Vodafone Group continued to press European authorities for a fairer regulatory deal, this time arguing the forthcoming Digital Networks Act (DNA) could enshrine outdated rules which favour OTTs over traditional service providers.

The operator highlighted a host of requirements operators must meet which OTTs and digital platforms do not.

It highlighted emergency service connectivity as an example of the imbalance, explaining people expect the function to be available no matter the app they use.

Vodafone stated traditional operators are also held to higher account in terms of maintaining open and resilient internet access, despite an increased reliance on “cloud providers, content delivery networks and large platforms that sit outside equivalent oversight”.

It asserted growth in the amount of fraudulent activity which “originates or is amplified upstream, across digital platforms and online services”, noting this is not subject to the same requirements placed on operators to prevent it.

Vodafone noted telecom service providers “invest heavily” in “network-level controls” and “cooperation with authorities”.

Customer verification is another bone of contention, with “overlapping” systems which “often duplicate” checks conducted by digital platforms and payment service providers. Operators also face various quality of service, security and “dispute handling” regulations for their customers.

“This asymmetry is often dismissed as a sector complaint, but the impact is most clearly felt by consumers,” Vodafone argued.

Proposed fixes
Vodafone called for the DNA to include “an explicit functional-equivalent principle” to enable regulators to apply rules equally in areas where broadly the same service is being provided.

It argued there is a lack of reality in the DNA proposals, stating the “distinction” between communications services using a telephone number and those which do not “no longer maps neatly onto user experiences or market dynamics”.

Vodafone believes fraud and internet access rules must equally cover cloud platforms, content delivery systems and messaging services.

It argued levelling the playing field would promote innovation and give consumers greater confidence in digital services.

The post Vodafone targets DNA disparities appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Intel and Google Cloud broadened their multi-year strategic collaboration with plans to deploy Gemini Enterprise and Google Cloud infrastructure across the chipmaker’s global operations as part of a wider AI-driven transformation.

Under the expanded partnership, Intel will roll out Gemini-powered generative AI tools across engineering, supply chain and corporate functions, aiming to scale workforce capabilities through agentic workflows.

The hyperscaler’s infrastructure will also support Intel’s semiconductor development environment, with custom agentic workflows intended to speed up the chip design lifecycle and improve cross-functional execution.

Intel CIO Cindy Stoddard stated the collaboration gives employees a central hub to build and deploy agents through Gemini Enterprise, alongside elastic cloud infrastructure to scale silicon development, as part of the company’s push to move faster and more efficiently.

Karthik Narain, chief product and business officer at Google Cloud, described the partnership as an effort to pair Intel’s engineering expertise with agentic AI tools to create what he called an autonomous foundation for how the chipmaker designs, operates and scales its business.

The companies stated the deployment moves Intel beyond isolated AI pilot programmes. Through the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform, Intel’s business units will be able to build and run tailored line-of-business agents aimed at automating core processes and speeding up data-driven decision-making.

Gemini’s reasoning capabilities will also power dedicated coding assistance and engineering automation tools designed to streamline software development pipelines and automate multi-step workflows.

Intel is separately piloting Google Cloud-powered tools for marketing and communications, including agents that can identify relevant subject matter experts, draft executive-ready messaging, and generate supporting content across communications channels.

On the infrastructure side, Intel is extending its on-premises compute capacity into Google Cloud’s C4 and N4 instances to support silicon development simulations and core engineering workloads, letting engineering teams run high-performance computing simulations concurrently to shorten chip development cycles.

The tie-up builds on a partnership which has deepened steadily this year. In April, Google committed to using multiple generations of Intel’s Xeon processors, including the 18A-manufactured Xeon 6, to support AI training and inference in its data centres, alongside a plan to co-develop custom infrastructure processing units.

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China President Xi Jinping (pictured) set out his vision for the country to assume a leadership role in AI, calling for increased international cooperation and promotion of open-source technology while taking aim at the US over attempts to govern the sector.

Xi made the comments in a speech at the World AI Conference in Shanghai, where it was announced China, Brazil, Russia and Indonesia are among 30 countries to have joined the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation.

Chinese state media describe the new group as an intergovernmental organisation headquartered in Shanghai to promote global AI governance.

Of the new group, Xi said AI should not be a “solo performance by one country, but rather a symphony of global cooperation”.

He said the initiative is a response to the call of the Global South to unite the international community in promoting development and governance of AI, “and it will become a major milestone in the history of artificial intelligence development”.

To further support this, Xi said China will provide 5,000 training opportunities in AI-related fields for developing countries, in addition to establishing AI application cooperation centres.  

