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Apple still world's top brand, as Huawei enters rankings
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Apple and Google have held their top spots as the planet's most valuable brands, according to ranking firm Interbrand.
Interbrand
Apple and Google are the world's most valuable brands, according to fresh rankings from brand evaluation firm Interbrand.
The iPhone-maker held its grip on the top spot, having last year nudged Coca-Cola from number one. Google similarly held steady with a second-place ranking. Both firms have an estimated brand value of over 100 million dollars. Figures are calculated by analysing the financial performance of each brand, the role that the brand itself plays in influencing shopper decisions, and how important a is brand to a company's power to make money, or charge a premium price for its products.
Six of the top ten brands are tech firms, with IBM taking fourth place, Microsoft taking fifth and Samsung claiming the number six spot. Amazon and Facebook, which placed 15th and 29th respectively, were both deemed "top risers" by Interbrand.
A new entrant to the top-100 ranking is Huawei, the first Chinese company to ever enter Interbrand's rankings, placing 94th. Best known to shoppers for its low-price Android smartphones, Interbrand writes, "The company is working to change its image in the mobile handset market from that of the low-cost alternative to one of a more premium brand."
Francisco Jeronimo, analyst at IDC told CNET that Huawei has been "recognised by consumers as a strong brand that provides affordable products but with quality, which was not the case a few years ago, when we tended to associate Chinese brands with low price and low quality."
"Using a Huawei handset provides an experience similar to many other devices from top brands," Jeronimo added. "I can get a good experience and good specs for a much lower price." Jeronimo also noted that it was surprising to see Huawei ranked ahead of Nokia (which appeared 98th in the top 100 list).
Luke Westaway Luke Westaway is a senior editor at CNET and writer/ presenter of Adventures in Tech, a thrilling gadget show produced in our London office. Luke's focus is on keeping you in the loop with a mix of video, features, expert opinion and analysis. See full bio Icahn to Apple: You need to start buying back more stock
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In an open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, activist investor Carl Icahn says the stock is worth double its current trading price.
Apple CEO Tim Cook unveils the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus during an event last month. James Martin/CNET
Carl Icahn is again calling for Apple to buy back its own stock, arguing that the iPhone maker's shares should be worth twice as much as their current trading level.
The billionaire activist investor on Thursday published an open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, just as he vowed (a day earlier on Twitter) to do. In the letter, Icahn calls for Apple to use its cash position to accelerate and increase the magnitude of stock repurchases through a tender offer, which is an open call to all investors to sell their stock -- usually at a premium.
"You have said before that the company likes to be 'opportunistic' when repurchasing shares and we appreciate that," Icahn said. "With this letter we simply hope to express to you that now is a very opportunistic time to do so."
Apple shares inched up less than 1 percent to $101.65 in premarket trading. Apple's stock hit an all-time high of $103.74 on Sept. 2, a week before the company introduced the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Icahn said the stock should be valued at $203 based on his calculations.
It's the second time Icahn has called for Apple to boost its existing stock buyback program. The investor had backed off of his last proposal in February, but has returned to his previous position. If Apple does offer to buy back more shares, Icahn said he would commit to not shedding his own position, reiterating his belief that the stock is undervalued.
The letter comes a month after Apple released its newest smartphones and a week before it's poised to host another event, likely to reveal new iPads and Macs. The company is counting on its new devices to help it attract new customers and keep current users coming back. The iPhone continues to sell at record numbers, but the iPad has had some troubles. Sales for the tablet have declined and missed analysts' estimates for the past two quarters.
Icahn praised the significantly upgraded iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which feature larger screens, improved specifications, and the capability to make mobile payments, noting that he believed the phones would take market share in the premium category. He compared the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S5 dynamic to a choice between a Mercedes and a Volkswagen -- at roughly the same price.
Apple said it would take Icahn's feedback.
"We always appreciate hearing from our shareholders," said a company spokeswoman. "Since 2013 we've been aggressively executing the largest capital return program in corporate history. As we've said before, we will review the program annually and take into account the input from all of our shareholders."
Apple, which nearly declared bankruptcy before Steve Jobs returned to the helm in 1997, now is the most valuable company in the US. Its market capitalization of more than $600 billion tops Exxon Mobil, Microsoft, and IBM, all giants in their own right. In Apple's last fiscal year, ended Sept. 28, 2013, the company generated $170.91 billion in sales and $37.04 billion in profits.
