Anthropic Files for Nasdaq IPO; OpenAI and Apple Unveil New Products

OpenAI released GPT-6.1 Terra, a model focused on visual reasoning, computer operation and writing. It is available to ChatGPT Work and Codex Plus, Pro, Enterprise and Edu users and through the API. Standard API pricing is $1 per million input tokens, $0.05 per million cached input tokens and $5 per million output tokens, 50% below the standard prices of GPT-5.6 Terra and GPT-6.1 Sol. In OpenAI's tests, GPT-6.1 Terra at medium reasoning strength scored 15 percentage points higher than GPT-5.6 Terra on Agents’ Last Exam, which measures professional computer tasks, at about one-third the task cost. On Terminal-Bench 4.0, its task completion rate at the highest reasoning strength was 50.3%, compared with the 21.5% previously announced. In OpenAI's internal error-prone prompt test, the error rate at low reasoning strength fell to 16.7% from 53.6%, and to 4.3% at the highest reasoning strength. OpenAI said GPT-6.1 Sol and GPT-6 Astra remain better suited to the most complex coding tasks.

Apple released the iPad mini (A20 Pro) on Oct. 26. The tablet comes in midnight and starlight, starts at 128GB and measures 5.4mm thick; the Wi-Fi model weighs 255g. The 128GB and 256GB models use a 5-core CPU and 16-core neural engine, while the 512GB model uses a 6-core CPU and dual 16-core neural engine. It has an 8.5-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display with 600 nits full-screen brightness and 1,200 nits peak brightness; the 256GB and 512GB models can be ordered with nano-texture display glass. The front camera has moved to the long edge and is a landscape 12-megapixel Center Stage camera with an f/2.0 aperture. The tablet has an adaptive True Tone flash previously used only on iPad Pro, and Acoustic Display technology that provides stereo sound without extra openings and enables a sealed body. Apple said it is the first iPad with IP67 splash, water and dust resistance. All models use the Apple N1 wireless chip with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and cellular models use the Apple C2 modem. It supports one external display at up to 4K and 60Hz, has an 18.9 Wh battery and can fast-charge to 50% in 30 minutes. It supports Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C). The Wi-Fi model starts at 5,499 yuan for 128GB, the nano-texture Wi-Fi model at 7,099 yuan for 256GB, and the cellular model at 6,799 yuan with China Unicom support. Preorders begin at 1:10 a.m. on Oct. 29, and sales start on Nov. 6. A new Smart Folio with a dual-panel structure and technical fabric comes in navy and light brown for 599 yuan.

HTC announced VIVEE, a pocket AI companion, on Oct. 26 with a preorder price of $99.99. VIVEE responds when users pet, tap or turn it, and it supports chat and games while gradually developing its own personality through interaction. HTC also offers VIVEE Suits accessories that change its appearance and unlock different screen UI expressions. The device measures 60 by 60 by 50mm and weighs 114g. It has an OLED screen, all-day battery life, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC, haptic feedback and IPX4 water resistance. It has hardware switches for the microphone and speaker, and HTC promised that users' personal information will not be used to train AI models.

CHERRY reorganized its MX Lumina series into the MX ILLUMA platform on Oct. 22 and launched the MX ILLUMA RED, MX ILLUMA BROWN and MX EMERALD REEF switches. The MX EMERALD REEF is a new silent tactile switch in the brown-switch style, with 3.8mm total travel, 2.0mm actuation travel, 41cN actuation force and 60cN bottom-out force. It uses a patented bottom-out and rebound silencing design, reduces stem wobble and has a rated lifespan of more than 50 million keystrokes.

At the 33rd China International Advertising Festival in Beijing's Haidian district on Oct. 23, eight internet companies signed the Internet Marketing and Advertising Self-Regulation Convention. The first group included Ocean Engine, a digital marketing platform owned by Douyin Group, Baidu, Tencent, Kuaishou, JD.com, Meituan, 360 Group and Phoenix. The companies committed to regulating their marketing and promotional behavior, upholding truth and compliance, and helping create a clean and orderly internet marketing environment. The China Advertising Association and the Haidian district government hosted the event, with guidance from the Beijing Municipal Market Regulation Administration and coordination by the China Advertising Association.

In other updates reported by Sspai, Apple said iOS 27.2 expands Siri AI support to French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish, with Traditional Chinese, Norwegian, Turkish and Vietnamese to be added by the end of the year. Microsoft confirmed in a support document that starting with new chip platforms in 2026, Microsoft Pluton will no longer serve as a trusted platform module on AMD and Qualcomm platforms; TPM 2.0 on those platforms and on Intel platforms will be provided by chipmaker firmware TPM or discrete TPM. Microsoft did not explain the change. Kimi apologized for recent problems with K3.1 Pro, saying rate limiting and unnecessary quota consumption had been fixed. It will reset all subscription tiers and give active members 25% of their monthly total as compensation; if current usage is below 25% of the monthly total, it will reset to zero. The usage bar will show the adjustment by the end of Oct. 26. ETNews reported that Samsung will cut Galaxy A series production by 20% in 2027, about 10 million units, to allocate more resources to flagship models.

Microsoft announced a voluntary exit plan in an employee letter on Oct. 26, offering financial support and career planning resources. Microsoft confirmed to GeekWire that about 60,000 employees, more than a quarter of its workforce, are eligible. The plan covers employees at level 70 and below in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and India, and participation by each department depends on business needs. Microsoft also added a shortcut reminder to renew Microsoft 365 in Settings in the latest Windows 11 Insider preview.

Editor's Summary

Anthropic has filed for a Nasdaq IPO, with market reports putting its valuation at $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion while its filing shows rapid revenue growth and a much wider loss. OpenAI released GPT-6.1 Terra at lower API prices and Apple updated the iPad mini with an OLED display and IP67 rating. The remaining announcements cover an AI companion from HTC, new CHERRY switches, an advertising self-regulation pact in China and changes at Microsoft.