Here are your Apple rumors and AAPL news items for today.
AT&T Controls 20% of the iPhone Market: One year ago, Wall Street was worried for AT&T (NYSE:T). Apple was about to bring the iPhone to Verizon (NYSE:VZ) and it was a concern that mobile subscribers were going to jump ship to that competitor en masse. But after reporting earnings for the October-to-December quarter, AT&T has proof that there was nothing to worry about. The company activated 7.6 million iPhones over that period, out of a total 9.4 million smartphones activated. That means that the iPhone still accounts for more than 80% of AT&T’s smartphone business, and the telecom still represents 20% of Apple’s total iPhone sales. Not all of those buyers were existing subscribers upgrading their devices either. AT&T added 2.5 million subscribers to its network over the quarter. Not too shabby.
Universal Remote Patent Hints at Apple HDTV: Apple Insider reprinted details from a newly published Apple patent application titled “Apparatus and Method to Facilitate Universal Remote Control.” The patent describes a remote control with a touch screen – a slicker alternative to a gadget whose features many users never completely explore or master. The patent notes that many of the buttons cluttering remotes go unused by people casually watching television. Apple’s remote would have a simple touch screen that shows a layout of available control options for different devices as needed. It would also have a “discovery mechanism” that would scan for nearby gadgets that could be controlled with the device. The patent was filed in September 2011.
Foxconn Brings iPad Manufacturing Plant to Brazil: Amid continuing reports of horrific conditions at its Chinese plants, Apple manufacturing partner Foxconn (PINK:FXCNY) is now bringing its assembly business to Brazil. A report published Wednesday in Folha (via Mac Rumors) said that Brazil’s government has approved Interministerial Ordinance #34, granting tax incentives for the production of touch screen-based devices lacking a keyboard and that weigh less than 750 grams. In short: big tax breaks on making tablets. Foxconn announced its plans to expand its iPad manufacturing business into Brazil in April 2011 but had been held up as negotiations with Brazil’s government over the tax breaks dragged on.
As of this writing, Anthony John Agnello did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned stocks. Follow him on Twitter at @ajohnagnello and become a fan of InvestorPlace on Facebook. For more from the company, check out our previous Apple Rumors stories.