In his speech, Xi noted that as AI continues to develop at “staggering speed”, there was a greater need for positive direction.

“We must more precisely grasp the scale of oversight and governance, and more promptly refine measures to forestall loss of control.”

Overstretch
While not naming the US directly, Xi said countries should oppose “overstretching the national security concept in the field of AI, or placing one country’s security over that of others”.

The US has notably placed several restrictions on China, impacting companies in the country from accessing high-end technology.

XI continued to state he was committed to promoting cooperation, bridging the digital divide, promoting sustainable development and avoiding “creating new historical injustices in the field of artificial intelligence”.

Finally, he called on the countries to “seize this rare historical opportunity, encourage open source and open collaboration”, in turn upgrading traditional industries and ensure AI can “empower all sectors”.

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Mobile World Live (MWL) brings you our top three picks of the week as Apple took OpenAI to court over alleged trade secret theft, New York hit pause on mega data centre projects amid rising energy concerns and Nokia unveiled an AI-native RAN platform built around Nvidia’s systems.

Apple launches trade secret lawsuit against OpenAI

What happened: Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, its design startup io Products subsidiary, and former Apple employees, accusing them of a “pattern of theft” of trade secrets tied to the AI giant’s budding hardware ambitions.

Why it matters: The complaint accused OpenAI’s hardware unit, now led by ex-Apple design chief Tang Yew Tan, of using confidential product designs, insider manufacturing knowledge and supplier relationships lifted by former Apple staff. Tan allegedly pushed job candidates to bring “actual parts” from Apple to interviews for a “show and tell. ” Apple accused OpenAI, the former Apple employees, and io Products of “acting in concert and as an enterprise” to advance its hardware ambitions. Later this week, Bloomberg reported OpenAI is readying a smart speaker based on ChatGPT’s AI capabilities to enter the consumer hardware market, pitting itself against players including Apple, Amazon, and Google. Saad Filali, founder of legal advisory assistant 9Anoun AI, called the lawsuit “a real overhang” on OpenAI, warning the case “could delay its first hardware launch and complicate IPO plans.” The trial also marks a particular souring of relations between the two companies. In 2024, outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook partnered with OpenAI to build ChatGPT into iPhones as the company chased fresh AI features. However, the iPhone-maker has shifted more of its workload to Google’s Gemini this year.

Apple launches trade secret lawsuit against OpenAI

New York puts mega data centres on ice

What happened: New York became the first US state to halt approvals for new hyperscale data centres, introducing a one-year moratorium on facilities requiring 50 megawatts or more of power.

Why it matters: The executive order signed by Governor Kathy Hochul pauses discretionary environmental permits while the state develops new rules to “reduce the risk to our energy grid, minimise land disruption, noise pollution, and protect our natural resources, especially our water supply”. The governor added data centre operators may be required to contribute towards statewide grid investment and announced plans to repeal sales tax exemptions which currently benefit hyperscalers. Rabobank energy transition analyst Payal Kaur attributed the move to “mounting community pushback, which has been successful in stalling/cancelling data centre projects, and upcoming elections”. Meanwhile Chris Ward-Jones, co-founder and COO at cloud company blocz, said “this is more than a local planning decision”, adding, “the next wave of AI infrastructure will need to show not only where its power comes from, but who pays for the grid upgrades”. He explained projects must now show “how local resources are protected and what communities receive in return”. The moratorium reflects a wider industry challenge as companies race to expand AI computing capacity while facing rising resource constraints.

New York puts mega data centres on ice

Nokia asserts AI-RAN leadership

What happened: Nokia unveiled an AI-native RAN platform built around Nvidia systems, claiming it would significantly improve network efficiency while allowing operators to upgrade existing infrastructure through software.

Why it matters: The vendor said the platform already delivers a 20% increase in spectral efficiency, with gains of 50% targeted for 2027 and 100% by 2028. It described the AI-RAN platform as “one of the most significant shifts in radio network architecture in decades”, while CEO Justin Hotard said the technology “makes the network intelligent” and would help operators maximise existing infrastructure. CCS Insight research director Ian Fogg said: “The key proposition is that because Nokia’s AI-RAN is based on a software platform, Nokia and its customers can achieve significant performance improvements in future through new AI models/algorithms and without hardware upgrades.” Fogg also highlighted Nokia’s decision to support third-party silicon “rather than developing in-house silicon for 6G and beyond”, arguing the vendor’s commitment differs from Ericsson’s more open stance on RAN and adding “companies do need to place bets if they wish to gain competitive advantage”. Yet, he flagged unanswered questions around costs, including “performance per watt”, efficiency gains and rising component prices. He explained the vendor’s success will depend on “the economics of this approach and Nokia’s ability to achieve those spectral efficiency boosts”, adding, “the real test will be how well this platform performs in the field trials planned for Q4”.

