Reuters

Apple to slash royalty payments to GPU designer Imagination by two-thirds

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 19, 2017

As Apple is winding down its supply deal with UK-based GPU designer Imagination Technologies over the next two years, a new report alleges that the Cupertino firm is about to slash payments to Imagination to just one-third of its current royalty rate.

Reuters cited UBS analysts as predicting that Imagination could very easily become a loss-making company by fiscal 2019 without any Apple royalty contributions. The British GPU designer may even have to axe jobs and consider other potential cost-cutting moves in order to weather the storm ahead.

Reuters: Apple has at least five different groups working on wireless charging

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 23, 2017

Citing a person with knowledge of the matter, Reuters reported Thursday that there are at least five different groups within Apple working on wireless charging technologies ahead of iPhone 8. As we reported recently, the iPhone maker has joined the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC).

Reuters: Apple to start building iPhone SE in India in coming months

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 17, 2017

Apple is set to start assembling its lower-priced iPhone SE in India in the coming months, an industry source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Friday.

All iPhone SE units will be made in a facility that Apple's contract manufacturer will set up at Peenya on the outskirts of Bengaluru. All devices will be targeted at the domestic market.

Fire breaks out at Samsung’s battery plant, caused by faulty batteries

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 8, 2017

You can't make this stuff up: Reuters is reporting that a minor fire broke out at a Samsung SDI factory in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin on Wednesday. What makes this story newsworthy is the fact that the fire was reportedly caused by waste products, including faulty batteries, inside the facility.

Sharp’s $7 billion US display plant may break ground before summer

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 8, 2017

Japanese giant Sharp is “taking the lead” on a rumored $7 billion display manufacturing plant in the United States which its parent company Foxconn recently highlighted in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Make in America” call. Citing a person with knowledge of the plan, Reuters is reporting that the forthcoming facility may break ground sometime in the first half of 2017.

Apple’s Vice President of corporate and government sales has stepped down

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 7, 2017

John Solomon, Apple's Vice President for Enterprise and Government, has stepped down. He led sales teams charged with pushing Apple hardware and software to big companies and government agencies with large technology budgets.

Apple confirmed his departure to Reuters, but refused to comment further. Solomon wouldn't reveal why he left Apple either. It's unclear if losing a key executive for business sales might slow Apple's efforts to push its solutions to large businesses in recent years.

HomeKit has about 100 certified devices more than two years since inception

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 27, 2017

HomeKit, Apple's software framework for communicating with and controlling connected accessories in a user's home, currently works with about a hundred certified devices, Reuters said Friday.

By contrast, there are currently about 250 devices that are certified to work with Alexa, thanks to Amazon's open-systems approach and even financial incentives for some partners.

But HomeKit, which debuted alongside iOS 8 in September 2014, now has an agile competitor in Amazon's Alexa voice-controlled digital assistant which can also control smart accessories in the home with a few spoken words. The Reuters report outlines some of the requirements Apple imposes on device makers who wish to become HomeKit-certified.

Samsung delays Galaxy S8 following Note 7 fires

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 23, 2017

During its press conference Monday morning, Samsung shared the findings of Note 7 investigations conducted by itself and three independent industry firms. In the aftermath of Note 7 fires, Samsung's won't be unveiling its next-generation iPhone rival at the Mobile World Congress in February as previously thought, Samsung told Reuters.

Apple poached race car engineer from Porsche

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 19, 2016

Earlier this year, Apple poached Alexander Hitzinger, the former technical director of Porsche's race car program who helped the car maker return to the Le Mans endurance race, a company source told Reuters last Friday. The move was first reported by Germany's Manager Magazin.

Volkswagen-owned Porsche officially confirmed Hitzinger had left the luxury carmaker in the spring, but didn't share any further information.

iPhone manufacturer Foxconn rumored to spend $7 billion on U.S. expansion

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 7, 2016

Taiwan-based iPhone manufacturer Foxconn is said to be considering pouring as much as $7 billion into a massive expansion of its operations in the United States, looking to create 50,000 jobs within the country in the next four years, Reuters reported Wednesday.

Foxconn is reportedly looking to build a collection of U.S.-based assembly plants.

The company has confirmed being in preliminary discussions regarding expansion of its U.S. operations. CNBC earlier posted a slide which pegs the investment at $7 billion.

McLaren confirms it was in talks with Apple that never “matured to a definitive proposition”

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 2, 2017

Back in September, The Financial Times, The New York Times and Bloomberg ran reports that Apple was considering either a full takeover bid or at least a large investment in the British supercar maker McLaren Automotive. A potential acquisition was valued at between $1.3 billion and $1.9 billion though McLaren later said it was “not in discussion with Apple in respect of any potential investment.”

Saturday, McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt confirmed in an interview with Reuters that his company did hold talks with Apple after all, but said the discussions never progressed towards a definitive proposition.

The government of Ireland will back Apple in its fight against EU’s tax bill from hell

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 2, 2016

Following news earlier this week that the European Commission had ruled that Apple must pay €13 billion ($14.5 billion) in back taxes to the government of Ireland because its sweetheart deal with Dublin that lets it be subjected to a lower tax rate constitutes “illegal state aid,” the Irish government said today it would join Apple in its fight against the ruling.

“Paradoxically, Ireland is determined not to accept the tax windfall, which would be equivalent to what it spent last year on funding its struggling health service,” says the report.