Samsung on Wednesday unveiled its latest Galaxy smartphones, which boast an even bigger toolbox of artificial intelligence technology than the previous two generations and introduce a new privacy shield that blocks snoopy bystanders from sneaking a peek at the display screen. The upgrades on the Galaxy S26 lineup, coming to stores March 11. will also include price increases of 10% to 13% on the basic and mid-tier models while the Ultra device will cost the same as last year's version. Samsung also is dangling another reason to pony up for its most expensive Galaxy S26 with a new feature called "Privacy Display" that will only be available on the Ultra.
Apple will lean on Google to help finish its bungled attempts to smarten up its virtual assistant Siri and bring other artificial intelligence features to the iPhone as the trendsetting company plays catch up in technology's latest craze. The deal that allowing Apple to tap into Google's AI technology was disclosed Monday in a joint statement from the Silicon Valley powerhouses. The partnership will draw upon Google's Gemini technology to customize a suite of AI features dubbed "Apple Intelligence" on the iPhone and other products. Apple announced plans to use AI to turn Siri into a more conversational and versatile multitasker in 2024, but that promise remains unfulfilled.
Britain's antitrust watchdog has targeted Google and Apple for their "strategic" roles in mobile ecosystems, opening the door for regulators to impose changes to their business practices to improve competition. The Competition and Markets Authority escalated scrutiny of the two U.S. tech companies on Wednesday by labeling them with "strategic market status." It follows separate investigations that the CMA opened at the start of the year into Google's Android and Apple's iOS using newly acquired digital market regulations designed to protect consumers and businesses from unfair practices by Big Tech companies. Google called the decision "disappointing."
By MATT O'BRIEN and MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Technology Writers
OpenAI has introduced its own web browser, ChatGPT Atlas, putting it in direct competition with Google. The new browser, launched Tuesday on Apple laptops, aims to make ChatGPT a gateway to online searches. This move could increase OpenAI's internet traffic and advertising revenue. CEO Sam Altman describes it as a chance to rethink browser use. Atlas will eventually be available on Windows, iOS, and Android. The browser faces a tough challenge against Google's Chrome, which has about 3 billion users.
Apple has rolled out its next generation of iPhones that includes a new ultrathin model and a slight price hike for one of its high-end models, while the company feels the squeeze of a global trade war. The iPhone 17 line-up includes a new slimmed-down model that will adopt the "Air" name that Apple already uses for its sleekest iPads and Mac computers. The new iPhones are the first to be released since President Donald Trump returned to the White House and unleashed a barrage of tariffs, in what his administration says is an attempt to bring overseas manufacturing back to the U.S. — a crusade that has thrust Cook into the hot seat.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence. The 61-page complaint filed in Texas federal court follows through on a threat that Musk made two weeks ago when he accused Apple of unfairly favoring OpenAI and ChatGPT in the iPhone's app store rankings for top AI apps. The double-barreled legal attack weaves together several recently unfolding narratives to recast an AI partnership between Apple and OpenAI as a veiled conspiracy to stifle competition and innovation. OpenAI accused Musk of harassment. Apple didn't immediately comment.
President Donald Trump says he might temporarily exempt the auto industry from tariffs he previously imposed on the sector, to give carmakers time to adjust their supply chains. Trump told reporters gathered in the Oval Office on Monday automakers "need a little bit of time" to relocate production to the U.S. The Republican president's statement hints at yet another round of reversals on tariffs. Trump's onslaught of import taxes has panicked financial markets and raised deep concerns from Wall Street economists about a possible recession. The chief economist for the Northern Trust global financial firm warns damage to consumer, business and market confidence may be irreversible.
President Donald Trump's administration has been predicting its barrage of tariffs targeting China will push Apple into manufacturing the iPhone in the U.,S. for the first time. But that's an unlikely scenario even with U.S tariffs now standing at 145% on products made in China — the country where Apple has been making most of its iPhones since the first model hit the market 18 years ago. The disincentives for Apple making the shift include the complexity of a supply chain that the company began building in China during the 1990s, the time required to build new plants, and the economic forces that could triple the price of an iPhone.
Apple says it's fixing a bug with its dictation feature on some iPhones that briefly suggests the word "Trump" when a word with an R consonant is spoken, including "racist." The company was responding to the controversy after some iPhone owners posted videos on social media this week to detail how the glitch works. The videos show that when users activated the dictation feature and spoke the word "racist, the word "Trump" appears in the text window before quickly being replaced by the correct word. Apple said it was aware of the issue and is "rolling out a fix." It also said that other words that have an "r" consonant were also erroneously triggering the bug.
A frenzy over an artificial intelligence chatbot made by Chinese tech startup DeepSeek was upending stock markets Monday and fueling debates over the economic and geopolitical competition between the U.S. and China in developing AI technology. DeepSeek's AI assistant became the No. 1 downloaded free app on Apple's iPhone store Monday, propelled by curiosity about the ChatGPT competitor. Part of what's worrying some U.S. tech industry observers is the idea that the Chinese startup has caught up with the American companies at the forefront of generative AI at a fraction of the cost. But hype and misconceptions about DeepSeek's technological advancements also sowed confusion.
