8 o'clock Latest News: Tim Cook to Step Down as Apple CEO, iQiyi Responds to AI Artist Library Controversy, Japan Revises Earthquake Magnitude to 7.7

Apple announced the appointment of John Turners as the next CEO.

Today's Hotspot Guide

The US tariff refund system is launched.
By 2025, ByteDance's overseas revenue share hits a new high, but heavy AI investment leads to a 70% plunge in the company's net profit.
Flights cancelled as the "May Day" holiday approaches? Airlines: Give priority to rerouting to ensure passengers' smooth trips.
Guizhou Moutai's intraday stock price surpasses that of Yuanjie Technology, reclaiming the top spot in the A-share market.

Top 3 News

Apple Announces That Turner Will Succeed Cook as CEO

On April 20 local time, Apple Inc. in the United States announced the appointment of John Turner, an internal executive who has long been in charge of the hardware business, as the company's next Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Tim Cook, who has been leading the company since 2011. Apple said that Cook will transition to the role of Executive Chairman. (CCTV News)

iQiyi: Joining the artist library of Nado Pro only indicates the willingness to engage in discussions. Specific projects and specific roles require separate negotiation and authorization.

36Kr learned that on April 20th, iQiyi stated that over a hundred artists had agreed to join the artist library of Nado Pro, iQiyi's professional-level film and television production platform, which sparked heated discussions. Subsequently, artists such as Zhang Ruoyun, Yu Hewei, Wang Churan, Li Yitong, and Wang Yuwen denied signing AI authorization agreements.

iQiyi responded in a Weibo post, stating that joining the artist library of iQiyi's Nado Pro indicates that artists are willing to engage in discussions regarding AI film and television projects. However, participation in a specific project and performance in a specific role require separate negotiation and authorization. This process is consistent with the cooperation process of traditional live-action film and television projects. The combination of AI and film and television creation is still in the exploratory stage.

An earthquake occurred off the coast of Japan, and the revised magnitude is 7.7

On the 20th local time, according to the latest information from the Japan Meteorological Agency, the magnitude of the earthquake that occurred in the waters near the eastern part of Honshu, Japan, on the afternoon of the same day was revised to 7.7, and the focal depth was revised to 20 kilometers. Earlier on the 20th, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced that at around 16:53 on the same day, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake occurred in the coastal area of northeastern Japan, with the maximum seismic intensity being 5 strong, and there was an obvious tremor in Tokyo. Subsequently, the Japan Meteorological Agency revised the earthquake magnitude to 7.5. A tsunami with a wave height of 80 centimeters was observed at Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture at 17:34.

In addition, the Japan Meteorological Agency also held a press conference on the same day, reminding the people in the earthquake-affected areas to be vigilant against the risk of an earthquake of the same magnitude in the next week or so, especially in the next 2 to 3 days.

Previously, according to a report by China News Service, there are multiple nuclear power plants and nuclear fuel processing plants near the epicenter, and many places are confirming the extent of the impact. Tohoku Electric Power Company said that no abnormal conditions were confirmed at its Higashi-Dori Nuclear Power Plant in Aomori Prefecture and the Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant in Miyagi Prefecture. The Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant has a total of 3 units. Among them, Unit 2 is being restarted, Unit 1 has been decommissioned, and Unit 3 has been out of operation for a long time. In addition, according to Tokyo Electric Power Company, no abnormalities were confirmed at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and the Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant. (CCTV News, China News Service)

Large Companies/ Major Events

US Tariff Refund System Launched

A refund system established to allow businesses to recover illegally - imposed tariffs from the US government officially went live on the morning of April 20 (Eastern Time), and thousands of businesses have submitted applications. The system was created by the US Customs and Border Protection in accordance with a court order, aiming to refund up to $166 billion in taxes to importers. In February this year, the US Supreme Court overturned the tariff policy implemented by former President Trump based on a law originally intended for national emergencies. According to court documents, as of April 9, 56,497 importers had completed the necessary steps to receive electronic refunds, with a total amount of $127 billion, accounting for more than three - quarters of the total amount to be refunded. (CCTV News)

