Mobile World Live brings you our top three picks of the week, as Apple held its annual launch event, Arm commenced its IPO and speculation continued to ramp about 5G capabilities in another new Huawei device.
Apple ports USB-C into iPhone 15, updates Watch
What happened: Apple launched its iPhone 15 line, making the expected switch from its Lightning connector to USB-C to comply with forthcoming European regulations.
Why it matters: Apple’s move to a USB-C is a success story for regulators. Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, stated while the shift might be irksome, it is ultimately a victory for common sense. Richard Windsor, founder of blog Radio Free Mobile, believes the vendor’s event was “one of the most inconsequential for some time”, due to only incremental upgrades being announced.
Arm IPO to rake in almost $4.9B
What happened: Arm conducted a long-awaited IPO, pricing shares at $51 each, a sum which raised almost $5 billion for parent SoftBank Group and valued the company at $54.5 billion. Various reports noted the price surged 25 per cent in initial trading on the Nasdaq yesterday (14 September).
Why it matters: The final price was at the top end of a guidance range and is a testament to high demand which led to orders reportedly being oversubscribed by ten times. More than $700 million in stock was also taken up by a consortium comprising of Intel, Apple, Nvidia, Samsung and TSMC, among others, confirming rumours of interest from major heavyweights in the technology sector.
Huawei 5G chip speculation mounts as foldable drops
What happened: Huawei unveiled the Mate X5 foldable in China, which media speculated was the latest of its devices to offer 5G capabilities.
Why it matters: As with the Mate 60 Pro unveiled two weeks ago, Huawei did not identify the chipset or reveal network connectivity options in the Mate X5. Nikkei Asia branded both devices as 5G capable, being powered by in-house chips which has been heralded in China as a major win over US sanctions. The company announced plans to hold a more formal product launch event on 25 September, when it could reveal more details.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter Back
Kavit Majithia
Kavit joined Mobile World Live in May 2015 as Content Editor. He started his journalism career at the Press Association before joining Euromoney’s graduate scheme in April 2010. Read More >>
