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Google Pixel 10 Launches with Gemini AI, Pro Zoom
Google has unveiled its Pixel 10 smartphone lineup, putting advanced Gemini AI at the heart of the devices. The new Tensor G5 chip, made by TSMC, powers features like Magic Cue, which delivers context-aware information across apps, and Camera Coach, guiding users on photo framing and lighting. The Pro models debut Pro Res Zoom, using generative AI to sharpen distant images up to 100x.
Prices start at $799, with Pro versions bundled with a year of Google’s $19-a-month AI Pro subscription. Alongside, Google launched the Pixel Watch 4, with AI health coaching and emergency satellite SOS.
Analysts say this is Google’s biggest hardware refresh yet, positioning Pixel as the leader in on-device AI and pushing the mobile ecosystem toward more agentic, app-integrated experiences.
UK Drops iCloud Backdoor Demand on Apple
Apple will no longer be forced to provide UK authorities with a backdoor to American users’ iCloud data. The UK had initially ordered Apple in January to disable its advanced encryption for cloud-stored data to access global user information, potentially including communications and backups.
The Director of U.S. National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the mandate was dropped “to ensure Americans’ private data remains private,” though it’s unclear if the change applies to users from other countries. US President Donald Trump was reportedly involved in discussions.
Apple has long emphasized privacy as a core feature of its devices, and the UK’s Investigatory Powers Act had made it illegal for companies to disclose such government orders. Apple previously disabled Advanced Data Protection (ADP) for iCloud in the UK in February; whether it will be restored is still unknown.
Meta Faces Claims Over Ads, iPhone Privacy
Meta has been accused of inflating ad performance by nearly 20% and secretly bypassing Apple’s iPhone privacy rules, according to evidence at a London tribunal — the Financial Times reported. A former product manager says Meta misled advertisers about its “Shops Ads” results, while also tracking user activity across websites without consent, despite Apple’s 2021 crackdown through App Tracking Transparency. The claims suggest Meta leaned on these ads to recover billions lost when iPhone users blocked tracking — highlighting how Apple’s privacy move reshaped mobile advertising economics. A full hearing is set for next year, keeping pressure on Meta’s credibility.
Fintechs Launch Mobile Services, Lex Says Margins Tight
In the UK, digital bank Monzo and even football club Millwall are joining a wave of companies launching their own mobile phone services. They’ll operate as virtual network providers, buying capacity from big carriers like EE and reselling it to customers. The push has accelerated because traditional operators, under financial pressure, are offering cheaper wholesale deals, while e-sims make switching easier — according to the Financial Times Lex Column. Analysts say cost-of-living pressures are also driving demand, with 1.5 million Britons signing up to low-cost mobile providers last year. For fintechs like Monzo, Revolut and Klarna, the move could bring steady extra revenue by tapping their existing customer bases. But insiders warn margins are thinner than forecasts suggest, Lex says. And poor network performance could risk damaging the brands these companies have spent years building.
White House Goes TikTok as Deadline Looms
The White House has officially joined TikTok, even as a federal law still requires the app’s sale or ban over national security concerns.
President Donald Trump, who once vowed to ban TikTok back in 2020, has since softened his stance – crediting the platform with helping him win young voters in last year’s election. His personal account has over 15 million followers, compared to just a few thousand for the new White House handle.
TikTok counts 170 million US users, and parent company ByteDance is still negotiating with Washington as a September deadline looms to find a non-Chinese buyer. Analysts say the White House’s move signals the app’s growing role as a must-have channel in US politics and mobile engagement, despite its unresolved future.