome to Threads,” Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg posted on the new app.

    The text-based app, a spinoff of Meta’s META Instagram, had been set to launch Thursday morning, but instead went live for users in the U.S. and more than 100 other…

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  • Meta’s Twitter-rival Threads: How to sign up, what it costs and what we know so far

    Meta’s Twitter-rival Threads: How to sign up, what it costs and what we know so far

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    Meta’s Twitter-rival Threads launches tomorrow: What we know so far

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  • Here are all the new software features coming to Apple’s iPhone this year

    Here are all the new software features coming to Apple’s iPhone this year

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    Users of Apple Inc.’s iPhone will soon be able to more easily screen calls, check-in with loved ones and exchange contact information.

    Apple
    AAPL,
    +0.43%
    executives teased the elements of its forthcoming iOS17 software update at the keynote address of its WWDC event Monday, which also brought the introduction of new Macs.

    Consumers will gain the ability to choose how they come up when they call others through a new “poster” feature. Users will be able to customize posters with photographs and fonts, and have these appear in another person’s contacts app.

    The company is also changing up how calls work by adding a way for people to pick up calls while they’re in the middle of receiving a voice mail. A new on-device live-voicemail feature will show transcripts of a voice mail while it’s in progress, so people can determine that a call isn’t spam or is important enough to stop what they’re doing before they pick it up.

    Users will also gain the ability to leave a message when using FaceTime, Apple’s video-calling app.

    See also: Apple’s stock at all-time highs ahead of WWDC headset reveal

    Within iMessage, Apple will offer the ability for people to share their locations within a conversation and check in with loved ones. People will be able to set up a check-in option that can notify loved ones when they get home and offer alerts about battery, cell service, and location if they end up running late.

    Apple is also enhancing the Stickers feature within iMessage with the ability to create “live stickers” from photos. Further, it’s tucking iMessage apps like Stickers behind a menu so they don’t initially clutter the message screen.

    Within iMessage, Apple will make it easier for people to jump to the top of long group threads and swipe to reply to a given message.

    Apple is introducing a NameDrop feature that lets people share contact information just by tapping their phones together. It’s also augmenting AutoCorrect with in-line predictions that go beyond one word and the ability for people to teach autocorrect their preferences better.

    Read: Apple could be cooking up 3 more $10 billion-plus businesses, one analyst says

    The company is rolling out two new apps, including one for journaling. People will be able to collect photos, music, and written notes into moments. A new StandBy app will turn a locked iPhone into a smart display that users can customize based on their preferences and the time of day.

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  • Instagram is readying a Twitter-like service

    Instagram is readying a Twitter-like service

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    Embattled Twitter may soon have a serious rival: Facebook’s Instagram is planning to release a text-based app as a competitor.

    Instagram, a property of Meta Platforms Inc.
    META,
    -0.49%    ,
    has been testing the service with creators, celebrities and influencers for months, according to people familiar with Meta’s strategy.

    “We’re exploring a standalone decentralized social network for sharing text updates. We believe there’s an opportunity for a separate space where creators and public figures can share timely updates about their interests,” a Meta spokesperson told MarketWatch.

    The app could debut as early as June, according to Lia Haberman, an adjunct professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, who teaches social and influencer marketing. She published a screenshot of an early description of the app, which may eventually be compatible with rival Twitter apps like Mastodon.

    Twitter has hemorrhaged users since Tesla Inc.
    TSLA,
    +1.84%
    Chief Executive Elon Musk began his chaotic leadership of the company late last year, prompting an exodus by disgruntled customers to alternative services like Mastodon and Bluesky.

    Jasmine Enberg, an analyst at Insider Intelligence, said the text-based service has been in the works for months alternately code-named P92 or Barcelona.

    “The big picture here is that there is clearly an appetite for Twitter-like services,” Enberg said in an interview. “With Twitter’s problems and so many alternatives, Meta’s new service looks like a mashup of Instagram and Twitter. Meta sees an opportunity to tap into this market, and it has a history of copying other popular apps [like Snap].”

    Meta’s stock was flat in Friday’s regular trading session.

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  • 20 AI stocks expected to post the highest compound annual sales growth through 2025

    20 AI stocks expected to post the highest compound annual sales growth through 2025

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    Things move quickly in the world of artificial intelligence. It is easy to sit back and complain about developments that could be disruptive, but sometimes investors are best served by putting emotions aside and observing new developments and how they affect markets. Could AI developments and related trends make you a lot of money?

