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☆ Silicon Valley literally wants to get into your head — any way it can
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A look at the Neuralink brain chip. Apple is set to launch its Vision Pro headset on Friday in what it describes as its big foray into "spatial computing." That space is essentially your head, with the Vision Pro built to create a canvas that emerges before your eyes while you wear it. question, the Vision Pro is also a response to the growing suite of headgear that Mark Zuckerberg has been creating at Meta. Products include the mixed reality Meta Quest Pro and Meta Quest 3, which, like the Vision Pro, are designed to be worn over your head.

Persons: —, they've, Elon Musk, Musk, Neuralink's, Stephen Hawking, Neuralink, Mark Zuckerberg Organizations: Service, Business, Samsung, IDC, Welfare, China's Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, stoke, Apple, Meta, Products, company's Locations: Silicon, Neuralink's

☆ Microsoft to announce quarterly results after the close
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft will report fiscal second-quarter earnings after the market close on Tuesday. During the fiscal second quarter, Microsoft closed its acquisition of video game publisher Activision Blizzard, its largest deal ever. Jefferies analysts raised their target on Microsoft shares to $465 from $450 in a note on Jan. 28. Microsoft shares have risen about 9% so far in 2024, while the S&P 500 index has gained 3% over that stretch. Executives will issue guidance and discuss the results with analysts on a conference call starting at 5:30 p.m.

Persons: tailwinds Organizations: Microsoft, LSEG, Gartner, IDC, CNBC, Activision Blizzard, LinkedIn, Activision, Jefferies

☆ The CEO behind Chinese startup XReal says its AR glasses will blow Apple's Vision Pro out of the water. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewEarlier this month, Chinese startup XReal unveiled the Air 2 Ultra, the company's latest augmented reality glasses that blend a virtual world with the user's physical surroundings. The startup says they'll be an "affordable alternative" to rivals like the Apple Vision Pro. Unlike Apple's Vision Pro, Xu says XReal has no intentions to build a fully immersive virtual reality feature into its glasses. Yet, when it comes to its AR capabilities, Xu says his company's is half a decade ahead of Apple's. "I think we're three to five years ahead of them in AR," Chi said in regards to Apple.

Persons: —, Chi Xu, XReal, Xu didn't, Xu, Chi Organizations: Service, Business, pricier, XReal's, Apple Vision, Air, Meta, Bloomberg, Amazon, Apple, Apple's, IDC Locations: Apple's

☆ Baidu's Ernie AI chatbot to power Samsung's new Galaxy S24 smartphones
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Samsung Electronics Co. Galaxy S24 smartphones during a media preview event in Seoul, South Korea, on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. Samsung, the world's most prolific smartphone maker, is leaning into artificial intelligence as the key to unlocking greater sales this year. Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesBaidu AI Cloud will be integrating its Ernie chatbot into Samsung's Galaxy S24 smartphones, allowing users to translate calls in real time, among other features. Ernie is the Chinese tech giant's answer to OpenAI's ChatGPT, a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence technology that's able to generate humanlike responses to users' prompts. Baidu claims it is the "most powerful version of Ernie foundation model to date," with the full capabilities of understanding, generation, reasoning, and memory.

Persons: SeongJoon Cho, Ernie chatbot, Ernie, OpenAI's, Apple Organizations: Samsung Electronics Co, Samsung, Bloomberg, Getty, Baidu, Samsung's, Apple, IDC, Vivo, Huawei Locations: Seoul, South Korea, China

☆ 5 huge challenges facing Apple this year
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Behind in generative AI. A recent Reuters report noted iPhone sales in China dropped 30% in the first week of the year amid pressure from rival Huawei. Still, Barclays downgraded Apple stock earlier this month citing disappointing iPhone 15 sales in China and softening demand for the latest iPhone. Apple also faces challenges around the upcoming rollout of the Vision Pro headset, which will be its riskiest product launch in years. Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple Inc., speaks during a launch event for the new Apple iPhone 15 at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, on September 12, 2023.