Nokia asserts AI-RAN leadership

The post The Friday File: Apple; New York; Nokia appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Ericsson emphasised the strengths of advanced 5G technology for the defence sector as it got the nod as a supplier under the UK’s Tactical Communication Systems framework for public sector procurement.

The vendor explained it was selected under the sections covering services and components, noting the UK procurement vehicle had a budget of up to £8 billion over its eight-year span.

As a result of its selection, domestic authorities and military agencies are cleared to buy products from across the vendor’s range, including specific 5G offerings for mission critical uses.  

The UK government described the framework as providing it and other public sector organisations with a way to acquire specialised tactical communication and information systems.

Ericsson highlighted how the widely-publicised low latency and high bandwidth qualities of 5G could help armed forces in connecting sensors, personnel and platforms.

Potential applications listed span multi-domain command and control platforms, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.

Head of Ericsson UK Nadine Allen said it is now able to work directly with the UK’s Ministry of Defence “to deliver secure, resilient and future-proof communications that will serve as the foundation for the UK’s digital defence capabilities for years to come”.

Ericsson and rival Nokia are actively pursuing the defence segment with 5G equipment.

Notable projects announced by the Swedish vendor earlier this year include a standalone 5G trial with specialist Leonardo and the Italian Navy.  

The post Ericsson recruited to UK defence list appeared first on Mobile World Live.

NTT and Japanese media company TBS identified AI as a potential danger to children’s decision-making abilities and outlined an intention to form a company to tackle the issue using digital games and smartphone apps.

The pair plan to commence operations of their e6 joint venture on 8 August to help children form clear ideas in a world where AI offers myriad possible answers to questions. The business is to be used to commercialise a namesake project NTT and TBS launched in February to provide an experience-based educational approach using various technologies.

NTT stated the companies created Emotional Knight, a story-based “original IP” emotive education game employing AI and extended reality to teach decision-making.

NTT President and CEO Akira Shimada said the companies believe huge volumes of information are not necessarily the best thing for children.

Instead, they need “the ability to think for themselves and make their own decisions while interacting with a wealth of information and AI”.

The companies intend to expand the line-up of educational games, develop relevant IP and add more “entertainment experiences” which foster children’s “ability to make independent decisions”.

NTT is contributing group resources including its innovative optical and wireless network, tsuzumi 2 LLM, R&D and social implementation capabilities. TBS brings content creation, IP development and distribution elements.

The Japanese conglomerate stated feedback from an event held in March showed a high level of satisfaction.

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Micron Technology secured strategic supply agreements with major automotive partners including Qualcomm and Harman to guarantee long-term chip access for software-defined vehicles.

The deals come during an aggressive industry-wide race to expand manufacturing capacity to meet a massive surge in memory chip demand driven by rapid AI adoption.

As the only US-based manufacturer of high-bandwidth memory chips used in Nvidia’s AI processors, Micron occupies a unique market position alongside South Korean rivals Samsung and SK Hynix, allowing it to command premium prices while solidifying long-term commitments during ongoing hardware shortages.

Micron also struck deals with Visteon, Joynext, Denso, Astemo, and Hyundai Mobis. It stated the agreements would improve visibility and help optimise production planning. It expects greater stability in pricing and supply chains for increasingly sophisticated AI-enabled vehicle platforms.

Demand for high-performance DRAM and NAND flash memory has grown as the automotive sector transitions toward highly connected, autonomous and intelligent designs.

Modern vehicle architectures require robust computing hardware to support advanced driver assistance systems, infotainment services and high-speed connectivity.

Sanjay Mehrotra, chair, president and CEO of Micron, emphasised the next phase of automotive innovation hinges on the strength of the ecosystem behind it. He noted “memory and storage serve are critical enablers” for the sophisticated digital experiences consumers expect.

Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon highlighted the collaborative effort required to deliver advanced digital cockpit and driver assistance technologies. He stated working with Micron provides a strong hardware foundation as vehicles become more intelligent and connected.

The automotive sector is a key area for increasing Qualcomm’s revenue beyond mobile chips. In its April Q2 earnings, it reported Automotive sales rose 38 per cent to $1.3 billion.

