Global smartphone revenue rose 7% year-on-year in Q2 to an historic $109 billion, the highest second-quarter total on record even as shipments declined, Counterpoint Research revealed.

The disconnect between rising revenue and falling volumes was driven by average selling prices (ASPs), which rose 17% to a record high of $400, fuelled by sustained demand for premium devices and memory-driven price hikes across Android portfolios.

Apple was the standout performer, with revenue up 22% to the brand’s highest-ever Q2 total.

The growth was supported by a 13% rise in shipments alongside an 8% increase in ASP, pushing Apple’s revenue share to a record 49%.

Counterpoint Research director Tarun Pathak said Apple’s performance was underpinned by sustained demand for the iPhone 17 line-up, particularly the base 17 and 17 Pro Max, which kept the sales mix skewed toward premium smartphones.

Unlike rivals which pushed through steep price increases, Apple largely held pricing steady, a move Pathak said reflects the company’s ability to absorb rising bill-of-materials costs and stay comparatively insulated from the industry’s memory chip crunch.

He cautioned Apple would likely raise prices in coming quarters, but believes the pricing discipline so far has strengthened its competitive position, enabling growth in both value and volume.

China, Europe and emerging markets were strongholds, as Apple’s stable pricing improved its relative value proposition against widespread Android price hikes.

Samsung ranked second with a 16% revenue share, with both revenue and shipments up 9% helped by steady Galaxy A-series demand and continued momentum from the Galaxy S26 series, along with strong growth in North America and the Middle East and Africa.

Xiaomi posted the steepest shipment decline among the top five brands, down 26%, dragging revenue down 17% despite a 13% rise in ASP as the company pushed toward higher-value devices.

Oppo and vivo also saw revenue fall, down 10% and 11%, respectively.

Senior analyst Shilpi Jain said the market has entered a phase where value, not shipment volume, is the primary growth driver, with OEMs increasingly passing higher component costs on to consumers.

With memory shortages showing no near-term signs of easing, the research company expects further price increases and steeper shipment declines across the industry in the second half of 2026.

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Airbus Defence and Space won prime contractor status for the development of the next SpainSat NG bird, a secure communications satellite for mission-critical government and defence uses.

Thales Alenia Space separately detailed its selection as a co-contractor for the SpainSat NG-III project, explaining 10 Spanish companies are also on board to provide various technologies.

The contracts were awarded by Spanish satellite operator Hisdesat and the latest bird rounds out the SpainSat NG geosynchronous Earth orbit constellation, which already provides coverage of two-thirds of the planet.

Each company explained current SpainSat NG satellites play a key role in European security and defence, with the European Union, NATO and numerous allied governments employing them.

Airbus Defence and Space’s prime position means it is responsible for design, integration and testing of the satellite. It suggested the work would be an evolution of previous SpainSat NG birds, a fact Thales Alenia Space elaborated on by explaining the latest item would add “several improvements” to the existing model.

The project is to be handled at Airbus Defence and Space facilities in Spain. It explained the satellite would use X-band receivers and transmitters which “provide the capability of 16 traditional antennas” and can rejig coverage “up to 1,000-times per second while detecting and mitigating electronic interference”.

Thales Alenia Space is to provide UHF and military Ka-band payloads.

Airbus Defence and Space stated the SpainSat NG-III would be resilient to “high-altitude nuclear events and electromagnetic pulses”.

Development is expected to take 48-months and the satellite is scheduled to launch in Q3 2030 before coming online early in 2031.

Thales Alenia Space asserted the development keeps Hisdesat at the forefront of domestic and allied defence capabilities, along with delivering a boost for the Spanish space industry.

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French state investment bank Bpifrance sold a 2.5% stake in Orange for approximately €1.1 billion, but maintained its position as the operator’s largest shareholder.

In a statement, the investment bank disclosed it successfully placed 66.5 million shares at a price of €16.57 each, a move made in conjunction with the state.

Following the transaction, it separately holds approximately 7.1% of share capital and 5.9% voting rights.

Acting jointly as the group’s shareholder with the French state, the duo hold a stake of approximately 20.4% and 27% of voting rights. Board representation remains unchanged.

Reuters first reported the French stake was planning to sell a small stake in Orange yesterday (30 July).

“Bpifrance reiterates its support and confidence in the Orange management team and in the strategy pursued within the framework of its Trust the Future plan,” the investment bank added.

Orange CEO Christel Heydemann laid out the five-year strategy in February, focusing priorities on customer growth, AI investment and monetising infrastructure assets.

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Infrastructure company Azio AI Holdings signed a master services agreement (MSA) with AT&T worth roughly $2.4 million to provide enterprise fibre connectivity for its first AI data centre campus.

The deal covers a 500-megawatt site and establishes a standardised connectivity framework across the campus, delivering the high-capacity, low-latency network infrastructure needed to support AI training, inference, GPU cloud computing, enterprise colocation, and other high-performance computing workloads.

Azio said the connectivity buildout is intended to streamline network deployment as it brings on additional customers under its hyperscale AI strategy. The company pointed to a recent power purchase and hosting agreement with a GPU customer, which it said will require a rapid, modular buildout at the Texas site.