Persons: ”, David McQueen, ALY, Dan Ives, Apple, Justin Sullivan, Jitesh, IDC –, that’s, It’s, Siri, McQueen, “, Ming Yeung, Tim Cook, Nic Coury, hasn’t, Brian Fung, Clare Duffy Organizations: CNN, Microsoft, Apple, ABI Research, Huawei, Reuters, Apple Watch, International Trade Commission, IDC, Meta, Google, Samsung, Mac, Barclays, Apple Inc, Getty, EU, Markets, Epic Locations: China, Shanghai, Cupertino , California, Milan, Italy, AFP

☆ iPhone grabs top share in China and analyst negativity abates. What's going right at Apple
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

After a rough early start to 2024 and lots of analyst negativity, Apple has turned the corner. The iPhone captured a firm-record 17.3% market share in China last year, according to the International Data Corporation's quarterly phone tracker report . 1 spot in China, Apple made the rare move of offering limited-time iPhone 15 discounts there during this month. Last week, IDC crowned Apple as the biggest smartphone maker in the world , dethroning Samsung for the first time ever. And, just about two weeks ago, we reported that the Street hadn't been this cautious on Apple stock in years.

Persons: Apple, Arthur Guo, Piper Sandler, Apple's, Goldman Sachs, we're, Jim Cramer, Tim Cook, Apple —, Jim, that's, Preorders, Jim Cramer's, Berke Bayur Organizations: Huawei, Vivo, Apple, IDC, Samsung, Barclays, Redburn, Club, Microsoft, Bank of America, Big Tech, CNBC, U.S, Getty Images, Anadolu, Getty Locations: China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, ANKARA, TURKIYE, Ankara, Turkiye, Anadolu

☆ Apple's iPhone is the bestselling smartphone in China despite stiff competition from local competitor Huawei
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple's iPhone was the bestselling smartphone in China for the first time last year. Apple had a record market share of 17.3% in 2023, International Data Corporation figures showed. Local competitor Huawei trailed behind Apple's 20% market share in Q4 with 13.9% of the market share in the year's final quarter, per the data. Huawei previously outpaced Apple's iPhone 15 with its Mate 60 Pro smartphone, released just weeks before Apple's new model, Jefferies analysts said. Preliminary data from the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker showed that China smartphone shipments totaled 271.3 million units in 2023, a decline of 5.0% from 2022.

Persons: —, Tim Cook, Arthur Guo, Apple Organizations: Apple, International Data Corporation, Huawei, Service, Local, Apple's, Jefferies, IDC China, IDC, Business Locations: China

☆ Apple takes top spot in China's smartphone market for the first time as Huawei returns to the top 5
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Apple's overall smartphone shipments fell 2.2% year-on-year in 2023, while the overall market fell 5%, IDC said. China's smartphone market has been hit because of an uncertain economic environment in the country and weak consumer spending. In 2023, Honor, a spin-off from Chinese company Huawei, held the second spot with 16.8% market share, followed by Vivo, Huawei and then Oppo. Another market research firm called Counterpoint Research also came out with China numbers on Thursday. Counterpoint said it expects the China market to record low single-digit year-on-year growth in 2024, the first year of growth since 2018.

Persons: Tim Cook, Justin Sullivan, Arthur Guo, Apple Organizations: Getty, Apple, International Data Corporation, IDC, Huawei, IDC China, Vivo, Research Locations: Cupertino , California, China

☆ Why Making Face Computers Cool Isn’t Easy
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Brian X. Chen | More About Brian X. Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The $3,500 Vision Pro, a face computer that resembles ski goggles, will be released next week. The device, which includes high-resolution displays and sensors that track eye movements and hand gestures, is one of Apple’s most ambitious products. I was among the first group of journalists to try the Vision Pro last year and walked away impressed with the quality of the picture but ultimately not sure that people would want to wear it. The devices were intended to create immersive experiences for getting things done by moving the body instead of typing on keyboards. Sales of mixed reality and virtual reality headsets fell 8.3 percent last year, according to the research firm IDC, though they may rebound this year with Apple entering the market.

