Tech Giants Make Headlines: Apple, Amazon, Meta and AI Dominate the Week
This week brought a flurry of news from major tech players, including Apple, Amazon, Meta, and Alibaba. From tariffs and satellites to AI advancements and legal battles, the tech landscape continues to evolve at a rapid pace.
Apple Absorbs $900M in Tariffs, Holds Prices Steady (For Now)
Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed the company paid $900 million in tariffs last quarter. Despite this significant cost, Apple has not yet announced any price increases for its products.
Defense tech startup Mach Industries, founded by 21-year-old Ethan Thornton, is reportedly closing a $100 million funding round. This brings their total funding to approximately $185 million.
Amazon Launches Internet Satellites, Expands Alexa+
Amazon launched its first 27 internet satellites this week, marking a significant step in its Project Kuiper initiative to create a space-based internet network. The company faces a mid-2026 FCC deadline to deploy the first half of the network. CEO Andy Jassy also announced that Amazon's new Alexa+ now has 100,000 users.
Meta Unveils Standalone AI App, Integrates AI into Ray-Ban Meta Glasses
Meta launched a standalone AI app, providing users with access to Meta AI similar to ChatGPT and other AI assistant apps. The company also announced that AI features are now enabled by default on Ray-Ban Meta glasses, analyzing photos and videos taken with the glasses.
Alibaba Challenges OpenAI and Google with New AI Models
Alibaba unveiled Qwen3, a family of "hybrid" AI models that it claims outperform OpenAI and Google. These models are not yet available for download.
Legal Battles and AI Updates
A judge in India blocked encrypted email provider Proton Mail across the country following a legal complaint. Meanwhile, Epic Games won a legal battle against Apple, with the judge ruling that Apple was in "willful violation" of a 2021 injunction. This ruling could lead to Fortnite's return to iPhones.
OpenAI rolled back an update to its GPT-4o model powering ChatGPT after complaints about overly agreeable behavior. The company pledged to implement changes to prevent similar issues in the future.
Stay tuned to TechCrunch for the latest updates on these and other important tech developments.