The post Micron strikes top-tier vehicle supply chain deals appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Verizon revealed a plan to sell 274 company-owned retail locations and lay off an additional 500 corporate employees as part of an ongoing restructuring effort under CEO Dan Schulman.

A representative for Verizon confirmed to Mobile World Live (MWL) the layoffs will impact roughly 3,000 retail and corporate employees.

Following the retail divestment, which is scheduled to take effect on 16 August, Reuters reported Verizon’s corporate-owned store footprint will shrink to 1,000 locations.

Verizon stated in a note to employees it is actively collaborating with the franchise owners running its 5,000 independent outlets to ensure high customer service standards are maintained across all locations, according to the news outlet.

Reuters reported during previous retail transitions, approximately 70% of affected retail staff secured employment with the incoming franchise partners

Wave7 Research analyst Jeff Moore told MWL after the retail stores are sold, 20% of them will be corporate owned while the remaining 80% will be dealer outlets.

“This takes hundreds of employees off of Verizon’s books and puts them onto the books of various Verizon dealers,” he said.

The mobile operator cut about 15,000 jobs in November 2025 as part of Schulman’s restructuring efforts, and sold 179 corporate-owned stores to franchise operators.

Following the 2025 layoff, the operator proceeded to trim several hundred additional positions in May 2026 as part of its multi-year operational overhaul.

In January, Schulman announced a plan to cut $5 billion in operating expenses in 2026, with a large portion coming from layoffs.

In June, Verizon introduced simplified service plans, dropped activation and upgrade fees and launched a new loyalty programme aimed at reducing churn.

The post Verizon cuts corporate jobs, trims retail footprint appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Consumer hardware company Aina raised millions of dollars in seed funding to finance development of an interface it argues is required to fully unlock the potential of AI on smartphones and PCs.

The company believes current device hardware lags the progress of software and AI, resulting in a disconnect between expectation and reality in terms of the interface with apps and services.

It raised $5.5 million in the recent funding round to advance development of experimental interfaces which adapt to the app being used.

Aina stated it already shipped hundreds of experimental keypads called Dune to early adopters, a product for Mac computers it describes as “context-aware” which primarily focuses on work tools.

It is using the feedback from Dune to develop a general-purpose interface for smartphones and computers.

Aina founder and CEO Apoorv Shankar (pictured) said current smartphones and PCs “are still primarily designed for browsing” and use manual inputs requiring users to “figure out what you need”.

He argued this is laborious when users are “doing hundreds of tasks” per day.

The company believes there is room within the broader AI assistant space for a contextualisation system which makes it easier for people to interact with the technology. Shankar explained the general-purpose interface on the drawing board is being designed to “capture human approval”.

Shankar was previously VP of hardware at smart ring company Ultrahuman.

The seed funding round was led by Redstart Labs (Infoedge) and 360 ONE Asset, with two other investment companies and a host of angel investors.

Along with launching its interface, Aina intends to use the backing to grow its team in the US and India.

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Smartphone brand OnePlus announced an end to new product releases in Europe and North America, a move reportedly part of a bigger brand revamp by parent company Oppo.

OnePlus revealed the move in a statement posted on its user forum, confirming media speculation earlier this week.

It told users in Europe software updates already committed to would be fulfilled and “backed by Oppo”.

The decision was attributed to a “proactive global strategy adjustment”. Its latest flagship smartphone OnePlus 15 launched in the markets late in 2025.

Bloomberg reported the move is part of a wider restructure at Oppo, noting it is pulling another of its smartphone brands, Realme, from the Chinese market.

The news outlet claimed although OnePlus would remain active in China, it is set to be wound down in other countries during 2027.

South China Morning Post linked the brand’s demise in Western markets to ongoing industry woes involving the price and availability of memory components.

Flagship killer
Its retreat marks the decline of global ambitions for a brand once seen as a plucky challenger in the Android segment with somewhat of a cult following in its early days.

OnePlus was founded in 2013 by former Oppo employees Pete Lau and Carl Pei: the former is now back at Oppo while Pei heads device venture Nothing.

The company promoted early handsets as “flagship killers” and had several well reviewed devices over the years. In 2020, its OnePlus 7T Pro won the coveted Global Mobile Award (Glomo) for best handset.

Having had close links since its foundation and shared owners in the form of BBK Electronics, OnePlus was made an official Oppo sub-brand in January.

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Viasat demonstrated what it claimed was the first satellite-enabled voice call integrated into a BMW Group vehicle, as the satellite operator targets a larger role for non-terrestrial network (NTN) connectivity in connected cars.