“This agreement establishes the networking framework supporting our initial 500-megawatt Texas AI platform while creating a scalable operating model that can support future expansion as additional projects move forward under our hyperscale AI strategy,” Azio COO Elgin Tracy stated.

The company’s broader strategy centres on scalable, liquefied natural gas-backed energy capacity intended to meet rising demand for GPU cloud and AI workloads.

It stated the Texas site was picked in part due to the location being able accommodate large-scale industrial infrastructure without the land-use and community constraints which can complicate data centre projects in urban areas.

The agreement adds AT&T to the growing list of telecoms operators positioning themselves as connectivity partners for the AI infrastructure buildout, as data centre operators race to secure the fibre capacity needed to link GPU clusters to enterprise and hyperscale customers.

Azio did not disclose a timeline for construction completion or when the Texas campus is expected to become operational.

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Japan continued to be lucrative territory for Ericsson, with NTT Docomo picking the vendor to provide RAN baseband platform spanning all generations of its mobile infrastructure.

Ericsson stated what it calls RAN Compute equipment works across 4G, and normal and advanced iterations of 5G. It explained the platform can be foundational in creation of AI-native networks.

The vendor noted the platform expands capacity by up to two times over its previous-generation of equipment. Energy use is “less than half”, elements Ericsson pitched as helping to reduce costs in centralised RAN set-ups.

Ericsson noted the work with Docomo adds to the rollout of Massive MIMO equipment with the operator in December 2025.

Over the course of 2026, it has added contracts with SoftBank Corp and KDDI, among other moves in Japan.

Docomo GM of RAN design department Masafumi Masuda said Ericsson is enhancing the “processing capacity” of the operator’s network, an upgrade needed to “improve communication quality while meeting” rising “traffic demand”.

Yukiko Sato, board director and head of the NTT Group customer unit at Ericsson Japan, said the RAN baseband platform would also “enhance environmental sustainability and reduce operating costs”.

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Anthropic disclosed it is investigating three instances of its Claude AI models conducting hacks into companies during a testing process, a week after OpenAI revealed a similar incident.

The company explained its Claude models “reached the internet” from within or while interacting with a third-party evaluation environment and then gained access to the real systems of three different organisations.

Anthropic blamed a “misunderstanding” between it and a partner, which resulted in the model being able to access the internet during a cybersecurity testing process.

This then led the model’s search to real systems on the open internet, treating them as part of the exercise.

“Operating under the false belief that all accessible entities were intended to be in-scope for the exercise, Claude compromised the impacted organisations’ infrastructure using basic techniques, such as exploiting weak passwords and unauthenticated endpoints,” Anthropic stated.

Anthropic added it did not find or “exploit any complex weaknesses”.

It did not reveal which companies had been attacked.

Review
The company stated the OpenAI incident, in which two models attacked Hugging Face, prompted it to conduct a large-scale retrospective review of its own cybersecurity evaluations.

In particular, it looked for evidence Claude, like the OpenAI models, was able to access “the internet from the testing environments that should have been sealed off”.

It found the breaches after reviewing 141,006 evaluation runs where Claude could have obtained internet access.

The incidents occurred on Claude models Opus 4.7, Mythos 5 and an internal research test model.

“Ultimately, many factors contributed to these incidents, but consistent with a blameless post mortem culture, we’re approaching the fixes as if the responsibility were ours alone,” the company added.

Nvidia this week led the way in the formation of an AI safety coalition in response to the OpenAI incident.

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Tim Cook’s last earnings call as the CEO of Apple covered record revenue across iPhone, Mac and services despite ongoing supply constraints for memory chips.

Revenue in its fiscal Q3 2026 (the period from 29 March to 27 June) was $109.4 billion, up 16.4% year-on-year.

Cook (pictured) took the helm from Apple co-founder and chief Steve Jobs in 2011, when the company posted annual revenue of $108 billion.

“It’s a special privilege to be part of people’s lives in lasting and meaningful ways, helping them to create, connect and experience the world around them,” Cook said on the earnings call.

“The transition is going seamlessly, and I am beyond excited for John [Ternus] to step into his new role and lead Apple into its next era.”

Tariffs
Apple’s booked a $0.11 per-share boost from tariff refunds, which added roughly two percentage points to gross margin after the US Supreme Court struck down a tranche of the Trump administration’s fees earlier this year.

“Last year, we made a $600 billion commitment to the US over four years and now, as we said before, we plan to reinvest the tariff refunds we’ve received into the US,” Cook said.

“We’re pleased with the progress we’ve already made advancing the American supply chain.”

Cook highlighted Apple sourcing more than 100 million components from a TSMC production facility in the US state of Arizona as an example.

“We could not be more pleased with how that fab has ramped and is producing for us.”

Siri AI
He noted positive developer reviews of Siri AI, which was introduced at WWDC in June.

“I think it’s a very big idea to have AI that’s private, that’s based on your personal context and that’s integrated across the operating system.”

Siri AI is scheduled to be released in September alongside iOS 27 and the iPhone 18 line-up.

Cook noted Apple is working closely with the European Commission to make the assistant available on devices in the European Union and said the company recently received approval to ship some of the original features of Apple Intelligence for use in China.