Persons: Apple’s Organizations: Pro, Google, Samsung, Sony, IDC, Apple

☆ How much TikTok pays employees in the US, from data scientists to software engineers, according to salary data
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Ashley Rodriguez | Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +109 min

Some examples of salary offers for corporate functions include:AdvertisementAccountant, Expense Management : $73,000: $73,000 HR Business Partner : $127,680 median; ranging from $90,000 to $182,880: $127,680 median; ranging from $90,000 to $182,880 HR Specialist: $114,000 median; ranging from $85,000 to $170,000DesignEmployees on the design team "shape the visual representation" of TikTok's products and business, creating "unique designs that are not just visually appealing, but also express the aesthetic of our brand," the company wrote. : $320,000: $320,000 Android Software Engineer, TikTok Monetization : $210,000: $210,000 Android Software Engineer, TikTok Privacy : $190,000: $190,000 Android Software Engineer, TikTok Social : $126,640 median; ranging from $65,000 to $288,000: $126,640 median; ranging from $65,000 to $288,000 Android Software Engineer, TikTok User Growth : $227,000 median; ranging from $221,000 to $233,000: $227,000 median; ranging from $221,000 to $233,000 Applied Machine Learning Engineer : $273,340 median; ranging from $180,000 to $306,000: $273,340 median; ranging from $180,000 to $306,000 Applied Machine Learning Engineer, Recommendation : $190,000: $190,000 AR Effects Interactive Engineer : $125,000: $125,000 AR Software Engineer : $125,000: $125,000 Audio Engineer : $75,000: $75,000 Backend Engineer : $128,000: $128,000 Backend Engineer, Ads Platform : $172,000 median; ranging from $125,000 to $240,000: $172,000 median; ranging from $125,000 to $240,000 Backend Engineer, Content Ecosystem : $222,360: $222,360 Backend Engineer, Lark Innovation : $160,000: $160,000 Backend Engineer, Machine Learning : $157,680 median; ranging from $157,680 to $175,000: $157,680 median; ranging from $157,680 to $175,000 Backend Engineer, Risk Systems : $295,000 median; ranging from $150,000 to $320,000: $295,000 median; ranging from $150,000 to $320,000 Backend Engineer, TikTok Ads Creative and Ecosystem : $250,000: $250,000 Backend Engineer, TikTok Ads Creativity and Ecosystem : $207,500 median; ranging from $175,000 to $240,000: $207,500 median; ranging from $175,000 to $240,000 Backend Engineer, TikTok Eng. : $220,000 median; ranging from $160,000 to $285,000 0 #NUM! Software Engineer, Computer Vision : $165,000 median; ranging from $165,000 to $200,000: $165,000 median; ranging from $165,000 to $200,000 Software Engineer, Computer Vision, Intelligent Creation : $200,000 median; ranging from $200,000 to $265,000: $200,000 median; ranging from $200,000 to $265,000 Software Engineer, Core Services : $204,000 median; ranging from $125,000 to $244,680: $204,000 median; ranging from $125,000 to $244,680 Software Engineer, Core Service, Application Security : $129,680: $129,680 Software Engineer, CRM : $175,000 median; ranging from $125,000 to $300,555: $175,000 median; ranging from $125,000 to $300,555 Software Engineer, Data Access Team : $230,000: $230,000 Software Engineer, Data Mining : $169,680: $169,680 Software Engineer, Data Mining USDS : $182,400: $182,400 Software Engineer, Data Platform : $186,000 median; ranging from $170,000 to $216,880: $186,000 median; ranging from $170,000 to $216,880 Software Engineer, Data Security and Compliance : $180,000: $180,000 Software Engineer, Database Kernel Development : $130,000 median; ranging from $128,000 to $220,000: $130,000 median; ranging from $128,000 to $220,000 Software Engineer, Distributed Storage System : $285,000 median; ranging from $180,000 to $285,000: $285,000 median; ranging from $180,000 to $285,000 Software Engineer, Engineering Productivity : $195,000: $195,000 Software Engineer, Front-End : $147,000: $147,000 Software Engineer, Front-End, Ads Technology : $125,000: $125,000 Software Engineer, Full Stack : $180,000: $180,000 Software Engineer, Full Stack, Ads Technology : $147,500 median; ranging from $125,000 to $170,000: $147,500 median; ranging from $125,000 to $170,000 Software Engineer, Full Stack, E-Commerce Engineering and Architecture : $205,000: $205,000 Software Engineer, Full Stack, Vertical Solutions : $220,000: $220,000 Software Engineer, Global E-Commerce Customer Business : $195,000 median; ranging from $133,240 to $225,000: $195,000 median; ranging from $133,240 to $225,000 Software Engineer, Global Payment : $161,000 median; ranging from $155,000 to $215,000: $161,000 median; ranging from $155,000 to $215,000 Software Engineer, Gov. and Experience, TikTok E-Commerce : $241,540 median; ranging from $219,680 to $263,400: $241,540 median; ranging from $219,680 to $263,400 Software Engineer, GPU Management : $128,000 $128,000 $128,000 0 #NUM!