Showcasing the technology during the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) Meeting Week in Munich, Germany, Viasat used a BMW iX3 Neue Klasse vehicle’s infotainment system to make the call.

The demonstration relied on Viasat’s L-band satellite network and used the NB-IoT protocol, a standards-based technology designed for lower-data-rate communications, to transmit voice.

Viasat used Qualcomm’s automotive connectivity platform, the Snapdragon Auto 5G Modem-RF Gen 2, and German IT research organisation Fraunhofer IIS’ NESC AI-based speech codec to support voice and audio transmission over the satellite network. The technology was integrated into the BMW vehicle’s architecture, allowing the call to be initiated and managed directly through the car interface.

According to Viasat, the trial demonstrated the potential of satellite connectivity to connect drivers and passengers in remote regions and support future automotive applications, including emergency communications, fleet management and messaging in areas with limited cellular availability.

Sandeep Moorthy, senior VP of advanced non-terrestrial solutions at Viasat, said the feat aims “to ensure consistent, resilient satellite capabilities for next-generation vehicles”, adding that “by bringing standards-based NTN to vehicles, we can integrate satellite voice and messaging and ultimately enable a future where drivers can remain connected, wherever the journey takes them”.

Viasat added that future releases could support more advanced services, including 5G New Radio (5G-NR) satellite capabilities, which could enable video streaming and improved interoperability between terrestrial and satellite networks.

The post Viasat, BMW hail first in-vehicle satellite voice call appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The European Commission (EC) ordered Google to ensure rival AI platforms can compete better with the company’s own services on Android and laid out data sharing requirements for its search engine.

The EC stated the measures fall under its Digital Markets Act and are the result of a six-month probe against the company to ensure compliance with the legislation.

In the field of AI, the EC noted competing AI assistants currently have only restricted access to key functions on the current Android OS. This means systems including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude “are not competing on an equal footing” with Google’s own services such as Gemini which have full access.

As a result, third party AI assistants are 60% less attractive to EU users who have an Android device, the EC stated.

The EC stated the measure means users would be able to activate their preferred AI assistant through voice commands.

Third-party users would also be able to employ AI assistants to perform actions in apps on their behalf.

The EC also included safeguards to ensure privacy, device integrity and security.

In total, it will open 11 features on Android to rival AI companies.

Google is also required to share data it collects from its search services with rivals including OpenAI, allowing “for the development and optimisation of third-party search engines”.

The EC stated the move would create a more level playing field with Google Search, although it will be allowed to assess whether rivals pose cybersecurity and data protection risks before opening data to them. The EC stated the measure provides “a fair formula to calculate the price of the shared data”.

Google is required to begin implementing the search measures by January 2027 and the changes to Android from July 2027.

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AST SpaceMobile shifted the timeline for reaching its target satellite constellation, moving the milestone from the end of 2026 into early 2027.

The delay was revealed in a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulatory filing tied to a $1 billion notes offering and follows a serious setback to one of its two main launch partners

The company stated based on its current expectations around launch availability, its campaign is now targeting approximately 45 BlueBird satellites in orbit by early 2027.

In May, the satellite player targeted approximately the same number of BlueBird satellites in orbit by the end of 2026 after previously projecting 45 to 60 of its next generation birds would launch this year.

In late 2024, AST SpaceMobile signed a multi-launch agreement with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. It previously relied on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets to launch its birds into orbit before attempting to branch out to the larger New Glenn models.

AST SpaceMobile previously predicted an orbital launch cadence of roughly every one to two months in 2026 through deals with multiple launch providers, but New Glenn is no longer an option for this year.

Its multi-provider strategy has been strained since April, when AST lost its BlueBird 7 satellite after a Blue Origin New Glenn launch failed to reach a sustainable orbit.

Analysts previously told Mobile World Live the setback was significant, since New Glenn had been AST’s best launch option for its oversized satellites, and rebuilding that capacity could take a year or more.

The loss of New Glenn as a near-term option appears to have factored into the newly disclosed timeline shift. In the filing, AST SpaceMobile said the timing of future BlueBird launches remains contingent on a number of factors, including completion of satellite assembly and testing, launch vehicle readiness, logistics, and other elements largely outside its control.

The updated timeline accompanied pricing details for AST SpaceMobile’s $1 billion offering of convertible senior notes due 2034, aimed at qualified institutional buyers, with an option for initial purchasers to acquire an additional $150 million.

Offering
Net proceeds are expected to reach roughly $983.6 million, or $1.13 billion if the option is fully exercised, after fees and expenses. The company stated it intends to use the funds to pursue growth initiatives and secure additional access to orbit, “including potential partnerships or acquisitions aimed at further vertically integrating its launch capabilities”.

