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Apple’s latest announcement expected today

Jennifer Collins Mar 7, 2012

Bob Moon: And we begin with the world’s most valuable company, Apple. Today, Apple is announcing something new — which has touched off the usual rumors Apple loves. Word is, it’ll show off its newest iPad. Finally, something to take the spotlight off the company for labor conditions at its suppliers in China and the heat over the lack of American jobs it creates.

As Marketplace’s Jennifer Collins reports, Apple wants consumers to “think different.”


Jennifer Collins: We’re talking about Apple here, so there aren’t many details. But we can pretty sure of one thing: Whatever the company unveils, it will have this printed on it.

Joel Spolksy: Designed by Apple in California.

Joel Spolksy is a software developer. He says that statement has appeared on Apple products for at least a decade — right next to the one that says “Assembled in China.”

Spolksy: It’s brilliant. Instead of thinking of rows and rows of unhappy children on an assembly line, you’re actually thinking of… [California montage]

You get the idea. Thing is, Apple’s had a hard time lately getting people’s minds of its foreign assembly lines. The company says it’s supported or created around half a million jobs in the U.S.

Analyst Michael Morgan is with ABI Research.

Michael Morgan: More of the jobs they’re creating are overseas, but the revenues are probably landing in the U.S.

And if the third iPad lives up to its predecessors, those revenues are likely to keep on coming.

I’m Jennifer Collins for Marketplace.

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