Samsung today reached a valuation of $1 trillion for the first time, reports Bloomberg. Samsung's value has been climbing sharply due to increasing demand for the memory chips it manufactures, and stock increased 14.4 percent today.


Samsung is the second Asian firm after Apple supplier TSMC to reach a $1 trillion valuation. Last week, Samsung's semiconductor manufacturing business wildly exceeded analyst expectations, reporting operating income of $36 billion instead of the $24.4 billion expected.

Just yesterday, rumors suggested Apple was speaking with Intel and Samsung about taking on some processor manufacturing for Apple devices. Apple is looking to diversify its supply chain due to chip shortages. During Apple's earnings call, CEO Tim Cook said iPhone 17 shipments were constrained because Apple could not get enough of the A19 and A19 Pro chips that TSMC makes.

Samsung said it plans to "secure flagship SoC design wins" in the second half of 2026. Development of Samsung's 1.4nm node is on track, and it is "pursuing the expansion of large-scale 2nm customers." Apple is preparing to make the jump to 2nm chips soon, and the iPhone 18 models could be the first to have chips built on the new node.

Samsung also said that it expects server memory demand to remain strong in the latter part of 2026, so the company is in a good position to see further growth in the coming months.

At a $1 trillion valuation, Samsung trails Apple's more than $4 trillion valuation and TSMC's $2 trillion market cap. Samsung's mobile unit has not been faring as well as its chip business because of increasing material and component costs.
This article, "Samsung Hits $1 Trillion Valuation Amid Apple Chip Diversification Talks" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple objected to a European trademark filing from a Chinese keyboard maker because the logo the company wanted to use was too close to Apple's own logo. The EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) partially refused to grant a European Union Trade Mark after Apple opposed the filing.


The company, Yichun Qinningmeng Electronics Co., makes mechanical keyboards and keycaps, according to its website, though it also seems to sell solar panels. The logo the company uses is a citrus fruit with the bottom segments turned into keyboard keys, with a green leaf angled to the left at the top of the fruit and a missing section on the right side. Part of the company's name translates to a citrus fruit, which is likely the reason behind the design.


Apple argued that the logo resembled an apple with a detached leaf and a bite, which the EUIPO did not agree with. It found the perfectly round shape of the logo did not track with the shape of an apple, and that it looked more like an orange.

The opponent argues that the figurative element of the contested sign also consists of an apple device with a detached leaf and a bite. However, the body of the figurative element consists of a circle (despite the missing part) and apples are not perfectly round. Furthermore, apples are not normally depicted in such a shape which is, in any case, more akin to an orange or other round-shaped fruits.

Therefore, while the Opposition Division agrees that the figurative element of the contested sign is likely to be perceived as depicting a fruit of some sort and that the detached oblong shape is therefore also likely to be perceived as depicting a leaf, in view of its round shape together with the relatively generic leaf shape, it will not be immediately associated with any fruit in particular but rather with a round-shaped fruit in general.

It follows from the above that, in the present case, the relevant public will perceive the contested application as a highly stylised round-shaped fruit bearing additional fanciful figurative elements. In particular, the triangular shapes, due to their arrangement, may be seen as segments. Furthermore, the square and rectangular figures in the lower part, again by virtue of their arrangement, may evoke a keyboard.

The EUIPO did acknowledge that there were some "minor commonalities" between the two designs, but also noted numerous differences. Overall, the two logos were found to be "visually similar, albeit to a very low degree," and the EUIPO concluded that the "signs are not conceptually similar."

Even though the EUIPO did not feel that the citrus fruit logo looked like an apple, it largely decided in Apple's favor because of the strength of Apple's reputation in the EU and the potential for customers to "establish a mental 'link' between the signs."

Apple claimed the citrus fruit logo would take unfair advantage of Apple's reputation, and the EU agreed. Apple's argument:

Given the immense reputation of the Opponent's Earlier Mark, it is hard to believe that the Applicant's intention was not, at the very least, to bring the Opponent's Apple Logo to mind in some way. More likely, the Application represents a deliberate attempt to take advantage of that reputation to offer identical and highly similar goods. As a result, the addressed public, when confronted with the Applicant's sign, will wrongly assume that the Application indicates a connection to Apple (i.e. that the Applicant is a supplier or manufacturer).

Yichun Qinningmeng Electronics Co. is not able to continue with the trademark process for keyboards or any other related computer goods, but the application to use the logo for solar panels will proceed. The company is able to file a notice of appeal in the next two months.

Apple and Yichun Qinningmeng Electronics Co. also had a trademark dispute in the U.S., but the trademark application was terminated after the Chinese company failed to respond in opposition proceedings.