Tim Farrar, president of TMF Associates, said on X the filing “makes it pretty clear they now intend to buy/invest in a launch provider,” calling it a “fascinating pivot” from expectations AST would direct more capital toward spectrum. He questioned which rocket companies might be available at the right price.

 “What launch provider is for sale that’s ready and able to launch 4,500kg satellites in the near term?”

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La Comisión Europea (CE) ha ordenado a Google que garantice que las plataformas de IA de la competencia puedan competir mejor con sus propios servicios en Android, y ha establecido nuevos requisitos para el intercambio de datos en su buscador web.

Bruselas asegura que las medidas se enmarcan en su Ley de Mercados Digitales y son el resultado de una investigación de seis meses abierta contra la empresa para garantizar el cumplimiento de la legislación.

En el ámbito de la IA, la Comisión señaló que los asistentes de la competencia solo tienen actualmente un acceso restringido a funciones clave del sistema operativo Android. Esto significa que sistemas como ChatGPT, de OpenAI, y Claude, de Anthropic, “no compiten en igualdad de condiciones” con los servicios propios de Google, como Gemini, que sí cuentan con acceso completo.

Como resultado, los asistentes de IA de terceros resultan hasta un 60% menos atractivos para los usuarios europeos con un dispositivo Android, según el organismo.

La medida permitirá a los usuarios activar su asistente de IA preferido mediante comandos de voz, y también podrán recurrir a asistentes externos para realizar acciones dentro de las aplicaciones en su nombre.

Bruselas ha incluido además salvaguardas para garantizar la privacidad, la integridad de los dispositivos y la seguridad, y pondrá a disposición de las empresas de IA rivales un total de 11 funciones en Android.

Google, por su parte, está obligado a compartir con sus competidores, incluida OpenAI, los datos que recopila de sus servicios de búsqueda, lo que permitirá “el desarrollo y la optimización de buscadores web de terceros”.

Según la Comisión, esta medida creará una competencia más equitativa frente a Google Search, si bien se permitirá a la empresa evaluar si sus rivales representan riesgos para la ciberseguridad o la protección de datos antes de compartir información con ellos. Bruselas asegura que la medida establece “una fórmula justa para calcular el precio de los datos compartidos”.

Google deberá empezar a aplicar las medidas relativas a la búsqueda en enero de 2027, y los cambios en Android, a partir de julio de ese mismo año.

Con información de Kavit Majithia.

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FDM CCS Insight ha señalado un área del mercado de dispositivos que muestra signos prometedores en un contexto mayoritariamente sombrío: los smartphones no son el único formato afectado por el aumento de los costes de los componentes.

Los analistas creen que la categoría de los anillos inteligentes registrará un aumento de las ventas en 2026, lo que contrarrestaría la caída prevista del 3% en el conjunto del mercado de dispositivos portátiles.

Según FDM CCS Insight, los problemas de los dispositivos ponibles se derivarían principalmente de una caída prevista en las ventas de relojes inteligentes, que fueron el formato dominante en 2025.

La firma prevé que dichas ventas caigan un 4%, debido al “cansancio por la renovación” y a la falta general de innovación.

También ha señalado los problemas de oferta, como los costes de la memoria y los componentes, como un obstáculo más, lo que indicaría que las dificultades que arrastra desde hace tiempo el mercado de los smartphones empiezan a extenderse a otros formatos.

FDM CCS Insight reconoce que la previsión de un crecimiento del 53% en los envíos de anillos inteligentes este año parte de una base reducida en años anteriores, pero sostiene que ese repunte responde a un mayor interés por el seguimiento de la salud y el bienestar entre los compradores, junto con una mayor disponibilidad en el sector minorista.

La firma sitúa a Oura en lo más alto de la tabla de envíos durante la primera mitad del año, y señala que Ultrahuman se ha recuperado de la prohibición de envíos en EE. UU. vigente durante el último trimestre de 2025.

Se espera que la reciente flexibilización de las regulaciones por parte de la Administración de Alimentos y Medicamentos de EE. UU. impulse también los envíos futuros.

La analista sénior Ekta Mittal afirmó que la investigación de la firma mostraba que “el 75% de los propietarios de anillos inteligentes también tienen un reloj inteligente”, lo que apunta a un posible efecto dominó para este último formato.

Con información de Michael Carroll.

