US smartphone in-app purchase spending will hit $42.31 billion this year, up 13.0% over 2021. Growth will slow to the single digits over the next few years, and spending will pass the $50 billion mark in 2025.
Sony’s future gaming fortunes are in PC titles: The PlayStation maker is betting big on ports of its games on Windows PCs, a market where console rival Microsoft is already a dominant player.
Apple dominates surging smartwatch sales, but Google is entering the fray: Growing interest in smartwatches and headphones in emerging markets like India indicate potential for Google and partners to grow Android’s ecosystem with devices like the new Pixel Watch
Apple raising worker pay by more than 10%: It’s the latest Big Tech company to take steps to retain talent during the Great Resignation, a move that could set the tone for various industries.
Broadcom boosts software with VMware buy: The $61B deal allows the chipmaker to rely less on chips for growth while assembling parts for massive cloud, edge computing, and IoT expansion.
Meta clashes with Apple over AppTrackingTransparency: The change damaged Meta’s profits, but Apple’s ad business is soaring.
Sony’s service game push could be good for advertisers: The lucrative model could be a platform for its rumored ad program
Online health consultation startups tackle doctor shortages in MENA: Esaal is leading the charge of health startups in the Middle East and Africa, where innovation is solving poor doctor-to-citizen ratios, obesity, and a growing mental health crisis.
T-Mobile joins the private 5G race: The private 5G segment is facing growing competition in a $109 billion market expected to be the next connectivity battleground.
Snap’s investor warning is a worrying sign for social media: The ad-relient industry is feeling the effects of piling changes and weakening economic conditions.
Google encroaches on Apple in wearable-based clinical research: A study in partnership with the University of Oregon hopes to learn how smartphone use impacts wellbeing. We detail how it helps Google make inroads into health studies.
The first American video game union is here: A subsidiary of Activision Blizzard voted to unionize following years of debate about labor in the industry.
US smartphone gamers will spend $18.83 billion on virtual goods this year, a massive sum compared with the $0.78 billion they’ll spend on subscriptions. These intangible assets make up a growing industry in the gaming world, especially as more companies—from Nike to Spotify to Chipotle—enter the metaverse via games like Roblox.
Chip companies could pivot to cloud and services: Expecting a slowdown in chip sales, companies like Broadcom are leaning on software and cloud computing acquisitions with companies like VMware to diversify their business.
Meta touts commercial possibilities of messaging: New WhatsApp API and business messaging features offer ways to diversify revenue as ad segment comes under pressure.
Runway gains first mover advantage with direct-to-consumer travel telehealth: It’s replacing expensive and antiquated travel clinics with online $30 pre-trip consultations and medications, disrupting a $12 billion market.
On today's episode, we discuss how much TikTok is making from advertising revenues, the most interesting thing to note about its users, and some of the most interesting ways advertisers are engaging on TikTok. "In Other News," we talk about what the best social commerce experience is and the big takeaway from Instagram letting users share nonfungible tokens (NFTs). Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Jasmine Enberg and Zach Goldner.
Musk says he’d consider turning Twitter into a super app with a strong payments focus and pointed to WeChat as a “good model.”
Canada ramps up 5G security: Huawei and ZTE solutions are banned. Critics say the move comes a little too late as telecoms bear the burden of replacing without disruption by June 2024.
Gaming smartphones could be the next key mobile segment: Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon processors might establish a new breed of gaming-centric devices.