The Information's TITV Apple’s New iPhone, “The Amazon of Latin America”, and a16z’s Crypto Returns | Sep 9, 2025
Sep 9, 2025
Martin De Los Santos, the CFO of MercadoLibre, shares insights on e-commerce growth in Latin America, emphasizing the role of local financial solutions and AI in enhancing customer service. He highlights the challenges of low credit card penetration and logistics. Additionally, discussions on Apple's new iPhone reveal how AI could influence sales, comparing its features with competitors. Lastly, the podcast delves into impressive returns from Andreessen Horowitz's crypto fund, exploring the potential for similar success in AI investments.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Apple Rebuilding Its AI Strategy
- Apple is rebuilding its on-device AI after overpromising last year and now accepts third-party models to accelerate progress.
- Consumers currently get AI from apps, so iPhone AI maturity hasn't become a major sales driver yet.
Ecosystem Lock Beats AI Alone
- Strong ecosystem lock-in makes users tolerant of inferior on-device AI compared with Google or Samsung offerings.
- Wayne Ma argues AI alone won't make many people switch phone platforms today.
Thinner iPhone Is A Calculated Gamble
- Apple is testing a thinner iPhone as an aesthetic and differentiation play after mini and plus variants underperformed.
- The thin design trades off battery life and Apple is only allocating ~10% of production to it, signaling cautious expectations.