tech

Smartphone upgrades grew for Apple and Samsung last quarter

The global smartphone market grew 2.6% in the third quarter, thanks in part to interest in the latest phones from Apple and Samsung, according to new shipment data from market intelligence firm IDC.

“Apple and Samsung posted strong results as their latest devices encouraged consumers to upgrade in the premium segment, while new, affordable AI-enabled smartphones also drove high upgrades in more affordable price categories,” IDC Vice President of Client Devices Francisco Jeronimo said in a press release for the data, which would include roughly half a month of new iPhone sales. “Demand for Apple’s new iPhone 17 lineup was robust, with pre-orders surpassing those of the previous generation. At the same time, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 outperformed all earlier foldable models, creating renewed momentum for the foldables segment.”

Here’s the year-over-year growth in third-quarter shipments:

And here’s how the absolute number of shipments compared last quarter:

The “other” bin is made up of dozens of smaller, often regional and low-cost manufacturers.

More Tech

tech

Meta says Instagram teen accounts will default to a PG-13 content limit

Meta is introducing new guidelines for the content on Instagram teen accounts. The company is turning to the well-known PG-13 standard from the Motion Picture Association, used by the film industry.

Any user under the age of 18 will have their content limited to PG-13.

Parents who administer their child’s teen account will have the ability to change the settings — including placing their child in a more restrictive level than PG-13 — but that assumes the teen hasn’t just tried to sign up on their own using a fake birthday.

To counter those wily kids, Instagram will use “age prediction technology” to set content restrictions, according to the company.

In a blog post announcing the new policy, Meta acknowledged the new settings may not catch all prohibited content:

“Just like you might see some suggestive content or hear some strong language in a PG-13 movie, teens may occasionally see something like that on Instagram — but we’re going to keep doing all we can to keep those instances as rare as possible.”

New PG-13 Guidelines for Instagram Teen Accounts | Meta

New PG-13 Guidelines for Instagram Teen Accounts | Meta

Parents who administer their child’s teen account will have the ability to change the settings — including placing their child in a more restrictive level than PG-13 — but that assumes the teen hasn’t just tried to sign up on their own using a fake birthday.

To counter those wily kids, Instagram will use “age prediction technology” to set content restrictions, according to the company.

In a blog post announcing the new policy, Meta acknowledged the new settings may not catch all prohibited content:

“Just like you might see some suggestive content or hear some strong language in a PG-13 movie, teens may occasionally see something like that on Instagram — but we’re going to keep doing all we can to keep those instances as rare as possible.”

tech

Jon Keegan10/13/25

Sora’s ghoulish reanimation of dead celebrities raises alarms

OpenAI’s video generation app Sora has spent its first two weeks at the top of the charts.

The startup’s fast-and-loose approach to enforcing intellectual property rights has seen the app flooded with videos of trademarked characters in all sorts of ugly scenarios.

But another area where Sora users have been pushing the limits involves videos that reanimate dead celebrities.

And we’re not talking just JFK, MLK, and Einstein. Videos featuring more recently deceased figures such as Robin Williams (11 years ago), painter Bob Ross (30 years ago), Stephen Hawking (seven years ago), and even Queen Elizabeth II (three years ago) have been generated. Some of the videos are racist and offensive, shocking the relatives of the figures.

OpenAI told The Washington Post that it is now allowing representatives of “recently deceased” celebrities and public figures to request that their likenesses be blocked from the service, though the company did not give a precise time frame for what it considered recent.

AI videos of dead celebrities are horrifying many of their families

bafkreicknb4ze3xnmdgiwdnqlf45kh2rukzgvbilpgbbhpq6mxr57b57iu

But another area where Sora users have been pushing the limits involves videos that reanimate dead celebrities.

And we’re not talking just JFK, MLK, and Einstein. Videos featuring more recently deceased figures such as Robin Williams (11 years ago), painter Bob Ross (30 years ago), Stephen Hawking (seven years ago), and even Queen Elizabeth II (three years ago) have been generated. Some of the videos are racist and offensive, shocking the relatives of the figures.

