Meta will increase prices on its Quest virtual reality headsets in the United States, citing rising component costs as the driver. The move signals that hardware inflation is now directly hitting the consumer VR segment, where Meta has historically subsidized device prices to accelerate platform adoption. Quest headsets have served as the primary entry point to Meta's broader Reality Labs ecosystem, which has posted cumulative operating losses exceeding $50 billion since 2020. By passing costs to consumers, Meta is shifting the unit-economics calculus for its VR hardware strategy. Higher upfront prices could slow headset attach rates, compressing the user base on which Meta depends to justify continued Reality Labs investment. Developers building for the Quest platform face softer addressable hardware numbers. Rivals including Apple, with its Vision Pro at a premium price point, and Sony's PlayStation VR2 compete in adjacent segments. Watch whether Meta pairs price hikes with new hardware releases or subscription bundles to offset demand friction.
Apple has raised MacBook and iPad prices in India by 20% to 42%, citing a sharp surge in memory chip costs driven by AI data centre demand. Micron, the leading memory supplier, reported 86% gross margins, confirming that supply pressures have fundamentally shifted component pricing across the consumer electronics
India's central government will take a 1-2% stake in AI unicorn Sarvam once its $300 million funding round closes, converting compute subsidies provided under the IndiaAI Mission into equity. The move sets a precedent for how the government accounts for public support given to homegrown AI startups.
Apple announced iOS 27 at WWDC 2026, featuring a redesigned Siri as a standalone app with chat history, apps launching up to 30 percent faster, and a refined Liquid Glass interface. A developer preview is live now, with public release expected around September 2026.
Apple's WWDC 2026 keynote unveiled a fully redesigned Siri and confirmed iOS 27 alongside updates for iPadOS, visionOS, watchOS, and macOS. The Siri overhaul is the most strategically significant move, targeting a competitive gap with Google and Microsoft in AI assistants.
