Consumer Tech News (Apr 6-Aug 10): Tesla China Sales Drop, CoreWeave Grabs AI Deal With Meta and Anthropic & More

The Donald Trump administration is cracking down on Chinese-made airbag inflators used in vehicles sold in the U.S. that have been reportedly tied to multiple fatal crashes in recent years amid a push to nullify China's growing influence in the auto and tech industries.

Update on US-Iran Tension

In a late-night post on Wednesday, President Donald Trump warned that all U.S. military assets would remain positioned near Iran “until such time as the real agreement reached is fully complied with,” underscoring the conditional nature of any de-escalation.

Tehran, meanwhile, accused Washington of breaching ceasefire terms and reiterated threats against vessels awaiting transit through the Strait of Hormuz, which remained shut.

A fresh geopolitical development offered some relief. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Lebanon had requested direct talks, with Israel agreeing to engage. A senior Lebanese official signaled that negotiations would require U.S. guarantees and begin with a temporary ceasefire framework.

Software, Technology & Semiconductors

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (NYSE:TSM) reported a 35.1% year-over-year increase in quarterly revenue to about 1.13 trillion New Taiwanese dollars ($35.6 billion), exceeding analyst estimates of 1.12 trillion New Taiwanese dollars, with March sales rising 45.2%.

CoreWeave, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWV) disclosed a multi-year agreement with Anthropic to support the development and deployment of AI models.

CoreWeave announced an expanded long-term agreement with Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) and unveiled plans for multiple debt offerings.

Oracle Corp. (NYSE:ORCL) introduced a broad set of Fusion Agentic Applications across customer experience, HR, finance, and supply chain, alongside updates to its AI Database and financial crime tools, as it deepens its push into enterprise AI automation.

IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) signed a strategic agreement with Horizon Quantum. The deal involves Horizon Quantum acquiring IonQ's 256-qubit trapped-ion system, which is expected to enhance their quantum computing capabilities as the company aims to unlock broader quantum advantages for developers.

Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) announced the launch of its first major artificial intelligence model on Wednesday, nine months after the high-profile hiring of Scale AI's Alexandr Wang.

Applied Digital Corp (NASDAQ:APLD) posted third-quarter revenue of $126.6 million, beating analyst estimates of $76.56 million, according to Benzinga Pro. The digital infrastructure provider reported adjusted earnings of nine cents per share for the quarter, beating estimates for a loss of 10 cents per share.

Alphabet Inc's (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) Google announced that it is expanding its AI push in finance. It is rolling out a redesigned Google Finance experience globally to make market insights more accessible and interactive.

Broadline Retail, Interactive Media

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) is doubling down on the next frontier of artificial intelligence, shifting beyond chatbots to "world models" while leveraging its fast-growing open-source ecosystem to expand its global AI footprint.

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) shares are trading higher on Thursday as the firm is accelerating its AI and cloud expansion with a fresh $12 billion Mississippi investment while balancing chip competition and partnerships.

Amazon.com CEO Andy Jassy highlighted strong financial growth, aggressive AI investments, and long-term bets on robotics, delivery, and connectivity in his latest shareholder letter, including plans for massive capital spending.

Reddit, Inc. (NYSE:RDDT) announced a strategic data partnership with Nectar Social. The deal expands Reddit's reach into enterprise analytics as brands seek deeper consumer insights.

Unity Software Inc. (NYSE:U) announced an extended multi-year agreement with Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META), deepening their collaboration in virtual reality and reinforcing Unity's role in powering next-generation VR experiences.

Firefly Aerospace Inc. (NASDAQ:FLY) is collaborating with Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) to enable rapid, on-orbit data processing for its Ocula Moon imaging service.

Automobiles, Robotics

Robo.ai Inc. (NASDAQ:AIIO) said its subsidiary Robus has completed manufacturing its initial commercial prototype vehicles and has begun deliveries in Pakistan.

Tesla Inc.‘s (NASDAQ:TSLA) retail sales in the Chinese market fell over 16% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026 despite an increase in its Wholesale figures.

Alphabet-backed Robotaxi operator Waymo announced a partnership with Waze Mobile Ltd. to help fix potholes by providing data to users about them in real-time.

Nio Inc. (NYSE:NIO) has opened pre-sales for its latest flagship SUV, the ES9, positioning it as a premium yet competitively priced offering in China’s electric vehicle market.

Richtech Robotics Inc. (NASDAQ:RR) on Wednesday announced a distribution agreement with Netherlands-based NewConsultancy B.V. to expand into Europe, following momentum from ProWein 2025.

Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER)  is scaling its infrastructure on Amazon.com cloud platform, Amazon Web Services, to improve real-time ride matching and AI capabilities.

Uber-backed Robotaxi operator Verne has announced it will be launching its services in Croatia's Zagreb in collaboration with Pony AI Inc. (NASDAQ:PONY).

General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM) has initiated a recall for over 271,000 units of the Chevrolet Malibu sedan over a rearview camera display issue, which could pose a safety risk.

Artificial Intelligence & Smartphones

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is scheduled to introduce the foldable model during its traditional autumn window. It will debut alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported, citing sources.

OpenAI is planning to launch a cybersecurity model that rivals Anthropic’s cybersecurity artificial intelligence model, Claude Mythos.

OpenAI has reportedly projected a dramatic increase in its advertising revenue, expecting to hit $2.5 billion this year and a staggering $100 billion by 2030.

Anthropic has rolled out Project Glasswing, a security-focused collaboration that includes various big-name companies spanning finance and tech.