Tag: Interest

Categories
News

Apple Vision Pro Customer Interest Dying Down at Some Retail Stores

[ad_1]

Apple Vision Pro, Apple’s $3,500 spatial computing device, appears to be following a pattern familiar to the AR/VR headset industry – initial enthusiasm giving way to a significant dip in sustained interest and usage.

apple vision pro orange
Since its debut in the U.S. in February 2024, excitement for the ‌Apple Vision Pro‌ has noticeably cooled, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman reports a marked decline in the demand for retail demos and sales, based on the Apple Stores he has spoken to:

Demand for demos is way down. People who do book appointments often don’t show up, and sales — at least at some locations — have gone from a couple of units a day to just a handful in a whole week. Apple also has had to step up the marketing on its online homepage. There’s a huge promo for the Vision Pro at the top of the website — the most aggressive pitch since the device went on sale in early February.

The trend that ‌Apple Vision Pro‌ appears to be following is less likely to be a retail anomaly, and more indicative of a broader issue that has plagued VR technology from its inception: Maintaining user engagement after the initial novelty wears off.

Gurman offers his personal experience of Apple’s headset as a microcosm of what he suspects is a wider user trend. His own usage has decreased from daily interactions to just once or twice a week. A significant barrier to more frequent use, he says, is a setup that involves attaching batteries, booting up, and navigating a complex interface, which makes traditional devices like laptops and smartphones more appealing for regular tasks.

Gurman also blames the Vision Pro’s lack of a “killer app” and compelling content for further diminishing the headset’s appeal. He notes that it feels better suited to solitary activities – say, on a long flight or while working from home – rather than for use in social situations or around co-workers.

It seems Apple still has a considerable task ahead in evolving the Vision Pro into a device that redefines everyday technology use. In the meantime, several bugs that initially plagued visionOS have been resolved, although many of Apple’s own apps are still not optimized for the device’s operating system.

In the last ‌visionOS‌ update, Apple added Spatial Personas, which make it feel like you are in the same virtual room as another Vision Pro user. Spatial Personas can be used for watching movies and TV shows together, FaceTime and other video calls, using apps like Freeform, playing games, and more. However, the feature needs other Vision Pro owners to appreciate it, and as Gurman notes, they are still few and far between.

Apple is expected to produce fewer than 400,000 Vision Pro headsets in 2024 due to the complexity of manufacturing, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. However, Apple is said to be already working on a new version of the ‌Apple Vision Pro‌ for 2025 that will be priced more affordably. Meanwhile, the first incarnation of the headset is expected to arrive in additional countries later this year.

[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
Bisnis Industri

Apple Card Savings interest rate drops slightly, now at 4.4%

[ad_1]

Apple Card Savings account at 4.4%
The interest rate earned by Apple Card Savings accounts just decreased. But not by very much.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple Card Savings accounts just got their first interest rate decrease. Money stored in on these accounts now earns 4.4% in annual interest.

Previously, Apple and Goldman Sachs had boosted in the rate multiple times since the beginning of December. And it’s still quite high, even after the drop.

Apple Card Savings accounts now pay 4.4% in interest annually

Starting in spring 2023, money earned from Apple Card’s cash-back program can automatically go into a high-yield savings account. Plus, users of Apple’s credit card can easily transfer cash from other accounts that pay a lower interest rate.

And there are plenty of accounts with lower rates. A Wells Fargo one pays 0.15% to 0.25%, for example, and Bank of America pays 0.01% to 0.04%. But an Apple account pays much more: 4.4%.

The current rate is a drop from the 4.5% interest rate that went into place in late January. The change is likely about the expectation that the Federal Reserve will drop the federal funds rate later this year. It’s currently 5.25% to 5.50%, but that could change in June. A drop in the federal funds rate generally means banks lower savings accounts’ interest rates.

But the Apple Card Savings interest rate increased rapidly in recent months. As noted, it went up to 4.5% in late January. That  that was a bump up from the previous rate of 4.35% from early January. In December 2023 it jumped to 4.25% — before that, it was 4.15%.

