Episode summary
Daybreak Holiday: Apple's New CEO, Oracle Earnings, Paramount Deal | Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition
Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition
· · 39 min · Hosts: Nathan Hager · Guests: Jennifer Rie, Brody Ford, Mark Gurman
Summary
Apple’s fall product event is expected to center on its first foldable iPhone, a premium device that Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said could cost more than $2,000 and mainly appeal to early adopters, Android switchers, and the top end of Apple’s customer base. He argued the foldable has a better chance than the Vision Pro because phones are a more mainstream category, and said Apple’s newer leasing and upgrade programs could soften sticker shock and support recurring revenue over time.
The event also serves as the first major stage appearance for new CEO John Turnis, but Gurman said the transition is likely to be gradual. He expects broad continuity for the next two or three years, with Turnis focused more on product development and Tim Cook still deeply involved. He said Apple’s AI push this fall will be more visible in a smart-home device with Siri AI than in any direct challenge to ChatGPT.
Oracle’s earnings on Wednesday are being watched as a test of the AI data-center buildout after the stock’s sharp pullback. Brody Ford said investors will focus on capex, financing, and how quickly data centers and OpenAI-related projects come online, while also looking for evidence that Oracle’s traditional software business is still holding up. The segment on Paramount’s planned Warner Brothers Discovery deal said state antitrust regulators still have leverage, and that settlement talks could hinge on cable-channel divestitures and other concessions before ticking fees start in October.
Key takeaways
- Mark Gurman said Apple’s foldable iPhone will be the centerpiece of Wednesday’s launch, but at over $2,000 it is aimed at early adopters, not the mass market.
- Gurman argued Apple’s leasing and upgrade programs could make premium pricing less painful and become a meaningful revenue driver over time.
- Brody Ford said Oracle’s earnings will hinge on capex, data-center progress, and whether revenue from AI infrastructure starts to catch up with spending.
- Ford said Oracle’s traditional software business could help reassure investors if it shows AI is not eroding its applications franchise.
- Jennifer Ree said the states still have leverage in the Paramount-Warner Brothers Discovery fight, and a settlement may require cable-channel divestitures and other concessions before October fees begin.
Notable quotes
“the centerpiece of Apple's launch on Wednesday. Uh Samsung, some of the Chinese companies have been offering foldable phones for many years at this point, but now Apple's getting in the game”
“I think this is going to be a product bought by early adopters. It's going to be a product bought by people coming over from the Android ecosystem”
“the AI push for Apple this fall will be in the smart home. They're going to launch a new smart home device almost like an Amazon Alexa, their Echo Show”
“Oracle is one of the most interesting stories in tech right now because they leveraged a super profitable traditional software business to go all in on AI data centers”
“I think there is and I I think on both sides, my feeling has has been for some time that this is like more likely than not to settle”
How the episode opens
Hello everybody. Thank you so much for joining us for this special edition of Bloomberg Daybreak. US markets are closed for the Labor Day holiday.
I'm Nathan Hager. Coming up this hour, we'll update you on where a mega media merger stands on the legal front. Bloomberg Intelligence senior litigation analyst Jennifer Ree will join us on Paramount Skyance's 110 billion takeover of Warner Brothers Discovery.
Plus, big tech in focus this week. Bloomberg's Brody Ford will join us from San Francisco to get us set for Oracle's earnings on Wednesday. Also Wednesday, Apple holds its biggest product launch of the year, helping to kick off the tenure of Apple's first new CEO in 15 years, John Turnis.
And for more on this, we are pleased to welcome Bloomberg's top reporter on the Apple and consumer techbe, Mark German is with us from Los Angeles. Thanks so much for being here, Mark. I hear so much about a foldable phone coming.
A foldable phone coming in Certino this week. Is that all we're expecting? Hello.
It's not all we're expecting. Uh but that is going to be the centerpiece of Apple's launch on Wednesday. Uh Samsung, some of the Chinese companies have been offering foldable phones for many years at this point, but now Apple's getting in the game, which is going to make it a lot more mainstream.
And their differentiator there is that their version is a bit shorter and wider, which means it has an aspect ratio that is more interesting and is a better viewing experience for for video and for book reading and for gaming. And so this should be a little bit of an interesting concept. When closed, it's about the size of a passport.
And when opened, it's about the size of a small iPad.
From the episode’s captions: roughly the first two minutes, lightly cleaned. Keep watching on YouTube →
Topics
- labor day holiday edition
- paramount warner bros discovery acquisition
- oracle earnings
- apple product introduction
- apple ceo transition
Companies and tickers mentioned
- PARA
- ORCL
- AAPL
- Paramount Global
- Warner Bros. Discovery
- Oracle
- Apple
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Summary, takeaways and quote selection by Octagon. Quotes are short excerpts; the full conversation is in the episode.
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