Apple to rebrand its operating systems

Major overhaul: Signage for the iPhone 16 in New York. Apple is making the change to bring consistency to its branding and move away from an approach that can be confusing to customers and developers. — Bloomberg

SAN FRANCISCO: Apple Inc is planning the most sweeping change yet to its operating system names, part of a software overhaul that extends to all its devices.

The next Apple operating systems will be identified by year, rather than with a version number, according to sources.

That means the current iOS 18 will give way to “iOS 26”, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plan is still private.

Other updates will be known as iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26 and visionOS 26.

Apple is making the change to bring consistency to its branding and move away from an approach that can be confusing to customers and developers.

Today’s operating systems – including iOS 18, watchOS 12, macOS 15 and visionOS 2 – use different numbers because their initial versions didn’t debut at the same time.

A spokesperson for Cupertino, California-based Apple declined to comment.

The company will announce the shift at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 9.

The branding will accompany fresh user interfaces across the operating systems – an attempt to ensure a more cohesive experience when people move between devices.

The new look, dubbed Solarium internally, will include tvOS, watchOS and parts of visionOS, Bloomberg News reported this week.

The latest naming strategy is reminiscent of approaches taken by both Samsung Electronics Co and Microsoft Corp.

In 2020, Samsung renamed its flagship Galaxy S phone line after its launch year, moving to the Galaxy S20.

That device’s predecessor, which debuted in 2019, was the Galaxy S10, representing the 10th generation.

In 1995, Microsoft shifted to naming major operating systems after the year they launched, rolling out Windows 95 and then Windows 98 and Windows 2000.

The big difference is Apple will use the upcoming year rather than the current one.

Though its next operating systems will launch around September 2025, they’ll be named for 2026 – not unlike how car companies market their vehicles.

If Apple keeps the strategy, the following set of releases will carry the 27 moniker.

Apple previously attempted something similar with its software bundles for office work and creativity applications.

In August 2007, it rolled out iWork ‘08 and iLife ‘08.

That was eventually followed by iLife ‘11, which went on sale in October 2010.

As part of the changes, Apple plans to give the iPad a more Mac-like experience, potentially making it more useful for office work.

And the company is opening up its artificial intelligence (AI) models to third-party developers, letting them tap into the underlying technology used by the Apple Intelligence platform.

Other new features coming this year include a live-translation mode for AirPods and the Siri voice assistant, as well as an eye-scrolling option on the Vision Pro headset.

In the AI realm, Apple is planning health features and an AI-enabled battery management mode.

There also will be a new bi-directional Arabic and English keyboard, a digital calligraphy pen for Apple Pencil users and a new app for gaming on Apple devices. — Bloombe

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Can Huawei break the Mac-Windows duopoly?

 

Global ambitions: A man using his mobile phone in front of a billboard in Beijing, China. Huawei says that the first lineup of its PCs has built-in AI features, including DeepSeek-powered apps. — Bloomberg

IN the latest sign that US attempts to choke Huawei Technologies Co are only strengthening it, the Chinese tech giant will next week release its first line of personal computers (PCs) powered by the homegrown HarmonyOS operating system (OS).

The move to challenge the global duopoly overseen by Microsoft Corp’s Windows and Apple Inc’s MacOS was not by choice.

Huawei’s licence to run Windows on PCs expired in March, and America’s blacklisting makes it difficult for US firms to continue to do business with it.

Instead of succumbing to Washington’s squeeze, Huawei has invested heavily in the nearly impossible task of creating an entirely new software ecosystem from scratch.

It will be an uphill battle for HarmonyOS to make a dent, both in China and globally.

The first computers run by Windows or MacOS were released in the 80s and are the foundation – and essentially only options – for most applications and services that PC users rely on.

The diffusion and adoption of a new operating system doesn’t happen overnight.

But if Huawei can succeed in getting developers on board, it has a shot at providing the first real alternative to this two-party standard and offering a Chinese alternative that could eventually erode the long-term influence of Silicon Valley.

The new PCs follow the remarkable gains made by Huawei’s OS for mobile over the past couple of years, unseating Apple’s iOS in domestic market share at a rapid clip.

In early 2023, HarmonyOS’s operating system had just 8% of the mobile market in China, compared to the 72% held by Alphabet Inc’s Google-backed Android and iOS’s 20%, according to Counterpoint Research.

In the last quarter of 2024, however, HarmonyOS commanded 19% – surpassing iOS’s 17% and pushing Android’s share down to 64%.

