Apple Store Archives

Apple to source more iPhones from India to beat Trump’s tariffs: Report

April 7, 2025
- Apple is exploring manufacturing in India as a temporary measure to bypass U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, according to The Wall Street Journal. It’s currently seeking an exemption for its China-made products.
- To mitigate tariff impacts, Apple has flown five planes of iPhones and other products from China to India and then to the U.S. and is stockpiling gadgets to maintain current pricing.
- Apple aims to produce 25 million iPhones in India this year, potentially meeting 50% of U.S. demand, as increased tariffs could significantly raise iPhone costs.
Full Story

Apple is reportedly looking to India to bypass President Donald Trump’s new tariffs. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal on Monday, April 7, the adjustments are a temporary solution while the company tries to get an exemption on its products manufactured in China.

People familiar with the matter said Apple thinks this move could work since Chief Executive Tim Cook was able to negotiate a similar deal during the first Trump administration.

What’s Apple doing to get ahead?

The tech giant is also reportedly not taking chances. During the last week of March, before the tariffs were announced, the company flew five planes filled with iPhones and other products out of China and India and into the United States.

The Times of India reported that the company is looking to stockpile gadgets to keep current pricing.

What’s the latest on tariffs?

On April 2, Trump increased tariffs on Chinese goods to at least 54% while imposing 26% on Indian goods. He has since threatened to increase China’s tariffs if the country doesn’t eliminate its retaliatory tariffs.

An analyst with Bank of America told the Journal that Apple plans to make about 25 million iPhones in India in 2025, with around 10 million going to the local Indian market.

However, if Apple redirected all India-made iPhones to the U.S., it could meet about 50% of American demand for the device in 2025.

According to TechInsights, the tariff on Chinese goods could add about $300 to Apple’s current $550 hardware cost for an iPhone 16 Pro that currently sells for $1,100.

Business of Apps data shows the iPhone makes up around 50% of Apple’s revenue.
Related Stories
Trump extends TikTok sale deadline 75 days, sees ‘tremendous progress’

April 4, 2025
- President Donald Trump delayed the enforcement of a law banning TikTok for another 75 days, allowing more time to finalize a deal that will enable the app to continue operating in the U.S. His administration is working on securing the necessary approvals for the deal.
- The delay follows a similar move from when Trump delayed the enforcement of the law in January.
- The extension came amid escalating U.S.-China trade tensions, with both sides increasing tariffs.
Full Story

TikTok will continue for at least another 75 days. For the second time in 2025, President Donald Trump delayed enforcing a law that would ban the social media app while his staff continues to work on a deal to maintain access in the United States.

Trump announced the extension Friday, April 4, in a post to Truth Social ahead of the Saturday, April 5, deadline.

“My Administration has been working very hard on a Deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress. The Deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed, which is why I am signing an Executive Order to keep TikTok up and running for an additional 75 days,” Trump posted to Truth Social.

When did the first delay happen?

Last year, former President Joe Biden signed a law requiring ByteDance‘s China-based parent company to sell the app or face a U.S. ban.

Lawmakers set the law to take effect in January, but Trump delayed it by signing an executive order.

The day before, Apple and Google removed TikTok from their app stores over a fear of facing fines, while the app temporarily shut down for users.

Trump told the attorney general not to enforce any penalties on app store owners, despite federal legislation stating companies could be fined $5,000 per user they help access TikTok.

TikTok returned to Apple and Google app stores in February.

What’s the latest with the US and China’s trade war?

Friday’s announcement also happened as the U.S. and China are in the middle of an escalating trade war, with both sides increasing tariffs.

In his Truth Social post, Trump said he hopes to work with China on a TikTok deal despite recent trade tariffs both countries enacted.

“We hope to continue working in Good Faith with China, who I understand are not very happy about our Reciprocal Tariffs (Necessary for Fair and Balanced Trade between China and the U.S.A.!),” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This proves that Tariffs are the most powerful Economic tool, and very important to our National Security! We do not want TikTok to “go dark.” We look forward to working with TikTok and China to close the Deal. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

In a news conference on Wednesday, April 2, Trump said he may reduce tariffs on China to facilitate a deal that would result in ByteDance selling the U.S. operations of TikTok.

What led to another extension?

On Wednesday, President Trump hosted meetings with top White House officials to discuss the next steps for TikTok.

