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Chicago, IL - September 08, 2016 - Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include Apple ( AAPL ), Alphabet Inc. ( GOOGL ), Nintendo ( NTDOY ), Nike ( NKE ) and Facebook ( FB ).
Today, Zacks is promoting its ''Buy'' stock recommendations. Get #1Stock of the Day pick for free .
Here are highlights from Wednesday's Analyst Blog:
Here's Everything We Learned from Wednesday's Apple Event
When Apple ( AAPL ) talks, the world stops to listen. All eyes were on the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco today as Tim Cook and the rest of the Apple team hosted their September 2016 keynote.
Rumors about a new Apple Watch and a new iPhone were swirling heading into the keynote, and the actual event certainly did not lack substance. Here's a complete list of everything we learned from Apple today:
- Apple Music has hit 17 million subscribers. Tim Cook started the keynote by boasting about the company's music streaming service and its impressive numbers.
- App Store has seen massive growth. Apple announced that its App Store saw 106% year-over-year growth in the months of July and August. Cook also mentioned that the App Store now brings in twice as much revenue as its closest competitor, Alphabet Inc.'s ( GOOGL ) Google Play Store.
- Nintendo and Apple have partnered up. The keynote smoothly transitioned from a focus on the growth of the App Store to the specific applications and games that make up the marketplace. Tim Cook brought out Nintendo ( NTDOY ) inventor Shigeru Miyamoto to announce a new Mario game, Super Mario Run , which will hit the App Store this holiday season.
- Apple values education. Apple filled us in on its ConnectED program, which has provided schools across the country with over 50,000 free iPads and other Apple devices. Several schoolteachers were in the crowd at the keynote. Apple also talked about its Swift Playground application, which teaches kids to code in a fun way.
- Updates to iWork apps. Apple announced that all of its iWork apps will now feature real-time collaboration.
- Apple is a wristwatch giant. The company showed that in 2015, it was not included on the list of top watch-sellers in the world. In 2016, Apple now stands at #2 on that list. The Apple Watch is also apparently #1 in customer satisfaction and #1 in smartwatch sales.
- There is a new Apple Watch operating system. While talking about the Watch, Apple announced its Watch OS 3. The new OS will allow users to swipe the edge of their device to switch watch faces, and it will include new animated stickers, custom reply scribbling, improvements to typing, an activity sharing app, and an "SOS" app.
- There will be a Pokemon GO Watch app. Apple brought out the CEO and product manager from Niantic, the developers of Pokemon GO, to announce that a new version of the game will launch for the Watch.
- NEW APPLE WATCH. Confirming the rumors, Apple announced the Apple Watch Series 2. The new watch will be "swim-proof" and is water-resistant up to 50 meters. It will include a dual-core processor and promises to be 50% faster than the original. Its screen 2x brighter than the original, making it Apple's brightest display to date. A built-in GPS has been added, and the new device will "learn" about you based on a new algorithm that tracks your daily activity. There will be new cases, including aluminum, stainless steel, and ceramic. There will also be new watch bands.
- Apple has partnered with Nike for a special Apple Watch. New Nike ( NKE ) President Trevor Edwards took the stage to announce the Apple Watch Nike + design. The new special version of the Apple Watch will be easy to incorporate into workouts and will encourage users to go on runs and be active.
- Preorders for Apple Watch Series 2 start on September 9. The new version will start at $369. The Apple Watch Series 1 will be a processor upgrade and now starts at $269.
- Over a billion iPhones have been sold. Tim Cook called the iPhone "the best-selling product of its kind in the history of the world."
- IPHONE 7 ANNOUNCED. The new iPhone will be water-resistant and features major improvements to the camera. There is a new "jet black" color along with a second "black" color, as well as gold, rose gold, and silver. The new home button will be force sensitive and is powered by Apple's new taptic engine, which will be accessible to third-party apps. The new device meets IP67 standards, meaning that it is completely protected from dust and is safe in water up to one meter deep for 30 minutes. The new camera will feature 3x longer exposure, a wider six-element lens, a new 12MP sensor, a new image signal processor, and a new facial detection system. The camera will also have improved image stabilization and noise reduction. The front-facing camera is now 7MP. The iPhone 7 Plus will feature dual 12MP cameras; one camera will be wide-angle while the other will be telephoto. Apple also brought out a representative from Facebook's ( FB ) Instagram to discuss its new filtering options. The iPhone 7 will also include new stereo speakers.
- Headphone jacks are gone. Confirming some rumors that have been spreading for some time now, Apple is removing the headphone jack from the iPhone 7. Headphones will now connect via the Lightning port on the phone. A Lightning adapter will be included in the box with the new phone. Apple senior vice president Phil Schiller claimed the decision to remove the headphone jack stemmed from the "courage to move on."
- "AirPods" are coming. The AirPods are Apple's new in-ear wireless headphones. They will feature sensor that detect when each AirPod is in your ear and will only play when inserted. The AirPods last five hours on a single charge. The AirPods will launch at $159 per pair in late October. Apple also announced a new version of its Beats Solo headphones.
- A new quad-core chip is coming. Apple also announced its new quad-core A10 Fusion chip, promising that it will be 50% faster than the Apple A9.
- Storage size updates to the iPhone. It looks like Apple has upped the storage capacity of the iPhone models, with the iPhone 7 coming in 32GB, 128GB, and 256GB sizes. The "Jet Black" version, however, is only available in 12GB and 256 GB capacities.
- iPhone 7 will start at $649. The iPhone 7 Plus is slightly more at $769. Preorders start on September 9, with shipments starting on September 16.
- iOS 10 will launch on September 13. The new mobile OS will launch a few days before iPhone 7 shipments begin.
This was certainly one of Apple's most important keynotes ever, and several of today's announcements promise to shake-up the industry in a big way. As reactions begin to pour in, remember to check back here for our full coverage of the latest from Apple!
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