    Below is a new screen showing a group of AI-oriented companies expected to increase their sales most rapidly through 2025, based on consensus estimates among analysts polled by FactSet. Then we show expected revenue growth rates for the largest AI-oriented companies in the screen.

    Over the long haul, many businesses might perform more efficiently by employing AI. Maybe this technology can create an economic revolution similar to the one that moved the majority of the working population away from agricultural labor during the 19th and 20th centuries.

    Back in February, we screened 96 stocks held by five exchange-traded funds focused on AI and related industries and listed the 20 that analysts thought would rise the most over the following 12 months.

    Three months is a long time for AI, and the shakeout hasn’t even started.

    Read: Congress and tech seem open to regulating AI efforts, but that doesn’t mean it will happen

    There is no way to predict how politicians will react to perceived or real threats of AI and machine learning. And the largest U.S. tech players are doing everything they can to employ the new technology and remain dominant. But that doesn’t mean they will grow more quickly than smaller AI-focused players.

    A new AI stock screen

    Once again we will begin a screen with these five ETFs:

    • The Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF
      BOTZ,
      +0.97%
      BOTZ was established 2016 and has $1.8 billion in assets under management. The fund tracks an index of companies listed in developed markets that are expected to benefit from the increased utilization of robotics and AI. There are 44 stocks in the BOTZ portfolio, which is weighted by market capitalization and rebalanced once a year. Its largest holding is Intuitive Surgical Inc.
      ISRG,
      +0.53%      ,
      which makes up 10% of the portfolio, followed by Nvidia Corp.
      NVDA,
      +3.30%
      at 9.4%.

    • The iShares Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Multisector ETF
      IRBO,
      +1.64%
      holds 116 stocks that are equal-weighted, as it tracks a global index of companies that derive at east 50% of revenue from robotics or AI, or have significant exposure to related industries. This ETF was launched in 2018 and has $304 million in assets.

    • The $246 million First Trust Nasdaq Artificial Intelligence & Robotics ETF
      ROBT,
      +1.83%
      has 107 stocks in its portfolio, with a modified weighting based on how directly companies are involved in AI or robotics. It was established in 2018.

    • The Robo Global Artificial Intelligence ETF
      THNQ,
      +1.81%
      has $26 million in assets and was established in 2020. I holds 69 stocks and isn’t concentrated. It uses a scoring system to weight its holdings by percentage of revenue derived from AI, with holdings also subject to minimum market capitalization and liquidity requirements.

    • The newest ETF on this list is the WisdomTree Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Fund
      WTAI,
      +2.42%      ,
      which was established in December and has $13 million in assets and holds 73 stocks in an equal-weighted portfolio. According to FactSet, stocks are handpicked and selected companies “generate at least 50% of their revenue from AI and innovation activities, including those related to software, semiconductors, hardware technology, machine learning and innovative products.”

    Altogether and removing duplicates, the five ETFs hold 270 stocks of companies in 23 countries. We first narrowed the list to 197 covered by at least nine analysts and for which consensus sales estimates are available through calendar 2025. We used calendar-year estimates because some companies have fiscal years that don’t match the calendar.

    Here are the 20 screened AI-related companies expected by analysts to have the highest compound annual growth rates (CAGR) for sales from 2023 through 2025. Sales estimates are in millions of U.S. dollars. The list also shows which of the above five ETFs holds each stocks.

    Company

    		 Ticker

    		 Estimated sales – 2023 ($mil)

    		 Estimated sales – 2024 ($mil)

    		 Estimated sales – 2025 ($mil)

    		 Two-year estimated sales CAGR through 2025

    		 Held by
    BioXcel Therapeutics Inc.

    		 BTAI,
    -2.47%         		$5

    		 $39

    		 $121

    		 411.5%

    		 WTAI
    Luminar Technologies Inc. Class A

    		 LAZR,
    +8.82%         		$86

    		 $266

    		 $588

    		 161.0%

    		 ROBT, WTAI
    BlackBerry Ltd.

    		 BB,
    +6.01%         		$685

    		 $769

    		 $1,925

    		 67.6%

    		 ROBT
    Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd.

    		 CRDO,
    +10.29%         		$183

    		 $259

    		 $363

    		 40.9%

    		 IRBO
    SentinelOne Inc. Class A

    		 S,
    +1.05%         		$619

    		 $881

    		 $1,176

    		 37.9%

    		 WTAI
    Wolfspeed Inc.

