Apple and Tencent carve up mini apps

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Tech Across the Globe

EU targets: European antitrust regulators are probing whether Amazon, Microsoft and Google should face a raft of new restrictions over their cloud computing businesses.

Amazon-Ford deal: The Michigan automaker has struck a deal to sell certified used cars on Amazon Autos, following Hyundai onto the biggest US online marketplace.

iPhone’s China surge: One of every four smartphone sales in China last month was an iPhone, a major win for Apple in the world’s biggest smartphone market.

Arm-Nvidia partnership: Arm plans to incorporate Nvidia technology into chip designs for AI data centers, strengthening the relationship between the influential semiconductor companies.

Revalued

Ramp, the maker of a corporate spending management platform, was valued at $32 billion after a $300 million primary financing round and an employee tender offer. The fresh valuation is a significant jump from the $22.5 billion the startup hit in July. Lightspeed Venture Partners led the financing.

Must Read

Apple’s move last week to create a partner program for mini apps, which would give a 15% cut to the iPhone maker, came after a protracted negotiation with Tencent, Pei Li and Vlad Savov report in today’s Tech In Depth. Though no mention was made of Tencent in Apple’s announcement, the Chinese company’s WeChat serves as the world’s largest repository of mini apps and will set the precedent for Apple’s relationship with OpenAI, among others, they write.

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This Week in Power On

Apple’s iPhone is getting its biggest transformation in its history, with three all-new models over three successive years, Mark Gurman reports in this week’s Power On. The innovation began with the recently released thin iPhone Air, which will be followed in 2026 by Apple’s first foldable phone,  and a year later the company will unveil an entirely new high-end model with a curved glass screen, he writes.

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