Persons: —, It's, TikTok, it's, ByteDance, TikTok Eng, Tiktok Organizations: Service, Business, US, of Foreign Labor, Live, US Data Security, Security, US Department of Labor, Corporate, Employees, TikTok, Tech, Commerce, Marketing, Staff, Trust, Safety, Brand, Android Software, Computer, Global Agency Relations, Global Security Technology, Infrastructure Engineering, Android, Machine, Interactive, Systems, Data Systems, Engineer, Commerce Data Intelligence, Commerce Logistics, Chain, Logistics, Media, US Tech Services, Big, Business Intelligence, Protection, Network Security, Business Systems, Cash, Cloud, Networking Software, Public, Tech Service, Technology, Technology Systems, Infrastructure, Network Business, NA, Defense, US Tech Service, Analytics, Research, Mining, Solutions, Tech Services, Pico, Forensics, Development, Control, Financial, CRM, Global, Learning, Traffic, TCMS, Communications, Graphics, Monetization Technology, Management, Products, Resources, IDC Logistics, DevOps, IOS, GNE Global, Software, Procurement, Commerce Global, Strategic, Global Business, Merchant, Mobile Security, Mobile Software, Multimedia Research, Regional, Sound Engineering, Professional Services, Community, Relations, Real, Commerce Trading, Creative, Enterprise, Virtual Network, Storage, Data Security, Smart, Finance, ML Systems, Cloud Infrastructure, TikTok US Tech Services, Monetization Tech, Learning Systems, Core Services, Core Service, Data Mining, Engineering, Commerce Engineering, Mobile, Revenue Management Locations: ByteDance, TikTok, TikTok Commerce, America, Mexico, Americas, Commerce

☆ Apple flexes its new No. 1 smartphone maker status and makes a rare move in China
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Apple became the world's largest smartphone maker in 2023 for the first time ever. Despite a rough start to 2024, we think the company can build on this momentum in the U.S. and China. Apple's frontrunner status was confirmed in separate industry research reports from International Data Corporation (IDC) on Monday and Canalys on Tuesday. To be sure, Apple's iPhone is facing intensified competition in China as domestic players like Huawei and Xiaomi have started offering high-end alternatives. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

Persons: Apple, Canalys, Nabila Popal, Will Apple, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Eduardo Munoz Organizations: Samsung, International Data Corporation, IDC, IDC's, Huawei, Apple, Big Tech, Microsoft, Xiaomi, Apple Watch, CNBC Locations: U.S, China, India, New York

☆ Samsung Galaxy S24 lineup goes all in on AI
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Samsung’s next-generation flagship Galaxy S24 devices aim to take messaging, photos and games to the next level with artificial intelligence. At its annual Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event on Wednesday, the company showed off its Galaxy S24 Ultra, Galaxy S24+ and Galaxy S24 smartphones, in what it says will usher in the next era of how people use their smartphones. The 6.2-inch Galaxy S24 ($799.99) and the 6.7-inch Galaxy S24+ ($999) are available in onyx black, marble gray, cobalt violet and amber yellow. Standing outAlthough AI on smartphones isn’t entirely new — Google’s latest Pixel 8 lineup launched in October 2023 with many AI features — Samsung’s scale could make more consumers aware of the possibilities. Some on-device generative AI features could be made exclusive to iPhone 16 models, thanks in part to its custom chips.

