Mac OS Ken iPhone in China, Glass Cloth Fiber, and the Grok Debacle - MOSK: 01.15.2026
Jan 15, 2026
A tight race for smartphone dominance in China has Apple on edge as Huawei edges ahead. The pressure is also on due to concerns over glass cloth fiber supply. Meanwhile, advocacy groups are pushing for Grok and Twitter's removal from app stores after alarming reports about non-consensual image production. Musk’s claims of ignorance add another layer of controversy, as California investigates the platform for abuse. In response, Twitter is implementing changes to block Grok from editing images inappropriately.
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China Smartphone Rankings Are Uncertain
- IDC's shipment data shows Huawei narrowly edging Apple in China, but Ken Ray warns those third-party counts can vary significantly.
- Apple no longer reports unit numbers, so analysts must treat firm estimates as sentiment indicators rather than definitive facts.
Glass Cloth Fiber Is A Hidden Bottleneck
- High-end glass cloth fiber is critical for advanced PCBs and chip substrates, and supply is concentrated with a single Japanese firm.
- Ken Ray highlights that AI-driven demand risks straining supplies and affecting Apple and Qualcomm.
Timing Suggests Possible MacBook Pro Release
- Apple Creator Studio launching January 28th and an earnings call on January 29th create a plausible window for new MacBook Pro announcements.
- MacRumors frames this as speculation but highlights historical precedent for January hardware releases.