• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Current price of oil as of June 15, 2026

2

Current price of silver as of Monday, June 15, 2026

3

Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI

1

Current price of oil as of June 15, 2026

2

Current price of silver as of Monday, June 15, 2026

3

Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
TechApple

Does Apple Have One More Thing Up Its Sleeve?

By
Verne Kopytoff
Verne Kopytoff
Senior Editor, Tech
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Verne Kopytoff
Verne Kopytoff
Senior Editor, Tech
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 13, 2016, 8:30 AM ET
Apple Introduces New Products
CUPERTINO, CA - MARCH 21: Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during an Apple special event at the Apple headquarters on March 21, 2016 in Cupertino, California. The company is expected to update its iPhone and iPad lines, and introduce new bands for the Apple Watch. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)Photograph by Justin Sullivan—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

This essay originally appeared in Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily tech newsletter. Sign up here.

Apple is in a funk. Whether it’s short-term or the new normal is anyone’s guess.

The latest sign came on Thursday when Apple temporarily lost its title as the most valuable U.S. company to Google’s parent, Alphabet (GOOG). Their market capitalizations—a byproduct of their stock prices—briefly swapped in ranking at just below $500 billion because of Apple’s increasingly depressed shares (AAPL).

For sure, the most valuable company crown is more psychology than substance. But still, Apple’s losing it—even if only for a few hours before its stock recovered—still stings.

Wall Street, in its typical what-have-you-done-for-me-lately attitude, is worried. Never mind that Apple had $10.5 billion in profits in the most recent quarter and $50.6 billion in sales. Most any CEO would be giddy to report similarly “worrisome” results. But growth, which Apple lacks because of falling demand for iPhones and iPads, is what investors crave.

Ben Schachter, an analyst with Macquarie Securities, echoed the sentiment of many on Wall Street about what Apple must do to reignite its business. In a recent research note, he pointed to the possibility, based on Apple’s reported hiring of a large number of auto industry veterans, of Apple changing gears entirely and building a car.

“The bottom line is that AAPL needs new innovation either in its current categories or in entirely new products (car?) in order to drive consumer and investor excitement,” he wrote.

Late on Thursday, Apple did manage to pull off a surprise. Although it wasn’t some splashy new gadget, it did announce that it had invested $1 billion in Chinese ride-sharing service Didi Chuxing. Why would Apple plow money into an Uber rival? Maybe Apple wants to lock in a buyer of its would-be iCar. Or maybe it really is chasing innovation, no matter what it is.

For more about Apple, watch:

In fact, Apple is ramping up spending on research and development, signaling that it may be interested in more than merely creating updated iPhones and smartwatches. It doubled R&D spending from $4 billion in 2013 to $8 billion in 2015, and is on track to spend $10 billion this year, according to Neil Cybart, a financial analyst who tracks Apple on his blog, Above Avalon.

Patient Apple investors, it looks like, will eventually get those new products they’re hoping for. Whether that’s enough to jolt the company from its funk is another matter.

About the Author
By Verne KopytoffSenior Editor, Tech
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Verne Kopytoff is a senior editor at Fortune overseeing trends in the tech industry. 

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Isaiah Granet smiles
Startups & VentureVenture Capital
Exclusive: Voice AI startup Bland raises $50 million after being rejected by 180 investors
By Lily Mae LazarusJune 16, 2026
2 hours ago
Alexandra Debrow flocked by her cofounders
AITerm Sheet
Exclusive: How college photo-sharing app Swsh became an AI-powered fan data business backed by Scooter Braun
By Lily Mae LazarusJune 16, 2026
3 hours ago
china
AIBook Excerpt
China isn’t trying to beat the U.S. at AI — it’s playing a completely different game
By Joe Ngai and Nick LeungJune 16, 2026
3 hours ago
U.S. cybersecurity leaders to White House: Lift the ban on Anthropic’s Mythos and Fable AI models
NewslettersFortune Tech
U.S. cybersecurity leaders to White House: Lift the ban on Anthropic’s Mythos and Fable AI models
By Andrew NuscaJune 16, 2026
4 hours ago
sa
Big TechMarkets
OpenAI’s financials have leaked, showing $21 billion in losses against $13 billion in revenue
By Jim EdwardsJune 16, 2026
5 hours ago
Gulf private credit opportunities shine amid global volatility 
Middle EastInvestment
Gulf private credit opportunities shine amid global volatility 
By Melissa HancockJune 16, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

Current price of oil as of June 15, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 15, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 15, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 15, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 15, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 15, 2026
1 day ago
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
Big Tech
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
By Tristan BoveJune 15, 2026
22 hours ago
Team USA star Ricardo Pepi grew up in a trailer in El Paso—and his parents pawned their car title to fuel his soccer dream. Now, he’s in the World Cup
Success
Team USA star Ricardo Pepi grew up in a trailer in El Paso—and his parents pawned their car title to fuel his soccer dream. Now, he’s in the World Cup
By Preston ForeJune 15, 2026
23 hours ago
Meet Gwynne Shotwell, the engineer-turned-COO who runs SpaceX in platform heels and is now worth over $2 billion
Startups & Venture
Meet Gwynne Shotwell, the engineer-turned-COO who runs SpaceX in platform heels and is now worth over $2 billion
By Eva RoytburgJune 15, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of gold as of June 15, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of June 15, 2026
By Danny BakstJune 15, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.