Multiple high-profile companies entered the race to acquire the app, submitting last-minute bids.

The New York Times reported Amazon submitted a bid for the app Wednesday, while cryptocurrency foundation Hbar and Zoop, a startup co-led by the founder of OnlyFans, jointly submitted a plan to the White House.

Another confirmed bidder is Perplexity, an AI search startup.

The company recently posted its “vision” online for what its version of TikTok would be like for America.

There’s no word on whether any of the bidders are in the lead to acquire the app.
Related Stories
Utah becomes first state to pass age verification law for app stores

March 27, 2025
- Utah’s governor signed a bill that requires app stores to verify a users’ age before they can download certain apps, like Instagram, TikTok and X. Parental approval will be required for those under 18.
- This is the first law requiring app stores to make the verification, rather than individual apps.
- Digital rights groups are raising concerns over how the data will be stored and protected.
Full Story

Utah just became the first state in the nation to require app stores to verify a user’s age before they can download certain apps.

What’s mandated by the new law?

Gov. Spencer Cox, R, signed the App Store Accountability Act, which will force Apple and Google to get age verification or parental permission for those under 18 before they can download certain apps like Instagram, Snapchat and X.

The bill’s sponsors said it was designed to protect children, who may not understand an app’s terms of service and therefore can’t agree to them.

What makes it unique?

This is the first law to put the responsibility of age verification on app stores rather than on the individual apps themselves.

Under the new law, Apple and Google will have to do age checks when someone makes a new app store account in Utah.

If someone younger than 18 opens an account, it’ll be linked to a parent’s account, or the companies will request additional documentation.

Parents will also have to give consent for in-app purchases under the new law.

Will more states follow?

While Utah’s law is the first of its kind, it’s likely not the last.

At least two other states — South Carolina and California — already have similar proposals moving through their legislatures.

What concerns does the law raise?

Digital rights groups have raised concerns about how the data used for age verification will be stored and protected. That’s a concern that’s been raised in similar cases where states have enacted laws requiring pornographic websites to verify users’ age.

There’s also the possibility it won’t work.

A recent study out of Stanford University found states that enacted age verification laws saw an increase in searches for virtual private network (VPN) services.

VPNs can mask a user’s location, creating a way around age verification laws.
Related Stories
TikTok returns to Google Play, Apple app stores

February 14, 2025
- TikTok has returned to the Apple and Google U.S. app stores following a temporary ban over national security concerns. The ban was enacted in January 2024, mandating ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations or face penalties.
- The Trump administration issued an executive order delaying enforcement for 75 days, allowing negotiations over TikTok’s ownership to continue.
- Despite the reprieve, legal experts warned that Apple and Google would still face potential fines of up to $5,000 per user if they continued working with TikTok under ByteDance’s ownership.
Full Story

TikTok disappeared from Apple and Google’s U.S. app stores last month after a law banning the platform took effect on Jan. 19. The law, signed by then-President Joe Biden in April 2024, required ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest its U.S. operations or face a ban due to national security concerns.

Lawmakers cited fears that the Chinese government could access American users’ data.

Why is TikTok back now?

On Thursday, Feb. 13, Apple and Google restored TikTok to their app stores after receiving assurances from the Trump administration that they would not be prosecuted or fined for hosting the app.

Trump, who had previously criticized the ban, signed an executive order delaying enforcement for 75 days. The delay allows negotiations over TikTok’s ownership to continue.

TikTok remained functional for users who had previously downloaded it, but it was unavailable for new downloads or updates. The restoration now enables the company to deliver security fixes and software updates to its millions of U.S. users.

What legal risks do Apple and Google face?

Despite Trump’s executive order, legal experts warned that the law banning TikTok remains in effect.

The legislation includes penalties of up to $5,000 per user for companies that continue working with the app while ByteDance owns it.

The statute of limitations on those fines extends beyond Trump’s term, meaning future administrations could enforce the penalties.

What happens next?

Trump indicated that his administration is working on a deal allowing TikTok to remain in the U.S. under new ownership. He has suggested that the U.S. government should hold a 50% stake in the company.

Potential buyers include Oracle, Microsoft and a group of American investors. Other interested parties, like former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and content creator MrBeast, have also shown interest.