Persons: CNN — Samsung’s, ”, Jitesh Ubrani, “, Siri, IDC’s Organizations: CNN, Samsung Galaxy, Galaxy, Samsung, IDC, Apple, Android, ABI Research

☆ Apple overtakes Samsung as top seller of smartphones
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The new Apple iPhone 15 on display inside the tech giant's flagship store in Regent Street, central London. A slower-than-expected recovery in China, the world's largest smartphone market, also weighed on overall phone sales. Apple and Transsion were the only brands in the top five to record growth in shipments last year, when the market declined 3.2% to 1.17 billion units and hit a decade low. Apple, however, is facing pressure in China from a resurgent Huawei as well as from budget Chinese brands. The iPhone-maker is offering rare discounts of as much as 5% on some models in the country to attract customers.

Persons: Jonathan Brady, Apple, China's Xiaomi Organizations: Apple, Samsung Electronics, International Data Corp, Samsung, IDC's, Huawei Locations: Regent Street, London, China

☆ Apple steals the smartphone crown from Samsung, ending a 12-year run
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Apple was the top dog in the global smartphone market for 2023, according to IDC shipments data. It's the first time a company has overtaken Samsung in worldwide smartphone shipments since 2010. Apple closed out 2023 with record-high smartphone market share despite the overall market for phones decreasing. Apple is the "biggest winner" of the year in the smartphone race, IDC research director Nabila Popal said. Overall, the smartphone market declined 3.2% year-over-year — a decade low, according to the IDC.

Persons: Apple, —, Tim Cook, Nabila Popal, Popal, Cook, Barclay Organizations: IDC, Samsung, Apple, Service, International Data Corporation, Huawei Locations: China

☆ From transparent TVs to ChatGPT-powered pet companions, here’s some of the buzziest tech of CES 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Here’s a look at some of the buzziest products announced this week:Loona companion robot is the world's first consumer robot equipped with ChatGPT AI technology. From Beijing KEYi Technology Co. Ltd.AI companionsAI companions are one of the biggest trends to emerge from the show this year. Samsung’s buzzy Ballie robot, which was first shown off at CES in 2020, received a refresh. BaracodaAI task robotsBeyond companions, AI has made its way into nearly every appliance and gadget you could think of this year. LG was one of the first leaders in transparent TVs; one of its earlier prototypes impressed the show floor back in 2020.

Persons: it’s, Loona, Rosie, Samsung’s, Dipanjan Chatterjee, ”, Volkwagen, Mercedes Benz, Chatterjee, ” Honda, VinFast, “ There’s, Jon Erensen, EssilorLuxottica, Francesco Milleri, Evie, Steve Jobs, Cook, Christoph Dernbach, “, Jitesh Ubrani, ” Ubrani, CNN’s Peter Valdes, Dapena Organizations: CNN — Tech, Consumer Electronics, Beijing KEYi Technology, ., LG, CES, Forrester Research, Walmart, Nvidia, AMD, Honda, VinFast, Fiat, Samsung, Gartner, Media, Apple Vision, Steve, Apple, IDC, Sony, Qualcomm Locations: Las Vegas, Beijing, USA, Cupertino, Cupertino ., Apple's, United States

☆ Migrate to Innovate
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Sponsor Post | Sponsored Microsoft | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

After evaluating several possible routes, American Airlines' customer hub team chose Microsoft's fully managed database service, Azure SQL Managed Instance. "Azure SQL Managed Instance was the only option that met all our requirements," Jayanta Saha, principal data architect at American Airlines, said. Efficiency, security, and cost optimization with Azure SQL Managed InstanceA fully managed cloud database service like Azure SQL Managed Instance is a critical first step in a business' transformation journey, boosting security and productivity while optimizing costs. Azure SQL Managed Instance enables organizations to take a significant step in their digital transformation journey —modernizing their applications, unlocking new potential, and empowering businesses to turn focus to future growth and innovation. Learn more about Microsoft Azure SQL Managed Instance, accelerated by Intel.

