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Apple Holds Event To Showcase New Release Of iPhones, Watches and AirPods
Apple CEO Tim Cook inspects the new iPhone 16 (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
i-yawn

It sure looks like fewer people are rushing to buy the new iPhone this year

Apple's big bet on AI isn't paying off with consumers yet

Rani Molla

The incorporation of AI into the iPhone doesn’t seem to be doing much for Apple just yet.

A look at global traffic to Apple.com shows that over the past few years, fewer unique visitors have been showing up to watch Apple’s annual hardware event. And even fewer are turning up when it’s time to pre-order iPhones. Presumably, that means fewer people are buying them, too. Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Typically, traffic each year to Apple’s website peaks on the day of the iPhone event and jumps again a few days later, when the new phones become available for pre-order, according to data online measurement firm Similarweb shared with Sherwood.

A look at the last three years shows that traffic has gone down.

Here’s that chart again isolating the day of the event and the day pre-orders begin:

Apple has been hoping that the integration of its AI, Apple Intelligence, would help spur an upgrade cycle, and help flagging iPhone sales.

The thing is, people don’t really buy new iPhones for the new features. Rather consumers buying new iPhones typically cite a slow, broken, or lost phone, according to survey data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. And iPhones have been lasting a lot longer these days, while its new features have failed to wow.

Of course, consumers could be waiting for Apple Intelligence to come out in October to see how well it actually works. For now, they’re not that interested in the iPhone 16.

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Starbucks issues apology after viral “Bearista” cup meltdown

Holiday cheer turned into chaos this week for Starbucks after the coffee giant’s new “Bearista” holiday cup sent fans into a frenzy. 

Dropped alongside its 2025 holiday menu, the $30 beanie-wearing glass bear tumbler sparked long lines, sellouts, and even in-store scuffles before Starbucks stepped in with an apology.

“The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations,” the company said in a statement to People. “Despite shipping more Bearista cups to our coffeehouses than almost any other item this holiday season, the Bearista cup and some other items sold out fast.”

Within hours of launch, frustrated fans flooded Starbucks’ social media pages and even store hotlines. Some customers waited in line before dawn and others said their stores received only a handful of cups. In one Houston location, the craze even turned physical, with police reportedly called to break up a brawl. Meanwhile, the cup is already reselling on sites like eBay, with listings topping $600.

“We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused,” Starbucks said. While in-store customers may be upset, investors seem happy about the viral hit, as the stock has risen over 3% on Friday.

If you’re still hoping for a Bearista at market price, that may not be on order: the chain didn’t disclose how many cups were made or whether a restock is planned.

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Target tells workers to smile, wave, and greet shoppers if they come within 10 feet of them

Target just rolled out a new rule for store employees: smile, make eye contact, and greet or wave when a shopper comes within 10 feet — and if they get closer, within four feet, ask whether they need help or how their day is going, according to a new Bloomberg report.

Dubbed the 10-4 program internally, the rule mirrors rival Walmarts own 10-foot policy, formalizing behavior Target had previously only encouraged.

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Monster surges on energy drink buzz, while Celsius sinks on distribution concerns

Shares of Monster Beverage climbed 5% after the bell on Thursday, and held most of those gains into early trading on Friday, following strong Q3 results.

The energy drink giant topped market expectations, with quarterly sales up 17% year over year to $2.2 billion and adjusted net profits growing 41% to $524.5 million — 11% ahead of Wall Street’s estimates. In the report, Monster highlighted its zero-sugar line and new product launches, with a stack of novel flavors already released this year, as bright spots.

During a call with analysts, Chief Executive Hilton Schlosberg said that the global energy drink category “remains healthy with robust growth,” The Wall Street Journal reported, adding that demand for more affordable caffeinated drinks is rising as coffee has become “really expensive.”

Meanwhile, rival beverage business Celsius saw shares fall as much as 23% on its Q3 results yesterday — despite beating expectations, with revenue jumping 173% — largely due to concerns about a change in the company’s distribution channel, as its newly acquired Alani Nu brand joins the PepsiCo distribution network.

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