Smartphone

Apple’s first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, sold out within hours of opening preorders on October 16, with delivery times for many configurations slipping into late January and some orders pushed into early 2027. The episode reflects strong demand in the premium foldable smartphone market and the sustained pull of the Apple brand, while signaling that foldables are moving from early-adopter niche toward mainstream consumer stage.

CNBC reports Qualcomm has launched an Android chip optimized for AI inference as on-device large models accelerate, while a persistent memory shortage is reshaping product planning and pricing across the smartphone industry.

Core Summary Apple officially launched the iPhone 18 series in multiple major markets worldwide on September 18, with long lines once again appearing at Apple retail stores in core cities including mainland China, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, New York, and London. Hardware and software upgrades including the new processor, camera system, and battery life are the central focus of consumer attention. Event Details According to Fox Business, the global rollout of the iPhone 18 series covers Apple’s main retail channels across the world. Flagship Apple stores in multiple cities saw significant queues on launch day, with some locations seeing notable crowds several hours before the doors opened. Apple’s official online stores in several markets also experienced surging traffic. ...

MacRumors reported on September 12 that Apple recently confirmed that the iPhone 18 Pro Max sold in the US market has one hardware-level difference from the overseas version. The difference involves a specific connectivity module and antenna configuration, and Apple said the adjustment matches the network environment and frequency allocation strategy of US domestic carriers and does not affect the core performance and user experience of the device.

Apple’s upcoming annual product launch event will be hosted by newly installed chief executive John Ternus, with the headline product being Apple’s first foldable iPhone, priced around USD 2,000 and aimed at the premium segment. The event marks Ternus’s first major product unveiling since becoming CEO and Apple’s first move into foldable smartphones since the original iPhone debut in 2007. The launch is widely viewed as a full reshaping of the global premium smartphone market and a strategic push to defend Apple’s leadership at the very top of the market.

Prominent analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reports OpenAI is collaborating with MediaTek, Qualcomm, and Luxshare to develop a smartphone slated for 2028 mass production, with AI agents replacing traditional app ecosystems.

Reports from TechCrunch and others suggest OpenAI is collaborating with Qualcomm and MediaTek to develop an AI agent-powered smartphone, targeting an app-free experience by 2028.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reports that OpenAI is collaborating with MediaTek, Qualcomm, and Luxshare on a smartphone that may replace traditional apps with AI agents.

OpenAI is developing a custom smartphone processor with Qualcomm and MediaTek, targeting 300-400 million annual shipments to directly challenge Apple’s dominance in smartphone chips.