Persons: Microsoft's, Jayanta Saha, study3 Organizations: Microsoft, American Airlines, IDC, American, Cloud, Intel, Insider Studios Locations: Gartner1, cybersecurity

☆ Alibaba Cloud suffers second service outage in a month
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

3D printed clouds and figurines are seen in front of the Alibaba Cloud service logo in this illustration taken February 8, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Alibaba's (9988.HK) cloud service said it suffered a near two-hour long disruption affecting customers in mainland China, Hong Kong and the United States on Monday, its second outage within a month. The impact was mainly felt by several of Alibaba Cloud's database management products, including PostgreSQL, Redis and MySQL editions. "From 09:16 Beijing time (0116 GMT) on November 27, 2023, Alibaba Cloud monitoring detected abnormalities in console and OpenAPI access for database products," Alibaba Cloud said in a statement posted on its websites on Tuesday. "This is hugely damaging to Alibaba Cloud's brand image as a reliable cloud service provider."

Persons: Dado, Alibaba, Feng Ruohang, Yelin Mo, Brenda Goh, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Huawei, China Telecom, HK, IDC, Thomson Locations: Rights BEIJING, HK, China, Hong Kong, United States, Beijing, Shanghai, Virginia, U.S, East Asia, Southeast Asia, East, North America

REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O) saw a decline in the number of smartphones sold during China's recent Singles Day shopping festival, data from Counterpoint Research showed, lagging domestic rivals Huawei and Xiaomi which recorded robust increases. The number of Apple smartphones sold declined 4% year-on-year during the two-week sales from Oct. 30 to Nov. 12, the research consultancy said on Thursday. In comparison, the number of units sold by Huawei (HWT.UL) and Xiaomi (1810.HK) grew 66% and 28% respectively year-on-year over the same period. The increases for Huawei and Xiaomi helped fuel a 5% year-over-year rise in the overall number of Chinese smartphones sold during the promotion period, it said. ($1 = 7.2111 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Yelin Mo and Brenda Goh; editing by Miral FahmyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mike Segar, China's, JD.com, Xiaomi, Lei Jun, Ivan Lam, Yelin Mo, Brenda Goh, Miral Organizations: Apple Inc, Apple, REUTERS, Rights, Counterpoint Research, Huawei, HK, IDC, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York, U.S, Rights BEIJING, China, United States

☆ Apple to Support Messaging Standard, Easing Google Conflict Over Green Text Bubbles
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Sarah E. Needleman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In the U.S., Apple’s iPhone made up 47.6% of the smartphone market, according to IDC. Photo: Manaure Quintero/Bloomberg NewsApple plans to support a standard that will improve messaging with Android phones and enable new features, helping quell the blue-bubble/green-bubble debate around texts. Google has long pushed for Apple to adopt a communication protocol called rich communications systems, or RCS, that aims to replace traditional text messaging with more robust industrywide chat features. Such a change could help ease a stigma for users of its Android operating system.

Persons: Manaure Quintero Organizations: IDC, Bloomberg, Apple, Google Locations: U.S

BEIJING, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Strong sales growth at Huawei (HWT.UL) helped power an 11% rise in China's total smartphone shipments in October, data from research firm Counterpoint showed on Tuesday, indicating signs of recovery in its lagging mobile market. Huawei was a major contributor to the average year-on-year growth in the first four weeks of October, with its sales surging 83%, a note from the firm showed. According to the Counterpoint data, Xiaomi (1810.HK) also saw a 33% increase in smartphone sales in October. China's smartphone market has seen sales fall over several quarters, with a 3% drop in the quarter ending June, according to Counterpoint. Analysts expect the market may be poised for a rebound, with research firm IDC predicting unspecified year-on-year sales growth in the fourth quarter after ten consecutive quarters of falling shipments.

Persons: Archie Zhang, we’re, ”, Ivan Lam, Yelin Mo, Brenda Goh, Jan Harvey Organizations: Huawei, HK, IDC, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China

☆ Meta strikes deal with Tencent to sell VR headset in China - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The preliminary deal will make Tencent the exclusive seller of the headset in China and the videogame maker will start its sale in late 2024, the Journal said, citing soucres. It also gives Meta a chance to return to China after 14 years and compete with TikTok-owner Bytedance, which makes the VR headset Pico. Meta sells Quest 2 headset in the United States at a starting price of $300 and Quest Pro headsets at $1,000. For China, Meta is planning to use lenses in the headset that are cheaper than those in the Quest 3, according to Journal report. The headset is priced more than three times Meta's most expensive Quest headset and is aimed at enthusiasts.

