Intel's Arc Battlemage graphics cards are seeing a small but notable sales bump at a major German retailer. Last week, the Arc B580 sold about forty units, landing it in the top fifteen best-sellers list. That number doubled the sales of AMD's RX 9070 at the same store. Other Intel models, like the B570 and the workstation B50, also moved twenty units each.
This is a shift for Intel, which has typically held around one percent market share at this retailer. For that week, their share climbed to almost four percent of units sold, with over one hundred ten cards total. The appeal seems to be their combination of near-standard pricing and higher VRAM capacity, like twelve gigabytes on the B580, during a period of general GPU price...
Apple might use Intel for packaging its custom AI server chips due to a shortage at TSMC. The chip, codenamed Baltra and developed with Broadcom, was originally slated for 2027 but could now ship in 2028. The plan is to employ Intel's EMIB packaging tech because TSMC's own advanced CoWoS packaging capacity is completely maxed out.
This follows earlier reports that Apple is also evaluating Intel's cutting-edge 18A P manufacturing process for future lower-end iPhone and Mac chips. That Intel node supports advanced three-dimensional chip stacking. Intel is reportedly setting up a new business unit specifically to make custom AI chips for other companies, capitalizing on the industry-wide demand and TSMC's packaging bottleneck.
Intel's software just added support again for a bigger Battlemage GPU called the BMG G31, hinting it might actually release. This discrete card, using the Xe2 architecture, could have up to thirty two cores and sixteen gigs of memory. It would be a successor to the Arc A770, possibly competing with mid-range cards from Nvidia and AMD if priced around three or four hundred dollars.
Beyond gaming chips, a future data center GPU based on a newer Xe4 architecture was also spotted in an old shipping log. Intel's roadmap is messy, with the Xe3 architecture set for integrated graphics in upcoming Panther Lake processors. A more powerful variant called Xe3P is planned for later Nova Lake chips and future discrete Arc cards. This suggests Intel...
Nintendo is making smaller capacity game cartridges for the Switch 2, but the unpopular Game Key cards are probably not going anywhere. These cards, which force a full digital download while just acting as a license, became common because the only cartridges available were expensive sixty-four gigabyte versions.
The new, smaller carts are a response to developer feedback, but a chip shortage means they will not be widely available for a while. Even when they are, the cost of materials will keep cartridge prices high. This likely means publishers will still often choose the cheaper Game Key card option for retail releases, disappointing fans who want a true physical copy on the cartridge itself.
That rumored foldable iPhone from Apple is apparently hitting some delays. Analyst Ming Chi Kuo says the company feels behind on AI and wants to innovate aggressively with its phones, but its development cycles are long. They might announce the iPhone Fold in the second half of 2026, but actual smooth shipments probably will not happen until 2027 due to production and supply chain issues.
The device itself is expected to have a book-style design with a creaseless main screen around seven point seven inches and a smaller cover display. It might use Touch ID instead of Face ID, pack a large battery, and feature an in-screen camera. The price tag could be nearly two thousand four hundred dollars. Apple is reportedly under pressure to show...
Smartphone chipset market share data for the last quarter shows MediaTek still on top globally at thirty-four percent, though that is a dip from the previous year. They are losing ground in cheaper phone segments, and their high-end Dimensity 9500 did not drive significant growth. Qualcomm also lost share, dropping to twenty-four percent as interest in their premium Snapdragon 8 Elite chips slowed down.
Apple saw the biggest gain, hitting eighteen percent market share thanks to massive demand for the iPhone 17 and its new A19 series processors. Their tactic of using two different chipsets in the lineup, giving even the base model a powerful processor, worked perfectly. Qualcomm is now copying that dual chipset strategy for its own...
The RAM company G.Skill just admitted why memory prices are totally out of control right now. They blame the insane demand from AI companies, which is causing massive supply shortages and industry-wide price hikes. DDR5 kit costs have jumped by three or four times in many regions over the last couple of months.
This situation is making PC building a nightmare, with graphics cards potentially being the next component to get scarce and expensive. G.Skill states that their own sourcing costs have skyrocketed, forcing them to raise prices for consumers. They are basically telling people to shop carefully because costs could keep changing.
Analyst reports suggest these high prices are not going away anytime soon, possibly lasting through...
Word is, Bethesda recently showed some insiders their upcoming plans for Starfield. Details are split on how big these changes will actually be, with some sources saying it will be a massive overhaul similar to Cyberpunk's revival update, while others are more cautious. The main focus seems to be cutting down the excessive load screens, particularly for spaceflight, and refining exploration systems through engine improvements.
Bethesda has been quiet publicly, even after the first expansion failed to revive much interest. A former developer recently blamed the game's dull planets and lack of creature variety for losing player engagement. These rumored updates, which also include a previously teased story DLC, might be a final attempt...
LG Innotek, a camera part supplier for Apple, is showing off a new under-display camera next year. This version is meant for cars, but the tech could eventually land in phones like a future iPhone. The key upgrade involves using AI to fix image quality, claiming over ninety-nine percent clarity compared to a normal camera.
Current under-display cameras usually suck, losing about thirty percent of image quality because the screen messes with the lens. LG's new system uses AI algorithms for deblurring and reducing noise to clean up the feed in real time. The automotive version is only 1.5 megapixels because they prioritized durability for crashes, implying they could make a higher resolution one for smartphones.
Apple is reportedly...
