Apple Announces New CEO John Ternus and Chief Hardware Officer Position; Huawei Unveils Pura X Max Foldable Phone with Potential Price Hike; Multiple Platforms Respond to 12306 Ticketing Issues

Morning News – Apple announces new CEO and establishes Chief Hardware Officer position / Huawei launches the Pura X Max foldable phone; Yu Chengdong: Prices may increase due to rising costs / Multiple platforms respond to 12306 ticketing issues.

Market News – April 21, 09:12

Apple has officially announced that John Ternus will take over as CEO in September. In a related internal communication, current CEO Tim Cook confirmed he will step down and transition to the role of Chairman. Cook expressed his confidence in Ternus, citing his vision and character as key attributes. Ternus will begin his role as CEO in September, while Cook will continue as CEO until then. Starting today, Ternus will hand over the hardware engineering responsibilities to Tom Marieb, who will report to Johny Srouji, who has been appointed as the Chief Hardware Officer.

Huawei Launches Pura X Max and Pura 90 Series – Yesterday, Huawei unveiled the Pura 90 series and the first large foldable screen phone, the Pura X Max. The Pura 90 series features a flat screen design with upgraded imaging capabilities. The Pura X Max highlights its large foldable display as a flagship offering. Yu Chengdong, Huawei’s Executive Director, noted that due to the rising costs of storage chips, the average cost of the Pura 90 series has increased by about 1500 yuan, leading to significant pricing pressures.

In addition to the phone series, Huawei also launched AI glasses starting at 2499 yuan, the MateBook 14 Harmony version starting at 6599 yuan, Huawei Watch FIT 5 Pro starting at 2099 yuan, and the Huawei Watch Buds 2 priced at 3488 yuan.

ByteDance’s Profit Decline – Reports indicate that ByteDance’s net profit fell by over 70% last year due to significant investments in the AI sector, including high-end AI chip purchases and model development. Despite this, the company’s revenue grew strongly, with domestic sales up approximately 20% and international sales increasing by nearly 50% compared to the previous year. Company executives clarified that the profit decline included various non-operational factors, and operational profit margins did not fall as dramatically as reported.

Tesla in China – Tesla China has stated that there are currently no specific plans for mass production of robots at the Shanghai Gigafactory. Recent reports misinterpreted comments made by a Tesla executive about the factory’s capabilities.

Chasing the Competition – Yu Hao, founder of Chasing Technology, mentioned in a recent interview that the company aims to compete with Huawei and Xiaomi in the smartphone market. He did not provide specific details on achieving this but hinted at plans to enter the high-end electric vehicle market as well.

Leica’s Next Camera – Leica has announced a strategic partnership with Gpixel to develop a customized high-performance CMOS sensor for their next camera model, focusing on color accuracy, noise optimization, and dynamic range.

Ford’s Vehicle Choice – Ford CEO Jim Farley explained that he opted to test drive the Xiaomi SU7 instead of a Tesla due to the lack of new models from Tesla. He emphasized that competing with Chinese automakers, particularly BYD, involves focusing on cost control and manufacturing capabilities.

China’s Humanoid Robots – Over 80% of the global humanoid robot shipments come from China, which is becoming a significant player in the international robotics market.

Ant’s Ling Guang App – Ant’s Ling Guang App has launched a 100 million yuan creator incentive program to support quality flash applications and creators on its platform.

Kimi K2.6 Release – The Moonlight Dark Side has released and open-sourced its new model Kimi K2.6, which shows competitive results against other proprietary models in industry benchmarks.

Upcoming Releases – The anticipated Luna Ultra camera from Ying Shi is set to debut at the upcoming NAB 2026 show, showcasing key features like a dual-camera system and a one-inch sensor.

New Tank 700 Launch – The new Tank 700 has officially launched with a starting price of 428,000 yuan, featuring unique design aspects inspired by Eastern aesthetics.

AI Model Development – Alibaba has introduced the Fun-ASR 1.5 speech recognition model, which supports 30 languages and has shown significant improvements in accuracy.

Gree’s Statement – Gree Electric has clarified its standards regarding product materials in response to recent controversies, emphasizing a commitment to quality in its household products.

Job Interviews on Sundays – A startup has introduced Sunday interviews to accommodate currently employed candidates, allowing them to participate without taking leave from their jobs.

12306 Ticketing Issues – During the peak ticket-buying period for the May Day holiday, the 12306 platform experienced disruptions affecting ticket sales across multiple travel platforms.

AI Artist Database Launch – iQIYI has launched an AI artist database that includes over 100 artists, though several named artists have denied having signed any related agreements.

Elden Ring Movie Announcement – A live-action film adaptation of the popular game Elden Ring is set to be released on March 3, 2028, produced by A24 and Bandai Namco Entertainment.