Apple has laid off 100 employees from its services department, hinting at a shift in priorities from the crucial division, reported Bloomberg. This layoffs has impacted several high-profile employees including Senior Vice President Eddy Cue’s services group. While the layoff impacted several divisions, employees from Apple Books app and Apple Bookstore are the most affected.
As per the report, Apple Books will continue to receive updates and new features but it is no longer a priority for the tech giant. This information was revealed by an employee who asked to keep him anonymous as the news of layoffs is not officially announced by the company. Notably, the report clarified that despite the layoffs, Apple will continue to grow its Apple News. It added that the cuts in that team are not seen as an indication of reduced importance.
Do note, this is a rare event that Apple is firing employees from the company. However, Apple did let go off of hundreds of employees after it shut down its self-driving car project and a project related to microLED displays.
In other news, Apple is also rumoured to create around 2 lakh jobs in India by manufacturing its iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models in India. Each of these direct jobs is expected to create 3 indirect jobs. Overall, this move is likely to create around 6 lakh jobs in the Indian market.
Apple is also teaming up with Bharti Airtel to offer free access to Apple TV+ and Apple Music to Airtel’s premium customers. This partnership aims to give Apple a stronger presence in India’s competitive entertainment market, which is valued at $28 billion.
Airtel users, especially those with Wynk Premium, will also receive exclusive offers for Apple Music. This includes access to a collection of global and Indian music, expertly curated playlists, and special features like Apple Music Sing and Spatial Audio.
This partnership is particularly significant given the intensifying competition in India’s entertainment industry, highlighted by the ongoing $8.5 billion merger between Reliance and Walt Disney’s Indian media assets. By collaborating, Apple and Airtel aim to capture a larger share of India’s price-sensitive market.