AI-driven memory price spikes are presenting a challenge for Samsung's smartphone business, with rising component prices eroding the affordability of its budget phones. At the same time, Samsung is seeking to use its new AI features to encourage new device purchases as memory prices dampen smartphone sales globally.
AI glasses are gaining momentum as Meta, Rokid, RayNeo, Xreal, Viture, HTC, and other vendors step up their efforts, with Google and Samsung Electronics expected to enter the market in the second half of 2026. The category is widely seen as a potential essential mobile device after the smartphone.
China has launched a probe into a Beidou high-precision smart monitoring project in Shandong, after reports of severe construction defects at the base sparked public concern over the quality of new infrastructure projects. The project, with a total investment of nearly CNY300 million (US$44.4 million), has drawn scrutiny after its base structures were described as "easy to tear apart by hand."
Backed by Google, researchers at the University of California, San Diego, are repurposing retired Pixel phones into a computing cluster that could lower costs and cut e-waste. The project matters far beyond one campus, as it points to a possible model for affordable, local cloud infrastructure that could interest schools and smaller organizations worldwide.
Apple's first foldable iPhone could arrive later than some market expectations, with supply chain sources indicating the device may not reach consumers until early 2027, pushing back the launch schedule for the company's entry into the foldable smartphone segment.
Apple is stepping up the AI capabilities of its Siri voice assistant, and analysts say memory chip demand will rise along with it, potentially benefiting Apple's suppliers such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. The shift could drive both shipment growth and higher prices for mobile DRAM.