CATL: The preliminary price for the block trade through inquiry by shareholders is 410.34 yuan per share

36Kr learned that CATL announced that Ningbo United Innovation New Energy Investment Management Partnership (Limited Partnership), a shareholder holding more than 5% of the company's shares, plans to transfer 58 million shares (accounting for 1.27% of the company's total share capital) through block trades via inquiry. After inquiring institutional investors, the preliminary price for this block trade through inquiry is determined to be 410.34 yuan per share. A total of 50 institutional investors participated in the quotation and subscription, with an effective subscription multiple of 2.1 times. The shares to be transferred have been fully subscribed, and 30 transferees have been preliminarily determined. This block trade through inquiry will not be conducted through centralized competitive trading or block transactions. The transferees shall not transfer the shares within 6 months after the transfer.

Yu Chengdong of Huawei Says Phone Prices May Rise: There Is High Pressure on Phone Pricing, and Prices May Increase Later

At the Huawei Terminal New Product Launch Event held on the afternoon of April 20th, Yu Chengdong, Executive Director of Huawei, Chairman of the Terminal Business Group, and Director of the Product Investment Review Committee, said bluntly, "Currently, there is a lot of pressure on pricing new phones. The costs have increased significantly, and we may have to raise prices if we can't hold on later." (Securities Times)

ByteDance's overseas revenue share hits a new high in 2025, with a 70% plunge in net profit due to AI investment

36Kr exclusively learned from informed sources that ByteDance's overseas revenue grew by nearly 50% in 2025, far exceeding the domestic revenue growth of about 20%. The share of overseas business revenue also increased from 25% in 2024 to over 30%, reaching a new high. TikTok's e - commerce business is the main driver of ByteDance's overseas revenue growth. However, while the overseas business helped ByteDance's revenue continue to climb, the company's net profit in 2025 dropped by more than 70%. The above - mentioned informed sources said that the significant decline in net profit was because ByteDance significantly increased its investment in AI business in the third and fourth quarters of last year, and such huge investment also led to a significant year - on - year decline in the company's net profit margin in 2025.

The three major U.S. stock indexes closed slightly lower, and most popular technology stocks declined

36Kr learned that at the close on April 20, the three major U.S. stock indexes fell slightly. The Nasdaq dropped 0.26%, ending a 13 - session winning streak. The S&P 500 Index fell 0.24%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.01%. Most large - cap technology stocks fell. Intel dropped more than 4%, Tesla and Meta declined more than 2%, Microsoft and Google fell more than 1%, while Apple rose more than 1% and Nvidia edged up. Most popular Chinese concept stocks declined. NIO dropped more than 2%, XPeng Group fell more than 1%, and Alibaba, JD.com, Pinduoduo, Bilibili, and iQiyi edged down. Baidu and Li Auto rose more than 1%.

Flight cancellations as the May Day holiday approaches? Airlines: Prioritize rerouting to ensure passengers' smooth trips

As the May Day holiday is approaching, many people are planning their trips. Recently, affected by factors such as the sky - rocketing fuel prices and supply shortages, the capacity of many airlines around the world has been reduced to varying degrees, directly leading to a large - scale flight cancellation situation. Zhu Yaochun, assistant to the chairman of the China Air Transport Association, said that all passengers affected by flight adjustments will not be charged any handling fees or service fees during the entire process of ticket refund, change, or re - issue. Airlines should use multiple channels such as text messages, official WeChat accounts, and customer service hotlines to promptly push the reasons for flight adjustments, alternative solutions, and handling procedures to each affected passenger, ensuring that everyone is informed in advance and can adjust their itineraries. (CCTV News)

Unitree Technology's Design Patent for Robot Dogs Granted

36Kr learned that according to the Aiqicha App, recently, the design patent for a "robot dog" applied by Unitree Technology Co., Ltd. has been granted. The abstract shows that this product with the design is used for services, search and rescue, companionship, inspection, education, navigation, photography, toys, intelligent interaction, entertainment interaction, and performing specific tasks. The main design point lies in its shape.

