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Where media and analysts could hold and try out the iPhone 15 on Tuesday after it was announced.

CNBC/Kif Leswing

Apple announced its new iPhones for 2023 on Tuesday at its headquarters in Cupertino, California.

This year’s models are called the iPhone 15. There are four new models, ranging from the entry-level iPhone 15 at $799 to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which costs at least $1199.

I was able to hold and test out the new devices on Tuesday, and although most of this year’s improvements aren’t immediately noticeable to the untrained eye, there was one aspect of the new devices that made me go “wow.”

The new Pro devices are significantly lighter, thanks to their new bodies, which replaced steel with titanium. The moment I picked one up, I could immediately can tell that it’s way easier to hold and won’t weigh down my pockets as much.

It feels a lot lighter.

CNBC/Kif Leswing

In fact, I think the reduced weight is so significant that people with last year’s Pro phones — like me — should consider updating. After all, people hold their phones for hours a day. Even shaving off a little bit of weight makes it a much more pleasant experience.

Apple says that the 6-inch iPhone 15 Pro is 187 grams, or 9% lighter than last year’s model. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, with a bigger 6.7-inch screen, weighs 8% less.

Apple’s titanium is clearly titanium, but most people will put it in a case, and it is a fingerprint magnet.

CNBC/Kif Leswing

In the 2001 comedy “Zoolander,” one memorable gag spoofed cell phones by implying that they would get smaller and smaller until they were a tiny speck.

The iPhone and the rise of smartphones changed that, as people wanted bigger, brighter screens and longer battery life, and were willing to trade size and weight for a more useful device.

In fact, Apple’s “pro”-level iPhone with a 6-inch screen has been getting heavier every year since 2019, despite no major changes in the phone’s general shape. The light-and-small “mini” iPhones, introduced in 2020, haven’t been a success in terms of sales, and haven’t gotten an update in two years.

But the trend towards brick-like smartphones has firmly shifted this year with the iPhone 15. I don’t care for the very biggest Pro Max phones, even though they have bigger screens and more battery life, simply because they are so large and heavy. But this year’s model, with the lighter titanium body, was much more manageable from a heft perspective, and some people who had previously written off the most expensive devices may find themselves taking another look.

The weight is such a big deal that I think that some people will upgrade simply for the lighter weight. I’m considering it, even though $999 (or more, if you need more than 128GB of storage) for an iPhone 15 Pro is a lot of money, especially if you have a phone that works just fine — but at the very least, my pinky finger, which holds up my phone when I’m using it, will appreciate it.

Other notes from the iPhone 15 hands-on

The new Apple iPhone 15, with EU ordered USB-C charger, is displayed amongst other new products during a launch event at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, on September 12, 2023.

Nic Coury | AFP | Getty Images

This year’s colors don’t really pop. In particular, the titanium colors on the iPhone 15 Pros aren’t very bright and appear at a distance to look like shades of gunmetal.

Apple isn’t making leather and silicone cases anymore. They’ve been replaced by a new woven material case, which doesn’t really stand out. From a distance, it looks a lot like last year’s silicone.

The mainstream iPhone 15, which comes in two sizes, hasn’t changed that much on the outside from last year’s model. However, the bezels around the front have been smoothed, which is a nice touch.

The iPhone 15 gets the Dynamic Island, a feature that can show updating information at the top of the phone, where the front-facing camera is hidden.

CNBC/Kif Leswing

The entry-level iPhone 15 models also have the “Dynamic Island,” a software feature that hides the phone’s front-facing camera under the screen.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max did get a $100 price increase, now starting at $1,199 in the U.S., although you get more storage at the entry level.

CNBC/Kif Leswing

The button that has replaced the mute switch on the Pro phones has a very fun animation when you hold it down. I suspect most people will customize it to pull up the camera app quickly.

CNBC/Kif Leswing

USB-C is the default port on all the devices this year, and it’s glorious. Finally, someone with a Mac, iPhone, and wireless headphones will be able to charge them all with the same charger. People with Android phones will be able to borrow chargers from iPhone users and vice versa, and finding a way to juice up will just get a little bit easier for iPhone users.

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Hims & Hers stock falls 10% on revenue miss

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Hims & Hers stock falls 10% on revenue miss

The Hers app arranged on a smartphone in New York, US, on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. 

Gabby Jones | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Shares of Hims & Hers Health fell 9% in extended trading on Monday after the telehealth company reported second-quarter results that missed Wall Street’s expectations for revenue.

Here’s how the company did based on average analysts’ estimates compiled by LSEG:

  • Earnings per share: 17 cents adjusted vs. 15 cents
  • Revenue: $544.8 million vs. $552 million

Revenue at Hims & Hers increased 73% in the second quarter from $315.6 million during the same period last year, according to a release. Hims & Hers reported a net income of $42.5 million, or 17 cents per share, compared to $13.3 million, or 6 cents per share, during the same period a year earlier.

For its third quarter, Hims & Hers said it expected to report revenue between $570 million to $590 million, while analysts were expecting $583 million. The company said its adjusted EBITDA for the quarter will be between the range of $60 million to $70 million. Analysts polled by StreetAccount were expecting $77.1 million.

