Apple Inc. (Apple (AAPL)) stock rose in Thursday's premarket trading as investors continued to favor the stock after it climbed to a record high in the previous session. Nasdaq futures were down about 0.5%, while S&P 500 futures slipped 0.08%.

Apple Wins Approval for AI Features in China

Apple gained in Wednesday's session after receiving regulatory registration for its on-device generative artificial intelligence service, Apple Intelligence, from China's cyberspace regulator, Reuters reported Wednesday.

China requires companies to register large language models and generative AI services before offering them to the public. According to Reuters, Apple Intelligence in China will rely on artificial intelligence models from Baidu Inc. (Baidu (BIDU)) and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (Alibaba (BABA)).

Alibaba confirmed that its Qwen model will power Apple Intelligence across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro devices in China. Baidu also said it is working with Apple on the service.

Reuters said regulators did not announce a launch date. The approval follows Apple's reported 24.4% year-over-year increase in China shipments during the second quarter.

Looks to Buy Chip Startups

In other news, Apple is exploring acquisitions of chip companies to strengthen its AI server processor efforts, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing The Information.

The report said Apple has approached chip startups about potential buyouts and spoken with bankers about possible deals. The move comes as the company faces performance challenges with its in-house AI servers, which currently use internally designed M2 Ultra chips.

Apple had planned to launch its next-generation AI server chip, known internally as "Baltra," this year, but the project has been delayed, according to the report.

Earlier this year, the company also tested Alphabet's Gemini AI models on its own servers for its Siri overhaul. However, the Mac-based chips could not handle the large model, forcing Apple to use NVIDIA Corp. (NVIDIA (NVDA)) chips through Alphabet Inc.'s (Alphabet (GOOGL)) Google cloud infrastructure for parts of the revamped assistant, the report said.

Raises AppleCare+ Subscription Prices

Separately, Apple has raised AppleCare+ subscription prices for new customers, increasing monthly plans for Macs and iPads by 50 cents and annual plans by $5, Bloomberg reported.

Existing subscribers will keep their current pricing. The move follows recent price increases across several Apple products and comes as the company faces a global memory shortage and other cost pressures.

Under the new pricing, AppleCare+ for a 13-inch MacBook Air now costs $7.99 per month or $79.99 annually, while AppleCare One continues to cover up to three devices for $19.99 per month.

Apple Technical Analysis

AAPL traded at $328.53, just below its 52-week high of $328.73, keeping the stock in breakout territory.

The broader trend remains bullish. The stock is trading 8.8% above its 20-day simple moving average of $301.93 and 20.1% above its 200-day simple moving average of $273.43.

The 20-day moving average also remains above the 50-day moving average of $300.53, while the 50-day average stays above the 200-day average, preserving the long-term golden cross formed in September 2025.

Momentum also remains constructive. The MACD is above its signal line, and the histogram remains positive, indicating buyers continue to control the intermediate trend.

Key support sits near $287.50, an area where buyers previously returned to the stock.

Apple Price Action

AAPL Stock Price Activity: Apple shares were up 0.31% at $328.53 during premarket trading on Thursday, according to market data.