*By Carlo Versano*
It's become an annual tradition, of sorts: as summer turns to fall, Apple unveils its latest product updates in a highly choreographed keynote affair, an event that Steve Jobs once presided over to the thrill of the company's fans and followers, who speculated wildly over what was in store.
These days some [grumble](https://www.barrons.com/articles/apple-iphone-event-1536633378) the fanfare has become a little long in the tooth. With so many leaks leading up to the event, the opportunity for real surprise is minimal.
On the eve of this year's launch ー Apple's first as a $1 trillion company ー most expect the company to unveil three new iPhone models at various price points and an updated Apple Watch, said Quartz's deputy editor Mike Murphy.
With slowing growth in the company's signature smartphone and an escalating trade war with China ー Apple told the government last week that another $200 billion in tariffs on Chinese products coming into the U.S. may cause the company to raise its already-steep prices ー those different price points are increasingly important. The company has managed to ring out more revenue from its existing customers by jacking up prices every year, said Murphy.
"The crazy thing is this cheaper model is expected to come in at $700," which is what the high-end iPhone cost just a couple of years ago.
Apple's iPhone pricing is "increasingly ridiculous," Murphy added.
He said 2016's iPhone SE, which is the real "budget" option starting at $399, will likely stick around, at least for this product cycle.
But Apple is betting that people want bigger phones and is happy to push them. Andrew Keene, founder of AlphaShark Trading, said in a separate interview on Cheddar that a phone with a new, larger screen (6.5 inches, reportedly, compared to 5.8 inches for the iPhone X) is a smart reading of the market.
"They need something that's going to be a game-changer, and the game-changer's going to be that bigger screen," Keene said. "I think that's what's really going to make the stock go higher."
But further segmenting its most important product line would mark a notable shift for the company, which used to pride itself on building few products really well and have them, as Steve Jobs loved to say, "just work," according to Quartz's Murphy.
Indeed, as Apple has expanded its offerings, the company has seen an increase in problems that it once avoided ー from [broken keyboards] (https://theoutline.com/post/2402/the-new-macbook-keyboard-is-ruining-my-life?zd=1&zi=a73basj6) to [throttling laptops] (https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/24/17605652/macbook-pro-thermal-throttling-apple-software-fix).
"It's going to be very difficult to have the quality control they used to have," Murphy said. "I'm starting to wonder if Apple just doesn't really know what exactly people want."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/apple-expected-to-release-three-new-phones-at-keynote-event).
Nvidia on Wednesday became the first public company to reach a market capitalization of $5 trillion. The ravenous appetite for the Silicon Valley company’s chips is the main reason that the company’s stock price has increased so rapidly since early 2023.
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global, breaks down September’s CPI print and inflation trends, explaining what it means for markets.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
