The future of electronics in a deglobalised world

Top stories

Phones The AI tax on your next phone: how memory costs are reshaping smartphone pricing Issue 63 9 min read Memory now accounts for more than 65% of what it costs to build a cheap phone. That single number explains the disappearance of the budget tier, the worst annual shipment decline in smartphone history, and why the industry’s own suppliers say relief is years away.

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AI & robots Two robots in Ukraine: what “humanoids on the battlefield” actually means in 2026 Issue 63 9 min read Phones Two autumns a year: inside Apple’s break with the September ritual Issue 63 8 min read Phones Smartphone mid-year report: the launches, the chips and the AI inside Issue 62 6 min read Phones Shortage in new phones and why prices go up Issue 61 6 min read Phones The satellite phone isn’t coming: it’s already in your pocket, so why doesn’t it feel that way? Issue 63 9 min read

Trade The channel that broke: how Egypt dismantled its mobile distribution trade, and what replaced it Issue 63 10 min read Trade Amazon’s return problem: how fraud is cracking the door open for rivals Issue 63 8 min read Markets Salt instead of scarcity: how CATL’s sodium battery launch redraws the map of the energy transition Issue 63 9 min read

Interviews

The people behind the trade

The interview Hüseyin Kurtoğlu Founder & owner, Wolfsohn “In 2021, we selected Germany as a strategic investment location and established Wolfsohn to develop our European B2B business.” Issue 63 p. 10–13 The interview Thomas Tanija COO, clicktel “Instead of serving many categories only superficially, we deliberately concentrate on what we do best.” Issue 62 p. 6–9

Phones

Launches, pricing and the market

Phones The flagship killer is dead: inside OnePlus’s retreat and what’s left of it Issue 63 8 min read In one week of July 2026, OnePlus confirmed it will stop launching phones in North America and Europe, announced it is retiring OxygenOS worldwide, and scheduled the shutdown of its own US community forum.

Phones The smartphone squeeze According to IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, worldwide smartphone shipments were forecast to decline 13.9 percent year-on-year, falling to 1.09 billion units. Issue 62 5 min read Phones The foldable gamble: Apple’s $2,000 bet and the race it triggered For years, the foldable smartphone market has been a niche within a niche. Issue 62 6 min read

Phones Smartphone AI wars: on-device intelligence changes everything On-Device Intelligence Changes Everything For the first decade of the smartphone era, the annual upgrade cycle was defined by hardware specifications. More megapixels. Faster processors. Bigger screens. Thinner bodies. Issue 61 6 min read Phones Foldables go mainstream: the iPhone Fold effect The iPhone Fold Effect For six years, foldable smartphones have been the technology industry’s most persistent “almost.” Almost ready for the mainstream. Almost reliable enough to justify the premium. Almost compelling enough to convince the average consumer to abandon the familiar glass slab. Issue 61 6 min read

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AI & robots

What intelligence is doing to the industry

AI & robots If electronics doesn’t become intelligent, it becomes irrelevant Issue 63 3 min read Why AI is redefining the future of the electronics industry in a deglobalized world.

AI & robots The great unlocking: the decision that cannot wait Why the most important decision of 2026 is not about buying AI, but becoming AI-native. Issue 62 2 min read AI & robots The AI assistant wars ChatGPT’s market share dropped from 87 percent to 68 percent in twelve months. Issue 62 6 min read

AI & robots Deepfake Inc. The employee complied, executing 15 separate payments totaling $25.6 million. Every person on that video call was a deepfake. Issue 62 6 min read AI & robots The AI starter kit: best books to begin working with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Copilot Amazon is flooded with guides promising to teach you AI in a weekend. Issue 62 5 min read

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Trade

Distribution, returns and regulation

Trade The EU regulation stack: DORA, CRA and the cost of compliance Issue 62 6 min read If you sell technology in Europe, buy technology in Europe, or simply do business with anyone who does, 2026 is the year the regulatory bill comes due.

Trade Supply Chain 2.0 For most of the past three decades, global supply chains operated on a single guiding principle: optimize for cost. Issue 62 6 min read Trade Tariffs vs. tech: what the Supreme Court ruling means for supply chains What the Supreme Court Ruling Means for Global Supply Chains On February 20, 2026, the United States Supreme Court delivered one of the most consequential trade rulings in modern history. In Learning Resources, Inc. v. Issue 61 6 min read

Trade The latest on Trump’s tariff strategy Tariff Strategy Trump’s renewed tariff agenda in 2025 has shifted from campaign slogan to governing framework. Issue 59 7 min read Trade B2B electronics become a strategic priority Why B2B Hardware Has Taken the Center Stage For years, the electronics industry devoted most of its creative and financial energy to consumer-facing products. Smartphones, tablets, headphones and smart-home devices dominated investment cycles and dictated technological direction. Issue 59 5 min read

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Markets

Big Tech, listings and where the money goes

Markets Quick hits: TikTok saved, sort of, and SpaceX swallows xAI in the largest merger in history Issue 62 4 min read

Markets Big Tech’s power shift: who owns AI, who owns the future What changed in the first half of 2026 was the scale at which that power expanded, and the speed at which the competitive landscape around artificial intelligence reshaped the hierarchy. Issue 62 7 min read Markets The $3 trillion IPO summer: SpaceX, OpenAI and Anthropic go public On June 12, SpaceX began trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker SPCX. The listing raised $75 billion at a valuation of $1.75 trillion, making it the largest initial public offering in financial history. Issue 62 8 min read

Markets Cloud reloaded: how the IPO wave is reshaping infrastructure On March 25, 2026, Google Research published a paper that sent shockwaves through the global semiconductor industry. Issue 62 7 min read Markets The billion-dollar game: GTA 6 and the economics of blockbuster gaming On November 19, 2026, Rockstar Games will release Grand Theft Auto VI. Issue 62 7 min read

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