Apple’s Next, Next Big Thing

It’s September: the summer’s nearly over, Spooky Season almost has us hauling giant skeletons out of the closet, Starbucks’ pumpkin spice latte is in full swing, and — it goes without saying at this point — a new iPhone is on the way. Have feedback for us? Just hit reply - we'd love to hear from you!   Same same but different Tomorrow, Apple will announce a new iPhone that promises to have a slightly better camera, run a little bit quicker, and maybe even boast a marginally better battery life. Which is a sentence that we probably could have written almost every September since 2012. Whether you’ll be tuning in for the company’s “It’s Glowtime” event alongside scores of Apple devotees and iWeary tech journalists at 1PM ET tomorrow, or you couldn’t think of a worse way to while away over an hour of your time, there’s no denying that the iPhone now plays a massive role in everyday life… and an even bigger one at the largest company in the world, despite its execs’ best intentions. Although the buzz and fanfare around the release of new iPhones might have died down a little as the years have gone on, the device still accounted for just over $200 billion (or 52%) of Apple’s top line figure in 2023. The company’s top brass seem keen to diversify revenue streams away from its iconic core product, ratcheting up its research and development budget again recently in search of its next big thing. However, a now-abandoned car project and a seemingly flopping VR headset both suggest they may have their work cut out. [Read: Apple is spending $30 billion a year on R&D to find its next big thing]( [Read: Apple is spending $30 billion a year on R&D to find its next big thing](   Other great stories from the week - [These are the brands that divide America]( Is Subaru liberal? Is Cracker Barrel a Republican? Is this TV show my friend? - [The Federal Reserve is going back to the 1990s]( Conversations around cuts mean Oasis won’t be the only 90s throwback act in town. - [Nordstroms try nabbing Nordstrom for no premium]( The family behind the brand are hoping they can score a Nordstrom Rack-style deal to take the company private. - [Here’s the transcript of the secret briefing that kicked off the TikTok law]( Take an (admittedly heavily-redacted) look at the meeting that sparked the TikTok ban bill.   A new report suggests that the corporate Eye of Sauron is even more omniscient than many of us had (or would like to have) believed, with surveillance in some major workplaces extending to analyzing Zoom and phone call transcripts, keystrokes, and even gathering data on physical movements all in the name of constructing “risk scores” on employees, or similarly strange assessments. Jon Keegan explored some of the murkier measures that bosses are taking to keep an eye on their workers, and how concern around the concept in general is surprisingly dependent on how old you are… [Read: Corporate surveillance technology is out of control]( [Read: Corporate surveillance technology is out of control](   Thanks for stopping by! Have some [feedback](mailto:daily@chartr.co?subject=Feedback&body=Hi, I like the newsletters, but I had a thought for you...) or want to [sponsor this newsletter](mailto:advertising@sherwoodmedia.com?subject=I’m interested in advertising with Sherwood Media)?   Not a subscriber? Sign up for free below. [Subscribe](   [X]( [Instagram]( [Chartr Logo]( Sherwood Media, LLC produces fresh and unique perspectives on topical financial news and is a fully owned subsidiary of Robinhood Markets, Inc., and any views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of any other Robinhood affiliate... [See more]( [Sherwood Terms and Conditions]( [Our Editorial Standards]( [Contact Us](mailto:daily@chartr.co?body=Hi%2C%0A%0AI%20like%20the%20newsletters%2C%20but%20I%20had%20a%20thought%20for%20you...&subject=Feedback) [Advertise With Us](mailto:advertising@sherwoodmedia.com?body=I%E2%80%99m%20interested%20in%20advertising%20with%20Sherwood%20Media) [Unsubscribe](newsletter=chartr) [Privacy Policy](