Technology is changing with each passing day, and global innovation is constantly breaking boundaries. We have summarized the latest developments in the technology field last night and this morning for you, so that you can quickly understand cutting-edge technologies, breakthrough research and industry trends.
- Global smartphone sales rebounded, but Apple AI failed to trigger a wave of replacement
The global smartphone market resumed growth in 2024 after two years of decline, with a growth rate of 4%. However, although Apple is highly anticipated for its AI function, iPhone sales still fell 2% year-on-year, and its market share fell to 18%. In contrast, Chinese brands such as Xiaomi have grown rapidly. Consumers turned to Apple’s ultra-high-end products, which only partially offset the decline in sales. This shows that in the current market, it is difficult to drive the replacement wave of Apple phones with AI functions alone, and the competitive landscape of various brands is changing significantly.
- Bitcoin fell to the lowest level since November, and risky assets encountered a wave of selling
Bitcoin prices fell 3.6% to $90,957 on Monday, the lowest since November 26, as investors sold high-risk assets after a sharp rise in bond yields. At the same time, other cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum have also suffered setbacks. Stronger-than-expected U.S. employment data has caused traders to lower their expectations for the Fed’s rate cuts, exacerbating market turmoil. The cryptocurrency market has had a difficult start to the new year, and the subsequent trend remains unclear.
- Nvidia’s official statement opposes the Biden administration’s new restrictions on AI chip exports
On January 13, Nvidia’s vice president of government affairs issued a statement opposing the Biden administration’s new regulations. The regulations restrict the export of AI chips and technologies. Nvidia believes that its excessive regulation will undermine global innovation and economic growth. Previously, the U.S. government created a good competitive environment to promote the development of AI. Now the new regulations will impose bureaucratic control on global design and marketing of chips, affecting the development of the industry, causing the stock prices of companies such as Nvidia and AMD to fall before the market.
- OpenAI’s top rival Anthropic is valued at $60 billion and 7 billionaires are born
According to reports, AI startup Anthropic is in final negotiations and plans to raise up to $2 billion at a valuation of $60 billion. Anthropic is a strong rival of OpenAI. It was founded by several former research executives of OpenAI and launched the Claude chatbot that competes with ChatGPT. People familiar with the matter said that this round of financing of Anthropic will be led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. Based on a valuation of $60 billion, it means that Anthropic will create seven new billionaires in its founding team. Based on 2%, after the current round of financing that is about to be completed, the shares of each founder of Anthropic will be worth about $1.2 billion.
- Bezos refutes Musk: Go to Mars, but don’t skip the moon
Musk advocates going directly to Mars and abandoning the moon landing, which has caused heated discussions. Bezos countered that both should be taken into account and the moon landing plan should be continued. Blue Origin, its subsidiary, has signed a $3.4 billion agreement to send humans to the moon, but the first flight of the “New Glenn” rocket was delayed due to system problems. SpaceX’s “Starship” test flight was also delayed due to weather. As the size of the space exploration market grows, the competition between the two will continue to affect the development pattern of the industry.
- Tesla’s global sales last year were lower than expected, but it surpassed Audi for the first time in history
In 2024, although Tesla’s car sales were lower than expected and its annual deliveries fell for the first time in more than a decade, it still surpassed Audi for the first time with 1.79 million deliveries. Audi’s sales were 1.67 million and its pure electric vehicle deliveries fell by 8%. Tesla’s struggle to retain its sales crown in the global electric vehicle market reflects the fierce competition in the electric vehicle market, and the competitive situation between traditional luxury brands and emerging electric vehicle brands is changing.
- The world’s top two richest people are fighting in space! Bezos’s reusable heavy rocket has postponed its first flight again
The first flight of Blue Origin’s “New Glenn” heavy rocket has been postponed again, and it was originally planned to challenge SpaceX’s dominance. The rocket can send satellites into orbit and has twice the thrust of the “Falcon 9”, but it is not completely reusable. In 2024, the United States launched 154 rockets, of which SpaceX accounted for 134. If this test flight is successful, it will impact the aerospace industry and change the direction of the rocket market, because it reflects the trend of satellite launch demand shifting to heavy rockets.
