Yesterday, Apple unveiled the new iPhone 16. The stock market reaction was moderate, with neither euphoria nor major disappointment. While Americans will have to wait several more months for AI-based solutions, in Poland, it may take several years. As compensation, Apple has significantly reduced the prices of its new phones in Poland – the cheapest iPhone Pro is now over 18% cheaper than it was two years ago, a result of the strengthening Polish zloty.
Last night, Apple, the world’s most valuable publicly traded company (with a market capitalization of $3.36 trillion), presented the iPhone 16. As every year, the new phones were introduced at the beginning of September. Apple also revealed new AirPods models, but the main focus was on artificial intelligence. In June, with the launch of iOS 18, the company announced Apple Intelligence – a set of AI tools designed to revolutionize the way people use their phones.
Apple Intelligence will be available on new iPhones one month after their release. While the tool offers intriguing capabilities, it still seems to be under development. Apple is working to catch up with competitors that have already achieved significant success in this area. In addition to its proprietary solutions, which rely on local data analysis by the phone’s processor (for this, the new iPhones are equipped with A18 and A18 Pro processors optimized for AI), Apple also plans to integrate ChatGPT, the tool developed by OpenAI. However, the implementation of AI solutions will be gradual – in October, they will be available on phones in the U.S., followed by the U.K., Canada, and Australia in the coming months. By 2025, AI will be available in Chinese, Japanese, French, and Spanish. Unfortunately, in Poland, users may have to wait several years for the full implementation of Apple’s AI.
The stock market reacted neutrally to Apple’s presentation. As is typical with such events, the stock price initially dropped (by about 1.5%) before recovering to pre-event levels. Investors concluded that the introduction of AI by Apple is still too far off to have an immediate impact on the company’s current revenues. The iPhone 16, though marketed as “the best iPhone ever,” may not be innovative enough to compel owners of older models to upgrade. On the other hand, Apple avoided disappointing investors. Expectations for tech companies are very high these days, and even strong results, such as those announced by Nvidia, can disappoint investors hoping for even greater success. Apple is currently valued at 33.6 times its annual earnings, a significantly higher ratio than the 10-year average for the company, which stands at 21.
Although Apple’s AI solutions are still a distant future in Poland, the company from Cupertino surprised positively in another area – the prices of the new iPhones in Poland have significantly decreased compared to 2022 when they were at record highs. This is due to the strengthening of the Polish zloty and the weakening of the U.S. dollar. Since September 2022, the zloty has appreciated by 17.1% against the dollar, and by 10.2% over the past year. As a result, the base version of the iPhone 16 Pro will now cost 5,299 PLN, compared to 5,999 PLN (iPhone 15 Pro) and 6,499 PLN (iPhone 14 Pro). This represents a price drop of 11.6% compared to last year and a remarkable 18.4% decrease since 2022. However, it’s worth noting that iPhones in Poland are still more expensive than in the U.S., where incomes are significantly higher. In the U.S., the iPhone 16 Pro costs around $1,070 (including tax), which converts to approximately 4,141 PLN. iPhone prices in the U.S. have remained stable for several years despite inflation.
Apple is an extremely important company for investors. It is one of the most commonly held stocks among Polish investors on the eToro platform (ranked 5th). For this reason, interest and expectations surrounding the new iPhone are high, especially since smartphone sales accounted for half of Apple’s revenue in the second quarter of this year.
Paweł Majtkowski, eToro Analyst
Source: [Manager Plus](https://managerplus.pl/dzieki-mocnemu-zlotemu-nowy-iphone-stanial-o-20-56239)
