According to the Smart Finance app, Apple supplier stocks continue to rise. As of press time, AAC Tech (02018) rose 4.60% to HKD 28.45; Q Tech (01478) rose 2.59% to HKD 4.75; FIH (02038) rose 2.47% to HKD 0.83; Sunny Optical (02382) rose 1.24% to HKD 44.75.

In market news on August 15th, Apple will begin allowing third parties to use the payment chip in the iPhone to process transactions, opening up competition with banks and other services on the Apple Pay platform. The move was announced on Wednesday after regulators, including the EU, put pressure on the company for many years. Apple said developers will be able to use the component starting with iOS 18.1, the upcoming iPhone software update. This change will allow external providers to use NFC chips for in-store payments, public transport fares, work badges, home and hotel keys, and reward cards.

In addition, according to the latest report, the iPhone 16 is expected to be officially released on September 10th, with pre-sales starting on September 13th and a full launch on September 20th. China Merchants Securities believes that the iPhone's AI-driven upgrade cycle is optimistic, while Soochow Securities believes that with the August peak season for the production and delivery of iPhone new components, market attention remains high for the launch of new iPhone 16 models in September.