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Date:2026-07-07 UTC

Google has confirmed its Pixel 11 launch event for August 12, with reports suggesting price hikes disguised as storage upgrades. The global chip industry is under pressure from geopolitical tensions, with Alibaba pushing for RISC-V ecosystem unity, DeepSeek planning to make its own chips under US export controls, and South Korea's massive chip-AI plan facing power and water shortages. China's semiconductor equipment stocks face an earnings test following a sharp rally, while Samsung's Q2 profits surged 1,810% on AI chip demand. China's humanoid robot output is expected to exceed 100,000 this year, and Japan's Shimizu is deploying humanoids for construction. AI datacentre expansion faces local opposition in Scotland and broader project delays threatening global AI growth.

Google confirms Pixel 11 event for August 12

Google confirms Pixel 11 event for August 12Google has officially announced its Pixel 11 launch event for August 12, teasing a new flagship design. Multiple reports suggest the company may raise prices, with the increase potentially framed as a storage upgrade rather than a direct price hike. The event will showcase Google's latest smartphone lineup and hardware innovations.

Sources:
Google’s Pixel event is set for August 12 (TechCrunch)
Google’s Pixel 11 launch event is set for August 12, with possible price increases (Ars Technica)
Google’s Pixel 11 price hike may come disguised as a storage upgrade (Digital Trends)
Google confirms Pixel 11 launch event with a tease of its new flagship design (Digital Trends)

Global chip race intensifies amid geopolitical tensions

Global chip race intensifies amid geopolitical tensionsAlibaba's vice-president Qi Xiaoning has called for global tech firms to work together as 'one ecosystem' on RISC-V chip research amid rising geopolitical barriers. Chinese AI company DeepSeek is planning to develop its own chips in response to US export controls. South Korea's ambitious $880 billion chip and AI investment plan faces significant infrastructure challenges, including power and water shortages. A $400 million machine is pushing the boundaries of next-generation chipmaking.

Sources:
World working together ‘as one ecosystem’ on RISC-V chip research: executiveAlibaba vice-president Qi Xiaoning says global tech firms continue to build a unified, open-standard ecosystem amid rising geopolitical barriers. (SCMP)
Facing US export controls, China’s DeepSeek plans to make its own chips (Ars Technica)
South Korea's $880 billion chip and AI plan faces two big problems: power and waterPublished7 July 26 (Tom's Hardware)
The $400 million machine powering the future of chipmaking (MIT Review)

AI chip demand fuels record semiconductor profits

AI chip demand fuels record semiconductor profitsSamsung's second-quarter profits surged 1,810% driven by explosive AI semiconductor demand. A Chinese memory and storage firm is expected to report a profit jump of over 60,000%. Meanwhile, China's semiconductor equipment sector faces an earnings season scrutiny as stock prices have soared, with investors questioning whether the rally is justified by fundamentals.

Sources:
China’s chip equipment sector faces earnings scrutiny amid soaring stock pricesWith first-half earnings season looming, the question for the semiconductor industry is whether results can justify stock rally. (SCMP)
AI semiconductor demand skyrockets Samsung's Q2 profits by 1810% (China Daily)
Chinese memory and storage firm expected to post more than 60,000% jump in profits due to exploding demandPublished7 July 26 (Tom's Hardware)

Humanoid robot production ramps up globally

Humanoid robot production ramps up globallyA Chinese senior official announced the country's humanoid robot output is expected to exceed 100,000 units this year. Reports from China detail the training of humanoid robots for diverse tasks from farm work to traditional Henan Opera performances. In Japan, construction firm Shimizu is betting on humanoid robots to address severe labor shortages in the construction industry.

Sources:
China's output of humanoid robot to exceed 100,000 this year: senior official (China Daily)
From farm work to Henan Opera: Inside a 'preschool' for humanoid robots (China Daily)
Japan's Shimizu bets on humanoid robots to tackle construction labor crunch (Nikkei Tech)

AI datacentre boom faces local opposition and delays

AI datacentre boom faces local opposition and delaysA Scottish village has turned from hope to fear over a planned AI datacentre, with residents calling the project 'smoke and mirrors.' Stymied datacentre projects globally are threatening to slow the AI revolution. Meanwhile, the rise of open-source AI models has yet to significantly impact commercial AI companies like Anthropic.

Sources:
AI‘It’s smoke and mirrors’: hope turns to fear in Scottish village chosen for AI datacentre (The Guardian)
Stymied datacentre projects threaten global AI revolution (The Guardian)
Why the rise of open source AI isn’t hurting Anthropic … yet (TechCrunch)