Elon Musk-Donald Trump fights, Nintendo Switch 2 launches, Apple WWDC looms, and other top tech news this week
The tech industry witnessed dramatic developments this week, from a spectacular public falling-out between President
Trump
and
Elon Musk
that threatens billions in federal subsidies, to Nintendo's Switch 2 console launch creating massive consumer frenzy with sold-out pre-orders. Meanwhile,
Google
CEO Sundar Pichai bucked industry trends by promising continued engineering hiring through 2026, even as
Microsoft
cut another 300 jobs following last month's 6,000-person layoff.
Apple
's WWDC 2025 kicks off next week with anticipated major iOS and AI updates, while Meta secured a 20-year nuclear power deal to fuel its AI ambitions, highlighting the week's mix of corporate drama, product launches, and the ongoing AI transformation reshaping Big Tech.
After friendship, Elon Musk and Donald Trump fights publicly
After a friendship that began during Trump's 2024 presidential campaign when
Musk
publicly endorsed him following an assassination attempt, the relationship between President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has dramatically deteriorated into a public feud. Their alliance, which saw Musk appointed as co-lead of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after Trump's election victory, began unraveling in May 2025 when Musk criticized Trump's signature spending bill as a "disgusting abomination."
The conflict exploded into the open on June 5, 2025, when the former allies exchanged a series of bitter insults on social media, with Musk claiming "Trump would have lost the election" without him and making explosive allegations about Trump's connection to
Jeffrey Epstein
, while Trump threatened to terminate billions in federal subsidies for Musk's companies.
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The public breakdown of their relationship reached a tipping point when Trump admitted during an Oval Office press conference that he was "very disappointed" in Musk and didn't know if their friendship could be salvaged, even reportedly deciding to sell the Tesla he had purchased just months earlier during their alliance.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai says that he'll keep hiring engineers
Google CEO Sundar Pichai has announced that the tech giant will continue expanding its engineering workforce through 2026, positioning the company against widespread industry fears about AI-driven job displacement. Speaking at the Bloomberg Tech conference, Pichai emphasized that artificial intelligence serves as "an accelerator" rather than a replacement for human talent, enabling Google to pursue greater opportunities in emerging technology sectors like Waymo autonomous vehicles, quantum computing, and YouTube's global expansion.
This hiring commitment stands in stark contrast to competitors like Microsoft, which have cut thousands of positions to fund AI investments, and even Google's own recent history of laying off 12,000 employees in 2023 with additional reductions following.
Microsoft cuts 300 more jobs after laying off 6,000 employees last month
Microsoft has eliminated over 300 additional jobs this week, just weeks after announcing 6,000 layoffs in what represents the company's second-largest workforce reduction since cutting 10,000 roles in 2023. While the specific departments affected in the latest round remain undisclosed, previous layoff patterns suggest software engineers and project managers are likely most impacted, as last month's cuts hit coding professionals hardest with over 40% of eliminated positions belonging to software engineers despite Microsoft's $80 billion AI infrastructure investment.
CEO Satya Nadella has characterized these workforce reductions as a "realignment" rather than performance-based decisions, explaining it as "repositioning for what comes next" in the company's AI transformation, which now sees artificial intelligence writing up to 30% of code in some projects. The layoffs reflect broader industry trends as tech giants like Salesforce, Amazon, and Google implement flatter organizational structures and reduce engineering hiring due to AI adoption, with Microsoft's cuts occurring as the company continues investing billions in AI while employing approximately 228,000 full-time workers worldwide.
Nintendo Switch 2 launches to sky-high demand and long queues
Nintendo's highly anticipated Switch 2 launched earlier this week to massive consumer demand, with gaming fans lining up at electronics stores across Tokyo and pre-orders selling out within hours. The $499.99 console, featuring a larger screen and improved graphics compared to its predecessor, received 2.2 million lottery applications in Japan alone, while Target's pre-orders sold out in under two hours. Nintendo forecasts 15 million Switch 2 sales this financial year and has pledged to strengthen production capacity to meet overwhelming demand. With the original Switch selling 152 million units since 2017, analysts predict the new device could surpass 100 million sales by 2030, though supply shortages may persist for weeks or months as the company scales up manufacturing.
OnePlus 13s, OnePlus Pad 3 launches
OnePlus
has launched two flagship devices in India, with the OnePlus 13s and the OnePlus Pad 3 tablet. The OnePlus 13s, priced starting at Rs 54,999, features a 6.32-inch LTPO AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset with 12GB RAM and 512GB storage, while packing a 5,850mAh Silicon Carbon battery with 80W fast charging and a dual-camera setup with 50MP primary and telephoto lenses.
Meanwhile, the OnePlus Pad 3 boasts a larger 13.2-inch 3.4K 144Hz display, also powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor with up to 16GB RAM, featuring eight speakers for immersive audio, a massive 12,140mAh battery with 80W SuperVOOC charging, and priced at $699.99 (approximately Rs 60,070) for the base 12GB+256GB variant. Both devices run Android 15-based OxygenOS 15 and offer enhanced productivity features, with the OnePlus 13s available in Black Velvet,
Pink Satin
, and Green Silk colors, while the Pad 3 comes in Storm Blue and Frosted Silver, available in Europe from June 19th and North America from July 8th, with Indian availability confirmed soon across major platforms.
Apple's annual developers conference, WWDC 25 starts next week
Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025 is set to kick off next week from June 9-13 at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, with the keynote scheduled for 10 a.m. PT on June 9 followed by the Platforms State of the Union Address at 1 p.m. PT.
The event, which can be watched online via apple.com, the Apple TV app, and Apple's YouTube channel, is expected to unveil major software updates including iOS 19 (or possibly iOS 26 according to rumors suggesting a numbering system change), iPadOS, macOS, and WatchOS.
This year's conference is particularly anticipated for potential dramatic design overhauls across Apple's operating systems, with Bloomberg reporting that iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 will feature new icons and menus creating a more cohesive style reminiscent of VisionOS, while Apple is also expected to outline significant progress in artificial intelligence with enhanced Apple Intelligence features and
Siri
improvements, as the company seeks to compete with Google's Gemini and other AI offerings from Android vendors.
Meta signs 20-year nuclear deal to power AI operations
Meta has secured a 20-year nuclear power agreement with Constellation Energy to meet the growing energy demands of its artificial intelligence operations. The deal will expand output at Illinois' Clinton Clean Energy Center by 30 megawatts starting in June 2027, when the plant's current state-funded support program expires. This partnership will preserve 1,100 local jobs and generate $13.5 million in annual tax revenue while providing clean energy equivalent to powering a city of 30,000 residents. The agreement makes Meta the latest tech giant to turn to nuclear power for AI infrastructure, joining Microsoft, Amazon, and Google in similar partnerships as companies balance surging energy needs with greenhouse gas reduction goals.
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Time of India
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- Mint
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India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
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