Apple is facing a shortage of A18 Pro chips for its popular MacBook Neo due to high demand and discontinued production, while Elon Musk partners with Intel to build a chip fabrication plant supporting Tesla’s vertical integration. Meanwhile, Samsung’s Q1 2026 profits soar from AI data center and memory chip sales, overshadowing its mobile division, as the video also highlights top tech company performers, new product updates, and various industry news.
This week’s tech roundup begins with Apple facing an unexpected challenge: the MacBook Neo’s overwhelming popularity has led to a shortage of its A18 Pro chips. These chips are actually slightly defective versions of last year’s iPhone chips, repurposed for the MacBook Neo to keep costs low—a process known as binning. However, the demand for the Neo has outpaced supply, and since these chips are no longer in production, Apple would need to pay a premium to restart manufacturing, potentially undermining the device’s affordability.
Next, Elon Musk’s ambitious plan to build a chip fabrication plant, dubbed Terrafab, in partnership with Intel has been clarified. Rather than Tesla or SpaceX building the fab themselves, Intel will handle the manufacturing, leveraging its expertise in high-performance chip production. This collaboration aligns with Musk’s vision of vertical integration, as Tesla already designs its own chips and software and manufactures some battery components. The partnership also benefits Intel by validating its foundry business model with a high-profile customer.
Samsung’s Q1 2026 profits have skyrocketed, driven primarily by the booming AI data center market and memory chip sales. This surge in chip profitability is so significant that it may cause Samsung’s mobile device division to become unprofitable for the first time in over a decade. Samsung’s earnings now rival those of Nvidia and have surpassed major tech companies like TSMC, Microsoft, Meta, and Alphabet, highlighting the immense value of memory chips in the current tech landscape.
The video also introduces a new segment called “stons,” which briefly highlights the best and worst performing publicly traded tech companies of the week. Intel, SK Hynix, SanDisk, and Micron are among the winners due to strong memory chip demand and key deals, while companies like Palantir, Lucid, Tesla, and BYD faced challenges ranging from recalls to market conditions. The segment invites viewer feedback on its format and name.
Finally, the video covers a variety of tech news and product updates, including DJI’s powerful new e-bikes, Valve’s Steam Link beta for Apple Vision Pro, and Anthropic’s new cybersecurity AI model Mythos. Other highlights include Germany’s negative power prices due to renewable energy surges, a detailed lunar map for Artemis mission fans, and a humorous note about Microsoft Outlook issues experienced by Artemis astronauts in space. The video concludes with a sponsor message promoting NordVPN for secure and unrestricted internet access.