Technology News
Latest technology news and updates
Total: 2635
Broadcom's 3.5D Gamble: Stacked 2nm SoCs and a Push for a Million AI Chips by 2027
Broadcom has started shipping a custom 2nm compute SoC built on a hybrid 3.5D stacking platform and aims to sell at least one million stacked chips by 2027. The XDSiP approach combines 2.5D interposers with face‑to‑face 3D bonding to boost bandwidth and energy efficiency, offering customers an alternative to monolithic node scaling.
Memory Shortage Threatens to Shrink Global Smartphone Market — IDC Predicts a 2026 Downturn
IDC has reduced its 2026 smartphone shipment forecast to about 1.1 billion units, warning that a memory chip shortage and steep price rises could drive a record 13% market contraction. The shortage is forcing OEMs to cut low‑end models and push consumers toward higher‑priced devices, a structural shift that IDC expects will persist until at least mid‑2027.
Google Pushes Pro Image Capabilities Down the Stack with Nano Banana 2 — Faster, Cheaper, Default in Gemini
Google has launched Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash), a faster, cheaper image-generation model that brings many Pro-tier capabilities to the baseline offering and is now the default in Gemini, Search and Flow. The release reduces per-image costs by roughly half, broadens access to advanced features previously reserved for paying subscribers, and tightens Google’s grip on the creative AI stack while raising moderation and policy challenges.
Memory Shortage Could Trigger a 13% Collapse in Smartphone Shipments in 2026, IDC Warns
IDC has cut its 2026 smartphone shipment forecast to about 1.1 billion units, forecasting a roughly 13% decline driven by a memory/storage chip shortage. The disruption favours large OEMs and major memory manufacturers, risks higher prices and delayed product launches, and could lengthen replacement cycles for consumers.
China Overtakes US in AI Calls as Four Homegrown Models Dominate Global Top Five — Experts Point to Inference-Efficiency Strategies
NetEase reports that China’s aggregate AI API call volume has surpassed the United States for the first time, with four Chinese large models filling four of the global top five usage slots. Experts attribute the surge largely to engineering choices that reduce inference costs, enabling mass deployment across consumer and enterprise services.
China’s Tech Titans Burn Over ¥100bn to Seed AI App Audiences — Now the Tougher Test Begins
China’s internet giants spent heavily over the Lunar New Year to drive mass adoption of AI-native apps, pushing several products into the 100‑million MAU club. The campaigns delivered explosive short‑term growth but leave open the harder tests of retention, monetisation and safe, sustainable deployment.
Robotaxis on the Road: Rapid Roll‑out Meets a Reality Check on Safety
Robotaxi deployments are accelerating worldwide and in China in 2026 as firms from Tesla to Baidu scale fleets and raise capital. However, a series of fires, collisions and sensor failures has exposed technical, regulatory and operational gaps that make widespread public trust premature. The sector’s commercial promise is real, but moving from pilots to safe, public‑facing services depends on tougher oversight, open data and demonstrable improvements in handling rare and hazardous scenarios.
After an 80bn‑Yuan Red‑Packet Spree, AI Still Can’t Hold China’s County‑Town Youth
China’s springtime 80bn‑yuan red‑packet push introduced millions of county‑town users to AI, producing dramatic short‑term metrics but little lasting adoption. Local young people delete trial apps once incentives end because most AI features are redundant, clumsy or fail to save time or money in their everyday lives.
China Moves from Testing to Commercialisation of Higher‑Level Autonomous Driving — What That Means for Tech, OEMs and Investors
China has taken concrete regulatory and market steps to commercialise L3 and L4 autonomous driving, issuing a draft national safety standard and granting local L3 road‑test licences to manufacturers. The moves accelerate demand for AI chips, sensors and compute, and create sizable market opportunities while also heightening safety and regulatory risks. Index funds tracking China’s AI ecosystem have posted strong recent returns, offering retail investors an accessible route to exposure.
Token Pricing Rewrites B2B SaaS: AI Consumption Lifts Compute Suppliers and Index Funds
As AI migrates from models to enterprise applications, B2B software is shifting from seat licences to metered token billing, creating a new recurring‑revenue dynamic. That transition benefits compute and infrastructure suppliers, a trend reflected in the Tianhong CSI Artificial Intelligence Theme Index Fund, which is heavily weighted to semiconductors and communications equipment. The opportunity is substantial but carries execution, concentration and policy risks.
Faraday Future Begins Commercial Robot Deliveries to U.S. Property Operator, Signalling a Shift from EVs to Service Machines
Faraday Future will begin delivering its first batch of EAI robots on 27 February to Golden Hill, a luxury real-estate operator in Florida and Nevada, marking the company's first commercial robot deliveries of 2026. The move signals FF's strategic push into service robotics and real-world pilots that could provide recurring revenue and operational data, but technical, regulatory and cost challenges remain.
Nvidia’s $68bn Quarter Recasts AI Infrastructure — but China, Competition and Supply Limits Shadow the Rally
Nvidia posted record quarterly revenue of $68.13 billion and GAAP net income of $42.96 billion, propelled by a data‑center business that now supplies over 90% of sales. Management argues falling inference costs from Blackwell and Vera Rubin architectures will drive an era of intelligent agents, even as export controls on China, supply bottlenecks and rising competition present material risks.