“We’re working now through the rollout of those and there will be more work required down the road for Siri AI,” he said. “But we’re at the front end of that.”

Supply chain
Apple flagged persistent supply constraints heading into the current fiscal quarter, forecasting revenue growth of 9% to 11%.

Cook described the memory chip shortage driving the pressure as a “hundred-year flood,” warning Apple expects to keep paying more after three consecutive quarters of price increases, albeit with some inventory offset and reductions in other components.

Numbers
Net income rose 27.1 per cent to $29.8 billion.

iPhone revenue rose 21.7% to $54.3 billion, which Apple branded a record for the period.

Greater China revenue rose 22.4% to $18.8 billion.

Service revenue was $30.7 billion and Mac revenue rose 28.7% to $10.3 billion.

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Mobile World Live brings you our top three picks of the week as Apple unveiled its device leasing programme, Orange struck a data centre JV deal and Amazon Leo plotted expansion.

Amazon Leo readies 5K satellites for D2D plan

What happened: Amazon Leo applied to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deploy up to 5,105 direct-to-device (D2D) satellites, advancing its ambition to deliver voice, messaging, data and emergency connectivity services to standard mobile devices.

Why it matters: In its FCC filing, Jeff Bezos-backed Amazon Leo explained its D2D system would communicate directly with existing mobile hardware using dedicated L-band and S-band spectrum links, potentially setting the stage to better compete against SpaceX’s Starlink service, among others.

“The newly filed application for Amazon’s next-generation LEO D2D constellation is massive,” said independent consultant Carlos Placido. “Although the system is planned to deploy 5,105 satellites beginning in 2028, the filing defines a total of 11,045 orbital positions.”

Amazon Leo readies 5K satellites for D2D plan

Apple lifts lid on US device leasing service

What happened: Apple fleshed out Apple Upgrade, a direct-to-consumer hardware leasing programme backed by Klarna Group, offering US customers monthly payment options across its iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac, and iPad product lines.

Why it matters: Apple confirmed the programme offers dual tenure options per category. iPhone and Apple Watch plans offer 12- and 24-month lease terms starting at $17.99 and $11.99 per month, respectively. CEO and marketing director of PP Foresight Paolo Pescatore stated the arrangement responds to rising device prices and longer consumer ownership cycles by shifting focus from high upfront costs to manageable monthly payments, making premium devices feel more accessible and encouraging regular upgrades.

“However, this is more than another payment option,” he said. “It marks a significant shift from owning devices to accessing them through an ongoing leasing relationship. This gives Apple another way to stimulate demand without resorting to aggressive discounting, while keeping customers within its family of products and exerting greater control over the upgrade, trade-in and return cycle.”

On the consumer front, he explained lower monthly payments will be attractive, but the apparent flexibility carries important trade-offs. Customers do not own the product during the lease, AppleCare costs extra, damaged devices can incur charges, and upgrading or leaving early could require them to pay the remaining lease payments.

“The total cost and end-of-term choices must therefore be made crystal clear,” he said. “Otherwise, consumers could find themselves locked into a perpetual cycle of monthly payments without building any ownership or resale value.”

Apple lifts lid on US device leasing service

Orange plots data centre JV with global investor

What happened: Orange agreed a deal with global infrastructure investor Morrison to create a jointly controlled data centre company in France, a move designed to meet rising demand for AI services in the country.

Why it matters: Orange said the 50:50 JV will support the development of its existing French data centre portfolio and target 400MW of capacity, almost 10 times its current level. To boost the entity, the operator said it will contribute five major data centres across four campuses in France, along with its operational expertise and commercial reach. The duo anticipate an investment of around €3 billion, utilising Orange’s existing assets, while Morrison will make an equity contribution.

“Orange Business will leverage this platform for its customers to accelerate its trusted AI and trusted cloud business ambitions,” Orange CEO Christel Heydemann explained on an investor call. “The value creation for Orange will therefore materialise through revenue upsides and dividends inflows.”

Orange plots data centre JV with global investor

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AT&T switched on a dedicated standalone (SA) 5G core for public safety network FirstNet, which the operator described as the first and only such nationwide network built specifically for first responders.

The new core is physically separate from AT&T’s commercial network infrastructure, a design intended to give public safety agencies greater security, reliability and control over their connectivity.

AT&T stated the architecture was shaped by feedback from first responders and is intended to meet operational needs which differ meaningfully from everyday consumer use.

Scott Agnew, president of FirstNet at AT&T, said the SA core was purpose-built around the mission of public safety rather than adapted from a consumer network.

“This milestone keeps America’s public safety network strong for the future, because when our first responders succeed, our communities are safer.”

AT&T stated the dedicated core functions as the central nervous system for the FirstNet network, keeping public safety traffic separate from commercial traffic.

It runs across multiple geographically-distributed core sites to add redundancy, an approach AT&T stated improves performance and resilience.

The upgrade also brings faster upload data rates and improved responsiveness, capabilities AT&T stated are increasingly necessary as first responders adopt connected tools including body-worn cameras and mission-critical communications applications.

Security beyond the standard measures used on commercial networks is built into the core.

