Mobile

Cruise and Waymo on notice in San Francisco: Repeated incidents of idled robotaxis are delaying buses and impeding emergency workers. Complaints could stall countrywide expansion.

US, allies put pressure on China’s chipmaking efforts: Key producers of equipment critical for advanced chip design won’t be exported to China, which could lead to reprisal or wider geopolitical retaliation.

Intel’s comeback hits a snag: One of the first technology companies to resort to layoffs and restructuring last year is bracing for billions of dollars in losses and a longer runway to recovery.

Google bows to regulatory pressure: The European Commission demanded Google’s services provide more transparency for consumers. The move is a win for regulators pushing back on Big Tech.

Troubling signs in the smartphone space: Smartphone shipments drop to the lowest level in a decade. Innovation has stagnated, foldables have failed to take off, and the market for 5G handsets has reached saturation.

Constrained chip supply continues: The yearslong chip crisis isn’t getting any better, and some markets aren’t expecting relief until 2024. But dwindling consumer demand could lead to oversupply and stagnating innovation.

Apple privacy moves draw sharp industry ire: The IAB harshly condemned Apple’s advertising policies, increasing chances for regulator intervention.

PC slump slams peripheral and accessory market: The ripple effects of reduced consumer spending are creeping beyond PCs. Webcams, which were backordered during the pandemic, saw a 50% decline in sales in Q4.

Apple’s partners on board for exodus to India: Foxconn, Pegatron, and Wistron are among the Taiwanese suppliers that will ramp up fabs in India, accelerating Apple’s move away from China.

TikTok bans in colleges go viral: The fallout from students and teachers could be indicative of wider pushback against banning the app.

API vulnerabilities strike again: Cybercriminals took the data of 37 million T-Mobile accounts. API vulnerabilities, which are responsible for 50% of all data breaches, are becoming a serious security issue.

Twitter’s balance sheet is looking rough: The company lost more than 500 of its top advertisers, and Q4 revenues tanked 35%.

Apple will use its gains from AppTrackingTransparency to launch a demand-side platform, and QR-launched augmented reality will help rejuvenate out-of-home advertising. Find out what else our analysts predict will impact mobile advertising this year.

India regulators challenge Google business models: Accused of abusing its dominant position to push pre-installed software, Google failed to allow users to uninstall apps or choose preferred search engines.

T-Mobile widens the gap in speed tests, 5G coverage: T-Mobile’s download speeds and coverage pulled further away from the competition in Q4. How can Verizon and AT&T catch up?

Expanding Android’s accessory ecosystem: Adding a competitor to Tile, Apple AirTags, and Samsung SmartTag helps Google round out Android’s accessories, but Bluetooth trackers are fraught with privacy concerns.

Slowing growth forces Beijing to capitulate to Big Tech: Facing the weakest growth in decades, China seeks cooperation with the EU and will loosen its iron grip on tech monoliths to spur the economy.

Apple unloads new Macs featuring Apple Silicon: The latest Mac mini and MacBook Pro models could blanket more of the desktop and notebook market in 2023.

TikTok’s recommendation oversight could usher in a new era for social media: The embattled app promised regulators access to its algorithm, which could mean similar changes for competitors.

Twitter takes a creator economy cue from Reddit and Twitch: Its new “coins” feature isn’t a terrible idea, but it’s coming at a challenging time for the creative class.