Is Apple on the Decline? A Siri Slip-Up and Shaky Ground

Apple, once the untouchable titan of tech, is now navigating rougher waters in 2025—and investors, users, and critics are starting to ask the unthinkable: Is Apple on the decline?

The company’s latest stumble? A much-hyped AI upgrade to Siri, which was meant to close the gap with rivals like ChatGPT and Google Assistant. Instead, it launched with bugs, delays, and bizarre malfunctions. Users reported Siri misinterpreting simple questions, giving irrelevant answers, and in one viral case, ordering 37 pounds of bananas instead of playing Beyoncé.

Meanwhile, Apple is also taking heavy fire from the global economy. The new U.S.-China tariffs are threatening to spike production costs, particularly for iPhones and Macs—most of which are assembled in China. Analysts warn that Apple could face up to $20 billion in added expenses unless it rapidly diversifies its supply chain.
The company's stock reflects the storm. After a 4.2% drop this week, Apple has now shed nearly 16% of its value in two days, erasing months of gains. The combination of hardware headwinds, sluggish innovation, and AI missteps has even led some investors to decrease their long-term price targets.

That said, Apple is far from done. It's aggressively expanding production in India, investing $500 billion in U.S. R&D, and still commands unparalleled brand loyalty. But the crown is no longer weightless—especially with competitors firing on all AI-powered cylinders.

The verdict? Apple isn’t dead. But the days of untouchable dominance may be. The next 12 months could define whether it reclaims its lead—or starts to feel like a legacy brand trying to outrun its own shadow.