OpenAI told The Washington Post that it is now allowing representatives of “recently deceased” celebrities and public figures to request that their likenesses be blocked from the service, though the company did not give a precise time frame for what it considered recent.

tech

Rani Molla10/13/25

Tesla is selling unsold Cybertrucks to Elon Musk’s other companies

Sales of Tesla’s Cybertruck, once expected to reach hundreds of thousands per year, are currently in the low tens of thousands range and falling. Last quarter in the US, Tesla sold fewer than 5,400 of the “apocalypse-proof” vehicles, for a total of about 16,000 this year, Business Insider reports, citing Cox Automotive data.

That’s a 63% drop from the same quarter a year ago, even as Tesla as a whole notched its best quarterly sales ever, spurred by the expiration of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit.

With sales lagging, the company has dialed back production of the stainless steel behemoths, but there’s still been an excess.

Fortunately for Tesla, Electrek reports that CEO Elon Musk has other uses for Cybertrucks within his other companies, which often share resources and personnel. Tesla is delivering truckloads of the EV to both xAI (which Tesla shareholders will vote next month on whether to invest in) and SpaceX, where Cybertrucks are replacing internal combustion engine support fleets.

There’s a lot of chatter about “circular deals” in the billion-dollar pacts announced in the AI space on a weekly basis. But it doesn’t get much more circular than this, with production and buying activity kept within the Musk corporate family.

Elon Musk's SpaceX and xAI are buying Tesla's unsold Cybertrucks

Elon Musk's SpaceX and xAI are buying Tesla's unsold Cybertrucks

That’s a 63% drop from the same quarter a year ago, even as Tesla as a whole notched its best quarterly sales ever, spurred by the expiration of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit.

With sales lagging, the company has dialed back production of the stainless steel behemoths, but there’s still been an excess.

Fortunately for Tesla, Electrek reports that CEO Elon Musk has other uses for Cybertrucks within his other companies, which often share resources and personnel. Tesla is delivering truckloads of the EV to both xAI (which Tesla shareholders will vote next month on whether to invest in) and SpaceX, where Cybertrucks are replacing internal combustion engine support fleets.

There’s a lot of chatter about “circular deals” in the billion-dollar pacts announced in the AI space on a weekly basis. But it doesn’t get much more circular than this, with production and buying activity kept within the Musk corporate family.

tech

Rani Molla10/13/25

Tesla has begun selling the Model Y Standard in parts of Europe, where it has lots of cheaper competition

Days after rolling out “Standard” trim levels of its Model Y and Model 3 in the US, Tesla has started selling the Model Y Standard in some European countries. Standard Model Ys begin at about 40,000 euros, depending on the country, roughly 10,000 euros cheaper than the current Premium versions. In the US, Standard versions are about $5,000 cheaper than their souped-up peers. The model isn’t yet on sale in the UK or Ireland, where cars are driven on the left-hand side of the road.

While the Standard Teslas are cheaper, they pale in comparison to the many affordable EV options available in Europe, including those from China’s BYD, some of which start below 25,000 euros. CEO Elon Musk has called Europe the company’s “weakest market,” blaming the lack of approval for Tesla’s full self-driving technology for the shortfall.

Model 3 Standards don’t appear to be available yet in Europe.

tech

Jon Keegan10/10/25

OpenAI commits up to $25 billion for 500-megawatt “Stargate Argentina” data center

OpenAI has reportedly signed a letter of intent to invest up to $25 billion on “Stargate Argentina,” a new 500-megawatt AI data center.

Reuters reports that the deal would involve tax incentives.

In a video announcing the project, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said:

“Our vision for Stargate Argentina is to deliver a major boost to the country’s AI infrastructure, creating a foundation for new capabilities from smarter public services to tools that help small businesses compete globally.”

OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

You may remember the name “Stargate” from the megaproject that tech giants and the Trump administration announced earlier this year to build a huge number of data centers in the US. And you may remember Argentina as the nation the Trump administration is now bailing out with a $20 billion currency swap.

Latest Stories

Sherwood Media, LLC produces fresh and unique perspectives on topical financial news and is a fully owned subsidiary of Robinhood Markets, Inc., and any views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of any other Robinhood affiliate, including Robinhood Markets, Inc., Robinhood Financial LLC, Robinhood Securities, LLC, Robinhood Crypto, LLC, or Robinhood Money, LLC.

©2025 Sherwood Media, LLC