Welcome back to Week in Review! We’ve got tons of news for you this week, including a shakeup at X, Hugging Face’s new robot, new phones from Nothing and Samsung, and a whole lot more. Have a great weekend!
Off to do something else: X CEO Linda Yaccarino stepped down this week after a tumultuous two-year tenure marked by advertiser backlash, Elon Musk’s controversies, and the platform’s AI troubles. The company’s ad business improved under her leadership, but the road ahead will still be tough.
See-through: Apple continues to tweak its new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26 beta 3, dialing back transparency in areas like Notifications and Apple Music after user complaints about readability. It’s the latest step in finding the right balance before the OS launches this fall.
The cutest: Hugging Face has opened orders for its new open source desktop robot, Reachy Mini, aimed at AI developers. Starting at $299, the build-it-yourself bots are fully programmable in Python and integrated with the Hugging Face Hub.
This is TechCrunch’s Week in Review, where we recap the week’s biggest news. Want this delivered as a newsletter to your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here.
News
Whole lot of Nothing: Nothing’s $799 Phone (3) is its most ambitious yet, with a quirky new second screen, AI features, and flagship specs aimed at rivaling Samsung and Apple. But mixed reactions to the design and pricing may keep it in “alternative to” rather than “replacement for” territory, at least for now.
Samsung, too: Samsung also released new foldable phones this week, the new Z Fold7 and the Z Flip7. It also released a cheaper foldable phone, the Z Flip7 FE.
I want this car: Rivian’s new quad-motor R1T and R1S EVs are here, boasting 1,025 horsepower, getting you from 0 to 60 in under 2.5 seconds, and flashy new software tricks like “kick turn” and RAD Tuner for custom driving modes. With in-house motors and a deeper software stack, Rivian’s betting this $115,000+ flagship can hold the line until its more affordable R2s arrive in 2026.
Cool, awesome: Elon Musk says xAI’s new Grok 4 is a “maximally truth-seeking AI,” but testing shows the chatbot often consults Musk’s own X posts and public opinions when answering controversial questions. The model’s alignment with its founder raises fresh concerns about objectivity and about Grok’s readiness for prime time, including being featured in Teslas, which Musk says is coming next week.
And another one: Apple’s head of AI models, Ruoming Pang, has left for Meta, where he’ll join Zuckerberg’s growing AI superintelligence unit. The move signals ongoing trouble in Apple’s AI efforts and adds more on-device AI expertise to Meta’s expanding bench.
Safety first? Jack Dorsey spent last weekend building a Bluetooth-based messaging app called Bitchat, which operates through Bluetooth mesh networks, letting users chat without Wi-Fi or cell service. The app is now in closed beta, but the claims that the app is secure are already facing scrutiny by security researchers.
It’s time: After 14 years inside Intel, RealSense is spinning out as an independent company with $50 million in funding to scale its 3D stereoscopic imaging tech used in robotics, drones, and more. CEO Nadav Orbach aims to boost go-to-market efforts and improve safety features for human-robot interaction as AI-driven demand surges.
Analysis
Pulling back the curtain: Slate Auto, a stealthy Michigan-based EV startup backed by Jeff Bezos, stunned the industry by unveiling plans for an ultra-affordable, customizable electric pickup truck. After three years in the shadows, the company aims to shake up the market with production targeted for late 2026.
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