Musk Wants More Control; Vodafone/Microsoft Partnership; Apple Cedes

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Why Does Musk Want More Control of Tesla?

“I am uncomfortable growing Tesla to be a leader in AI & robotics without having ~25% voting control,” Tesla [TSLA] CEO Musk posted on X earlier this week. He currently owns some 13% of the company, or 411 million shares of a total 3.2 billion. His post seemingly constituted an ultimatum: “Unless that is the case, I would prefer to build products outside of Tesla”, he continued.

Vodafone/Microsoft AI Partnership

Vodafone [VOD] has signed a deal with Microsoft [MSFT] to invest some $1.5bn over the next ten years on developing various different businesses, focused on artificial intelligence (AI), digital payments and Internet of Things, among other spheres. Vodafone will use OpenAI technology via Azure in its customer service operations, while its employees will have access to Microsoft Copilot. Meanwhile, Microsoft is to offer a $20 subscription to ‘Copilot Pro’ to individuals and small businesses.

Chasing the Solid-State Dream

As part of its ongoing quest to develop a solid-state battery for electric vehicles (EVs), German giant Volkswagen [VWAGY] has entered into talks with France’s Blue Solutions, Reuters reported. Blue Solutions already produces solid-state batteries for Mercedes-Benz’ [MBGAF] Daimler; the company has said it aims to build a gigafactory in 2029, and has signed a joint development agreement with BMW [BMWYY].

Apple Ready to Cede on Patent Dispute

Apple [AAPL] has opted to remove a blood-oxygen sensor from its some of its smartwatches, in response to a patent dispute which last month led to a US import ban, following on from an October ruling by the US International Trade Commission. The agency found that the sensor violated the patent of medtech company Masimo [MASI]. If, however, the ban is overturned, then the blood-oxygen feature will be maintained.

Anticipation Ahead of Samsung AI Phone Launch

South Korea’s Samsung [SSNLF] is set to launch the latest version of its Galaxy smartphone, the company’s flagship product since 2009. The new model has been touted as the first device to leverage AI. Few details have yet emerged, although Samsung has revealed that it will feature built-in, real-time voice and text translation. Many in the industry will be hoping that the release drives new interest in the smartphone market, Bloomberg reported.