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La marca de smartphones OnePlus ha anunciado el fin de los lanzamientos de nuevos productos en Europa y Norteamérica, una medida que, según se informa, forma parte de una renovación de marca más amplia impulsada por su matriz, Oppo.

OnePlus ha dado a conocer la noticia en un comunicado publicado en su foro de usuarios, confirmando así las especulaciones que circulaban en los medios de comunicación desde los últimos días.

La empresa informó a los usuarios europeos de que las actualizaciones de software ya comprometidas se llevarán a cabo con el respaldo de Oppo.

La decisión se atribuyó a un “ajuste proactivo de la estrategia global”. Su último smartphone emblemático, el OnePlus 15, salió al mercado a finales de 2025.

Bloomberg indica que esta medida forma parte de una reestructuración más amplia en Oppo, que también está retirando otra de sus marcas de smartphones, Realme, del mercado chino.

Según el medio, OnePlus seguirá operando en China, aunque tiene previsto cesar sus operaciones en el resto de países durante 2027.

South China Morning Post vincula la desaparición de la marca en los mercados occidentales con los problemas que atraviesa el sector por el precio y la disponibilidad de los componentes de memoria.

Asesino de buques insignia

Su retirada marca el declive de las ambiciones globales de una marca que en sus inicios fue vista como un competidor relevante dentro del segmento Android, y que llegó a reunir un grupo de seguidores fieles.

OnePlus fue fundada en 2013 por los ex empleados de Oppo Pete Lau y Carl Pei: el primero ha regresado a Oppo, mientras que Pei dirige ahora la empresa de dispositivos Nothing.

La empresa promocionó sus primeros smartphones como “asesinos de la gama alta” y, con los años, presentó varios dispositivos que recibieron buenas críticas. En 2020, su OnePlus 7T Pro se alzó con el premio Global Mobile Award (Glomo) al mejor teléfono móvil.

Con vínculos estrechos desde su fundación y propietarios compartidos como BBK Electronics, OnePlus se convirtió oficialmente en submarca de Oppo el pasado enero.

Con información de Chris Donkin.

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Telefónica y Pontegadea, el holding inversor de Amancio Ortega, han acordado reactivar la venta de Telxius Telecom, la filial especializada en cables submarinos de fibra óptica.

La operación, que llega tras varios intentos anteriores fallidos, se enmarca en la estrategia de la operadora de telecomunicaciones para simplificar su estructura y reducir la deuda financiera.

Condiciones económicas

Según El Confidencial, la valoración de Telxius en el mercado ronda los 1.200 millones de euros, una cifra que representa un múltiplo de unas 6,8 veces el EBITDA del negocio, que genera unos 150 millones de euros anuales (aunque algunas fuentes elevan el EBITDA de 2025 hasta los 187 millones). Este precio incluye cierto descuento respecto a otros activos de infraestructuras debido a la elevada exposición de la red al mercado latinoamericano.

Los dos socios han encargado la operación de venta a las entidades financieras JP Morgan y Guggenheim. Telefónica, que controla el 70% de la sociedad, podría obtener unos 840 millones de euros con la transacción, mientras que Pontegadea, propietaria del 30% restante, completaría su salida del activo.

Cronología de Telxius

La evolución de Telxius ha estado marcada por cambios profundos en su estructura y accionariado. Telefónica creó la firma en 2016 como una empresa independiente para agrupar sus activos de infraestructuras, entre ellos 15.000 torres de telecomunicaciones y 31.000 kilómetros de cable submarino.

Un año después, en 2017, el fondo estadounidense KKR adquirió un 40% de la firma por unos 1.275 millones de euros. En 2018 Pontegadea entró en el accionariado con una participación inicial del 9,99%.

En 2020 se produjo un primer intento de venta del negocio de cables submarinos con una valoración objetivo de 2.000 millones de euros, que no prosperó.

Un año más tarde, en 2021, Telxius protagonizó un giro estratégico al vender su división de torres de telecomunicaciones a American Tower Corporation (ATC) por 7.700 millones de euros; ese mismo año, el fondo I Squared ofreció 1.600 millones por el negocio de los cables, si bien la operación tampoco llegó a cerrarse.

Entre 2022 y 2023, Telefónica y Pontegadea acordaron recomprar a KKR su 40% por 215,7 millones de euros, un precio muy inferior al original debido a la venta previa de las torres. Tras esta operación, la participación quedó reajustada al actual reparto de 70-30.

Ya en 2026 tuvo lugar un relevo en la cúpula directiva con el nombramiento de Javier de Paz como presidente y Antonio Ledesma como consejero delegado, coincidiendo con la decisión de poner de nuevo la empresa en el mercado.