If an agreement is reached to separate TikTok from ByteDance, the ban could be lifted entirely. Until then, however, the platform’s future in the U.S. remains uncertain.
Apple entangled in the US-China trade war as China strikes back

February 5, 2025
- China’s antitrust watchdog is reportedly preparing an antitrust investigation into Apple’s app store policies. The news comes as new tariffs on China took effect this week.
- Apple stock opened down roughly 2% on Wednesday and down more than 6% from its high price this past week.
- China opened an investigation into Google earlier on Tuesday, although few details are available.
Full Story

Apple found itself in the middle of the United States’ latest trade spat. China is exploring an investigation into the world’s most valuable company, according to a report from Bloomberg.

China’s State Administration for Market Regulation is looking into Apple’s app store practices, including its 30% cut on in-app purchases, banning third-party app stores and restricting external payment services, according to sources cited by Bloomberg.

Apple has faced similar scrutiny across the globe for its app store conduct. Apple had to change its rules to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act.

How has China retaliated for tariffs so far?

The U.S. imposed 10% tariffs on Chinese imports, which took effect Tuesday, Feb. 4. In return, China announced 15% tariffs on American coal and liquified natural gas. They also put 10% tariffs on crude oil, farm equipment and other American-made vehicles.

The counter-tariffs are set to take effect on Feb. 10. China also put export controls on certain rare earth metals, including tungsten and indium.

China’s response to the latest tariffs has extended to other American companies. It put PVH Corp., the parent company of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, and biotech company Illumina on its “unreliable entity” list. Being added to the list puts those companies at risk of facing sanctions from Beijing.

The same Chinese regulator reportedly looking into Apple officially launched an investigation into Google on Tuesday. But it didn’t give additional details into the accusations of what the search giant is doing.

Google products like Search are blocked in China, so the nation only accounts for about 1% of the company’s revenue.

Will China follow through on investigating Apple?

The investigation stems from Apple’s disputes with major Chinese developers like Tencent and TikTok parent company ByteDance, Bloomberg’s sources said. If Apple fails to make preemptive changes to its policy, China could launch a formal investigation, the sources added.

Apple shares opened Wednesday, Feb. 5, down roughly 2% on the news. The stock is down more than 6% from its high price this past week as trade tensions intensify.
Related Stories
Elon Musk’s Starlink coming to Apple’s iPhone, while astronomers express concern

January 29, 2025
Starlink is reportedly partnering with Apple and T-Mobile to bring its satellite internet access to iPhones. According to Bloomberg, the companies have secretly been testing out the service with the iPhone’s latest software update, released Monday, Jan. 27, now supporting the technology.

T-Mobile partnered with Elon Musk’s SpaceX last year, launching a beta program for Starlink connectivity but only offered the option on Samsung phones.

What is Elon Musk’s response?

Musk commented on news of the Apple partnership in a post on X.

“Medium resolution images, music and audio podcasts should work with the current generation Starlink direct-to-phone constellation,” Musk said.

He also added the next generation Starlink constellation will do “medium resolution” video.

Medium resolution images, music & audio podcasts should work with the current generation Starlink direct-to-phone constellation.

Next generation constellation will do medium resolution video. https://t.co/yfDPbkgSJH
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 29, 2025

Bloomberg reported the feature should be available on most current iPhone models and Apple’s Ultra smartwatch later this year.

Apple hasn’t commented on the reported partnership.

Where does Apple’s partnership with Globalstar stand?

However, this isn’t the company’s first run with satellite connectivity.

It already partnered with Globalstar in 2022 and since then there’s been speculation about whether it might eventually support competing networks.

However, the two services are very different. The current Globalstar feature on iPhones requires users to point their phone to the sky to find a satellite.

The Starlink option is designed to work automatically.

Both are designed to work in off-the-grid areas, such as hiking trails, that don’t have cell service and cannot be used in places where a mobile phone network is within reach.

Are astronomers still concerned about Starlink?

The news of the Apple and Starlink partnership comes with ongoing concerns from astronomers over the brightness of the satellites in the Starlink megaconstellation.

While SpaceX has taken steps to dim them, there is still apprehension.

NASA astronaut Don Petit snapped photos from the International Space Station, capturing the bright white flashes from time-lapse photography.

Pettit said the flashes are only visible from space and not directed at Earth, but called Starlink satellites a “miniature version of the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey.”

