🌅 Tekin Morning May 28, 2026: Amazon's Globalstar Deal & Meta's Subscription Revolution 💰

🛰️ Amazon Acquires Apple's 20% Globalstar Stake: Satellite Wars Enter New Phase

In one of 2026's biggest strategic deals, Amazon announced that in addition to its $11.57 billion acquisition of Globalstar, it will also acquire Apple's 20% stake in the satellite communications company. This news, revealed through FCC filings, demonstrates that competition in the smartphone satellite communications market has entered a critical and defining phase.

Apple invested $1.1 billion in 2024 and purchased 400,000 Class B shares to own 20% of Globalstar, enabling Emergency SOS and satellite messaging services for iPhone and Apple Watch. Under the agreement, Globalstar dedicated 85% of its satellite capacity to Apple. But now with Amazon entering the equation, these shares and voting rights will transfer to a subsidiary called Grapefruit Acquisition Sub II, which will manage Globalstar's operations.

The critical point is that Amazon plans to use Globalstar to provide satellite services to "smartphones and other mobile devices across multiple carriers and vendors"—not just Apple. This means Amazon wants to become a direct competitor to Elon Musk's Starlink Mobile and AST SpaceMobile, offering satellite services to all smartphone brands. In essence, the satellite wars have moved from space into consumers' pockets.

According to FCC documents, Amazon emphasized that Globalstar's spectrum is essential for competing in the Direct-to-Device (D2D) market. This market, projected to reach $50 billion by 2030, includes services like emergency messaging, location tracking in areas without cellular coverage, and even voice calls via satellite. With this acquisition, Amazon not only enters this market but can move faster than competitors by leveraging Globalstar's existing infrastructure and Apple's experience.

The Amazon-Globalstar deal is expected to close in 2027 after receiving final regulatory approvals. Until then, Apple will continue using Globalstar services for iPhone and Apple Watch, but Amazon plans to expand its services to other smartphone manufacturers. This could mean Samsung, Xiaomi, and even Chinese brands gaining access to satellite services—something that has been Apple's exclusive domain until now.

💰 Meta's Subscription Revolution: Instagram Plus, Facebook Plus & WhatsApp Plus

In one of the biggest shifts in social media revenue models, Meta officially launched paid subscriptions for Instagram Plus, Facebook Plus, and WhatsApp Plus worldwide. This strategic move, which has been in testing for months, shows Meta wants to reduce its dependence on advertising revenue and create direct revenue streams from users. The pricing is as follows: Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus each cost $3.99 per month, while WhatsApp Plus is just $2.99 per month.

But Meta doesn't stop there. The company is also testing new subscription bundles under the "Meta One" brand, including AI services, business tools, and creator features. According to CNBC and TechCrunch reports, Meta One Plus will cost $7.99 per month and Meta One Premium will cost $19.99 per month. The Premium version offers additional computing power for more comprehensive responses and advanced AI features.

This Meta move represents a paradigm shift in social media revenue models. Until now, Meta derived approximately 98% of its revenue from advertising—a model with many vulnerabilities: dependence on the advertising market, privacy concerns, and regulatory pressures. By launching subscriptions, Meta can create more stable and predictable revenue streams. If just 5% of Meta's 3.2 billion monthly active users buy the $3.99 subscription, that translates to $7.66 billion in annual revenue—a figure that cannot be ignored.

According to Forbes, Meta's stock rose 3.2% after this announcement, reaching $542. Wall Street analysts believe this move could set a template for other social networks like X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and even LinkedIn. In fact, Meta is testing a model that could determine the entire social media industry's future: a combination of advertising revenue and direct user subscriptions.

🤖 Trajectory Startup: Continuous Learning AI from Google & Apple Veterans

In one of the most exciting AI news stories, a group of former Google and Apple researchers launched Trajectory startup to solve one of AI's biggest challenges: continuous learning. This capability, which researchers have long identified as a major barrier to further AI progress, allows AI models to learn from user feedback and improve continuously—without needing complete retraining.

According to Wired, Trajectory is betting that the rapid iteration cycle that supercharged vibe-coding can help all kinds of companies build AI products that learn continuously. Vibe-coding—where developers rapidly write code with AI assistance, test it, get feedback, and improve—has shown that fast feedback loops can dramatically increase development quality and speed.