Access is restricted to devices using a FirstNet SIM, which it stated protects subscriber data from potential attackers, while a dedicated security operations centre monitors the network around the clock for threats.

Adaptive Mission Performance
AT&T positioned the service as groundwork for a broader initiative called Adaptive Mission Performance to tailor network performance to specific public safety applications and use cases rather than relying on a single network slice from commercial infrastructure.

The operator stated it plans to deploy the capabilities over time as more subscribers migrate to the new core.

FirstNet subscribers are already being transitioned to the new core at no additional cost.

While laying claim to a nationwide launch, AT&T did note the service requires a compatible device and plan, and it is not available everywhere.

The operator deployed its SA 5G core in 2025, five years later than T-Mobile US.

Verizon Frontline rolled out its service in select markets in 2025.

T-Mobile and Verizon are using their SA 5G cores to provide network slicing for first responders.

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Ericsson signalled its selection as the digital radio system (DRS) supplier for a multi-billion-dollar rail and public transport project in Australia, a win which puts its 5G systems on track to play a key role in a future Olympic Games.

The work involves rail engineering company UGL Transport and mission-critical communications provider Frequentis and covers the first of three stages of The Wave, a massive infrastructure upgrade to public transport services on the Sunshine Coast in preparation for the Olympic and Paralympic games scheduled to take place in Brisbane in 2032.

Stage one involves improvements to the track and infrastructure between the towns of Beerwah and Caloundra in which the national and regional governments are investing a total of AUD5 billion ($3.5 billion).

Ericsson stated the DRS would enable the updated rail network to employ the standardised European Train Control System signalling and control set-up.

Ludvig Landgren, head of Ericsson Australia and New Zealand, said the company’s 5G systems would “underpin” the region’s transport upgrade plans, delivering “safer operations” and “digital train control”.

Ericsson expects its infrastructure to enable the launch of Future Railway Mobile Communications System capabilities in the future, replacing current rail-oriented iterations of GSM connectivity.

The regional Queensland government expects work on the first stage of The Wave to commence early in 2027.

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Meta Platforms revealed a dramatic acceleration in its infrastructure commitments, disclosing in a regulatory filing it has secured $279 billion in off-balance sheet lease obligations primarily dedicated to expanding its AI capabilities.

The future costs, which exist on top of its active leases, comprise short- and long-term agreements covering data centres, co-location facilities and certain network infrastructure.

The total for uncommenced lease commitments as of the quarter ended 30 June represents a 53% surge from the $183 billion reported in the previous period.

The social media giant is showing no signs of slowing its aggressive AI buildout, adding an extra $68 billion in commitments during July alone, with those leases slated to commence in 2027 and 2028.

The disclosure comes alongside mounting investor pressure on CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Meta’s stock fell today (30 July) following a disappointing Q3 revenue forecast yesterday which heightened investor scrutiny over the company’s massive capital expenditures on AI.

During the Q2 earnings call, Zuckerberg said Meta could sell compute directly to large enterprises but stated the social media giant believes there will be a “significantly higher margin on selling [super]intelligence rather than selling compute directly”.

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Vodafone Group completed the purchase of CK Hutchison’s 49% stake in UK joint venture VodafoneThree, less than 14 months after the formation of the operator from their respective mobile operations in the country.

In a brief statement on the completion of the £4.3 billion deal, Vodafone asserted having full ownership would allow it to “move at an even faster pace and capture the significant benefits” of its £11 billion network investment plan and “targeted synergies”.

Within the latter it aims to save £700 million across annual costs and capital expenditure by its FY30 (which runs to end-March 2030).

Vodafone CEO Margherita Della Valle added she expects the upgraded infrastructure to “deliver better connectivity for our customers up and down the country, help drive the UK’s digital economy, and deliver long-term value for our shareholders.”

The deal to buyout CK Hutchison was announced in May 2026.

Announcing completion of the sale, CK Hutchison deputy chair Canning Fok said the company was “proud of the role it has played in the history of [the] UK telecommunications industry”, pointing to the pioneering launch of 3G in the market under its 3 brand in 2003 and creation of the JV with Vodafone in 2025.

“This transaction realises our investment in VodafoneThree and returns value to the Group and our shareholders, while further strengthening our balance sheet and creating additional opportunities for the future,” Fok added.

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Boldyn Networks equipped a pair of Italian hospitals with the connectivity needed to unlock a host of digital health services, overcoming 5G penetration issues by installing equipment inside the facilities.

The neutral host network player stated DAS installations leave the Policlinico Tor Vergata in Rome and San Carlo Borromeo Hospital in Milan set to handle services including telemedicine, remote consultations and patient monitoring.

Boldyn Networks’ 5G DAS deployment is also set to be used for hospital management, bringing IoT, augmented and virtual reality into the mix to improve back-office operations and clinical training.

CEO Antonino Ruggiero said the 5G installations are “another tangible example” of Boldyn Networks’ potential contribution to digital transformation in Italy. He explained the deployments “demonstrate the strategic importance” of the nation to the company’s “global growth strategy”.

Ruggiero argued healthcare is a sector ripe for some of the greatest benefits of innovative connectivity, citing potential advantages for patients and professionals alike.

