Apple is reportedly planning to launch three new iPhones this year.
The timing of the news, a day after Samsung unveiled its latest Galaxy S9 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, may seem coincidental. But Mark Spoonauer, editor-in-chief at Tom's Guide, says the American tech giant is nervous about more than just its rivalry.
“I think they’re sweating in general, not necessarily because of competition,” he said. “There was so much hype behind the iPhone X and that sales reportedly are not where they were expected to be.”
According to Bloomberg, Apple will unveil three new devices this fall. One would be the company’s largest yet, with a 6.5-inch screen, another will offer some upgrades to the current iPhone X, and the last is a more affordable version of the $1,000 smartphone.
Samsung is trying to capture some of the users seeing sticker shock with its S9. But a cheaper price tag and a better camera may not be enough to bite into Apple’s U.S. market share, Spoonauer says.
“I think what Samsung needs to do is strengthen their software and their services to make people feel more comfortable about making the switch,” he says. “Just talking to people around the city today, they loved the design of the S9, but they’re nervous about leaving Apple’s ecosystem.”
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-battle-is-on-samsung-galaxy-s9-vs-iphone-x).
Solid-state battery maker Factorial Energy recently raised $200 million in a Series D round led by Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis. Factorial says the funding will be used to accelerate commercial production and deployment of its solid-state battery technology, which the company says is safer, and offers up to 50% more driving range than current lithium-ion technology. Factorial also has joint development agreements (announced in late 2021) with Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Hyundai, three of the top 10 global automotive manufacturers, to commercialize its batteries. Factorial CEO Siyu Huang joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Google's parent company Alphabet reported blockbuster fourth quarter earnings, boosted by better-than-expected Google ad revenue and Google Cloud revenue. The results sent Alphabet's stock soaring, and the company could come close to hitting a $2 trillion market valuation similar to other tech giants Apple and Microsoft. The company also announced a 20-for-1 stock split, which would make shares more accessible to would-be investors. Mark Lehmann, CEO at JMP Securities, a Citizens Company, joins Closing Bell to discuss Alphabet's earnings report, whether the company will reach a $2 trillion market cap, its stock split, and more.
David Malott, founder and chief architect at AI PlanetWorks joins Cheddar News to discuss the release of its augmented reality NFTs for the metaverse called 'TERA.'
Jess Hunichen and Emily Ward, co-founder of Shine Talent Group join Cheddar News to talk about The BodCon conference and how it empowers men and women to feel confident.
FIT:MATCH is looking to change the game when it comes to the way retailers size clothes. The company's augmented reality technology takes a look at body shape data rather than generalized, traditional sizing parameters to determine how a piece of apparel will fit wearers. Haniff Brown, CEO and founder, joined Cheddar to discuss the patented ar-powered apparel technology and partnering with pop superstar Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty lingerie line. "We launched in Vegas with Savage on January 22 and we've been having goosebumps at some of the testimonials, where customers are saying this is such an easier process versus going into a fitting room and having an associate have to touch and get handsy with a cold tape measure," Brown said.
TerraZero's chief experience officer Brandon Johnson and chief metaverse officer Ryan Kieffer joined Cheddar News to discuss the technology company making the first-ever Metaverse mortgage.
