Apple hits back against €500m EU fine, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 launch info

Apple is appealing against a €500m (£430m; $586m) fine handed down by EU regulators over alleged anti-competitive behaviour on its App Store. The European Commission said in April that the tech giant had breached its laws by restricting app developers in their ability to inform customers of alternative offers or marketplaces that could be found outside its own and steer them towards purchases. Apple called the Commission’s fine “unprecedented” on Monday, saying the decision and its penalty “go far beyond what the law requires.” BBC 

Corporate employees of Amazon were asked on Monday to volunteer their time to the company’s warehouses to assist with grocery delivery as it heads into its annual discount spree known as Prime Day. In a Slack message reviewed by the Guardian that went to thousands of white-collar workers in the New York City area from engineers to marketers, an Amazon area manager called for corporate “volunteers to help us out with Prime Day to deliver to customers on our biggest days yet”. It is not clear how many took up the offer. Guardian 

Only a few hours remain until the official launch of Samsung’s new wearables and foldables. This certainly means one thing: A massive amount of marketing pictures hits the web early, not just of the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, but also for the sleek, light and thin Galaxy Z Fold 7. Thanks to Roland Quandt, we can already see how Samsung plans to promote the successor to the Galaxy Z Fold 6 tomorrow. This shouldn’t be too difficult, as there are truly many upgrades this time. Notebook Check 

Kia has launched the EV5, a fully electric mid-sized SUV built on Hyundai Motor Group’s dedicated Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). Offering two battery options—60.3 kWh and 81.4 kWh—the EV5 delivers a WLTP driving range of up to 530 km. Kia does not mention a WLTP range for the smaller battery. The larger battery pack also comes standard in the upmarket and lavishly equipped GT-Line, but the car manufacturer specifies a range of ‘only’ 505 kilometres for this version. Electrive 

After teasing a Gemini-Wear OS integration for months, Google’s AI appears ready to launch on Android smartwatches. A new promo image for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, leaked by Roland Quandt, shows the words “Ask Google Gemini” on its screen alongside the AI’s logo. As 9to5Google notes, this suggests Gemini will first arrive on a Samsung smartwatch before a wider launch on Wear OS. Earlier this year, Google said Gemini would replace the Google Assistant across all compatible products. PCMag

Elon Musk’s plan to launch a new political party has reignited his feud with Donald Trump and sparked a backlash among Tesla investors. Shares in the electric car company slumped in on Monday after the US president publicly criticised Mr Musk’s plans to set up the America Party. Donald Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social late on Sunday night: “I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails’, essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks. Telegraph 

The first model in JLR’s new Freelander range will be a tech-led, electrified, full-size SUV that will be launched in the second half of 2026, JLR’s head of China has said. JLR showed the logo for the revived Freelander brand in a recent presentation to investors, when it explained how the company is resetting its China business with joint venture partner Chery. Chery is developing the Freelander electrified range using an in-house “flexible” platform, JLR China head Qing Pan told investors. Autocar