Welcome back to Week in Review. This week we have a lot of news to share with you, including a shakeup in X, Hugging Face’s new robot, new smartphones from Nothing and Samsung and much more. Have a great weekend!
Off for something else: This week, X CEO Linda Yaccarino announced her resignation after a turbulent two-year tenure that was marked by the backlash of advertisers, Elon Musk’s controversies and the platform’s AI problems. The company’s advertising business improved under her leadership but the road ahead is still tough.
See through: Apple continues tweaking its new Liquid Glass Design in iOS 26 beta 3. It dials back transparency in areas such as Notifications and Apple Music in response to user complaints about readability. It’s just the latest step to find the right balance for the OS launch this fall.
Cutest: Hugging Face opened orders for its open source desktop robot Reachy Mini aimed at AI Developers. The build-it yourself bots start at $299 and are fully programmable using Python. They also integrate with the Hugging Face Hub.
Welcome to TechCrunch Week in Review. Here we recap the biggest news of the week. Want this delivered to your inbox each Saturday? Sign up.
News
A whole lot of Nothing: Ivan Mehta (2019)
A whole lot of Nothing: Nothing’s $799 Phone (3), its most ambitious to date, boasts a quirky second screen, AI capabilities, and flagship specs that rival Samsung and Apple. The design and price may cause mixed reactions, which could keep it in the “alternative” category rather than “replacement” territory for now.
Samsung too: Samsung released two new foldable phones in the last week, the Z Fold7 and Z Flip7. It also released a more affordable foldable phone called the Z Flip7 FE.
This is the car I want: Rivian’s new quad motor R1T and R1S electric vehicles are here. They boast 1,025 horsepower and can go from 0-60 in under 2.5 seconds. They also have flashy new software features like “kick-turn” and RAD tuner for custom driving mode. Rivian is betting that its $115,000+ flagship will hold the line until their more affordable R2s arrive 2026.
Cool and awesome: Elon Musk claims xAI’s Grok 4 is a’maximally truth seeking AI’, but testing has shown that the chatbot consults Musk’s X posts or public opinions when answering questions. The model’s alignment to its founder raises new concerns about objectivity, and Grok’s readiness to be featured in Teslas which Musk says will be coming next week.
Another one: Apple’s head of AI, Ruoming Pang, has left Meta to join Zuckerberg’s growing AI superintelligence team. The move is a sign of ongoing problems in Apple’s AI effort and adds to Meta’s growing bench of on-device AI experts.
Safety First? Jack Dorsey worked last weekend on a Bluetooth-based message app called Bitchat. It uses Bluetooth mesh networks to allow users to chat without Wi-Fi and cell service. Security researchers are already questioning the claims made by the app’s developers that it is secure. The app is currently in closed beta.
Now is the time: RealSense, after 14 years at Intel, is spinning off as an independent company. With $50 million in funding, RealSense will scale its 3D stereo imaging technology used in robotics and drones. Nadav orbach, CEO of RealSense, wants to improve safety features in human-robot interactions as AI-driven demand increases.
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.
Karyne Levy is the deputy managing editor of TechCrunch. Before joining TC, Karyne was deputy managing editor at Protocol, helping manage a newsroom of more than 40 people. Prior to that she was a senior producer at Scribd, an assigning editor at NerdWallet, a senior tech editor at Business Insider, and assistant managing editor at CNET, where she also hosted Rumor Has It for CNET TV. She lives outside San Francisco.
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