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Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple Inc., center, arrives at U.S. district court in Oakland, California, on Friday, May 21, 2021.
Nina Riggio | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Apple prevailed on nine of 10 counts in its trial against Epic Games on Friday, but federal Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers issued an injunction that prohibits Apple from preventing developers from linking out in their apps to collect payments directly and cut out Apple and its 30% take of in-app purchases.

Apple’s stock slid more than 3% on the news Friday. But Wall Street analysts and longtime Apple followers believe that the financial impact on the company will be limited.

Developers will only be able to link, and will not be permitted to build their own alternative payments mechanism into their apps, a person familiar with Apple’s thinking said. That limits the effect as Apple’s in-app payments will still be easier for a consumer than putting their credit card into a website.

JPMorgan analyst Samik Chatterjee said the ruling did not change the bank’s outlook for Apple’s services or app store businesses, noting that the decision did not recommend changes to Apple’s 30% take, and that it merely kicks off the first stage of a multistep process.

“Our view continues to be that consumers will leverage payment alternatives in the case of expensive subscriptions and in-app purchases, limiting headwinds for App Store revenues and earnings from what is an otherwise very broad base of applications,” Chatterjee wrote.

Loup Ventures founder and longtime Apple analyst Gene Munster told CNBC’s Josh Lipton that the worst-case scenario for Apple could decrease Apple’s earnings by 4% over the next year, but more likely, the effect would be closer to a 1% decrease.

“The two silver linings for investors: First, 12-18 months after the changes are implemented growth rates will return to normal,” Munster tweeted. “Second, Apple’s long-term potential is not impacted by the change.”

Apple sees the verdict as a win because it did not challenge Apple’s right to determine which software is permitted on its store, and because it did not find Apple is a monopoly under federal or state law.

“We are very pleased with the court’s ruling and we consider this a huge win for Apple,” Apple General Counsel Kate Adams said in a statement.

But investors closely watch Apple’s services business, which has grown strongly for the past few years, and includes revenue from Apple’s App Store sales in addition to online subscriptions, search licensing revenue from Google and AppleCare warranties.

Services accounts for about 20% of Apple’s revenue, but it is a profit engine for Apple, with significantly higher margins than its hardware business. Apple reported $53.77 billion in services sales in its fiscal 2020 at a 66% gross margin, much higher than the 31.5% margin for Apple’s hardware business.

Apple doesn’t break down how much of its services sales come from the App Store, but it’s a big component. Apple’s App Store grossed more than $64 billion in 2020, according to a CNBC analysis. Sensor Tower, an app analytics firm, places the number slightly higher, at $72 billion.

Worldwide, Apple grossed $47.6 billion from mobile games, collecting fees of about $14.3 billion, according to Sensor Tower statistics provided to CNBC.

The judge’s ruling on Friday highlighted how much of Apple’s App Store revenue comes from games and in particular, big spenders. Rogers said in Friday’s ruling she believed Apple’s fully burdened margin on the App Store was over 72%, based on Apple documents.

Gaming app stocks soared on Friday’s news. Shares of AppLovin, Zynga, Playtika and Roblox climbed on hopes that those gaming companies can reduce costs by directing users to their own payments, bypassing Apple’s cut.

Epic Games is a private company and its CEO Tim Sweeney said in a statement that Friday’s ruling wasn’t a win. Epic wants to be permitted to offer its own app store on iPhones.

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Samsung launches thin S25 Edge as Apple reportedly prepares the iPhone ‘Air’

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Samsung launches thin S25 Edge as Apple reportedly prepares the iPhone 'Air'

Samsung launched the Galaxy S25 Edge, a thinner version of its flagship smartphone.

Arjun Kharpal | CNBC

Samsung on Tuesday unveiled a thin version of its flagship smartphone in an unusually timed launch as it looks to maintain momentum in its mobile divison against an uncertain consumer backdrop and U.S. tariff policy.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is just 5.8 millimeters thin and weighs 163 grams, making it one of the thinnest smartphones on the market.

Samsung said the device starts at $1,099 and goes on sale on May 30.

The launch comes just under four months after Samsung staged its annual flagship phone launch for the S25 series. It is unusual for Samsung to launch a new high-end device this soon after the January event with the normal timeline generally being the middle of the year for the unveiling of its latest foldable phones.

The move highlights the South Korean tech giant’s desire to capitalize on the success of the S25 range as it faces rising competition from Chinese players and an uncertain macroeconomic environment.

Samsung reported last month that it saw a jump in revenue and profit in the first quarter of the year at its mobile division thanks to strong sales of its S25 series.

However, Daniel Araujo, vice president at Samsung’s mobile division, warned on an earnings call last month that smartphone demand is expected to decrease in the second quarter due to “seasonality trends” and forecasts could be “adjusted” further due to global tariff policy.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs took effect in April though they were paused shortly after. The White House exempted certain tech products such as smartphones and chips, providing some reprieve for companies like Samsung and Apple. The U.S. and China meanwhile agreed on Monday to pause most of their tariffs on each party.

