Syed Asfer - Connected Pakistan

Meta pulled its Muse Image AI feature from Instagram on July 10, 2026, days after launch, following backlash over privacy and consent. The feature let anyone generate AI images from public Instagram accounts by tagging them, and was on by default. Meta admitted it "missed the mark." Muse Image remains available in WhatsApp and the Meta AI app.

On July 10, 2026, Apple sued OpenAI in California federal court, alleging OpenAI stole trade secrets to develop its own AI hardware. Apple claims OpenAI recruited Apple employees and encouraged them to share confidential product information. OpenAI denies interest in others' trade secrets. The case marks a dramatic breakdown of the 2024 Apple-OpenAI partnership.

In 2026, iPhone 17 prices in Pakistan range from about Rs. 400,000 for the base model to nearly Rs. 900,000 for the Pro Max, depending on storage. PTA tax adds roughly Rs. 129,000 to Rs. 213,000 per device. Note that FBR, not PTA, calculates the tax live at registration based on the current dollar rate.

Only 8.7% of Pakistani households own a desktop or laptop, according to Gallup Pakistan Digital Analytics (July 2026). This places Pakistan near the bottom globally, alongside India and Bangladesh at around 9%, and far behind South Korea at 99%. Smartphones alone cannot build the knowledge economy Pakistan aims for.