Apple breaks out of recent sales slump as it gears up to make its leap into the AI craze

Apple snapped out of a prolonged sales slump during its most recent quarter as the trendsetting company prepares to launch into the artificial intelligence craze with an arsenal of new technology that’s expected to juice demand for its next iPhone.

The fiscal third-quarter results announced Thursday covered an April-June period that’s typically a sluggish stretch for Apple as its loyal customer bases awaits the next version of the iPhone that’s traditionally unveiled shortly after Labor Day.