The news: On Thursday, Nintendo released the Switch 2, its first new console since the Nintendo Switch was launched in 2017. The handheld device comes with upgraded specs, social gaming features, and bundles with exclusive titles like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza. It also includes GameChat, a feature that combines voice and video and lets up to 12 people chat while playing games. Our take: With a growing package of subscription perks and social hooks like GameChat, Nintendo may be taking a page from Apple’s playbook by turning its hardware into a recurring revenue engine. The Switch 2 could be a sticky ecosystem for Nintendo, even if the price goes up.
Target powers up for Nintendo Switch 2: The retailer is making a big in-store push with an expanded assortment of themed products.
The ZeroOne initiative, led by Xbox co-creator J Allard and Surface veteran Panos Panay, signals a consumer hardware reboot for Amazon services, rooted in Microsoft experience.
Best Buy will stick to its tariff playbook despite court rulings: The retailer is doing its best to ignore the noise and focus on how best to serve its customers.
A 25% iPhone tariff risks upending Apple’s manufacturing strategy and slamming profits just as it dives deeper into AI.
The partnership could spark a consumer hardware revolution, but success hinges on delivering a worthwhile alternative to existing smartphones
Ad costs per click show changing consumer priorities: Retail media ad costs rose the sharpest in 2024 for the health category, which could resonate in a market disrupted by tariffs.
Google’s AI is expanding fast and meeting demand, but users could be wary about data collection in their homes and vehicles.
A 90-day pause in tariffs added over $800 billion to the Magnificent Seven’s market cap, revealing just how damaging trade tensions had been for investor confidence.
Ecommerce engagement winners and losers: Industry KPI data shows electronics and retail and shopping ad clicks increased in 2024, while apparel and beauty slumped.
With Google’s platform and broader affordability, Samsung’s headset might finally deliver on spatial media’s promise—and give marketers a new playground.
Google aims to reset its ecosystem with AI-infused Pixel updates and expansion beyond phones—countering fragmentation and pressure from rivals.
Anticipated tariffs are speeding up purchasing decisions, revealing a tension between economic caution and the desire to avoid future markups.
Tariffs threaten innovation’s pace: Prolonged trade wars could hike smartphone prices and delay new tech rollouts, making midrange devices a safer, more strategic choice for buyers and brands. Read online
Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs landed harder than expected. Widespread uncertainty remains, given the pause on reciprocal tariffs for countries willing to negotiate with the US—along with an escalating trade war with China. Which markets will take the greatest hits? And how might our US forecasts change?
With iPhone prices poised to spike, Apple’s supply chain edge offers a short reprieve, but panic buying reveals deeper economic fears taking hold
A nearly $1 trillion loss in a day signals market panic. Apple leads the fall, with ripple effects threatening AI growth, ad revenue, and cloud service pricing.
Consumers brace for tariff-related price hikes: Some take preemptive action, with 1 in 10 shoppers making a big-ticket purchase to sidestep rising costs.
Google’s visual intelligence upgrade puts real-time discovery in users’ hands, opening doors for brand integration and premium engagement.
Wearables will surpass 100 million users this year as AI advancements push adoption to nearly 40% of adults, marking a shift from niche tech to mainstream.