Apple has objected to fruit-related logos several times in the past. It sued the developers behind an app named Prepear because the app used a pear-shaped logo that had a leaf, and it objected to an apple logo used by a Norwegian political party. Apple opposes dozens of trademark applications every year in the U.S. and other countries.
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The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. The PrismLinux team has announced the release of PrismLinux 2026.05.05, a significant update of the project's Arch-based Linux distribution that boots into a KDE Plasma desktop and provides a custom system installer: "We are pleased to announce PrismLinux 2026.05.05, a substantial stable release, bringing a fully redesigned installer,....

World Update 21: Australia of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 includes a collaboration with the New South Wales Rural Fire Service – widely acknowledged as the largest volunteer fire service in the world. Comprised of nearly 40,000 dedicated volunteers, the RFS is rooted in the NSW communities, studiously managing bushfires that remain a significant, reoccurring threat across Australia.  Players can experience the critical real-world operations of aerial firefighting with a new RFS-inspired mission using water bombing to put out a fire in New South Wales.  To learn more about their work in protecting the Australian wilderness, Xbox Wire talked with NSW’s director of aviation, Assistant Commissioner Jayson McKellar AFSM, about the yearly challenges the NSW Rural Fire Service faces in bushfire response, how flight simulations like Microsoft Flight Simulator can help educate players about aerial firefighting and what advances in technology have made the biggest difference to firefighter safety in recent years.  Read that interview on Xbox Wire.

Apple proactively chose to delay the standard iPhone 18 as a deliberate market strategy, the leaker known as "Fixed Focus Digital" claims, with the move said to extend the iPhone 17's sales window while lowering production costs and improving Apple's competitive position against Android rivals.


In two new posts on Weibo, Fixed Focus Digital said that a downgrade to the ‌iPhone 18‌ standard model was largely inevitable due to global supply chain shortages, and that Apple made the deliberate choice to delay the device rather than rush it to market.

By extending the ‌iPhone 17‌'s production cycle and launching a large-scale manufacturing ramp, Apple is said to be using the additional time to let the ‌iPhone 17‌ consolidate market share at the mainstream price tier before its downgraded successor arrives. The leaker said Apple has targeted sufficient ‌iPhone 17‌ supply to participate in China's Double 11 shopping event later this year. Double 11, also known as Singles' Day, is one of the world's largest annual retail sales events and a significant battleground for smartphone market share in China.

The leaker framed the approach as a "remarkably clever market adjustment mechanism," suggesting that shipping a lower-specced ‌iPhone 18‌ will be easier to absorb commercially if it arrives some 18 months after the ‌iPhone 17‌, by which point the previous generation will have already dominated the mainstream tier for an extended period. Fixed Focus Digital described the strategy as simultaneously lowering production costs and boosting market share against Android rivals.

The posts add a strategic dimension to what has become a series of downgrade rumors for the device. The leaker first reported that Apple is implementing certain manufacturing downgrades to the ‌iPhone 18‌ as a cost-cutting measure, before adding that display specifications and the chip will both be affected. Apple could be planning to tweak the name of the A-series chip used in the device to obscure the extent of the chip change. Engineering Validation Testing of the ‌iPhone 18‌ and iPhone 18e is said to be taking place simultaneously in June, which aligns with the idea that the two devices now share significant engineering overlap.

Most recently, the leaker said certain parts are interchangeable between the ‌iPhone 18‌ and the lower-cost iPhone 18e, indicating that some specification convergence between the two devices is real and measurable at the supply chain level. "Take it from me: The standard ‌iPhone 18‌ model has been downgraded and its launch delayed-this decision is final and will not change," they added.

The ‌iPhone 18‌, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 are all expected to launch in spring 2027, with the iPhone 18 Pro, ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and foldable "iPhone Ultra" anticipated in the fall of 2026. A split launch strategy separating the Pro and standard models has been widely reported since last year, with Ming-Chi Kuo and Nikkei among those to have corroborated the plan.
This article, "Leaker: This Is Why Apple Is Delaying the iPhone 18" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Last month, Amazon introduced a few new discounts on the M5 MacBook Air and these deals have expanded this week, with every model of the new computer on sale at record low prices. You can get the 512GB 13-inch M5 MacBook Air for $949.00, down from $1,099.00, available in all colors.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

You'll find $150 off every model of the M5 MacBook Air on Amazon, with free delivery around May 7-8 for most models. In terms of other 13-inch models, Amazon also has the 24GB/1TB model for $1,349.00, down from $1,499.00. Both of these represent a match for the record low prices for each configuration.





Regarding the 15-inch models, you'll also find $150 off the M5 MacBook Air, with multiple color options on sale for each configuration. Prices start at $1,149.00 for the 512GB model, down from $1,299.00, and also include both 1TB models on sale.





If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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This article, "Amazon Takes $150 Off Every M5 MacBook Air, Starting at $949" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The leaker "Instant Digital" today revisited their February design report on the foldable iPhone, claiming the device's internal design will make it the easiest-to-disassemble and easiest-to-repair foldable phone in the industry.


