#iphone-monopoly

#iphone-monopoly

Apple removed Bitchat from the China App Store on February 28, 2026, citing local legal violations. The Cyberspace Administration of China claims Bitchat violates Article 3 of its security assessment provisions.

The creators claimed that Apple's video scraping was used to train its generative AI products, adding that the tech giant's 'massive financial success would not have been possible without the video content created' by the YouTubers.

Google's official X account for Japan has released a teaser image, suggesting a new device that is likely a unique colorway of the Pixel 10a.

The cost of running Fortnite has gone up a lot and we're raising prices to help pay the bills. For years, Epic has waged antitrust battles against Google and Apple, accusing them of anti-competitive behaviour by taxing developers with a commission on in-app purchases, sometimes up to 30 per cent.

Apple and Google, the two companies that collectively control how more than six billion people access the internet from their pockets, are now facing coordinated antitrust enforcement actions across North America, Europe, Asia, and beyond. The simultaneous pressure marks a structural shift in how governments worldwide approach platform power.

It takes a week to switch phones. First, there's the technical process of moving eSIMs across devices, which takes either a few minutes or two days, a half-dozen calls to Verizon, and approximately 11,000 restarts of your phone.

Smartphone sales in China took a slight hit in the first two months of 2026 as shipments fell by 4% compared to the same period last year, indicating a decline in demand despite government incentives.

Apple faces fierce competition in every market where we operate, and we work tirelessly to create the best products, services and user experience. The commitments announced today allow Apple to continue advancing important privacy and security innovations for users and great opportunities for developers. We appreciate the positive and ongoing dialogue with UK officials.

As expected, Apple became the biggest smartphone maker globally with a 20% share - in other words, 1 in every 5 smartphones shipped in 2025 had the Apple logo on its back. Indeed, Apple shipments grew the most (among the Top 5) during the year, going up 10% year-on-year.

We are committed to terms that remain fair and transparent to all developers, and to always offering competitive App Store rates to developers distributing apps in China that are no higher than overall rates in other markets.

The iPhone 17e: Replacing the iPhone 16e, the $599 smartphone will carry an A19 chip along with Apple's own networking and 5G chips. It will boast the same 6.1-in. display and 48 megapixel camera as the current model and will have MagSafe support. Given the positive reception to the base iPhone 17, the budget-friendly model should be popular as it delivers a lot of phone for the price. It's expected to appear later this month.