There are other elements on its side.

Huawei’s homegrown OS aligns with President Xi Jinping’s goal of tech self-sufficiency, meaning it can likely count on government support to boost adoption.

China has a vast domestic market, which means there’s less pressure on Huawei to rely on the United States or foreign consumers as it works out any kinks.

The trade war is pressuring many Chinese to back domestic brands over American alternatives.

Huawei’s hardware empire also gives it a built-in userbase to tap. The company’s strength still largely lies in mobile devices, but it was second only to Lenovo in PC market share in China last year.

Still, headaches were reported with the mobile version, especially related to accessing certain apps that were specifically built for Android or iOS.

Splashy demo videos make the first such PC look like a sleek MacBook, but it’s going to take years for programmers to build out all the applications and products users have grown accustomed to, from Microsoft’s Office suite to Mac’s FaceTime.

By far the biggest challenge, across all devices, remains convincing developers to get on board.

China’s vast pool of engineers gives it an advantage, but Huawei must aggressively incentivise them to build services specifically for HarmonyOS.

It has made some strides. Huawei says that the first lineup of these PCs has built-in artificial intelligence (AI) features, including DeepSeek-powered apps.

State-backed media has reported that they have more than 150 dedicated applications, as well as being compatible with a range of popular Chinese platforms available on mobile.

In its annual report last year, Huawei said that over a billion devices – including phones, tablets and smartwatches – are already running HarmonyOS.

And Huawei has previously signalled global ambitions for its operating system, coinciding with its devices’ increasing popularity across South-East Asia and emerging markets.

A lot of attention has been paid to Huawei’s rise in the hardware sector, and specifically its advances in chipmaking for AI applications.

US efforts to ban advanced semiconductors from China have no doubt slowed AI ambitions. But they have also accelerated Beijing’s development of a domestic and self-sufficient ecosystem.

Most recently, America’s bar on Nvidia Corp’s H20 chips has been criticised for redirecting demand and money toward Huawei’s alternatives. The proliferation of Huawei’s HarmonyOS now makes it clear that we’re seeing a similar scenario play out in China’s software sector.

Washington should assess how its policies have resulted in Huawei growing into the behemoth it is today.

The ramifications extend far beyond potential impacts to US businesses.

In an increasingly bifurcating tech world, Beijing could eventually end up setting the norms and standards that the rest of the world adopts, whether that’s in AI or operating systems. — Bloomberg

Catherine Thorbecke is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asia tech. The views expressed here are the writer’s own.

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China tops global rankings in overall nuclear power scale for first time

 

Qinshan Nuclear Power plant located in Haiyan county, East China's Zhejiang Province Photo: Hu Yuwei/GT

As of now, China has 102 nuclear power units, including those in operation, under construction and approved for construction, with a total installed capacity of 113 million kilowatts, ranking first globally, in terms of the overall scale, for the first time, according to a blue book - China Nuclear Energy Development Report 2025, the Global Times learnt from the China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA) on Sunday.

As of the end of 2024, China had 28 nuclear power units under construction, and the installed capacity of the units under construction has held the top spot globally for 18 consecutive years, according to the blue book.

In 2024, China's cumulative electricity generation from nuclear power reached 444.7 billion kilowatt-hours, accounting for 4.72 percent of the country's total electricity generation, and ranking second globally. The annual equivalent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions was approximately 334 million tons.

Based on the current construction pace, China's operational nuclear power installed capacity is expected to rank first globally before 2030, according to the report issued by the CNEA.

By 2024, China had achieved 100 percent localization of key main equipment for nuclear power and ensured the independent control of key component technologies. The cumulative delivery of domestic nuclear power main equipment for the entire year reached 114 sets in 2024, doubling the amount delivered in 2023, it said.

Cao Shudong, an executive vice chairman of CNEA, said that China's independent research and development continues to achieve new breakthroughs. Cao said that unit one of the national major science and technology project Guohe One demonstration project has been completed and put into operation, while the Linglong One project is expected to be completed and put into operation in 2026.

The report also advises promoting the balanced development of nuclear power, such as making full use of existing coastal nuclear power plant sites to actively and orderly advance project development.

It also said that China's international cooperation in nuclear energy has made continuous progress, including strengthening communication and cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and opening up 12 nuclear research facilities and experimental platforms to the world, according to the report. Nuclear energy cooperation with Russia, France and other countries and regions is continuously expanding and deepening.