According to astronomer Jonathan McDowell who tracks the constellation, there are nearly 7,000 Starlink satellites in orbit currently with 6,957 in operation.
Related Stories
Chinese app RedNote tops charts, recruits American influencers

January 20, 2025
Over the weekend, there was confusion when TikTok briefly went offline, only to return shortly thereafter amid its still-uncertain future. Now, another Chinese app, Xiaohongshu—or RedNote in the U.S.—has capitalized on the opportunity, rising to the number one spot in both the Apple and Google Play app stores.

The Chinese company has launched an active influencer campaign in the U.S. to increase its presence in the market. Wired obtained a copy of the campaign brief. It included hiring a New York-based marketing agency to recruit American social media influencers.

According to the campaign, RedNote paid U.S. influencers to promote the app as “fun and engaging” and encouraged them to highlight its “international appeal.” RedNote also instructed influencers to share their accounts and urge their followers to join them on the platform.

RedNote, based in Shanghai, has been around for more than a decade. Predominantly marketed in China, RedNote operates primarily in Mandarin.

Last week, Straight Arrow News reported on some U.S. users’ concerns about censorship on the app. It aligns with the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) restrictions on free speech.

For lawmakers, the TikTok ban seems to be backfiring. Many Americans are flocking to other Chinese-owned apps despite concerns about security risks posed by their CCP ties.

Under the law that could ban TikTok, Congress can force a platform to divest if its parent company is based in a “foreign adversary-controlled country” and the app has more than a million monthly U.S. users.

RedNote would easily meet that criteria. Analytics firm SimilarWeb reported on X that RedNote’s daily active U.S. iPhone users surged to 1.8 million on Jan. 13.

It remains unclear whether TikTok’s alternative platforms will continue to be available for U.S. users, given the new law banning foreign apps in the country.
Related Stories
Apple agrees to pay $95 million over Siri eavesdropping lawsuit

January 3, 2025
Apple reached a $95 million settlement on Tuesday, Dec. 31, over a lawsuit accusing the tech giant of using its virtual assistant Siri to secretly record Apple users’ conversations via iPhones and other Apple devices. The lawsuit alleged that the recordings occurred even when people did not activate the virtual assistant using the key phrase: “Hey, Siri.”

The lawsuit goes on to claim that some of the recorded conversations were shared with advertisers in the hopes they would sell their products to interested customers. The allegations are in conflict with Apple’s long-running pledge to protect its customers privacy.

As part of the settlement, Apple does not have to admit any wrongdoing. The deal must be approved by a federal judge, and lawyers have proposed a Feb. 14 court hearing to review the legal terms.

If the settlement is approved by the federal judge, the agreement would award money to tens of thousands of Apple users who owned iPhones and other Apple devices from Sept. 17, 2014, through the end of last year.

Each person would reportedly get $20 for each Siri-equipped device covered in the settlement, but would be limited to five devices they claim. The payment may be higher or lower depending on the number of claims filed. Court documents show that only 3% to 5% of eligible Apple customers are expected to file claims.

Lawyers who brought the lawsuit against Apple assert that the $95 million settlement reached is only a small fraction of the roughly $1.5 billion Apple would have paid if it were found guilty of violating wiretapping and privacy laws had the case gone to trial.
Related Stories
Supreme Court agrees to hear appeal from TikTok on US ban in January

December 18, 2024
The U.S. Supreme Court said on Wednesday, Dec. 18, it will hear an appeal from TikTok challenging a U.S. law that could end up banning the social media app next month. The court’s announcement comes after an appeal by TikTok this week.

The Supreme Court justices will hear oral arguments on Jan. 10 before deciding on the law’s fate. Currently, the app used by millions of people is set to be banned in the U.S. come Jan. 19, unless its Chinese owner, ByteDance, sells the company.

Earlier this year, Congress passed, and President Joe Biden signed, a law that requires the China-based company to divest the app over national security concerns.

In an emergency filing, TikTok’s lawyers argued the law violated the First Amendment by banning the company’s right to free speech.

A lower court upheld the law earlier in December, siding with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), over concerns about Chinese influence on the company.

As Straight Arrow News previously reported, U.S. lawmakers recently sent a letter to Google and Apple that warns the tech giants to prepare to remove the platform from their app stores.

Some lawmakers say the social media app is a threat to the country’s security, noting laws in Beijing that require social media platforms to work with the Chinese government when asked.