Its current capital return program calls for returning $130 billion in value to shareholders in 2015 through buybacks and dividends.
Jobs largely ignored shareholders, but Cook has taken a more investor-friendly approach. He met with Icahn a year ago after after the investor built a large stake in Apple shares. At the time, Icahn criticized Apple's buyback program as too small and said he wanted Apple to buy back $50 billion worth of shares. He dropped his proposal in February after saying Apple was close to fulfilling his requested repurchase target.
Since the talks a year ago, Apple has significantly increased its share repurchase plans and boosted its dividend. The company in June also gave investors six additional shares of stock for every Apple share they owned as of June 2. Because of the split, shares now trade at a much lower level than in the past, but it also makes the stock more accessible to investors. It's much cheaper to own a chunk of Apple at about $100 versus $600.
Carl Icahn is a vocal investor.
The extent to which Apple buys back shares is important to Icahn and other investors. The more shares a company buys back relative to its total outstanding shares, the more the move can affect a stock price. In this case, it would mean that Apple's shares would rise as the total stock supply falls and demand continues to stay strong.
In Thursday's open letter, Icahn weighed in on Apple's various product lines, including the newly introduced Apple Watch. The investor believes the smartwatch "will have a significant impact on Apple's growth" over the next three years. He also said he believes that Apple will release an UltraHD television set in fiscal 2016, although he also acknowledged that it may never happen.
The activist investor has had a knack for getting what he wants. His pressure on Motorola after it failed to capitalize on the original Razr's success in 2008 led to then CEO Edward Zander stepping down and the business splitting. Last week, eBay said it would spin off its PayPal unit, a proposal first urged by Icahn earlier this year.
Icahn concluded his new letter by praising Cook and his team from an operational level. But he believes the stock remains undervalued by investors.
"At today's price, Apple is one of the best investments we have ever seen from a risk reward perspective, and the size of our position is a testament to this," he said.
Updated at 7:40 am P.T.: To include a response from Apple.
Roger Cheng Roger Cheng is the executive editor in charge of breaking news for CNET News. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade. He's a devoted Trojan alum and Los Angeles Lakers fan. See full bio Apple patent reinvents remote control for the smartphone age
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The tech giant considers shrinking down the user interface on your TV and putting it on your phone as a way to navigate Apple TV.
A drawing used in Apple's patent application to describe a new kind of digital remote control. US Patent and Trademark Office
Apple says today's remote control is outdated.
The numbered buttons on the remote were great when channels had numbers, but now many streaming services instead use graphic interfaces to show off channels, movies and TV shows. Also, searching for something to watch by repeatedly typing in 1s and 2s can be cumbersome.
With that in mind, Apple laid out in a patent application published Thursday a new kind of digital remote control for its Apple TV set-top box that uses icons and pictures, similar to those graphic interfaces on TV, but shrunken down and customized for a smartphone or tablet computer. Apple filed the application with the US Patent and Trademark Office last March.
Apple already recreated the physical remote control, offering up a slim remote for the Apple TV with only a few buttons to navigate videos and music. The new patent application shows the company could one day remake the physical controller again by doing away with it completely. Such an idea would be similar to Google's Chromecast, a dongle with no physical remote that's controlled using a mobile devices.
The concepts in the patent application go a step further than the current Remote app from Apple, which lets people navigate Apple TV with a program that's similar to the mobile iTunes library interface. Instead, the new interface appears to be much more complex, with more graphics and features, and can be used on a smartphone, tablet or laptop.
The Apple TV and remote. CNET An Apple representative didn't respond to a request for comment.
The $99 Apple TV, which connects to televisions to stream video over the Internet, has been less of a focus for the tech giant than its primary moneymakers, the iPhone smartphone and iPad tablet. More than two years have passed without a hardware update to Apple TV. Apple has also been slow to add channels to the device, especially when compared with competitors such as Roku, which has hundreds more channels. A software update, such as the new interface mentioned in the patent application, could increase interest in Apple TV, though the device still remains well behind in content partners.
Correction, 10:51 a.m. PT: Corrects that the document published Thursday is a patent application, not a patent, as stated in the original story.
Ben Fox Rubin Ben Fox Rubin is a staff writer for CNET, covering component suppliers, mobile and general technology. He previously wrote for The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires. Ben grew up in Philly, where he developed an affinity for the Eagles and Rocky-style exercise montages. See full bio