The blue book was issued at the spring summit - International Forum on Nuclear Energy Sustainable Development, which was organized by the CNEA, on Sunday. Dong Baotong, head of the National Nuclear Safety Administration, said that China's nuclear power has entered a peak period of large-scale construction, according to the CNEA.

Currently, influenced by factors such as climate change, ensuring energy security and the surging demand for electricity due to the construction of data centers, the global nuclear energy sector is entering a new phase of industrial revival and innovative development, Dong said.

Dong said it is essential to ensure that the operation of nuclear power units maintains a high level of nuclear safety.

Huang Haihua, a spokesperson for the Legislative Affairs Commission of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, told a press conference on April 25 that the Standing Committee of the 14th NPC will hold its 15th session in Beijing from Sunday to Wednesday. Lawmakers will review several draft laws, including draft law on atomic energy, according to Huang.

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Crypto ownership surges among youths

Illustration: Liu Rui/GT -    

DeepSeek | 深度求索

https://www.deepseek.com/

Modern method: Pedestrians on Orchard Road in Singapore. Among the older generation of crypto users, 42.9% of them use crypto for P2P transactions, followed by 35.7% for online shopping and 17.2% for bill payments. — Bloomberg

SINGAPORE: More people in Singapore own cryptocurrencies and younger users among them are leading the way in using the asset for daily financial needs, such as online shopping and bill payments, a new study shows.

The number of Singapore residents who own cryptocurrencies is on the rise, with 26% of them owning digital assets in 2024, up from 24.4% in 2023.

Of those who hold crypto, a majority, or 52% of them, have paid for goods and services with it, and 67% of them plan to increase usage of crypto for payments in the future.

Gen Zs and millennials, or those aged between 16 and 44 years old as at 2025, lead in crypto ownership, with about 40% of them holding crypto.

Of this group of people, 41.1% of them use crypto for online shopping, 35.9% for bill payments and 27% for in-store retail goods.

While younger consumers use crypto to pay for retail goods and bills, the older generation – those aged 45 or older in 2025 – uses crypto more for peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions such as those made between friends and family.

Among the older generation of crypto users, 42.9% of them use crypto for P2P transactions, followed by 35.7% for online shopping and 17.2% for bill payments.

These were some of the findings from the study by Singapore-based crypto payments firm Triple-A, based on a survey of 1,006 residents in Singapore.

Singapore has seen a notable increase in crypto payments, with merchant services receiving nearly US$1bil (S$1.3bil) in crypto in the second quarter of 2024, much higher than any other quarter in the past two years, according to data from blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis.

A separate Chainalysis report in September 2024 noted a growing adoption of crypto as a payment method in Singapore.

“The combination of regulatory clarity and merchant adoption suggests that Singapore is positioning itself as a major hub for digital assets, which could eventually attract more global businesses and investors,” Chainalysis said.

AXS, in partnership with Triple-A, allows its app users to make top-ups or pay bills in digital currencies such as bitcoin, ethereum, USD coin and tether. Other merchants that have partnered Triple-A to offer the crypto payment option include fashion brand Charles & Keith on its eCommerce platform and Apple products reseller iStudio at its retail stores.

The findings from Triple-A also noted that 37% of respondents cited global acceptance as a key benefit of crypto payments.

Higher transaction speed (29%) and lower fees (20%) were also important factors, particularly for cross-border and time-sensitive transactions. But there are concerns about the crypto ecosystem.

The complexity involved in using crypto was the top challenge cited by 63% of respondents. For instance, users need to figure out the use of private keys, or passwords that allow them to access and manage their crypto funds.

Security concerns (60%) and lack of merchant acceptance (54%) were also factors of concern.

The crypto payments trend comes against a backdrop of a rising number of digital payment token (DPT) firms being licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), fuelling new roles in the growing Web3 industry.

Web3 companies are those that use blockchain technology to build products and services.

As at end-November 2024, MAS had issued a record 13 new DPT licences in 2024, raising the total number of DPT licensees from 16 to 29, a report from blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs released in December 2024 said.

Despite a global slowdown in hiring with mass layoffs in 2024, more than 75% of local Web3 companies want to expand their workforce in 2025 as they continue developing products and services for global and regional markets.

This is according to a report led by the Singapore FinTech Association (SFA), Web3 business account platform HQ.xyz as well as Web3 builder communities SG Builders and Superteam, which conducted surveys and case studies with 53 Web3 companies.