Araujo said that the S25 Edge could help “sustain flagship-centric sales,” underscoring why Samsung has decided to launch the phone now.

Apple reportedly working on thin iPhone

Thinner phones have become an obsession with smartphone makers who are hoping these devices will appeal to people who want the flagship experience without the size of a traditional device. Samsung’s S25 Edge has a 6.7-inch display, the same as the Galaxy S25+, but it is thinner and lighter.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge on display during a briefing at the Samsung KX store in London, U.K.

Arjun Kharpal | CNBC

The phone also packs a dual camera system and Samsung’s latest AI features.

“For the second half of 2025 ‘thin is most definitely in’,” Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, told CNBC.

“Samsung is first out the gate with a slim design, but Apple is expected to follow in September, and the burgeoning Chinese brands such as Honor and Xiaomi probably won’t be far behind.”

Samsung may be trying to get ahead of its closest rival Apple, which is gearing up to launch a thin version of its flagship device dubbed the iPhone 17 Air, according to a Bloomberg report this year.

“It is hard to believe this is not a pre-emptive strike following the widespread speculation that Apple will have a thin iPhone in its next line-up,” Wood added.

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Coinbase joining S&P 500 days after bitcoin soared past $100,000

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Coinbase joining S&P 500 days after bitcoin soared past 0,000

Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, speaking on CNBC’s Squawk Box outside the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 21st, 2025.

Gerry Miller | CNBC

Coinbase is joining the S&P 500, replacing Discover Financial Services in the benchmark index, according to a release on Monday. Shares of the crypto exchange jumped 8% in extended trading.

The change will take effect before trading on May 19. Discover is in the process of being acquired by Capital One Financial.

Since going public through a direct listing in 2021, Coinbase has become a bigger part of the U.S. financial system, with bitcoin soaring in value and large institutions gaining regulatory approval to create spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds.

Bitcoin spiked last week, topping $100,000 and nearing its record price reached in January.

However, Coinbase has been a particularly volatile stock and is trading well below its peak from late 2021. The shares closed on Monday at $207.22, giving the company a market cap of $53 billion. At its high, the stock traded at over $357.

Stocks added to the S&P 500 often rise in value because funds that track the S&P 500 will add it to their portfolios.

The index, which is heavily weighted towards tech because of the massive market caps of the industry’s heavyweights, continues to add companies from across the sector. In September, Dell and defense software provider Palantir were added to the S&P 500, following artificial intelligence server maker Super Micro Computer and security software vendor CrowdStrike earlier last year.

To join the S&P 500, a company must have reported a profit in its latest quarter and have cumulative profit over the four most recent quarters.

Coinbase last week reported net income of $65.6 million, or 24 cents a share, down from $1.18 billion, or $4.40 a share a year earlier, after accounting for the fair value of its crypto investments. Revenue rose 24% to $2.03 billion from $1.64 billion a year ago.

Also last week, Coinbase announced plans to buy Dubai-based Deribit, a major crypto derivatives exchange for $2.9 billion. The deal, which is the largest in the crypto industry to date, will help Coinbase broaden its footprint outside the U.S.

Coinbase shares are down 17% this year, underperforming bitcoin, which is now up about 10% over that stretch.

WATCH: Bitcoin surges past $100k

Bitcoin surges past $100K: Coinbase's John D’Agostino on the crypto rally

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Perplexity AI wrapping talks to raise $500 million at $14 billion valuation

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Perplexity AI wrapping talks to raise 0 million at  billion valuation

Dado Ruvic | Reuters

Perplexity AI is in late-stage talks to raise $500 million at a $14 billion valuation, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to CNBC Monday.

Accel, the Palo Alto-based venture capital firm, will lead the round, according to the source, who spoke anonymously because the round is not yet finalized. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the late-stage numbers.

The funding is on the lower end of Perplexity’s planned raise, which CNBC reported in March. During those early-stage talks, Perplexity was looking to raise between $500 million and $1 billion in funding at an $18 billion post-money valuation, per a source familiar.

The artificial intelligence search engine company competes against the likes of Google and Microsoft-backed OpenAI. Its valuation in December was $9 billion, triple its $3 billion valuation in June 2024.

Read more CNBC reporting on AI

Perplexity has just under $100 million in annual recurring revenue, or ARR, the source told CNBC in March.

Perplexity has been in the middle of the generative AI boom that began in late 2022 with the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and it’s betting big on its upcoming AI agent web browser, called Comet. But Perplexity faces increasing competition in the AI search market.

In March, Anthropic launched its web search product, allowing its chatbot Claude to display real-time search results to a subset of users.

Last fall, OpenAI launched a search feature within ChatGPT, its viral chatbot, that positioned it to better compete with Perplexity, as well as leading search engines such as Google and Microsoft‘s Bing.

Google has released AI Overviews within its search product as well, though it sparked controversy over high-profile errors soon after its release.

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