Apple may try to increase revenue by doing…something with third-party AI apps

On Monday's earnings call, Apple CFO Kevan Parekh said AI offers opportunities "across third-party apps and partnerships as well as first-party opportunities," without elaborating, and Reuters reported investors are wondering whether Apple could profit by distributing third-party AI agents through the App Store and taking a cut of their revenue. Parekh said App Store performance in the September quarter was similar to the prior year, with record paid subscriptions and double-digit growth for third-party apps, while mobile gaming headwinds are expected to continue into the summer quarter. Apple expects services growth of 8 to 9% in the December quarter, an outlook that accounts for headwinds primarily from third-party licensing.