In a new post on Weibo, Instant Digital said the device's "incredibly rigorous underlying engineering logic" has "truly paid off," and predicted that teardown videos will vindicate the earlier claims once the device ships. The leaker described the internal component stacking as "logical yet elegant," and said the design eliminates the complex ribbon cable routing that typically complicates disassembly in competing foldables, achieving instead what they called "a truly high level of modularity."

The comments appear to be a callback to Instant Digital's February 2 report, which offered several design details about the foldable iPhone, including volume buttons relocated to the top edge of the device, Touch ID and Camera Control on the right side of the device, an iPhone Air-style camera plateau, a single punch-hole front-facing cameras, and just two color options. That report also touched on the device's internal design language, which the leaker now suggests is even more significant than readers initially appreciated.

At that time, Instant Digital explained that the device's motherboard is apparently located on the right side of the device. As to not run cables across the screen to the left side for the volume buttons (where they are located on all other iPhone models), Apple is said to have decided to run them directly upwards, which maximizes internal space.

The internal structure purportedly features an innovative stacked design, with the space being almost entirely dedicated to the display and battery. It is also said to feature the biggest battery ever used in an iPhone.

Instant Digital has reported on the foldable iPhone for quite some time. The leaker previously claimed the device will be around $2,000 at launch, that it will be eSIM-only, that Apple's foldable displays were nearing production in March, and that the device will ship in three storage capacities. Most recently, the leaker said Camera Control is seen internally as a key feature of the foldable iPhone.

The foldable iPhone, rumored to be called the "iPhone Ultra," is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max in the fall. The device is said to feature a 7.8-inch inner display and a 5.5-inch cover screen, the A20 chip and C2 modem, ‌Touch ID‌, and two rear cameras.
This article, "'iPhone Ultra' Could Be Industry's Most Repairable Foldable" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is expected to finalize OLED panel approvals for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max this month, with Samsung Display and LG Display likely to dominate panel supply, reports The Elec.


This year, China's BOE has reportedly been closed out of the premium tier supply chain, despite having landed some panel orders for the iPhone 17 Pro models.

The setback is said to be down to quality and yield issues with its lower-temperature polycrystalline oxide-plus (LTPO+) technology compared to its South Korean counterparts.

Indeed, it's the key upgrade at the center of the supply shake-up.

South Korean publication ETNews previously reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models will use LTPO+ display technology, which would likely be more power efficient than the current LTPO technology in the iPhone 17 series.

Such an upgrade could also contribute to longer battery life, since LPTO+ enables finer control of OLED light emission, potentially allowing the display to optimize its operation based on environmental conditions.

The ETNews report from January also mentioned that the iPhone 18 Pro models will use under-screen infrared technology from Samsung, which could enable some Face ID components to move under the display.

That could allow Apple to shrink the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 Pro models -- but whether it will do is seemingly still up for debate. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro models in September.
This article, "iPhone 18 Pro's LTPO+ Display Upgrade to Come From Samsung, LG" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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New alleged CAD renders of Apple's iPhone 18 Pro are doing the rounds on social media, offering the latest twist in the to-shrink-or-not-to-shrink Dynamic Island saga.


An X user called @earlyappleleaks has posted the above image, claiming that "the new CAD confirms the smaller Dynamic Island of the iPhone 18 Pro."

CAD renders are often leaked from factories and represent the technical schematics that phone manufacturers share with case makers and accessory companies months before a phone launches. Whether this particular one is kosher is unknown, since the leaker is relatively new to the scene and needs time to build a reputation.

The last notable image they shared was of an alleged iPhone 18 Pro prototype with a smaller Dynamic Island, and what appears to be a Face ID sensor visible under the display. Under-display Face ID components would allow for a slimmed down Dynamic Island.

Over the past year, there have been mixed rumors about whether the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models will continue to feature a ‌Dynamic Island‌ or have a hole punch camera with under screen Face ID and no ‌Dynamic Island‌, but the latest information suggests it's too early to say goodbye to the ‌Dynamic Island‌.

Along with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, several prominent leakers on Weibo and other social media sites have said Apple will make the iPhone 18 Pro's Dynamic Island smaller, but won't eliminate it. We heard similar rumors about a smaller iPhone 17 Pro ‌Dynamic Island‌ last year, but it ended up being the same size.

Most of the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ rumors about under-display Face ID and no ‌Dynamic Island‌ circulated earlier in 2025, so Apple either considered the feature for the 18 Pro lineup and pushed it back, or those rumors were off-base. There also may have been confusion over what's moving under the display and what isn't.

More recently, Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station claimed the iPhone 18 Pro won't have a smaller Dynamic Island at all, with the slimmed down Dynamic Island delayed until the iPhone 19.

