Apple is expected to cut production of its latest iPhone models by about 30% in the January-March quarter due to mounting inventories, the Nikkei reported, rattling the nerves of investors in the US giant’s Asian suppliers.

Computer maker Dell has clinched a record $67bn (€59bn) technology deal to buy data storage company EMC.

Dell, the world’s third largest personal computer maker, is in talks to buy data storage company EMC, a person familiar with the matter said, in what could be one of the biggest technology deals ever.

Apple sold a record 13m iPhones during the debut weekend of its latest handsets, as enthusiasts from Beijing to New York rushed to stores to be the first with the new devices.

Apple said yesterday that advance orders of its new iPhones were on pace to beat the 10m units the previous versions logged in their first weekend last year, a feat that analysts attributed to the inclusion of sales from China.

The Apple Watch launched globally with a small queue of Japanese tech-addicts lining up in Tokyo for Apple’s first wearable gadget, but there was no sign of the excitement usually attached to the company’s product rollouts.

It is believed that only a handful of positions at Microsoft’s Irish operations will be affected by the decision to cut 18,000 staff from its 127,000 worldwide workforce.