Boldyn Networks emphasised the 5G DAS set-ups open doors for telecom service providers to offer innovative indoor services.

It made mention of working on projects in other Italian cities and industries, part of a mission to grow 5G connectivity in the nation.

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The European Union (EU) outlined plans to provide €10 billion in funding to build seven AI gigafactories in addition to unlocking €20 billion in private investment for the project.

In its latest push to accelerate Europe’s technological sovereignty and close the gap to the US and China, the EU stated the initiative would expand AI compute capacity and give start-ups, SMEs, industry and others access to infrastructure for training, inference and tuning of advanced frontier AI models.

It explained the gigafactories would be used to combine advanced AI processors, software and cloud technology stacks, high-speed connectivity and energy-efficient data centres.

They will add to Europe’s network of 19 AI gigafactories with the aim of ensuring the continent can develop advanced AI on its own infrastructure in line with EU rules, following standards on data protection, security and ethics.

The first step is a call for tenders, with the EU inviting consortiums or special purpose vehicles bringing companies, public entities, investors and other partners to apply.

It explained the facilities can be established in a single member state, either on one site or across several locations.

They may also include cross-border developments in several member states through distributed AI computing facilities.

Applications will undergo a competitive valuation to select successful projects. The application process closes on 12 November, with successful bidders to be announced in 2027.

Facilities will need to become operational within 18-months of contracts being signed.

Henna Virkkunen, EVP for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy at the European Commission, said “access to the raw scale of computing power within AI gigafactories is a strategic necessity for Europe as AI development accelerates”.

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Samsung Electronics ha registrado pérdidas operativas en su división de telefonía móvil durante el segundo trimestre por el aumento de los costes de los componentes, y ha anunciado planes para aplicar iniciativas de eficiencia en la unidad, al tiempo que ha marcado otro máximo en las ganancias trimestrales totales, impulsadas por las ventas de memorias.

Su división Mobile eXperience (MX) y el negocio de redes asociado han registrado una pérdida operativa de 700.000 millones de wones surcoreanos (unos 480 millones de dólares, cerca de 440 millones de euros), frente a una ganancia de 2,8 billones de wones surcoreanos en el segundo trimestre de 2025. Los ingresos han crecido un 14%, hasta los 33,2 billones de wones surcoreanos.

Samsung ha señalado que, pese a las ventas de sus dispositivos Galaxy S26 y al impulso de su serie Galaxy A de gama básica, las ganancias han disminuido por la mayor presión sobre los costes de los componentes en el conjunto de la industria.

La empresa planea seguir centrando sus esfuerzos en ofrecer experiencias de IA en sus dispositivos e impulsar el crecimiento de la cuota de mercado apoyándose en la expansión de los nuevos Galaxy Z8 y de la serie S26. También ha anunciado planes para lanzar gafas inteligentes y llevar a la práctica iniciativas de eficiencia para mitigar el impacto del aumento de los costes.

En cuanto al negocio de televisores, el informe apunta a una mejora de los ingresos, apoyada en el aumento de las ventas fuera de Corea del Sur, su mercado de origen.

Aunque la empresa ha sufrido el encarecimiento de los componentes en sus dispositivos, el negocio de chips de memoria de Samsung ha registrado lo que la firma describe como un máximo trimestral en ingresos y en beneficio operativo.

La división Device Solutions, que agrupa la unidad de memoria, ha registrado un aumento del 89% en el beneficio operativo, hasta los 89,2 billones de wones surcoreanos, con unos ingresos que han crecido un 357%, hasta los 127,5 billones de wones surcoreanos.

En el conjunto de Samsung Electronics, los ingresos han aumentado un 130%, hasta los 171,5 billones de wones surcoreanos, y el beneficio neto ha pasado de 5,1 billones a 71,6 billones de wones surcoreanos.

Con información de Chris Donkin.

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Meta Platforms ha registrado un notable crecimiento de ingresos en el segundo trimestre, impulsado por el buen momento de sus herramientas publicitarias basadas en IA, aunque el rápido gasto en infraestructura y los costes operativos han situado la rentabilidad general por debajo de las expectativas de Wall Street.

La empresa ha revelado además, en un documento regulatorio, una fuerte aceleración de sus compromisos de arrendamiento para centros de datos, hasta los 279.000 millones de dólares.

La empresa ha generado unos ingresos de 60.800 millones de dólares (unos 55.940 millones de euros), un 28% más que los 47.500 millones de dólares (unos 43.700 millones de euros) del mismo periodo del año anterior. El beneficio neto, sin embargo, ha disminuido un 14%, hasta los 15.800 millones de dólares (unos 14.540 millones de euros).

Los ingresos publicitarios han representado 59.800 millones de dólares (unos 55.020 millones de euros) de las ventas totales, un 28% más que un año antes, gracias a la buena acogida de las funciones de publicidad automatizada con IA: las impresiones de anuncios en el conjunto de sus aplicaciones han crecido un 14% y el precio medio por anuncio ha subido un 12%.

En junio, el número de personas activas a diario en el conjunto de sus aplicaciones alcanzó un promedio de 3.600 millones, un 3% más que un año antes.