The DOJ also warns the app could be used by China to spy on Americans and steal sensitive information. Other U.S. officials have voiced support for the app.

For instance, President-elect Donald Trump said following a meeting with TikTok’s CEO he has a “warm spot” in his heart for the platform, despite efforts during his first term to ban the app.

Trump said, “You know, I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok because I won youth by 34 points, and there are those that say that TikTok has something to do with that. So, I have a little bit of a warm spot in my heart, I’ll be honest.”
Related Stories
Apple, Google told to be prepared for TikTok ban on Jan 19

December 16, 2024
Congress is ordering Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores by Jan. 19. In a letter to the tech giants, lawmakers said they must comply with a soon-to-be-enacted law requiring parent company ByteDance to divest the video app or essentially be banned in the United States.

That law was signed by President Joe Biden in April 2024 and was upheld unanimously by an appeals court. It states marketplaces cannot distribute, maintain or update TikTok, effectively impacting both new and existing users.

If ByteDance decides to divest, the deal must be approved by the U.S. government. Additionally, the president can grant a 90-day extension if the company is making progress on a sale.

“Congress has acted decisively to defend the national security of the United States and protect TikTok’s American users from the Chinese Communist Party,” lawmakers said in a letter to TikTok CEO Shou Chew. “We urge TikTok to immediately execute a qualified divestiture.”

TikTok is considered a national security threat because parent company ByteDance is based in China, which has a law requiring companies to assist the government when asked. The Chinese Communist Party could require TikTok to distribute misinformation to its 170 million U.S. users, collect personal data on Americans or install malicious software on users’ cellphones.

TikTok argued in court that banning the app violates the First Amendment. The court ruled that the law actually protects free speech from a foreign adversary nation and limits that adversary’s ability to gather data on people in the United States. The court rejected all of TikTok’s constitutional claims.

Anyone who already uses TikTok in the U.S. won’t lose access to it on Jan. 19, but they won’t be able to update the app anymore, which will eventually make it incompatible with their phone’s operating system and unworkable.

President-elect Donald Trump said he wants to prevent a TikTok ban but has not offered details as to how he would do that.

“I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok,” Trump told reporters Monday, Dec. 16.

The law takes effect the day before he’s sworn in.
Related Stories

Apple to source more iPhones from India to beat Trump’s tariffs: Report

Full Story

What’s Apple doing to get ahead?

What’s the latest on tariffs?

TikTok returns to Google Play, Apple app stores

Full Story

Why is TikTok back now?

What legal risks do Apple and Google face?

What happens next?

Apple entangled in the US-China trade war as China strikes back

Full Story

How has China retaliated for tariffs so far?

Will China follow through on investigating Apple?

Elon Musk’s Starlink coming to Apple’s iPhone, while astronomers express concern

What is Elon Musk’s response?

Where does Apple’s partnership with Globalstar stand?

Are astronomers still concerned about Starlink?

Apple agrees to pay $95 million over Siri eavesdropping lawsuit

Apple, Google told to be prepared for TikTok ban on Jan 19

Certified unbiased reporting

Transparent and credible

Newsletter

Stay connected

Apple to source more iPhones from India to beat Trump’s tariffs: Report

Full Story

What’s Apple doing to get ahead?

What’s the latest on tariffs?

Trump extends TikTok sale deadline 75 days, sees ‘tremendous progress’

Full Story

When did the first delay happen?

What’s the latest with the US and China’s trade war?

What led to another extension?

Utah becomes first state to pass age verification law for app stores

Full Story

What’s mandated by the new law?

What makes it unique?

Will more states follow?

What concerns does the law raise?

TikTok returns to Google Play, Apple app stores

Full Story

Why is TikTok back now?

What legal risks do Apple and Google face?

What happens next?

Apple entangled in the US-China trade war as China strikes back

Full Story

How has China retaliated for tariffs so far?

Will China follow through on investigating Apple?

Elon Musk’s Starlink coming to Apple’s iPhone, while astronomers express concern

What is Elon Musk’s response?

Where does Apple’s partnership with Globalstar stand?

Are astronomers still concerned about Starlink?

Chinese app RedNote tops charts, recruits American influencers

Apple agrees to pay $95 million over Siri eavesdropping lawsuit

Supreme Court agrees to hear appeal from TikTok on US ban in January

Apple, Google told to be prepared for TikTok ban on Jan 19