    		 WOLF,
    +5.02%         		$982

    		 $1,323

    		 $1,860

    		 37.6%

    		 WTAI
    SK hynix Inc.

    		 000660,
    +1.66%         		$18,319

    		 $27,899

    		 $34,542

    		 37.3%

    		 WTAI
    Mobileye Global Inc. Class A

    		 MBLY,
    +1.67%         		$2,109

    		 $2,782

    		 $3,920

    		 36.3%

    		 ROBT, WTAI
    Snowflake Inc. Class A

    		 SNOW,
    +1.42%         		$2,811

    		 $3,863

    		 $5,139

    		 35.2%

    		 IRBO, THNQ, WTAI
    Lemonade Inc.

    		 LMND,
    +8.08%         		$395

    		 $471

    		 $712

    		 34.2%

    		 THNQ, WTAI
    Nio Inc. ADR Class A

    		 NIO,
    +1.39%         		$11,874

    		 $16,733

    		 $21,304

    		 33.9%

    		 ROBT
    Stem Inc.

    		 STEM,
    +4.88%         		$607

    		 $833

    		 $1,055

    		 31.8%

    		 WTAI
    Upstart Holdings Inc.

    		 UPST,
    +10.37%         		$547

    		 $768

    		 $938

    		 31.0%

    		 BOTZ, WTAI
    Cloudflare Inc. Class A

    		 NET,
    +5.84%         		$1,284

    		 $1,669

    		 $2,194

    		 30.7%

    		 THNQ
    Samsara Inc. Class A

    		 IOT,
    +1.42%         		$830

    		 $1,062

    		 $1,364

    		 28.2%

    		 THNQ
    Ambarella Inc.

    		 AMBA,
    +3.45%         		$287

    		 $355

    		 $472

    		 28.2%

    		 IRBO, ROBT, THNQ, WTAI
    iflytek Co. Ltd. Class A

    		 002230,
    -1.34%         		$3,561

    		 $4,582

    		 $5,851

    		 28.2%

    		 THNQ
    Tesla Inc.

    		 TSLA,
    +4.41%         		$99,558

    		 $128,412

    		 $161,061

    		 27.2%

    		 ROBT, THNQ, WTAI
    CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. Class A

    		 CRWD,
    +2.40%         		$2,935

    		 $3,793

    		 $4,739

    		 27.1%

    		 THNQ, WTAI
    PB Fintech Ltd.

    		 543390,
    +1.39%         		$358

    		 $462

    		 $573

    		 26.5%

    		 IRBO
    Source: FactSet

    Click the tickers for more about each company or ETF.

    Click here for Tomi Kilgore’s detailed guide to the wealth of information for free on the MarketWatch quote pages.

    We have screened for expected revenue growth, rather than for earnings or cash flow, because in a newer tech-oriented business area, investors are most likely to consider the top line as companies sacrifice profits to build market share.

    It is important to do your own research if you consider purchasing any individual stock, to form your own opinion about a company’s ability to remain competitive over the long term. Starting from the top of the list, BioXcel Therapeutics Inc.
    BTAI,
    -2.47%
    is expected to show exponential sales growth, but that is from a low expected baseline this year.

    What about the largest AI-related companies held by these ETFs?

    Here are the largest 20 companies in the screen by market capitalization, ranked by expected sales CAGR from 2022 through 2025. Once again the sales estimates are in millions of U.S. dollars, but the market caps are in billions.

    Company

    		 Ticker

    		 Estimated sales – 2023 ($mil)

    		 Estimated sales – 2024 ($mil)

    		 Estimated sales – 2025 $mil)

    		 Two-year estimated sales CAGR through 2025

    		 Market Cap ($bil)

    		 Held by
    Tesla Inc.

    		 TSLA,
    +4.41%         		$99,558

    		 $128,412

    		 $161,061

    		 27.2%

    		 $528

    		 ROBT, THNQ, WTAI
    Nvidia Corp.

    		 NVDA,
    +3.30%         		$29,839

    		 $36,877

    		 $46,154

    		 24.4%

    		 $722

    		 BOTZ, IRBO, ROBT, THNQ, WTAI
    Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. ADR

    		 TSM,
    +5.83%         		$71,434

    		 $86,284

    		 $101,112

    		 19.0%

    		 $445

    		 ROBT, WTAI
    Advanced Micro Devices Inc.