Los costes y gastos totales han aumentado un 55%, hasta los 42.000 millones de dólares (unos 38.640 millones de euros), debido en buena parte a los 2.400 millones de dólares (unos 2.210 millones de euros) en gastos por procedimientos legales y a los 1.200 millones de dólares (unos 1.100 millones de euros) en indemnizaciones tras la reestructuración de mayo.

Por el fuerte aumento de las inversiones de capital y los gastos operativos, el flujo de caja libre ha caído un 91% interanual, hasta los 784 millones de dólares (unos 721 millones de euros), frente a los 8.500 millones de dólares (unos 7.820 millones de euros) del mismo periodo del año anterior. Los gastos de capital han pasado de 17.000 millones de dólares (unos 15.640 millones de euros) a 31.000 millones de dólares (unos 28.520 millones de euros), incluidos los pagos de capital de los arrendamientos financieros, a medida que Meta sigue ampliando su infraestructura informática, sus servidores y sus centros de datos para expandir sus capacidades de IA generativa.

De cara al futuro, la empresa ha emitido una previsión de ingresos para el tercer trimestre de entre 61.000 y 64.000 millones de dólares (entre 56.100 y 58.900 millones de euros, aproximadamente). Para el conjunto del año, Meta ha mantenido su previsión de gastos de capital entre 130.000 y 145.000 millones de dólares (entre 119.600 y 133.400 millones de euros) y anticipa gastos totales de entre 165.000 y 169.000 millones de dólares (entre 151.800 y 155.500 millones de euros), a la vez que ha reiterado que espera que los ingresos operativos del conjunto del año superen los del año anterior.

El CEO de Meta Platforms, Mark Zuckerberg (en la foto), ha expuesto durante la conferencia con los inversores su visión para la IA en los mercados de consumo y empresariales, y ha presentado la transición tecnológica como una oportunidad comercial pese a los elevados desembolsos en infraestructura y a los costes operativos que lastran la rentabilidad.

Zuckerberg ha detallado tres pilares de expansión que sustentan la estrategia a largo plazo de Meta: las inversiones en IA están mejorando el rendimiento de la cartera principal al optimizar la experiencia de usuario y el retorno de la inversión para los anunciantes, además de permitir que los equipos internos de producto lancen software con mayor rapidez. De cara al futuro, ha afirmado que Meta está “desarrollando nuevos agentes personales que serán la base de nuestra próxima oleada de productos y líneas de ingresos en los meses y años venideros”. Más allá de las aplicaciones de consumo, ha señalado “una oportunidad empresarial para vender a empresas, incluyendo API, agentes comerciales, la posible venta directa de capacidad de procesamiento y otros servicios que estamos desarrollando para grandes clientes”.

Al destacar el crecimiento de la participación en el conjunto de sus aplicaciones, Zuckerberg ha señalado que Threads ha superado los 500 millones de usuarios activos mensuales, con un rápido crecimiento en el segmento de aplicaciones de conversación, mientras que Facebook alcanzó hace algún tiempo más de 2.000 millones de usuarios activos diarios. “WhatsApp acaba de alcanzar un récord de mensajería, con un pico de 30 millones de mensajes enviados por segundo durante la final del Mundial”, ha dicho.

La división Reality Labs de Meta, que agrupa los proyectos de la empresa en realidad virtual y aumentada, incluidos los auriculares Quest y las gafas inteligentes, ha seguido lastrando la rentabilidad general, con una pérdida operativa de 4.600 millones de dólares (unos 4.230 millones de euros), ligeramente superior a la de un año antes. Sus ingresos apenas han alcanzado los 431 millones de dólares (unos 397 millones de euros), frente a los 370 millones de dólares (unos 340 millones de euros) del mismo periodo del año pasado.

Una expansión de infraestructura de IA por 279.000 millones de dólares

Meta ha revelado además, en un documento regulatorio, una fuerte aceleración de sus compromisos de infraestructura: ha acumulado 279.000 millones de dólares (unos 257.000 millones de euros) en obligaciones de arrendamiento fuera de balance, dedicadas sobre todo a centros de datos y otra infraestructura para ampliar sus capacidades de IA. La cifra supone un 53% más que los 183.000 millones de dólares (unos 168.360 millones de euros) del periodo anterior, y solo en julio la empresa sumó 68.000 millones de dólares (unos 62.560 millones de euros) en nuevos compromisos.

La revelación llega en un momento de creciente presión de los inversores sobre el consejero delegado, Mark Zuckerberg: las acciones de Meta han caído en los últimos días tras una previsión de ingresos del tercer trimestre inferior a lo esperado por el mercado, lo que ha intensificado el escrutinio sobre sus inversiones en inteligencia artificial. Zuckerberg dijo que Meta podría vender capacidad de procesamiento directamente a grandes empresas, aunque afirmó que la firma cree que habrá un margen mayor vendiendo [super]inteligencia que vendiendo esa capacidad de forma directa.

Con información de Michael Robuck.

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Qualcomm ha presentado unos resultados del tercer trimestre fiscal que han superado las expectativas de ingresos de Wall Street, aunque se han quedado por debajo de las previsiones de beneficio, mientras la firma de chips sigue lidiando con el impacto de la escasez de suministro de memoria que afecta al sector de los smartphones.