These are the Annual Percentage Yields, of course. And interest is compounded daily. So now $100 in an account earns $4.40 a year. Or put $10,000 away and earn $440 each year. The money is divided up monthly, of course.

Put your money work for you

With U.S. inflation down to 2.5%, the dollars stored in an Apple Card Savings account are genuinely increasing in value. Plus, there are no fees.

These benefits make an account a much better option than stuffing the cash under a mattress. Or even putting it in a low-yield account from another bank.

Read the Cult of Mac guide on how to sign up for Apple Card Savings and start earning significant interest.



[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
News

Apple Card Savings Account’s Interest Rate Lowered to 4.4% Today

[ad_1]

Following the Apple Card savings account’s rate cut to a 4.4% APY, we have updated our high-yield savings accounts (HYSAs) comparison chart for U.S. residents.

apple card savings account feature
4.4% is still a competitive APY compared to many other popular high-yield savings accounts, which typically offer rates between 4.25% and 5.25%.

Provider Maximum APY*
Ally 4.25%
Discover 4.25%
American Express 4.35%
Barclays 4.35%
Capital One 4.35%
Apple (Goldman Sachs) 4.4%
Marcus (Goldman Sachs) 4.4%
Citizens Bank 4.5%
SoFi 4.6%
PNC Bank 4.65%
Synchrony 4.75%
Betterment 5%
Wealthfront 5%
CIT Bank 5.05%
UFB Direct 5.25%

* Advertised APYs as of April 3, 2024, excluding promotional and affiliate rates. APYs are subject to change at any time. This list is not comprehensive.

Apple launched its savings account in April 2023, in partnership with Goldman Sachs. The account can be opened and managed in the Wallet app on the iPhone, and it has no fees, no minimum deposits, and no minimum balance requirements. You must have an Apple Card, be a U.S. resident, and be at least 18 years old to open an account.

The account allows Apple Card holders to earn interest on their Daily Cash cashback balance, and on funds deposited via a linked bank account or an Apple Cash balance. The maximum balance allowed is now $1,000,000, up from a previous limit of $250,000.

When the account first became available, Apple and Goldman Sachs offered an APY of 4.15%. The rate then increased three times, first to 4.25%, then to 4.35%, and finally to 4.5%. The drop to 4.4% is the first time the rate has gone down.

To open a savings account in the Wallet app, tap on your Apple Card, tap on the circle with three dots at the top of the screen, tap Daily Cash, and select Set Up Savings.

Goldman Sachs reportedly plans to end its consumer lending partnership with Apple, but it is unclear if this will have any impact on Apple Card holders.



[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
News

Apple Card Savings Account to Receive First-Ever Interest Rate Decrease

[ad_1]

Nearly one year after it launched in the U.S., the Apple Card’s high-yield savings account will be receiving its first-ever interest rate decrease.

apple card savings account feature
Starting on April 3, the Apple Card savings account’s annual percentage yield (APY) will be lowered to 4.4%, according to data on Apple’s backend discovered by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The account currently has a 4.5% APY.

4.4% will still be a competitive rate compared to many other popular high-yield savings accounts, which typically offer rates between 4.25% and 5.25%.

When the Apple Card’s savings account first became available, it offered an APY of 4.15%. The rate then increased three times, first to 4.25%, then to 4.35%, and finally to 4.5%. The drop to 4.4% will be the first time the rate has gone down.

Apple launched its savings account in April 2023, in partnership with Goldman Sachs. The account can be opened and managed in the Wallet app on the iPhone, and it has no fees, no minimum deposits, and no minimum balance requirements. You must have an Apple Card, be a U.S. resident, and be at least 18 years old to open an account.

The account allows Apple Card holders to earn interest on their Daily Cash cashback balance, and on funds deposited via a linked bank account or an Apple Cash balance. The maximum balance allowed is now $1,000,000, up from a previous limit of $250,000.

To open a savings account in the Wallet app, tap on your Apple Card, tap on the circle with three dots at the top of the screen, tap Daily Cash, and select Set Up Savings.

Goldman Sachs reportedly plans to end its consumer lending partnership with Apple, but it is unclear how this might impact Apple Card holders.

[ad_2]

Source Article Link