    		 AMD,
    +2.23%         		$22,976

    		 $26,823

    		 $30,359

    		 15.0%

    		 $163

    		 IRBO, ROBT, THNQ, WTAI
    ASML Holding NV ADR

    		 ASML,
    +2.83%         		$28,974

    		 $32,374

    		 $37,796

    		 14.2%

    		 $263

    		 THNQ, WTAI
    Microsoft Corp.

    		 MSFT,
    +0.95%         		$223,438

    		 $251,028

    		 $282,397

    		 12.4%

    		 $2,318

    		 IRBO, ROBT, THNQ, WTAI
    Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

    		 005930,
    -0.61%         		$200,595

    		 $227,286

    		 $252,129

    		 12.1%

    		 $292

    		 IRBO, WTAI
    Amazon.com Inc.

    		 AMZN,
    +1.85%         		$559,438

    		 $626,549

    		 $702,395

    		 12.1%

    		 $1,164

    		 IRBO, ROBT, THNQ, WTAI
    Adobe Inc.

    		 ADBE,
    +3.34%         		$19,470

    		 $21,784

    		 $24,276

    		 11.7%

    		 $158

    		 IRBO, THNQ
    Netflix Inc.

    		 NFLX,
    +1.86%         		$33,915

    		 $38,067

    		 $42,275

    		 11.6%

    		 $148

    		 IRBO, THNQ
    Tencent Holdings Ltd.

    		 700,
    -0.58%         		$88,727

    		 $99,212

    		 $110,556

    		 11.6%

    		 $422

    		 IRBO, ROBT
    Salesforce Inc.

    		 CRM,
    +2.37%         		$34,392

    		 $38,273

    		 $42,786

    		 11.5%

    		 $205

    		 IRBO, THNQ
    Alphabet Inc. Class A

    		 GOOGL,
    +1.11%         		$299,810

    		 $333,077

    		 $369,195

    		 11.0%

    		 $710

    		 IRBO, ROBT, THNQ, WTAI
    Intel Corp.

    		 INTC,
    -1.20%         		$51,060

    		 $57,799

    		 $62,675

    		 10.8%

    		 $122

    		 IRBO, ROBT
    Meta Platforms Inc. Class A

    		 META,
    +1.53%         		$125,901

    		 $139,545

    		 $154,259

    		 10.7%

    		 $528

    		 IRBO, WTAI
    Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. ADR

    		 BABA,
    +2.17%         		$134,140

    		 $148,206

    		 $162,199

    		 10.0%

    		 $235

    		 ROBT, THNQ
    Texas Instruments Inc.

    		 TXN,
    +1.20%         		$17,941

    		 $19,433

    		 $20,799

    		 7.7%

    		 $148

    		 IRBO
    Apple Inc.

    		 AAPL,
    +0.36%         		$390,845

    		 $416,761

    		 $445,956

    		 6.8%

    		 $2,706

    		 IRBO, WTAI
    Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

    		 SIE,
    +2.55%         		$84,681

    		 $89,145

    		 $93,925

    		 5.3%

    		 $130

    		 ROBT
    Johnson & Johnson

    		 JNJ,
    -0.20%         		$98,761

    		 $100,990

    		 $103,870

    		 2.6%

    		 $414

    		 ROBT
    Source: FactSet

    Tech-stock picks that are small and focused: This fund invests in unsung innovators. Here are 2 top choices.

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  • Alibaba, Tencent, lead Hong Kong tech stocks higher after upbeat China online retail sales data

    Alibaba, Tencent, lead Hong Kong tech stocks higher after upbeat China online retail sales data

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    Shares of Chinese internet giants jumped in Hong Kong, after official data showed better-than-expected October retail sales in the world’s second-largest economy.

    Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
    BABA,
    +0.79%

    9988,
    +10.63%
    jumped 9.8%, Kuaishou Technology
    1024,
    +10.71%
    surged 8.7%, Tencent Holdings Ltd.
    700,
    +10.28%
    rose 8.0% and Meituan
    3690,
    +5.88%
    was up 5.8%. The Hang Seng Tech Index
    HSXTCHINDXXX,
    +7.08%
    has gained as much as 7.7% and was last up 6.1%

    The sector’s sharp upturn came after China’s National Bureau of Statistics said online retail sales of physical goods rose 7.2% in the first 10 months of the year. The number, closely watched by investors as an indicator of the country’s consumption trends, outpaced a 6.1% rise in the January-to-September period.

    Jefferies analysts estimate that online retail sales grew more than 15% in October, accelerating from the three consecutive months of below-10% growth seen since July.

    Write to Yifan Wang at yifan.wang@wsj.com

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