Of these companies, 60% are looking to expand their current workforce by half or more, the report said.

SFA, which facilitates collaboration between market participants and stakeholders in the fintech ecosystem, told The Straits Times that the hiring plans are driven by growing institutional adoption, ongoing technology improvements in blockchain, and the expansion of applications for Web3 technology.

Moves that increased institutional adoption of digital assets include the US Securities and Exchange Commission approving the first US spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds launched by Blackrock, Fidelity and others in January 2024.

A total of 2,433 individuals are currently employed in the local Web3 sector, excluding those working in Web3 roles in non-Web3 native firms.

These roles include those in partnerships, marketing strategy, and sales to help Web3 companies go to market with their solutions, said SFA.

Product managers as well as developers and software engineers are also key roles being hired.

“We also see jobs being created in the professional services sector that support Web3, which include legal, advisory, and consulting roles,” SFA said.

Companies also outlined what they hope to see improvements on as the acceptance of Web3 grows in Singapore. — The Straits Times/ANN

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Chip ambitions hinge on talent development

 

M’sia must overcome shortage of engineers, Ic designers

”There are an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 IC designers in the country, but the bulk of them work in multinational companies like Intel and Infineon. It is a challenge to coax these experienced personnel out of their comfort zones and venture into a startup. Hence, talent is concentrated in multinational corporations.”

PETALING JAYA: The country’s potential to be a key hub for advanced semiconductor manufacturing, packaging and fabrication hinges on talent.

Kenanga Research said in a report that talent remained an important concern, after taking into account the country’s strengths, including a well-developed infrastructure, pro-business policies and neutral stance in geopolitics.

The research house said during a meeting with the Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA), the question of how players can move up the value chain and how the government can pivot away from the typical tax incentive mindset to one of attracting and retaining talent was raised.

“Among the environmental, social and governance or ESG components, talent development is a constant concern for the semiconductor industry.

“Key findings from the Semiconductor Quarterly Pulse Survey (fourth quarter of 2024 or 4Q24) showed that talent – specifically a shortage of engineers and integrated circuit (IC) designers, and market competition remained the top challenges for the industry,” it said.

Additionally, data showed that 72% of companies were hiring engineers and technicians in 1Q25, a trend that has continued from previous quarters, indicating a continuous need for talent.

Data also showed that in 2022, the average monthly salary for employees within the electrical and electronics (E&E) industry was RM6,450.

However, only 0.3% of the E&E workforce held an advanced degree, indicating potential for further growth.

According to the research house, there are an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 IC designers in the country, but the bulk of them work in multinational companies like Intel and Infineon.

“It is a challenge to coax these experienced personnel out of their comfort zones and venture into a startup. Hence, talent is mostly concentrated in the already well-established multinational corporations,” Kenanga Research noted.

MSIA then said some steps must be taken to mitigate this.

These include setting up a university focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), facilitating the hiring of foreign STEM students studying in Malaysia, providing the right incentives to attract foreign talent and encouraging semiconductor players to intensify training.

“The government has earmarked about 10% of the RM25bil allocation to train and upskill 60,000 engineers by 2030 to support advanced manufacturing, research and development, and technological advancements in the semiconductor industry,” it noted.

Meanwhile, Kenanga Research said there were potential opportunities that could emerge in the industry for Malaysia.

There has been growing interest in expanding to Malaysia, especially from Chinese semiconductor firms which are looking to leverage on local infrastructure to facilitate global exports.

“Malaysia remains focused on driving economic growth by fostering a pro-business environment that attracts foreign investments.

“Moreover, Malaysia is actively pursuing high-value foreign direct investment while encouraging collaboration between the local private sector and the government to strengthen and develop a robust semiconductor ecosystem, particularly in advanced packaging,” it added.

To successfully do this, the country will focus on several key factors, including strengthening government incentives for IC design, improving supply chain resilience to support high-end semiconductor manufacturing, and attracting semiconductor fabrication investments.

To add to this, the country had committed US$250mil over 10 years in a strategic partnership with Arm Holdings plc recently to access chip design blueprints and training, aiming to transition from chip assembly and testing (back-end) to high-value semiconductor design and production.

With that, Kenanga Research reiterated the need for greater investments into the semiconductor supply chain to strengthen resilience and attract suppliers from key markets.

“While Malaysia has a strong semiconductor foundation, it must accelerate technological adoption, talent development and infrastructure investments to maintain its competitive edge in the rapidly evolving global market,” the research house said.

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