Enterprise

US willing to pay companies to drop Huawei

New proposal also affects ZTE hardware

Published

October 30, 2019

Luigi Leonardo

For most of the US-Huawei debacle, Huawei was up against the entire government as an undefinable whole. It didn’t matter which department the pressure was coming from; Americans hate Huawei, nonetheless. Of course, governance doesn’t exactly work that way. Certain organizations have more opinions on certain matters than others. In Huawei’s case, the actual organization responsible for American communications has more in store for the Chinese company.

In an official statement, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is mulling over a proposal that spells more trouble for Huawei. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai reiterates the inherent danger of relying on foreign telecommunications equipment, especially as the world switches to 5G technology soon. For most of the technology’s infancy, Huawei and ZTE have ruled the conversation, providing the best solution for large-scale adoption. Even then, both companies are already part and parcel of the American telco scene. The Chinese domination is a point of contention for several American lawmakers today.

Playing on this risk, Pai is considering the widespread prohibition of American networks’ usage of Huawei and ZTE equipment. On its own, the new provision is just another iteration of what we already know. However, the proposal includes a vital provision: companies will be prohibited from tapping into the country’s Universal Service Fund (USF) to buy Huawei’s and ZTE’s products. (The USF is an equipment subsidy from the FCC. Basically, the FCC will prohibit using the government’s money to buy these Chinese products.)

In addition, the FCC will further subsidize existing telcos to switch from Huawei/ZTE to a locally available one. The incentive aims to pull in more support in the government’s crusade against Chinese equipment.

The proposal, however, is not in effect yet. The FCC will still vote on the new proposal next month.

Enterprise

realme is reportedly going back to being an OPPO sub-brand

All scheduled phones will still launch on time, though.

Published

January 9, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

A popular story among Chinese smartphone brands is whenever a sub-brand spinning off into its own independent entity. A less common one is when an independent entity suddenly merges back into the main entity. And yet, that’s the story we have today. realme is reportedly going back to being a sub-brand of OPPO.

If you don’t remember realme’s time as a sub-brand, then it’s hardly your fault. It’s been a long while since realme was considered a sub-brand. In 2018, the brand spun off on its own to form one of the most popular names in the Chinese smartphone space.

Today, via Leiphone, realme will return to OPPO as a sub-brand. Current realme CEO Sky Li will still retain his responsibilities heading the brand. Plus, all products on the current release schedule will still come out as planned.

However, starting this year, realme will start reintegrating back into OPPO, particularly through the latter’s after-sales programs. OnePlus will also follow the same structure going forward.

Currently, realme has not officially announced the move. That said, we also don’t know how the brand will address the reported change. It’s possible that the shift is just internal and has no effect on how the brand faces the public. For now, only time will tell.

Enterprise

Samsung warns that tech prices might increase this year

And it’s all because of AI.

Published

January 8, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

The big story late last year was the skyrocketing prices of chips. Analysts are predicting that the demand for RAM will cause the entire industry to experience hikes this year. Some users, especially in the PC building scene, are already feeling the burn. PCs won’t be the only victims, though. Xiaomi is already expecting hikes across the board. Now, Samsung is adding its voice to the growing list of warnings about price increases.

During CES 2026, Wonjiun Lee, Samsung’s global marketing chief, confirmed that the memory shortages are, in fact, real (via Bloomberg). Moreover, the company is now evaluating whether more price hikes are needed this year for its products. Though Lee expressed regret over pushing the prices to consumers, the state of the industry might force the company’s hand.

Samsung’s opinion has a lot of weight. While other brands have also voiced out their opinions lately, Samsung itself is a producer of chips. If a chip supplier is already warning users of prices affecting them, the effect will likely cascade even more when it comes to device manufacturers.

The ongoing shortage of chips is a result of the overwhelming demand from companies looking to build and bolster AI-based servers. The business-to-business demand is notably different from how regular consumers, who will soon find it hard to buy their own devices, see it.

At the very least, Samsung has not confirmed any price increases yet. However, all eyes are on the next Galaxy Unpacked, when Samsung will launch its newest Galaxy products. Will prices increase or stay the same?

Enterprise

TikTok finally gets a buyer in the United States

The deal targets a closing date in late January.

Published

December 19, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

The year started with a ban. A day before Donald Trump started his second term, TikTok went dark, in anticipation of an impending ban. The platform quickly went back online, leading to an ultimatum that saw TikTok hunt for an American buyer to full stave off a definitive ban in the United States. Now, as the year ends, a buyer is finally here.

Via CNBC, TikTok has reportedly inked a deal to finalize a deal in the United States, as stated in an internal memo from CEO Shou Zi Chew. The memo, which was sent just this week, details a plan that will see the deal close by January 26, 2026.

Fifty percent of TikTok’s newly restructured U.S. arm will be held by a collection of American investors including Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX. Meanwhile, already existing investors of TikTok will hold 30.1 percent. Finally, ByteDance will retain 19.9 percent.

Additionally, TikTok’s algorithm in the United States will be retrained with American data. The American arm will also handle the country’s “data protection, algorithm security, content moderation, and software assurance.” Oracle will be the “trusted security partner” in charge of making sure the company keeps within regulations in the country.

With a deal pushing through, the long-running TikTok saga in the United States might finally come to a close.