Persons: Yves Herman, Bytedance, Tencent, Biden, Shubham Kalia, Yuvraj Malik, Sonia Cheema, Arun Koyyur Organizations: REUTERS, Tencent Holdings, HK, Facebook, Wall Street, TikTok, Pico, Meta, Quest, Twitter, IDC, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, China, United States, Beijing, Xinjiang, Bengaluru

People check new products of Xiaomi ahead of the 2023 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 26, 2023. Demand in the world's biggest smartphone market has long been in decline, with the COVID-19 pandemic and then a faltering economic recovery persuading customers to wait longer before upgrading their phones. IDC predicts the Chinese market is on track to achieve year-on-year sales growth in the fourth quarter after ten consecutive quarters of decline. U.S. chip designer Qualcomm also said last week that it is seeing strong demand from smartphone companies, especially in China. The Mi 14 series, priced between 3,999 yuan and 6,499 yuan ($550-$890), represents an attempt by Xiaomi to make deeper inroads into the premium smartphone market and compete with Apple (AAPL.O) and Huawei.

Persons: Nacho, Lei Jun, Will Wong, Qualcomm, Xiaomi, Yelin Mo, Brenda Goh, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, HK, Weibo, IDC, Huawei, Apple, Thomson Locations: Barcelona, Spain, Rights BEIJING, China, U.S

☆ China's ByteDance to overhaul VR arm Pico as global demand declines -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The ByteDance logo is seen at the company's office in Shanghai, China July 4, 2023. The meeting did not specify how many jobs would be cut as a result, but the three people said "hundreds" of Pico staff were expected to be affected globally. In China, it has become the leading VR producer by total shipments and globally it trails only Meta. But two of the people said ByteDance had pared back efforts to develop Pico as a brand in recent months as the outlook dimmed. ByteDance said last month it remained committed to the VR industry in the long term following media reports that it planned to gradually wind down Pico.

Persons: Aly, Pico, ByteDance, Josh Ye, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Pico, Reuters, VR, Meta, IDC, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Pico, HONG KONG

Apple shares, which have risen 37% so far this year, dropped 3.4% after-hours, following the forecast. Maestri said Apple expects to have higher iPhone sales for the fiscal first quarter, even though this year's holiday quarter has one fewer week of sales than the year-ago. Cook said the company's new high-end handset models - the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max devices - are facing supply constraints. Apple's sales in China fell to $15.08 billion from $15.47 billion in the fourth quarter a year ago. Cook said that after accounting for foreign-exchange rates, Apple's business in China grew year-over-year, driven by iPhone sales and services revenue.

Persons: Tim Cook, Apple, Cook, Luca Maestri, Bob O'Donnell, Davidson, Tom Forte, Aly, Max, Nabila Popal, Lionel Messi, Stephen Nellis, Yuvraj Malik, Sayantani Ghosh, Peter Henderson, Matthew Lewis, Leslie Adler Organizations: Huawei, Apple, TECHnalysis Research, Mac, REUTERS, Huawei Technologies, U.S, Reuters, Pro, Apple Watch, Thomson Locations: China, Cupertino , California, Shanghai, San Francisco, Bengaluru

☆ Chip Makers’ PC Boost Not Built to Last
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Dan Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

PCs have proved to be the saving grace for Intel and Advanced Micro Devices this earnings season. Photo: Alex Kraus/Bloomberg NewsIt’s a testament to how odd the chip market is right now that personal-computer demand is actually a source of strength. PC sales have been in a downspin since early last year, following two years of pandemic-induced growth. The downturn has been such that the 7.6% year-over-year decline in unit sales that market-research firm IDC reported for the third quarter actually counted as a notable improvement, as sales had been falling by double digits for the previous five periods. IDC projects PC shipments will total 252 million units globally this year—down 14% from last year and the lowest annual sales number the firm has reported in more than a decade.

Persons: Alex Kraus, It’s Organizations: Intel, Bloomberg, IDC

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