Enterprise
Apple blames emerging markets for missed sales targets
Despite revenue, Apple doesn’t meet expectations
When it comes to smartphone success, Apple has constantly bagged “Most Likely to Succeed” awards year after year. Since the iPhone’s debut more than a decade ago, the company has always met success on the sales column. As such, no one really expects Apple to crash and burn in just a single year.
Case in point, this year’s iPhones are performing well on the market. The iPhone XS Max has reportedly broken sales expectations. The premium model has also outsold the regular iPhone XS. With the iPhone XR already running out of supplies, Apple is in for another great year.
However, the blockbusting brand expects to meet some resistance as the holiday season nears. Although individual models are outselling others, the collective lineup still failed to meet Apple’s expectations. The lineup sold 46.9 million units, up by only 0.2 million from last year. Apple has not grown.
In light of this, Apple’s CFO Luca Maestri is waggling the finger at emerging markets. According to Maestri, international markets are suffering from currency depreciation against the dollar. More importantly, emerging markets carry a modicum of uncertainty and instability. The tempestuous nature of the market supposedly affects consumers’ confidence in Apple.
Of course, “emerging markets” is an umbrella term today. However, the term traditionally includes markets in Southeast Asia including the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Sadly, Apple’s finger pointing does not mention their exorbitant prices or their loss of trust. Even now, the company occupies the upper echelons of the smartphone market. Secondly, Apple’s recent brouhaha with planned obsolescence definitely plays a huge part in the loss of market trust.
If anything, what can we take away from this? That Apple is finally seeing some dents in its armor. For whatever reason, Apple has some cause to believe the market’s plateau and eventual decline.
SEE ALSO: Apple iPad Pro Hands-on: Can this replace your laptop?
What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? After a year of wrestling through tariffs from the current American administration, Nintendo has decided to sue the United States.
Last year, the Trump administration was trigger-happy with implement tariffs on countries everywhere. Though the controversy mostly circulated around geopolitics, major corporations also found themselves on the receiving end of Trump’s ire. All over the world, the tariffs sparked product delays and price hikes.
Nintendo is no exception. As a result of the fiasco, the company had to delay the launch of the Switch 2, in anticipation of disruptions caused by the tariffs. First reported by Aftermath, the Japanese gaming giant is now going after the American government over refunds associated with the tariffs.
Now, the tariffs aren’t a big issue anymore. Notably, the Supreme Court scratched off the White House’s implementations that the former found illegal. While a big sigh of relief for future business, corporations like Nintendo have already paid duties and deposits in the past. As a result, Nintendo is now looking for recompense for what they paid before.
Nintendo isn’t the first company to seek restitution over the illegal tariffs. Others, including FedEx and Revlon, are also asking for refunds. However, the Japanese giant is certainly one of the biggest names to cross the government’s path. After all, the company is notoriously litigious over anything it considers as an affront to its business, including small streamers using Pokémon on their broadcasts.
With all its global resources, Nintendo likely won’t just give up without a fight.
SEE ALSO: The Nintendo Switch is now Nintendo’s best-selling console ever
Enterprise
Paramount wins bid for HBO Max, plans to merge streaming apps
It’s all part of the deal to acquire the Warner Bros. library.
Last year ended with the bombshell announcement that Netflix might buy the entire Warner Bros. library. However, after some finagling and a rocky start, Paramount has now emerged as the main suitor for the lucrative library.
At the end of last year, it seemed all but confirmed that the gigantic Warner Bros. library was coming to Netflix as part of a huge buyout deal. This became even clearer when Warner Bros. Discovery rejected Paramount’s initial bid to counter Netflix. However, Paramount recently revised its offer to an astounding US$ 110 billion, or US$ 31 per share, which Warner Bros. Discovery signed off on. Netflix passed on the opportunity for a counteroffer, making Paramount the sole bidder.
Today, Paramount has announced that, if the deal pushes through, they will merge Paramount+ and HBO Max into one streaming service. This means that Paramount’s CBS, Comedy Central, and MTV will be under the same roof as DC, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and Mission: Impossible.
The value of the above names alone makes this into one of the most lucrative deals for Paramount. However, it’s not without its drawbacks. The combined entity will reportedly carry US$ 79 billion in net debt for both purchasing Warner Bros. and refinancing the newly purchased property.
Currently, the deal is expected to go through regulatory approval ending in the second half of 2026.
Enterprise
ACMobility Launches ChargeFleet: Seamless solution for businesses
B2B solution for corporate fleets and transport groups
Ayala Group’s ACMobility has launched ChargeFleet, a new B2B digital solution for corporate fleets and transport groups.
The new service introduces a shareable digital wallet that streamlines charging expenses, reduces manual tracking, and improves cost control.
As more organizations explore electrifying their mobility operations, many continue to face operational challenges — including fragmented payment systems, reimbursement delays, and limited visibility over charging usage.
ChargeFleet addresses these gaps by introducing a centralized, shareable digital wallet. Here, fleet managers can allocate and monitor charging credits across multiple drivers across a single platform.
The system is a seamless process designed for long-term usage and easy deployment across any organization.
Once integrated, ACMobility assigns charging credits to the client’s fleet manager. The manager then can distribute these to multiple drivers. Meanwhile, the latter will be able to see and use their assigned credits via the Evro app.
ChargeFleet is available as a prepaid product through the ChargeFleet Store. Users can buy offers via GCash or credit card. No application process is required.
Looking ahead, ACMobility will continue to enhance the ChargeFleet experience with exclusive value-added perks integrated through Evro and Power on Wheels.
The upcoming features highlight ACMobility’s ongoing push to provide a future-proof support system for the evolving needs of their customers’ businesses.
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