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Hims & Hers has faced controversy in recent months over its continued sale of compounded GLP-1s, which are cheaper, unapproved versions of the blockbuster diabetes and weight loss drugs. Compounded drugs can be mass produced when brand-name treatments are in shortage, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced in February that ongoing supply issues had been resolved.

Some telehealth companies, including Hims & Hers, have continued to offer the compounded medications. It’s legal for patients to access personalized doses of the knockoffs in unique cases, like if they are allergic to an ingredient in a branded product, for instance. Hims & Hers has said consumers may still be able to access personalized doses through its site if clinically applicable. 

In June, Hims & Hers shares tumbled more than 30% after a short-lived collaboration with Novo Nordisk fell apart. The drugmaker said Hims & Hers “failed to adhere to the law which prohibits mass sales of compounded drugs” under the “false guise” of personalization.

Hims & Hers reported adjusted EBITDA of $82 million for its second quarter, up from $39.3 million last year and above the $73 million expected by StreetAccount.

Hims & Hers will host its quarterly call with investors at 5 p.m. ET.

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YTD chart of Hims & Hers Health.

–CNBC’s Annika Kim Constantino contributed to this report

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Palantir tops $1 billion in revenue for the first time, boosts guidance

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Palantir tops  billion in revenue for the first time, boosts guidance

Palantir reports $1 billion in revenue for the first time

Palantir topped Wall Street’s estimates Monday, surpassing $1 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time, and hiking its full-year guidance.

Shares rallied more than 5%.

Here’s how the company did versus LSEG estimates:

  • Earnings per share: 16 cents adj. vs. 14 cents expected
  • Revenue: $1.00 billion vs. $940 million expected

The artificial intelligence software provider’s revenues grew 48% during the period. Analysts hadn’t expected the $1 billion revenue benchmark from the Denver-based company until the fourth quarter of this year.

“The growth rate of our business has accelerated radically, after years of investment on our part and derision by some,” wrote CEO Alex Karp in a letter to shareholders. “The skeptics are admittedly fewer now, having been defanged and bent into a kind of submission.”

The software analytics company also boosted its full-year outlook guidance. For the full year, Palantir now expects revenues to range between $4.142 billion and $4.150 billion, up from prior guidance of $3.89 billion to $3.90 billion.

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For the third quarter, Palantir forecast revenues between $1.083 billion and $1.087 billion, beating an analyst estimate of $983 million. Palantir also lifted its operating income and full-year free cash flow guidance.

Palantir’s U.S. revenues jumped 68% from a year ago to $733 million, while U.S. commercial revenues nearly doubled from a year ago to $306 million.

The software analytics company has seen a boost from President Donald Trump‘s government efficiency campaign, which included layoffs and contract cuts. Palantir’s U.S. government revenues jumped 53% from the year-ago period to $426 million.

“It has been a steep and upward climb — an ascent that is a reflection of the remarkable confluence of the arrival of language models, the chips necessary to power them, and our software infrastructure,” Karp wrote in a letter to shareholders.

During the quarter, Palantir said it closed 66 deals of at least $5 million and 42 deals totaling at least $10 million. Total value of its contracts grew 140% from last year to $2.27 billion.

Net income rose 144% to about $326.7 million, or 13 cents a share, from about $134.1 million, or 6 cents per share a year ago.

Palantir shares have more than doubled this year as investors bet on the company’s AI tools and contract agreements with governments.

Its market value has accelerated past $379 billion and into the list of top 20 most valuable U.S companies, surpassing SalesforceIBM and Cisco to join the top 10 U.S. tech companies by market cap. Shares hit a new high Monday.

At its size, buying the stock requires investors to pay hefty multiples.

Shares currently trade 276 times forward earnings, according to FactSet. Tesla is the only other top 20 with a triple-digit ratio at 177.

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Palantir one-day stock chart.

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Firefly Aerospace lifts IPO range that would value company at more than $6 billion

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Firefly Aerospace lifts IPO range that would value company at more than  billion

Firefly Aerospace CEO Jason Kim sits for an interview at the Firefly Aerospace mission operations center in Leander, Texas, on July 9, 2025.

Sergio Flores | Reuters

Firefly Aerospace has lifted the share price range for its upcoming initial public offering in a move that would value the space technology company at more than $6 billion.

The lunar lander and rocket maker said in a filing Monday that it expects to price shares in its upcoming IPO between $41 and $43 apiece.

Firefly’s new target range would raise nearly $697 million at the top end of the range. That’s up from the previously expected $35 to $39 price per share that Firefly announced in a filing last week, which targeted a $5.5 billion valuation.

Firefly announced plans to go public last month as interest in space technology gains steam, and billionaire-led companies such as Elon Musk‘s SpaceX rake in more funding.

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The industry has also begun testing the public markets after a long hiatus in IPO deal activity, with space tech firm Voyager debuting in June.

Firefly makes rockets, space tugs and lunar landers, and is widely known for its satellite launching rockets known as Alpha.

The company has partnered with major defense players such as Lockheed Martin, L3Harris and NASA, and received a $50 million investment from defense contractor Northrop Grumman.

Firefly’s revenues jumped from $8.3 million a year ago to $55.9 million at the end of March, the company said. Its net loss grew to $60.1 million, from $52.8 million a year ago.

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