Apple announces £600 iPhone 16e, Microsoft quantum chip breakthrough
Apple has announced a new iPhone which brings artificial intelligence (AI) features at a lower cost than its flagship handsets. The iPhone 16e has the same processor as the larger iPhone 16, Apple said, with similar storage options, though a lower spec elsewhere, including fewer cameras. Apple said the iPhone 16e would be available for pre-order from 21 February in 59 countries. It will launch in the UK for £599, which is £200 less than the iPhone 16 – but more than double the price of the original iPhone SE went for when it launched in 2016. BBC
The brand-new iPhone 16e is the fourth and least expensive member of the iPhone 16 series. Reaching the $599/€699/£599 starting price required some resourcefulness and it’s now confirmed that the A18 chip inside the 16e is not on par with the one used in the regular iPhone 16.
As per the official specs from Apple, the 16e’s A18 chip features a 6-core CPU (2 performance and 4 efficiency) alongside a 4-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine. While the CPU and Neural core count is the same as the regular A18 chip, the GPU on the 16e gets one less core. GSM Arena
Quantum computers could be built within years rather than decades, according to Microsoft, which has developed a chip that it claims echoes the invention of the semiconductors that made today’s smartphones, computers and electronics possible. The chip is powered by the world’s first topoconductor, which can create a new state of matter that is not a solid, liquid, or gas, making it possible to design quantum systems that fit in a single chip smaller than the palm of a hand. The Guardian
Car makers, already under pressure to sell more EVs, have expressed concern that sales could be further throttled back by new rules to include EVs in the so-called expensive car supplement (ECS) from 1 April this year. Under the changes, electric cars will become liable for the same road tax as regular combustion-engine cars, albeit at a reduced rate. However, the big change affects EVs costing over £40,000, which triggers the additional ECS tax. Autocar
Mercedes-Benz has announced a cost-cutting drive as profits plunged by nearly a third amid a slowdown in its electric car business. The German car maker said it plans to slash production costs by 10pc by 2027 as it seeks to “ensure the company’s future competitiveness”. It expects a sharp drop in profits this year despite plans for a series of product launches, and warned of the threat from tariffs by Donald Trump. Telegraph
As a journalist who does shift work – I’m obsessed with sleep. I don’t get enough of it, and it’s pretty irregular when I do. And so, when my Apple Watch informs me I’ve had more than 8 hours – with solid REM metrics – everyone will know about it. ‘Sleepmaxxing’ is a concept I came across on TikTok – it describes viral hacks to optimise your sleep, from drinking magnesium-laced ‘Sleepy Girl’ mocktails to sleeping with your mouth taped. Sky News
An electric truck-maker that sought to rival Elon Musk’s Tesla has filed for bankruptcy in the US after its founder was sent to prison for fraud. Nikola, which developed hydrogen fuel and battery-powered trucks, was once valued at more than $30bn (£24bn), but its share price collapsed just months after it went public in 2020 amid claims it was misleading investors. Telegraph
