Shares of Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL), declined -1.92% to $105.26, during its last trading session.
Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares may have not done much for investors in 2015. However, the tech giant was very busy cranking out new products-from the Apple Watch, Apple Pay, Apple Music, Apple TV and of course the iPhone 6S, just to name a few, according to Yahoo Finance
According to the latest news report, Apple has raised the prices for handheld devices in Germany following a deal between the tech industry and content producers that will benefit musicians, actors and pornographic filmmakers, according to mercurynews
The Cupertino-based company confirmed in a statement Sunday to The Associated Press that the price improvement affecting iPhones and iPads is linked to the new copyright levy.
Apple, Samsung and others agreed last month to pay 5-7 euros ($5.50-$7.70) for each smartphone or tablet imported to Germany.
The money will be distributed among creative professionals, counting a group representing “creators, producers and acting artists of erotic and pornographic films.”
The agreement is based on a 1965 German law that allows consumers to make private copies of sound, images or texts in return for a small levy on the device. Mercurynews Report
iPhone 7
There is a lot of buzz about an iPhone 7 rolling out in 2016. Fans of the old iPhone will be happy to hear that that the 4-inch phone may also make a comeback. Something a bit more controversial swirling around is the removal of the headphone jack, which means users would have to invest in Bluetooth-connected or Lightning headphones. Other rumors being tossed around are a better camera with two lenses and a waterproof iPhone, according to Pressman.
Apple Watch 2
The second version of the Apple Watch is rumored to launch at an Apple event in March 2016, and go on sale in April. Pressman anticipates the new Apple Watch to be a little thinner and cooler. He is hoping to see a faster processor and longer battery life, as well. There is also chatter about sleep tracking and more health functions. Pressman thinks Apple may be trying to make it more a part of people’s lives because the Apple Watch really hasn’t caught on with consumers.
iPad upgrades
Don’t expect to see a new iPad hit store shelves in the coming year, since Apple just released the iPad Pro in 2015. But iPad users might see some interesting developments on the app side, especially given the reorganization of the app store. Apple is predictable to encourage developers to make more professional (and expensive) apps that can better take advantage of the iPad Pro’s big screen and super fast processor, Pressman adds.
Apple could make a bigger push into the virtual reality space. It recently bought startup Faceshift, which assisted make some of the special effects in the latest Star Wars film. The virtual reality market is growing with Google (GOOGL) and Samsung and even Facebook (FB) very active in this area. Yahoo Finance Report
On the other hand, Tesla Motors Inc(NASDAQ:TSLA) is a United States-based company, which designs, develops, manufactures and sells electric vehicles, electric vehicle powertrain components and stationary energy storage systems. According to latest new report, The company delivered 17,400 vehicles in the last three months of 2015, the most in a quarter by a wide margin and 75% more than a year earlier as the company rushed to hand over Model X sport-utility vehicles to customers who have been waiting for three years since making a deposit, according to WSJ
Separately, Tesla is investigating a fire that destroyed a Model S in Norway. According to Norwegian television station Web page, VG.no, a Model S owner plugged in his vehicle at a Supercharger on New Year’s Day and walked away and the vehicle caught fire. No one was injured. The Tesla fast-charging system delivers up to 130 kilowatts of direct current, allowing for a speedy charge of the car’s large battery.
Tesla achieved its forecast of more than 50,000 vehicles for the year with the burst of deliveries of Model S electric cars and a smattering of 208 Model X SUVs. The company said it produced 507 Model X vehicles in the final quarter of the year and is now producing about 238 Model X vehicles per week. Tesla delivered nearly 50% more vehicles in the quarter than in its next highest quarter.
The fire, which occurred in Tesla’s biggest European market, is a bit of unwelcome news that is likely to stoke some concern about Tesla’s Supercharger system, which delivers more than twice the power of similar fast-charging systems used by competing car makers.
“We are undergoing a full investigation and will share our findings as soon as possible,” a Tesla spokeswoman said. Tesla officials hadn’t revealed the cause of the fire by late Saturday night. Two years ago Tesla installed new shielding under its Model S vehicles after several cars caught fire when they ran over roadway debris and punctured the lithium-ion batteries that sit in a large rectangle under the vehicle. Since then, there haven’t been any stated fires.
Tesla’s sales got a boost from a burst of deliveries to Europe, where an expiring tax credit in Denmark contributed to the burst in volume. Tesla was able to meet its delivery expectations of 50,000 to 52,000 vehicles. Tesla reports sales globally on a quarterly basis and doesn’t break out regions, but a Tesla executive in November acknowledged the Denmark deliveries.
Tesla’s launch of the Model X was slow during the final three months of the year. The company first delivered the long-awaited SUV to executives and important investors, known as “Founders” and then to “Signature” reservation holders. The latter group had begun placing reservations for the car in the winter of 2012, before the Model S was even delivered. WSJ Report
The Company sells and produces a vehicle under the name Model S, which is a fully electric, four-door, five-adult passenger sedan. In addition to developing its own vehicles, it develops, sells, and services full electric powertrain systems and components to other automobile manufacturers.
Shares of Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), gained 0.81% to $240.01, during its last trading session.
