Apple's $2 Billion AI Move and the Week's Highlighted Developments

Apple's Major AI Investment

Tech giant Apple has acquired the secretive startup Q.ai in a deal valued at $2 billion, aiming to strengthen its presence in the artificial intelligence field. This move is considered part of the company's ambitious strategy, particularly regarding AI research and product integration. The acquisition has been interpreted by industry observers as a significant step taken by Apple to solidify its position in the AI race.

AirTag 2 Launch and Innovations

Apple has introduced the second generation of its object tracker, AirTag, to users. It is reported that the new model features noticeable design changes to distinguish it from the original AirTag. One of the device's most notable features is its advanced tracking capabilities, which have also been integrated into Apple Watch models. Users can now manage the most popular features of the AirTag directly from their smartwatches.

iOS 26.3 Beta Process Continues

Apple has released the third beta version of iOS 26.3 to developers. The update introduces three new ways for users to personalize their iPhones and a feature to limit location data shared with carriers. However, among the developments this week, it was also noted that the company temporarily withdrew selected iOS updates due to some connectivity issues.

Record Revenue and Device Count

Apple set a record by generating $143.7 billion in revenue in the first quarter of the 2026 fiscal year. This figure represents a 16% increase compared to the same period last year. The company also announced that it has reached 2.5 billion active devices worldwide. These data reveal the global-scale growth of the Apple ecosystem.

Other Significant Developments

Other highlights of the week were listed as follows:

• Apple has terminated the iPhone Upgrade Program in the United Kingdom.
• Supply constraints for the AirPods Pro 3 are estimated to have cost the company at least $230 million last quarter.
• Apple confirmed that the Gemini-powered Siri will use its Private Cloud Compute infrastructure. This development has reignited debates about data privacy and processing power in AI-powered assistants. Such collaborations and infrastructure investments in the AI field reflect the general trend of the industry. Similarly, Nvidia's CEO had previously emphasized the importance of a support policy for all developers.
• Apple paid a total of $851 million in fines last year due to privacy and competition violations.
• The iPhone 17 maintained its leading position in the global best-selling smartphone rankings.

Apple's aggressive investment and acquisition strategy in the AI field indicates that competition in the sector will intensify further in the coming period. The company's efforts to combine its strength in hardware and software integration with artificial intelligence are expected to form the main theme of its upcoming product launches.