Dan Ives on iPhone 17, Apple's AI Strategy, and Worldcoin

iPhone 17 Launch and Apple's Market Position

• 📱 Apple has launched the iPhone 17 Air with improved durability and camera technology, starting at $799 for the standard model and $999 for the Air version.
• 📈 Dan Ives maintains his price target on Apple, estimating 315 million users are ready for an iPhone upgrade.
• 🇨🇳 He sees pent-up demand, particularly in China, and believes street numbers may be conservative, setting up a potential upside surprise for investors.
• ⚠️ While not a "super cycle" or "game changer," Ives anticipates an AI-driven ecosystem in the second half of the upgrade cycle, potentially surprising investors.

Apple's "Invisible" AI Strategy

• 🤖 Ives describes Apple's AI strategy as "invisible" and a "black cloud" over the stock, noting they are keeping their plans close to the vest.
• 🤝 He suggests Apple is waiting for a favorable ruling in the Google DOJ issue to potentially double down on a partnership with Google Gemini.
• 📉 Apple faced a "black eye moment" a year ago with its AI strategy, and has lost senior executives working on AI to Meta Platforms.
• ⏳ Ives believes time is not on Apple's side in the AI race, comparing their current position unfavorably to the aggressive moves by OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft, and Google.

Eightco Holdings and Worldcoin

• 🌐 Ives is now chairman of Eightco Holdings, a crypto treasury firm employing a strategy similar to Michael Saylor's but with Worldcoin.
• 💡 He views Eightco as a tech infrastructure play focused on Worldcoin becoming the de facto standard for identification and authentication in the AI world, rather than a traditional crypto play.
• 👁️ Worldcoin's iris scanning technology is seen as a privacy-lockbox solution for human proof in a robotic future, with plans to reach 100 million users in the next year.
• 🚀 Ives believes Eightco's strategy is a bet on the intersection of AI and crypto, with Worldcoin's infrastructure and authentication capabilities being miles ahead of competitors.

AI Revolution ETF and Market Outlook

• 📈 Dan Ives' Wedbush AI Revolution ETF has outperformed the S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100 since its June launch, with top holdings including Broadcom, Google, Nvidia, TSMC, and Apple.
• ✈️ Ives emphasizes his "feet on the ground" approach, traveling globally to understand the AI revolution, dedicating 95% of his time to this focus.
• 🔍 He stresses the importance of distinguishing true AI winners from fakes, noting that simply mentioning "AI" frequently does not qualify a company.
• 🚀 Ives is most bullish on Palantir, predicting it will reach a trillion-dollar valuation within two to three years, despite current skepticism.