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Record-Breaking Drama, Viral Accessories, and a $634 Million Patent Hit: Apple's Eventful Week

MarketDash Editorial Team
15 days ago
From a streaming success story to a fashion-forward iPhone pouch, plus surging China sales and a massive patent ruling, Apple had one of those weeks where everything seemed to happen at once.

If you blinked this weekend, you might have missed Apple Inc. (AAPL) making waves across streaming, fashion, courtrooms, and Chinese retail all at once. The company had enough news to fill a week, compressed into a few busy days. Here's what went down.

Streaming Success Nobody Expected

Apple's streaming business isn't exactly the crown jewel of its empire, but it's quietly racking up wins. In November, the company hit a milestone that had nothing to do with iPhone sales. After rebranding its streaming segment and dropping several announcements, Apple revealed that "Pluribus," its recently released drama, is now the most-watched drama in Apple TV history. The show knocked the second season of "Severance" out of the top spot, which is no small feat given that show's devoted following.

It's a signal that Apple's content strategy might actually be working, even if streaming remains a relatively small slice of the company's overall business.

The iPhone Pouch That Broke the Internet

Sometimes the simplest products generate the biggest buzz. Apple's iPhone Pocket, a 3D-knitted cross-body pouch designed to carry an iPhone, AirPods, and other small essentials, went viral this week. The accessory was created in collaboration with the Issey Miyake Design Studio, the same Japanese fashion house that made Steve Jobs' famous black turtlenecks.

It's a clever bit of brand nostalgia wrapped in functional design, and people seem to love it.

China Sales Tell a Growth Story

Over in China, Apple is having a moment. The company strengthened its grip on the premium smartphone market in October, with some impressive numbers to back it up. China's overall smartphone market grew 8% year-over-year last month, led by Apple and supported by domestic manufacturers trying to keep pace.

The standout figure: Apple sold one in every four smartphones in China during October, with iPhone shipments surging 37% year-over-year. That growth is being driven by strong demand for the iPhone 17 series, which appears to be resonating with Chinese consumers in a big way.

Institutional Investors Still Love Tech

Apple found itself in good company on the third quarter's "hot list" of most aggressively accumulated IT stocks. Micron Technology Inc. (MU), ASML Holding NV (ASML), Apple (AAPL), Nvidia Corp. (NVDA), Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD), and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSM) dominated the list of stocks institutional investors were scooping up.

Meanwhile, Applovin Corp (APP) and Lumentum Holdings Inc (LITE) quietly cracked the early top ranks as well, suggesting investors see opportunity beyond just the mega-cap names.

The $634 Million Patent Problem

Not everything was good news for Apple this week. A federal jury in California ruled that the company must pay Masimo Corporation (MASI) $634 million for infringing a patent related to blood-oxygen reading technology. The jury found Apple guilty of violating intellectual property held by Masimo, a medical-monitoring technology company.

It's a significant financial hit and a reminder that even the most valuable companies in the world can run into expensive legal trouble when they push into new product categories. Apple has been expanding its health-tracking features aggressively, and this ruling shows there are established players in that space who aren't going to step aside quietly.

Back to News

Record-Breaking Drama, Viral Accessories, and a $634 Million Patent Hit: Apple's Eventful Week

MarketDash Editorial Team
15 days ago
From a streaming success story to a fashion-forward iPhone pouch, plus surging China sales and a massive patent ruling, Apple had one of those weeks where everything seemed to happen at once.

If you blinked this weekend, you might have missed Apple Inc. (AAPL) making waves across streaming, fashion, courtrooms, and Chinese retail all at once. The company had enough news to fill a week, compressed into a few busy days. Here's what went down.

Streaming Success Nobody Expected

Apple's streaming business isn't exactly the crown jewel of its empire, but it's quietly racking up wins. In November, the company hit a milestone that had nothing to do with iPhone sales. After rebranding its streaming segment and dropping several announcements, Apple revealed that "Pluribus," its recently released drama, is now the most-watched drama in Apple TV history. The show knocked the second season of "Severance" out of the top spot, which is no small feat given that show's devoted following.

It's a signal that Apple's content strategy might actually be working, even if streaming remains a relatively small slice of the company's overall business.

The iPhone Pouch That Broke the Internet

Sometimes the simplest products generate the biggest buzz. Apple's iPhone Pocket, a 3D-knitted cross-body pouch designed to carry an iPhone, AirPods, and other small essentials, went viral this week. The accessory was created in collaboration with the Issey Miyake Design Studio, the same Japanese fashion house that made Steve Jobs' famous black turtlenecks.

It's a clever bit of brand nostalgia wrapped in functional design, and people seem to love it.

China Sales Tell a Growth Story

Over in China, Apple is having a moment. The company strengthened its grip on the premium smartphone market in October, with some impressive numbers to back it up. China's overall smartphone market grew 8% year-over-year last month, led by Apple and supported by domestic manufacturers trying to keep pace.

The standout figure: Apple sold one in every four smartphones in China during October, with iPhone shipments surging 37% year-over-year. That growth is being driven by strong demand for the iPhone 17 series, which appears to be resonating with Chinese consumers in a big way.

Institutional Investors Still Love Tech

Apple found itself in good company on the third quarter's "hot list" of most aggressively accumulated IT stocks. Micron Technology Inc. (MU), ASML Holding NV (ASML), Apple (AAPL), Nvidia Corp. (NVDA), Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD), and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSM) dominated the list of stocks institutional investors were scooping up.

Meanwhile, Applovin Corp (APP) and Lumentum Holdings Inc (LITE) quietly cracked the early top ranks as well, suggesting investors see opportunity beyond just the mega-cap names.

The $634 Million Patent Problem

Not everything was good news for Apple this week. A federal jury in California ruled that the company must pay Masimo Corporation (MASI) $634 million for infringing a patent related to blood-oxygen reading technology. The jury found Apple guilty of violating intellectual property held by Masimo, a medical-monitoring technology company.

It's a significant financial hit and a reminder that even the most valuable companies in the world can run into expensive legal trouble when they push into new product categories. Apple has been expanding its health-tracking features aggressively, and this ruling shows there are established players in that space who aren't going to step aside quietly.