O Polo de Vairão da FCUP recebeu um conjunto de equipamentos tecnológicos de última geração, financiados pelo PRR, que incluem a primeira sala de simulação agrícola, pioneira em Portugal, e protótipos de robótica terrestre e aérea.
Apple is pushing OLED panel suppliers to lower their prices for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, as the cost of memory chips and other components rises, reports The Elec.
According to the Korea-based report, Apple has proposed paying around $70 for OLED panels, but it might end up paying even less. Industry estimates suggest that Samsung Display and LG Display will supply the panels for around $66.50 each. That would be a roughly 20 percent drop from the prices paid for iPhone 17 Pro Max OLED panels.
The report says that the price Apple has paid for iPhone OLED panels has fallen with each new generation. However, this year's reduction is unusually steep, especially considering that the iPhone 18 OLED panel is expected to require greater manufacturing complexity – Apple will be using Samsung Display's latest M16 OLED material set, which improves luminous efficiency, lifespan, and color performance.
Smartphone makers across the board are said to be trying to offset rising memory costs by reducing procurement expenses for other components, including display panels and camera modules.
According to market research firm UBI Research, Samsung Display is expected to supply 46 million OLED panels for Apple's iPhone 18 lineup this year, comprising 2 million for the standard iPhone 18 model, 18 million for the iPhone 18 Pro, and 26 million for the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Meanwhile, LG Display is forecast to supply 41 million panels, including 1 million for the standard model, 19 million for the 18 Pro, and 21 million for the 18 Pro Max.
Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 18 Pro models in September alongside its first foldable iPhone, followed by the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e in spring 2027. Analysts suggest the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max could start at $1,299 and $1,399, respectively. In other words, a $200 jump over their predecessors, with rising memory and storage costs largely to blame.
President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order on tariffs, in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C., April 2, 2025.
A group of 25 U.S. lawmakers has sent a letter to President Trump calling on his administration to confront the European Union’s digital regulations, which they describe as discriminatory policies aimed at American technology giants.
In the letter, obtained by Reuters, the Republican lawmakers – including key members of the House trade subcommittee – urged the president to consider launching Section 301 investigations under U.S. trade law. Such probes could pave the way for tariffs or other retaliatory measures against the EU if talks fail to resolve the issues.
The central target of the complaint is the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which designates major U.S. companies – including Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Booking Holdings – as “gatekeepers” subject to strict behavioral rules. Lawmakers argue the rules unfairly burden American firms while sparing European and Chinese competitors.
Key concerns raised in the letter:
• Cloud services: The likely inclusion of Amazon Web Services and Microsoft’s cloud business under DMA oversight would impose “unprecedented regulatory burdens” not faced by European or Chinese rivals.
• Google fines: An expected European Commission fine against Google this week for alleged DMA violations ignores the company’s significant changes to its search services.
• Inconsistent enforcement: Apple, Meta, and Amazon have been labeled gatekeepers based on user numbers in Europe, while Chinese platforms like Temu and AliExpress have been excluded.
“We write to bring to your attention the many ways the EU continues to pursue anti-competitive acts, policies, and practices as a tool of economic extraction and regulatory coercion against American firms,” the letter states. It warns that EU access to the U.S. market “is not guaranteed” if the discriminatory practices continue.
The European Commission has not yet responded to the letter. It maintains that its rules apply neutrally to promote fair competition and do not single out any country.
This latest congressional push aligns with President Trump’s long-standing criticism of EU digital policies and could signal a more aggressive U.S. trade posture toward Brussels in the coming months. Lawmakers emphasized that dialogue should be attempted first, but “all available tools” – including tariffs – remain on the table if needed.
The move highlights ongoing transatlantic tensions over technology regulation, data privacy, and market access that have persisted for years and are now poised to test the new Trump administration’s approach to international trade.
MacDailyNews Take: Good. The DMA does far more harm than good.
The European Union arose because the Europeans couldn’t compete on their own with the rest of the world, so they each lined up to surrender their national sovereignty, unique cultures, and dignity for an undemocratic, opaque, wasteful, bloated, bureaucratic quasi-governmental blob – and, even with the EU’s thumbs all over the scale, they still can’t compete. – MacDailyNews, March 4, 2024
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