El activo en la actualidad

En la actualidad, Telxius opera una red de más de 100.000 kilómetros de fibra óptica submarina y terrestre que conecta Europa y América. Entre sus activos figuran los sistemas Marea, Dunant, Brusa y Mistral, además de centros de datos en Bilbao y Virginia Beach.

El negocio requiere inversiones constantes y afronta la competencia creciente de las grandes plataformas digitales, que están desplegando cables propios.

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UK regulator Ofcom launched an investigation into TikTok to assess whether the platform is meeting its obligations under the country’s Online Safety Act to protect children from harmful digital content.

The probe will assess whether the ByteDance-owned platform has implemented effective age assurance systems to determine if a user is underage and prevent children from encountering harmful material online.

Ofcom’s Age Assurance report, published today, suggested that some age inference models including those used by TikTok “may have failed to correctly identify a significant proportion of children”, potentially exposing them to harmful content.

If compliance failures are identified, the watchdog could impose fines of up to £18 million or 10% of the company’s global revenue, whichever is greater. In serious cases, it can also order third parties, including payment providers, advertising services or internet service providers, to withdraw services or block access to the platform in the UK.

A TikTok spokesperson told Reuters the platform “strictly enforces age-appropriate experiences through expert-informed platform rules and advanced age inference technologies, in line with major industry peers”, adding, “we are confident that we meet our Online Safety Act obligations and will work with Ofcom to demonstrate this”.

The probe follows initial findings published by Ofcom in May, which revealed TikTok was the service most frequently cited by children as a source of harmful content. More than half of underage users who recalled seeing harmful content identified TikTok as the source, ahead of YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook.

At the time, the regulator found personalised, algorithm-driven content feeds were a key route through which children encountered harmful material online. It added TikTok was “particularly concerning” as it was one of the platforms that had “not committed to any significant changes in response to our specific demands”.

Last month, the UK government laid out plans to impose a sweeping ban on social media access for under-16 users, alongside restrictions on gaming and live-streaming platforms.

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France’s competition authority assumed control of investigating a proposed purchase and subsequent carve-up of SFR by Iliad Group, Bouygues Telecom and Orange, after the European Commission (EC) referred the element falling under its remit.

In a statement, Autorite de la Concurrence estimated its probe into the three related transactions would take at least 18-months due to the complexity of the cases and markets involved.

When the parties announced the agreement in June, they estimated completion in H2 2027.

Because Orange and Bouygues Telecom generate more than two-thirds of their European Union-wide turnover in France, their agreements automatically fell under the remit of the national authority, but the EC could have looked directly into Iliad’s involvement because it did not meet the same criteria.

However, following an application from the company, the European regulator referred that part to France as well.

Autorite de la Concurrence noted the EC had considered it is “best placed to examine the transaction, in particular in view of its impact on the French market, the experience of the Autorite in the sector concerned and the fact the transaction is linked to two transactions with a national dimension”.

It plans to co-operate with the EC during the review.

The French regulator is already in discussions with Orange and Bouygues Telecom ahead of the pair making formal submissions and is now set to undertake a process with Iliad.

Its probe is set to include stakeholder consultation including consumer protection organisations and other regulators.

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FDM CCS Insight pointed to one area of the devices market which is showing signs of promise against a mostly gloomy backdrop, as it noted smartphones are not the only form-factor affected by rising component costs.

Analysts believe the smart ring sector is nailed on to book a rise in shipments in 2026, bucking an anticipated 3% drop in the overall wearables market.

FDM CCS Insight stated wearables’ woes would mostly stem from an anticipated drop in smartwatch shipments, the dominant form-factor in 2025.

The company predicts smartwatch shipments to fall 4% due to “replacement fatigue” and a general lack of innovation.

It also highlighted “supply side” issues involving memory and component costs as hindrances, indicating problems which have affected the smartphone market for some time are beginning to spread.

FDM CCS Insight acknowledged a forecast smart ring shipments would grow 53% this year comes “from a small base” in previous years, but argued the rise points to a greater “interest in health and wellness tracking” among buyers, along with broader retail availability.

It ranked Oura at the top of the shipments table for the first half of the year and noted Ultrahuman recovered from a ban on shipments in the US during the final quarter of 2025.

A recent “easing of regulations” by the US Food and Drug Administration is also tipped to fuel future shipments.

Senior analyst Ekta Mittal said the company’s research showed “75% of smart ring owners also own a smartwatch”, suggesting there could be a knock-on effect for the latter form-factor.

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