| Here’s a look at today's tech briefing: - Apple may launch a 'significantly thinner' iPhone next year.
- GTA 6 is due out in fall 2025.
- Twitter URL now redirects to X.com.
- Microsoft may release next 'Call of Duty' on subscription service.
- GameStop shares fall after 'meme stock' rally.
- OpenAI partners with Reddit.
Beth
p/beth-duckett | |
| 1 | | Apple is reportedly developing a "significantly thinner" iPhone for launch next year. The device could be part of the iPhone 17 lineup, possibly replacing the "Plus" version in the series, The Information reports. More: - The report suggests the new model could be higher priced than the $1,199 Pro Max, becoming the lineup's highest-end model.
- The device could show a major redesign similar to the iPhone X, moving the rear cameras to the top center and featuring a slimmer Dynamic Island.
- The slimmer model could also feature a 6.1-inch to 6.7-inch display, aluminum chassis, and Apple's A19 chip, its latest-gen processor.
Zoom out: - The report warns that multiple designs are still under testing, and Apple could delay the launch past 2025.
- Meanwhile, Apple plans to release the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max this September.
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| 2 | Video game company Take-Two Interactive plans to release "GTA 6" in fall 2025. "Grand Theft Auto 6," the sixth installment of the series, is produced by Rockstar Games under parent company Take-Two. More: - Take-Two previously set the release date for 2025 but has narrowed it to this fall timeframe.
- During an earnings call Thursday, CEO Strauss Zelnick said the company is "highly confident that Rockstar Games will deliver an unparalleled entertainment experience."
- Take-Two's expectations for GTA 6's commercial impact continue to rise, he added.
- The release window comes five months after the game's first trailer leaked online, setting a new record for most views of a non-music YouTube video.
- The footage shows the game set in a contemporary version of Florida, with the series' first playable female character named Lucia.
Zoom out: - On Thursday, Take-Two reported a $2.9B loss last quarter, mainly due to a $2.18 billion goodwill charge.
- GTA 6 is expected to significantly boost Take-Two's revenue. Its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto 5, is the second best-selling video game after Minecraft, with over 200 million copies sold to date
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| 3 | | X, formerly Twitter, has completed its rebrand by replacing Twitter.com with the X.com domain. Owner Elon Musk posted today that "all core systems are now on X.com." More: - Musk rebranded the platform to X last summer, nine months after acquiring the company.
- However, most of X's pages still retained Twitter in their URLs until now.
- Changing the domain marked one of the final steps in Musk's rebranding.
- A message now appears at the bottom of the X login page, "We are letting you know that we are changing our URL, but your privacy and data protection settings remain the same."
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| 4 | | Microsoft plans to release the next "Call of Duty" game on its Game Pass subscription service, shifting from the practice of only selling the game independently. Microsoft acquired "Call of Duty" through its $69B purchase of Activision Blizzard last year. More: - Activision has typically released new "Call of Duty" games individually priced at around $70 or more.
- By offering the next game via Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft subscribers could access the title on day one for as low as $11.
- Microsoft hasn't said if it will charge extra for "Call of Duty" or raise the Game Pass Ultimate fee.
Zoom out: - Microsoft will announce the move at its annual Xbox Games Showcase on June 9.
- Activision is targeting an October launch for "Call of Duty Black Ops 6," reportedly set during the '90s Gulf War.
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| 5 | | GameStop stock fell for a third straight day on Friday after the retailer said it would sell up to 45 million shares. Shares surged earlier this week following the return of a popular day trader known for meme stock investing. 
What happened: GameStop's shares spiked this week, driven by the online return of Keith Gill, a retail trader and a major figure of the 2021 meme stock mania. Also known as "Roaring Kitty," Gill posted on X Sunday after being dormant for years. What the numbers show: After Gill's posts revived a following of retail traders, GameStop's stock soared by 179% over two days, reaching a peak of $64.83 on Tuesday. However, shares reversed sharply later this week, falling to $20.65 by Friday morning, erasing most of the earlier gains. Why it happened: Friday's drop was largely attributed to GameStop's preliminary earnings results and a possible new equity offering. The videogame retailer filed to sell 45 million new shares of common stock, aiming to capitalize on the higher stock prices. It also reported preliminary Q1 net sales of $872M to $892M, down from around $1.24B in the same quarter last year. Zoom out: GameStop, with brick-and-mortar stores, has been struggling amid the shift to online shopping and competition from e-commerce. In March, the company announced an unspecified number of layoffs to lower costs. | | | |
| 6 | | OpenAI partnered with Reddit to bring content from the social network to ChatGPT. The deal "will enable OpenAI's AI tools to better understand and showcase Reddit content, especially on recent topics," the companies said. More: - With the deal, OpenAI gains access to Reddit's data API, allowing ChatGPT and its other products to integrate real-time discussions from Reddit.
- In exchange, Reddit will provide its users and moderators with new AI tools powered by OpenAI models.
- OpenAI will also become a Reddit advertising partner.
Zoom out: - No financial terms were disclosed. OpenAI, whose CEO Sam Altman holds a large stake in Reddit, confirmed that the deal was brokered by its COO Brad Lightcap and approved by its board.
- Earlier this year, Reddit signed a reported $60M deal to supply its content to Google for training AI models.
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 | AI and technology writer | | Beth is a contributing editor and writer of Inside's AI and Tech newsletters. She has written for publications including USA Today, the Arizona Business Gazette, and The Arizona Republic, where she received recognition with a Pulitzer Prize nomination and a First Amendment Award for collaborative reporting on state pension cost increases. You can reach her at Beth.Duckett@yahoo.com. | | This newsletter was edited by Beth Duckett | |
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