Apple's budget-friendly iPhone

Good morning, tech enthusiasts. Welcome to the first edition of our newly updated Tech newsletter! Here, you’ll find what’s new and next in the tech world – from Big Tech to startups and everything in between – all delivered in our signature rundown style.

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In today’s tech rundown:

• Apple’s newest family member

• Meta spends billions on undersea cable

• X blocks links to Signal

• SpaceX to overhaul air traffic control

• Quick hits on other major news

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

APPLE

📱Apple’s newest family member

The Rundown: At a major launch event tomorrow, Apple is expected to unveil a long-awaited upgrade to the iPhone SE, the brand’s most affordable iPhone model ever, as well as refreshed MacBook and iPad Air models.

The details:

• Coming after a wait of three years, the new SE model could include an iPhone 14-like design along, with an upgraded camera, Face ID, and Apple Intelligence.

• It is also likely to be the first iPhone to feature Apple’s in-house cellular modem, replacing Qualcomm's technology.

• Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects Apple to ship 12 million units of the new iPhone in the first half of 2025, followed by another 10 million in the second half.

• Apple is also expected to launch new iPad Air and MacBook Air models, with a faster, more efficient M4 chip and 32GB of RAM.

Why it matters: The event marks Apple’s first major launch of 2025, with speculation swirling over whether we’ll see an SE update with iPhone 16-style features or something toned down. Yes, this isn’t as high frills as Apple’s flagship releases, but that lower price point will be key to the company’s growth in key markets like India.

META

🌊 Meta spends billions on undersea cable

The Rundown: Meta has confirmed an ambitious plan to build an underwater cable spanning 50,000 kilometers, or longer than the Earth’s circumference, to provide the high-speed connectivity needed to drive global digital and AI innovation.

The details:

• The multibillion-dollar Project Waterworth is Meta’s first undersea cable project that it is developing on its own, without partners.

• Under this, it will deploy the longest subsea cable of 24 fiber pairs and use novel routing and burial techniques to cover deep waters and high-risk areas.

• The network will connect five continents, with points in the U.S., India, Brazil, South Africa, and other key regions.

• Key reasons for investing in the network are Meta’s interest in expanding its digital services in growing markets like India and rolling out AI services globally.

Why it matters: More than 95% of the world's internet traffic is transferred through undersea cables, so it’s no surprise that big tech firms are sinking billions into building their subsea infrastructure. While the scale of Meta’s project is by far the largest, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft also have partnerships of their own.

SIGNAL

👀 X blocks links to Signal

The Rundown: X is reportedly preventing users from posting links to the popular encrypted messaging app Signal, which is notably used by journalists to receive confidential information from sources.

The details:

• Journalist Matt Binder first spotted the block, which applies to posts, direct messages, and profile descriptions.

• Users attempting to add their Signal.me URL are met with error messages, including warnings about spam, malicious activity, or automated requests.

• Previously posted Signal.me links on X are still clickable but now display a warning about potential safety issues.

• In the past, X has also briefly blocked links to Instagram, Facebook, Mastodon, as well as Substack after the release of its Twitter-like Notes.

Why it matters: X’s reported action is raising concerns about free speech and platform control, and Binder flagged Signal’s relevance in recent weeks as federal whistleblowers have relied on the service to report DOGE activity to the press. So far, X has not provided an official explanation for blocking Signal’s links.

SPACEX

🚀 SpaceX to overhaul air traffic control

The Rundown: In the wake of the deadly crash last month in D.C, Elon Musk’s SpaceX has been called into Virginia’s Air Traffic Control Command Center to assess and help overhaul the current ATC system.

The details:

• Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said that SpaceX will “get a firsthand look” at the current tech and envision a “new, better, modern and safer system.”

• Duffy had also said earlier that Musk’s DOGE team would “plug in” to the FAA to help upgrade the aviation system.

• The FAA has been under scrutiny since the crash last month, with the SpaceX visit coming after the FAA reportedly fired hundreds of probational employees.

• Critics argue that Musk’s White House status and his government contracts, mostly through SpaceX, are a glaring conflict of interest.

Why it matters: SpaceX has secured some $13 billion in government contracts over the past five years, making it one of the largest government contractors – with Musk’s sway only growing. Musk had played a role in firing the last FAA administrator after the FAA fined SpaceX for failing to submit safety data.

QUICK HITS

📰 Everything else in tech today

Lyft announced plans to launch a fleet of self-driving robotaxis in Dallas “as soon as 2026,” in an apparent attempt to keep pace with rival Uber.

President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum threatened to sue Google if the company continued to show the Gulf of Mexico as the ‘Gulf of America’.

Amazon is soon removing a useful feature from its site that lets users download purchased books to a computer and then copy them to Kindle.

South Korea has blocked DeepSeek, with the Chinese AI app no longer available on local app stores, after acknowledging it failed to meet data protection laws.

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman confirmed that the company is planning to implement paywalls on exclusive content later this year.

South Korean President Choi Sang-mok said the country aims to stockpile 10,000 GPUs this year for its advancements in AI, citing geopolitics as a key motivator.

Meta exec Joel Kaplan told the EU that they “won’t shy away” from getting President Donald Trump involved if Meta products continue to face legal crackdowns in the EU.

Tesla confirmed the launch of its Full Self-Driving in Mexico while reportedly being stalled in China over the trade war between China and the U.S.

Auto supplier ZF Lifetec has developed a heel airbag for automobiles to protect the feet of front-seat occupants in the event of a crash.

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See you soon,

Rowan, Jennifer, and Joey—The Rundown’s editorial team