The main problem with current AI models is that after training, they remain static. OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic have succeeded in building increasingly capable versions of AI models, especially for domains like coding, math, and science. But these models cannot learn from daily interactions with users. Every time you want to improve the model, you must retrain it from scratch—a process that costs millions of dollars and takes months.

Trajectory wants to solve this problem by building a platform that allows companies to create AI models that learn from every user interaction. Imagine an AI assistant that gets better every time you use it—not just for you, but for all users. This means a model that can adapt itself to the specific needs of each industry, each company, and even each user.

⌚ Google Fitbit Air: $99 Whoop Competitor Without Screen

Google enters the screenless fitness tracker market with Fitbit Air at $99, directly challenging Whoop. This device, announced May 7 and available since May 26, weighs just 12 grams—the lightest Fitbit ever. Google's strategy is simple: background tracking without any distractions, focus on health data, and Gemini AI coaching.

Fitbit Air is a compact module that fits into various bands with sensors pressed directly against the skin. No screen, no notifications, no taps—just pure tracking. This means you can wear it 24/7, even while sleeping, without feeling like you have something on your wrist. Seven-day battery life and water resistance up to 50 meters make it an ideal companion for serious athletes.

But the key to Fitbit Air is in its software. Google launched a new app called Google Health that replaces the Fitbit app. This app, powered by Gemini AI, provides personalized health coaching that can build workout programs, answer health questions, and even analyze your sleep and stress patterns. Of course, this AI coach comes with an additional cost of $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year.

The comparison with Whoop is interesting: Whoop has no upfront cost but requires a $30 monthly subscription. Fitbit Air starts at $99 and core tracking works without subscription—you only pay for the AI coach. This means in one year, Fitbit Air with subscription ($99 + 12×$9.99 = $218) is roughly half the price of Whoop (12×$30 = $360). For those who want tracking without subscription, Fitbit Air is a much more affordable option.

📱 Historic iPad Air M4 Discount: Up to $100 Off

For the first time since launch, iPad Air M4 is available with significant discounts on Amazon. The 11-inch model with 128GB storage, originally priced at $599, is now available for $519.99 ($79 off). The 13-inch model has also dropped from $799 to $699 ($100 off). These discounts, offered ahead of Memorial Day weekend, show Apple is under competitive pressure in the premium tablet market.

iPad Air M4, introduced in spring 2026, features the powerful M4 chip, Liquid Retina display with ProMotion technology, and Apple Pencil Pro support, making it one of the best mid-range tablets on the market. The M4 chip, the same one used in iPad Pro, delivers exceptional performance for heavy tasks like 4K video editing, graphic design, and even AAA gaming. In fact, iPad Air M4 has nearly reached iPad Pro's power, but at a much lower price point.

These discounts show Apple is under competitive pressure. Android tablets like Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 and Windows tablets like Surface Pro 11 with competitive pricing and powerful features have challenged the market. Additionally, iPad sales declined 5% in Q1 2026, showing demand has slightly decreased. Apple is offering early discounts to stimulate sales and maintain market share.

⚖️ Google Engineer Charged with $1.2M Polymarket Insider Trading

In one of the year's most shocking security news stories, the U.S. Department of Justice charged Michele Spagnuolo, a 36-year-old Google security engineer, with using confidential internal information to earn $1.2 million from Polymarket bets. Spagnuolo, an Italian citizen based in Switzerland, was arrested Wednesday morning, May 27, in New York. This is the second known criminal case linked to lucrative Polymarket trades and raises serious questions about internal information security at major tech companies.

According to the complaint from the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Spagnuolo had access to confidential internal Google information about the Year in Search 2025 campaign—a list of the year's most-searched terms published every December. Using this information, he risked over $2.7 million on bets related to these terms on Polymarket and ultimately earned $1.2 million in net profit. This is a classic case of insider trading—using non-public information for financial gain.

Polymarket is a blockchain-based prediction market platform where users can bet on real-world event outcomes—from political elections to Google's most-searched terms. This platform, which has gained significant popularity in recent years, exists in a legal gray area due to its decentralized nature and use of cryptocurrencies. But using insider information for profit is a crime regardless of the platform.

The interesting point is that Spagnuolo was a security engineer—someone who was supposed to protect Google's confidential information, not exploit it. This case shows that even large companies with advanced security systems are vulnerable to insider threats. According to NPR and CNBC reports, the FBI worked on this case for months and collected strong digital evidence showing how Spagnuolo abused his internal access.