*By Carlo Versano*
It's become an annual tradition, of sorts: as summer turns to fall, Apple unveils its latest product updates in a highly choreographed keynote affair, an event that Steve Jobs once presided over to the thrill of the company's fans and followers, who speculated wildly over what was in store.
These days some [grumble](https://www.barrons.com/articles/apple-iphone-event-1536633378) the fanfare has become a little long in the tooth. With so many leaks leading up to the event, the opportunity for real surprise is minimal.
On the eve of this year's launch ー Apple's first as a $1 trillion company ー most expect the company to unveil three new iPhone models at various price points and an updated Apple Watch, said Quartz's deputy editor Mike Murphy.
With slowing growth in the company's signature smartphone and an escalating trade war with China ー Apple told the government last week that another $200 billion in tariffs on Chinese products coming into the U.S. may cause the company to raise its already-steep prices ー those different price points are increasingly important. The company has managed to ring out more revenue from its existing customers by jacking up prices every year, said Murphy.
"The crazy thing is this cheaper model is expected to come in at $700," which is what the high-end iPhone cost just a couple of years ago.
Apple's iPhone pricing is "increasingly ridiculous," Murphy added.
He said 2016's iPhone SE, which is the real "budget" option starting at $399, will likely stick around, at least for this product cycle.
But Apple is betting that people want bigger phones and is happy to push them. Andrew Keene, founder of AlphaShark Trading, said in a separate interview on Cheddar that a phone with a new, larger screen (6.5 inches, reportedly, compared to 5.8 inches for the iPhone X) is a smart reading of the market.
"They need something that's going to be a game-changer, and the game-changer's going to be that bigger screen," Keene said. "I think that's what's really going to make the stock go higher."
But further segmenting its most important product line would mark a notable shift for the company, which used to pride itself on building few products really well and have them, as Steve Jobs loved to say, "just work," according to Quartz's Murphy.
Indeed, as Apple has expanded its offerings, the company has seen an increase in problems that it once avoided ー from [broken keyboards] (https://theoutline.com/post/2402/the-new-macbook-keyboard-is-ruining-my-life?zd=1&zi=a73basj6) to [throttling laptops] (https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/24/17605652/macbook-pro-thermal-throttling-apple-software-fix).
"It's going to be very difficult to have the quality control they used to have," Murphy said. "I'm starting to wonder if Apple just doesn't really know what exactly people want."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/apple-expected-to-release-three-new-phones-at-keynote-event).
The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lead a protest march on Wall Street to urge corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The New York civil rights leader will join clergy, labor and community leaders Thursday in a demonstration through Manhattan’s Financial District that’s timed with the anniversary of the Civil Rights-era March on Washington in 1963. Sharpton called DEI the “civil rights fight of our generation." He and other Black leaders have called for boycotting American retailers that scaled backed policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity and reducing discrimination in their ranks.
President Donald Trump's administration last month awarded a $1.2 billion contract to build and operate what's expected to become the nation’s largest immigration detention complex to a tiny Virginia firm with no experience running correction facilities.
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