La empresa ha aprovechado además la ocasión para reforzar su apuesta por el automóvil, con la suscripción de un nuevo acuerdo a largo plazo con BMW Group.

La empresa ha registrado unos ingresos de 9.900 millones de dólares (unos 9.100 millones de euros) en el trimestre cerrado el 28 de junio, un 4% menos que los 10.400 millones de dólares (unos 9.570 millones de euros) del año anterior, aunque por encima de los cerca de 9.700 millones de dólares (unos 8.920 millones de euros) que esperaban los analistas. El beneficio neto del periodo ha sido de 2.000 millones de dólares (unos 1.840 millones de euros), un 25% menos que un año antes.

Las ventas de chips para smartphones han caído un 20%, hasta los 5.100 millones de dólares (unos 4.690 millones de euros), lo que, según el consejero delegado de Qualcomm, Cristiano Amon (en la foto), refleja que el mercado chino ha tocado fondo después de que los fabricantes de equipos originales (OEM) redujeran los pedidos en medio de la incertidumbre sobre el suministro de memoria.

“En realidad, no esperamos cambios fundamentales en el segmento premium ni en el volumen de los segmentos superiores”, ha dicho Amon durante la conferencia con los inversores de la empresa.

De cara al futuro, el directivo prevé que los ingresos relacionados con Apple disminuyan de forma más drástica y rápida de lo previsto, después de que la cuota de mercado de Qualcomm en los componentes de la próxima gama de iPhone se haya situado muy por debajo de la estimación anterior, que rondaba el 20%.

Amon ha señalado que la empresa está compensando las pérdidas con el crecimiento en otros ámbitos, incluido su negocio emergente de centros de datos, para el que prevé unos ingresos de 5.000 millones de dólares (unos 4.600 millones de euros) en el ejercicio fiscal de 2027.

“Esperamos que Android crezca y compense de forma significativa la reducción de Apple, y después que los ingresos de los centros de datos empiecen a crecer a partir del cuarto trimestre”, ha dicho el director financiero, Akash Palkhiwala.

Amon ha afirmado que los resultados del tercer trimestre reflejan la buena ejecución de la estrategia de crecimiento de la firma pese a un entorno complicado. El directivo ha señalado también que Qualcomm está tomando medidas para proteger sus márgenes de cara al futuro, entre ellas una subida de precios en toda su gama de chips a partir del 1 de septiembre, ante el encarecimiento de los componentes.

El sector automotriz ha seguido siendo un punto fuerte, con unos ingresos de 1.590 millones de dólares (unos 1.460 millones de euros), un 61% más y el vigésimo tercer trimestre consecutivo de crecimiento interanual de dos dígitos en este segmento. Qualcomm ha reiterado su objetivo de alcanzar los 10.000 millones de dólares (unos 9.200 millones de euros) en ingresos anuales del sector automotriz en el ejercicio fiscal de 2029.

Los ingresos del área de IoT han alcanzado los 1.830 millones de dólares (unos 1.680 millones de euros), un 9% más. Los ingresos combinados de automoción e IoT han crecido un 28%, lo que refleja el esfuerzo de la firma por diversificarse más allá de su negocio tradicional de smartphones, mientras avanza en una estrategia de centros de datos y semiconductores personalizados junto a un proveedor destacado de servicios en la nube a gran escala.

Acuerdo con BMW

Qualcomm también ha reforzado su presencia en el sector automotriz con la suscripción de un acuerdo a largo plazo con BMW Group, que la convierte en principal proveedora de chips para la cabina digital y los sistemas de conducción automatizada y asistida de próxima generación del fabricante alemán, con productos de su cartera Snapdragon Digital Chassis durante la próxima década. Según Qualcomm, el acuerdo es fruto de años de colaboración técnica entre ambas partes, que ya se tradujo en el lanzamiento comercial de un sistema de conducción automatizada en el BMW iX3 a finales de 2025.

Nakul Duggal, vicepresidente ejecutivo del grupo de Automoción, Industria e IoT Integrado y Robótica de Qualcomm, ha afirmado que la colaboración permite a ambas empresas definir el futuro de la movilidad y sienta las bases de hardware para que BMW Group ofrezca su próxima experiencia impulsada por IA.

El acuerdo se enmarca en la estrategia de Qualcomm de diversificar sus ingresos y reducir su dependencia de los teléfonos móviles: hace unas semanas, la empresa elevó su objetivo de ingresos del sector automotriz a 10.000 millones de dólares (unos 9.200 millones de euros) para el ejercicio fiscal de 2029, frente a los 8.000 millones de dólares (unos 7.360 millones de euros) previstos anteriormente. En el ejercicio fiscal 2025, el sector automotriz generó cerca de 4.000 millones de dólares (unos 3.680 millones de euros) de un total de 38.400 millones de dólares (unos 35.330 millones de euros).

Con información de Chris Donkin y Michael Robuck.

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La Unión Europea ha presentado sus planes para destinar 10.000 millones de euros en financiación a la construcción de siete gigafábricas de IA, además de movilizar 20.000 millones de euros en inversión privada para el proyecto.

