<div id="readability-page-1"><div><div><h2>Key Points</h2><ul><li>SoundHound AI and Apple have two different approaches to winning in the voice AI market.</li><li>Apple tops SoundHound on most key financial metrics.</li><li>Apple also more high-growth opportunities than SoundHound does.</li><li>10 stocks we like better than Apple ›</li></ul>SoundHound AI (NASDAQ: SOUN) bills its technology as &#34;the conversational AI that speaks for itself.&#34; The company's voice AI technology has spurred many others to talk about SoundHound, though. The fact that SoundHound's stock has been a seven-bagger over the last three years underscores the point.However, I think there's another company with voice AI technology that's a better long-term bet than SoundHound AI. It's a tech king and a cash cow with a market cap of over $3.6 trillion. I'm referring to Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL).<figure><div><div><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/1S7w1DlLrTeugBNv9A71ag--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/motleyfool.com/31b5fdb553ea5ba5fc0b14d5e67891ea?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="960" height="640" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/1S7w1DlLrTeugBNv9A71ag--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/motleyfool.com/31b5fdb553ea5ba5fc0b14d5e67891ea"/></div></div><figcaption>Image source: Getty Images.</figcaption></figure><h2>Two different strategies</h2>You might think that evaluating Apple versus SoundHound AI is like comparing (no pun intended) apples and oranges. And you'd be right – to an extent.Apple and SoundHound AI are more like ships passing in the night than direct competitors. Apple's forte is consumer technology and services, with a massive ecosystem built around its ubiquitous iPhone. SoundHound focuses on a B2B approach, securing customers across various industries that can benefit from voice AI technology.However, if you don't believe that Apple is a major player in voice AI, just ask Siri. Or, better yet, wait until next month to ask Siri, when Apple is reportedly planning to unveil an upgraded version of its personal AI assistant, powered by Alphabet's (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) powerful Google Gemini 3.0 large language model (LLM).The most obvious battleground for Apple and SoundHound AI is in the automotive market. SoundHound has deals with carmakers including Stellantis (NYSE: STLA) and Hyundai. But Apple boasts a much longer list of auto companies that integrate with its CarPlay. The company's next-generation CarPlay Ultra, which interfaces with a vehicle's dashboard instruments, makes Apple an even more direct competitor to SoundHound.Apple also poses another, less visible threat to SoundHound. While SoundHound's technology is used in restaurant drive-through ordering systems, many restaurants allow ordering via mobile apps. Instead of being the &#34;voice of the drive-through&#34; like SoundHound, Apple can position itself as the meal-ordering agent in consumers' pockets and purses.<h2>The bank versus the burn</h2>Any discussion of the merits of Apple versus SoundHound AI as investing choices has to delve into the two companies' financials. As you might expect, Apple comes out on top in most areas.Apple generated revenue of $102.5 billion in its latest reported quarter. SoundHound's $42 million in revenue in the third quarter of 2025 was only a tiny fraction of Apple's total.SoundHound AI posted a net loss in Q3 of $109.3 million based on Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Apple reported a profit in its latest quarter of $14.7 billion.Apple's cash position stands at roughly $54.7 billion. SoundHound's cash and cash equivalents of $269 million are almost pocket change for the giant iPhone maker.However, SoundHound AI comes out on top in two financial metrics. First, its year-over-year revenue growth of 68% in Q3 is much higher than Apple's latest growth rate of around 8%. Second, SoundHound has no debt, while Apple's debt totals $112.4 billion.<h2>Apple is the better bet</h2>I don't view SoundHound AI stock as a horrible pick. The company's technology and growth are impressive. However, I believe that Apple is the better bet for long-term investors.Apple's next-gen CarPlay Ultra could gain momentum with automakers. While SoundHound's in-car accuracy gives the company an advantage now, that could change quickly as Apple improves its AI capabilities.Importantly, Apple has more high-growth opportunities than SoundHound does. Although SoundHound talks about its agentic AI portfolio, Apple is likely to be the bigger winner in the rapidly growing AI agent market. I also predict that Apple will profit tremendously in the smart glasses market.I would say that SoundHound AI is like the hare in Aesop's famous fable, while Apple is the tortoise. That isn't a good analogy, though. Over the last 12 months, Apple's shares have risen while SoundHound's shares have fallen. Apple isn't just the better bet for long-term investors; it's been the better choice for short-term investors, too.<h2>Should you buy stock in Apple right now?</h2>Before you buy stock in Apple, consider this:The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Apple wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $464,439!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,150,455!*Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 949% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 195% for the S&amp;P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.See the 10 stocks »*Stock Advisor returns as of January 27, 2026. Keith Speights has positions in Alphabet and Apple. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Apple, and SoundHound AI. The Motley Fool recommends Stellantis. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.Forget SoundHound AI: This Tech King Is the Real Voice-and-AI Cash Cow Worth Betting On was originally published by The Motley Fool</div></div></div>

Apple is positioned as a stronger investment compared to SoundHound AI, with superior financial metrics and growth opportunities. While SoundHound AI has shown impressive revenue growth, Apple generated $102.5 billion in revenue and a profit of $14.7 billion in its latest quarter. Apple's next-gen CarPlay Ultra and advancements in AI technology suggest it will outperform SoundHound in the long run. Despite SoundHound's recent success, Apple's established market presence and financial stability make it a more reliable choice for investors.

- Apple and SoundHound AI pursue different strategies in the voice AI market, with Apple excelling in financial metrics and growth opportunities.  
- Apple generates significantly higher revenue and profits compared to SoundHound, despite the latter's impressive growth rate and debt-free status.  
- The article suggests that Apple is a more reliable long-term investment due to its expansive ecosystem and upcoming technologies like CarPlay Ultra, outperforming SoundHound in both the short and long term.

Yahoo Finance

SPDR S&P Semicon

Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Tech ETF

Global X Internet

T-Rex 2X Long Apple Daily Target ETF

ISHRS S&P Glb It

VanEck Semiconductor ETF

VG Total Stock

iShares Semiconductor ETF

GraniteShares 2x Long AAPL Daily ETF

Invesco Semiconductors ETF

FT Nasdq AI & Robotics

Global X Robotics & Artificial

Direxion Semicon Bull 3X

VG Info Tech

First Trust Index NextG ETF

Direxion Daily AI And Big Data Bull 2X

Direxion Daily AAPL Bull 2X Shares

Comm Servcies Select Sector SPDR

Apple

iShares Expanded Tech Software Sector ETF

SPDR S&P Software

Forget SoundHound AI: This Tech King Is the Real Voice-and-AI Cash Cow Worth Betting On