We'll know for sure in a few months. Apple is expected to announce the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models alongside its first foldable iPhone this fall, with the standard ‌iPhone 18‌ arriving early next year as part of a new split-cycle launch strategy.
This article, "iPhone 18 Pro CAD Leak Reignites the Dynamic Island Debate" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's iPhone 17 was the best-selling smartphone globally in the first quarter of 2026, capturing 6 percent of worldwide unit sales, according to Counterpoint Research's latest Global Handset Model Sales Tracker.


The iPhone 17 series dominated the top three spots, with the iPhone 17 Pro Max in second place and the iPhone 17 Pro in third. The previous-generation iPhone 16 also held on at sixth place, suggesting there's still strong demand for the model, following its blockbuster sales run throughout last year.

Counterpoint senior analyst Harshit Rastogi credited the iPhone 17's success to upgrades that brought the base model closer to the Pro variants, including higher 256GB base storage, improved cameras, and a faster 120Hz display refresh rate. Not only did the iPhone 17 post double-digit year-over-year growth in China and the U.S., it also tripled its sales in South Korea for the quarter.

Samsung's Galaxy A series filled the remaining five spots, led by the budget-friendly Galaxy A07 4G as the best-selling Android phone of the quarter. Xiaomi's Redmi A5 filled out the list in tenth place.


Taken together, the top 10 devices accounted for 25% of global smartphone sales -- the highest first-quarter concentration ever recorded, according to Counterpoint. In the meantime, the standard iPhone 17 is set to enjoy a six-month-longer flagship run than usual, with the iPhone 18 expected to see a launch in spring 2027.
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ChatGPT's default model has been updated to GPT-5.5 Instant, a model that brings accuracy improvements with fewer hallucinations, especially in areas like medicine, law, and finance, according to OpenAI.


GPT-5.5 Instant is more capable at tasks like analyzing images, answering STEM questions, and choosing when to use web search to provide a better answer. Responses can also be personalized because GPT-5.5 Instant can better draw context from past chats, files, and Gmail, but this is currently limited to paid subscribers.

OpenAI says that responses are "tighter and more to-the-point without losing substance" and without eliminating ChatGPT's personality. It will provide the same information, but without unnecessary formatting, emojis, and follow-up questions.

All ChatGPT models are being updated with memory sources, which will show users the past chats, files, and other context that ChatGPT used to generate a response.

GPT-5.5 Instant is rolling out today to all ChatGPT users, and it is replacing GPT-5.3 Instant as the default model. While free users can access GPT-5.5 Instant, the new personalization features are limited to Plus and Pro users on the web. Personalization will expand to mobile soon, and it will roll out to Free, Go, Business, and Enterprise users in the coming weeks.

It's not yet clear when Apple Intelligence's ChatGPT integration will switch to GPT-5.5 Instant.
This article, "ChatGPT Is Smarter, More Accurate, and Less Obsessed With Emojis After Upgrade" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple will pay $250 million to settle a class action lawsuit accusing it of false advertising and unfair competition after the personalized Siri features it promoted when launching the iPhone 16 were delayed.


A smarter, Apple Intelligence version of ‌Siri‌ was shown off at WWDC 2024, and then promoted in ads and videos when the ‌iPhone 16‌ launched in September 2024. After Apple delayed the Siri Apple Intelligence features in March 2025, Apple pulled its ads, but they had been running for several months at that point. The lawsuit claimed Apple violated consumer law by misleading consumers about the actual utility and performance of ‌Apple Intelligence‌, and causing them to purchase a device "with features that did not exist or were materially misrepresented." Apple was not found guilty of any wrongdoing, and the company sometimes settles lawsuits to minimize legal fees and time spent on litigation. A settlement agreement was reached back in December, but the terms of the settlement are now live.

In a statement to MacRumors, Apple said that resolved the lawsuit so that it could focus on its products and services, and reiterated that it has introduced multiple ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features since 2024.

Since the launch of Apple Intelligence, we have introduced dozens of features across many languages that are integrated across Apple's platforms, relevant to what users do every day, and built with privacy protections at every step. These include Visual Intelligence, Live Translation, Writing Tools, Genmoji, Clean Up and many more.

Apple has reached a settlement to resolve claims related to the availability of two additional features. We resolved this matter to stay focused on doing what we do best, delivering the most innovative products and services to our users.

Apple's $250 million payment will provide U.S. Settlement Class Members who submit Claim Forms with a per-device payment of $25 for each eligible device, though that could increase up to $95 per device if claim volume is low.

Eligible devices include ‌iPhone 16‌, iPhone 16e, ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus, ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro, ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max models purchased between June 10, 2024, and March 29, 2025.

The settlement has received preliminary approval, and notices to those eligible to make a claim will start to receive email notices no more than 45 days from today.
This article, "Apple to Pay $250 Million to Settle Class Action Over Delayed Siri Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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