En su último esfuerzo por reforzar la soberanía tecnológica europea y reducir la distancia con Estados Unidos y China, la UE ha explicado que la iniciativa ampliaría la capacidad de computación de IA y daría a las empresas emergentes, las pymes, la industria y otros actores acceso a infraestructura para el entrenamiento, la inferencia y el ajuste de modelos avanzados de IA.

Según la UE, las gigafábricas se utilizarían para combinar procesadores de IA avanzados, software y pilas tecnológicas en la nube, conectividad de alta velocidad y centros de datos eficientes desde el punto de vista energético.

Estas instalaciones se sumarán a la red europea de 19 gigafábricas de IA, con el objetivo de que el continente pueda desarrollar IA avanzada sobre su propia infraestructura, conforme a las normas de la UE y a los estándares en materia de protección de datos, seguridad y ética.

El primer paso es una convocatoria de licitación en la que la UE invita a consorcios o vehículos de propósito especial que reúnan a empresas, entidades públicas, inversores y otros socios a presentar sus propuestas. Entre los proyectos que optan a una de las gigafábricas figura la candidatura española de Móra la Nova, con instalaciones adicionales en San Fernando de Henares, impulsada por un consorcio público-privado con participación del Gobierno español, la Generalitat de Catalunya, Telefónica, ACS, Banco Santander y Multiverse Computing.

Según la UE, las instalaciones pueden establecerse en un único Estado miembro, en un solo emplazamiento o en varios lugares, y también pueden incluir desarrollos transfronterizos entre distintos Estados miembros a través de instalaciones de computación de IA distribuidas; en este sentido, España y Portugal han suscrito un acuerdo para explorar una candidatura conjunta a una gigafábrica ibérica.

Las solicitudes pasarán por un proceso de evaluación competitivo para seleccionar los proyectos ganadores. El plazo de presentación finaliza el 12 de noviembre, y los licitadores seleccionados se anunciarán en 2027. Las instalaciones deberán entrar en funcionamiento en un plazo de 18 meses a partir de la suscripción de los contratos.

Henna Virkkunen, vicepresidenta ejecutiva de Soberanía Tecnológica, Seguridad y Democracia de la Comisión Europea, ha afirmado que el acceso a la capacidad de procesamiento informático de las gigafábricas de IA es una necesidad estratégica para Europa a medida que se acelera el desarrollo de la inteligencia artificial.

Con información de Kavit Majithia.

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Samsung Electronics booked an operating loss at its mobile division in Q2 due to elevated component costs and revealed plans for efficiency initiatives at the unit, as it registered another all-time high in overall quarterly earnings driven by memory sales.

Its Mobile eXperience (MX) division and associated Networks Business recorded an operating loss of KRW700 billion ($480 million) compared with a profit of KRW2.8 trillion in Q2 2025. Revenue was up 14% to KRW33.2 trillion

Samsung noted despite “solid sales” of its flagship Galaxy S26 devices and “strong momentum” for its lower-end Galaxy A series, “earnings declined due to elevated component cost pressures across the industry”.

The company plans to continue its focus on providing AI experiences on its devices and “drive overall market share growth based on flagship-first expansion centred on the new Galaxy Z8 and S26 series”.

It also flagged plans to launch smart eyewear and “pursue efficiency initiatives to mitigate the impact of rising costs”.

For networks, it pointed to improved earnings supported by increased sales outside of its home market of South Korea.  

While the company suffered from rising component costs for its devices, Samsung’s memory chip business recorded what it described as an all-time high in quarterly revenue and operating profit.

The Device Solutions division, which houses the memory unit, booked an 89% increase in operating profit to KRW89.2 trillion on revenue up 357% to KRW127.5 trillion.

Across the whole of Samsung Electronics, revenue was up 130% to KRW171.5 trillion and net profit grew from KRW5.1 trillion to KRW71.6 trillion.

The post Samsung experiences both sides of memory boom appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Singtel confirmed it was in discussions over selling a stake in Australian subsidiary Optus following media speculation infrastructure investor Morrison is eyeing a holding in the business.

In a brief announcement, Singtel stated it is in talks with interested parties, but added there is no certainty any transaction would occur.

It pointed to a previous statement indicating a willingness to collaborate with “an Australian minority partner” while reinforcing its commitment to Optus following a series of high-profile network outages which damaged the unit’s reputation.

Singtel’s latest statement appears to be a response to an Australian Financial Review report claiming New Zealand-based investor Morrison had entered a seven-week exclusivity period to acquire a 30% stake in Optus.

The outlet reported Morrison is looking for additional investors to take part in the project, pitching a potential deal as a way to “bring Optus home”.

This week, Morrison struck a deal with Orange to set up a data centre joint venture in France at a cost of around €3 billion.

ACMA probe
Separately, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) commenced court proceedings over an Optus network outage in September 2025 which affected users’ ability to contact emergency services.

ACMA alleges Optus breached two separate legal obligations on 1,005 occasions, failing to: give end users who made emergency calls access to emergency services; and ensure those emergency calls were carried to the relevant termination point.

If found guilty, Optus could be in line to pay a maximum penalty of AUD250,000 ($174,413) per contravention.

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