Mark Gurman: Memory shortage may delay the release of two new Apple Mac models

On April 19 local time, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman said in the latest issue of his "Power On" newsletter that a memory shortage may delay the release of some new Apple Mac models this year. The new Mac Studio is now expected to be launched around October, while the touchscreen MacBook Pro may not be available until the end of 2026 to early 2027. (Jiemian News)

Domestic airlines have widely cancelled flights to Japan

Recently, media reports said that in March when the cherry - blossom season arrives, a total of 53 China - Japan routes cancelled all flights, an increase compared with the number of cancellations in February. On April 19th, reporters from Jimu News learned from multiple platforms that indeed many airlines have cancelled China - Japan routes. Currently, there are no direct flights from Wuhan Tianhe Airport to Japan. (Jimu News)

HiPP Infant Food Suspected of Being Contaminated by Rodenticide, Products Withdrawn in Multiple European Countries

On April 19 local time, HiPP, a well - known European infant food producer, said that canned infant food of the brand suspected of being contaminated by rodenticide was found in the Czech Republic. The company's statement said, "During the investigation, it was confirmed that these foods had clearly been tampered with." HiPP said that as a precautionary measure, retailers in two countries had removed all canned infant food of the brand from the shelves. The Austrian police said that consumers could identify the problematic products through the following features: a white label with a red circle on the bottom, an opened or damaged cap, a missing safety seal, or an unusual odor. HiPP said that this incident only involved some distribution channels, and other European countries not included in the investigation were not affected. (CCTV News)

Strict supervision remains unchanged, and 8 investment advisory institutions have been penalized this year

Since the beginning of this year, the Shanghai Securities Regulatory Bureau has issued fines for securities investment advisors every month. Five investment advisory institutions have been penalized, but it is relatively rare to be ordered to suspend accepting new customers for 12 months. According to incomplete statistics, since the beginning of this year, regulatory authorities have continued to strictly supervise securities investment advisory institutions, and at least 8 investment advisory institutions have been penalized. (Securities Times)

Apple Refuses to Submit Data in Indian Antitrust Case, Regulator Sets Final Hearing

An official document shows that after an investigation found that the US company had abused its market dominance in the iPhone app market, Apple did not submit relevant data as required by the Indian antitrust regulator. This has prompted the regulator to speed up the penalty ruling process and schedule a final hearing next month. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) said in an order on April 8 that since October 2024, Apple has consistently failed to submit its financial details and opinions on this investigation. Instead, it cited an ongoing case in the Delhi High Court, in which Apple challenged the entire Indian antitrust penalty - related law. (Sina Finance)

UK survey: Nearly 30% of young Britons choose to "boomerang back home"

According to the latest survey data from the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS), nearly 30% of young Britons now choose to live with their parents. Economic pressure is an important driving factor for "boomeranging back home". ONS data shows that in 2000, only 26% of young men aged 20 to 35 chose to live with their parents. By 2025, this figure had increased to 35%. The same thing happened to young women. Although the proportion of those choosing to "boomerang back home" is still lower than that of men, there has also been a significant increase. By 2025, 22% of women aged 20 to 35 chose to live with their parents. (Global Times)

Google is in talks with Marvell Technology to develop two new chips

On April 19 local time, it was reported that two people familiar with the matter revealed that Google is in talks with Marvell Technology to develop two new types of chips aimed at running artificial intelligence models more efficiently. One of the chips is a memory processing unit designed to work in conjunction with Google's Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), and the other is a new type of TPU specifically built for running artificial intelligence models. (Jiemian News)

Beidou Spatio - Temporal Intelligent Equipment Helps Humanoid Robots "Run Independently"

The 2026 Beijing Yizhuang Half Marathon and the Humanoid Robot Half Marathon started on April 19. The overall capabilities of the participating humanoid robots have been significantly improved. Not only has their running speed increased substantially, but their "route - recognition" ability has also been significantly enhanced. It is reported that more than two - thirds of the "independent running" teams in this year's event are equipped with Beidou spatio - temporal intelligent kit equipment. Looking back at the first competition in 2025, most robots relied on remote control, with technicians following and operating them. In this year's event, more participating teams chose to participate in the autonomous navigation mode. (Shanghai Securities News)

Japanese Imported Car Sales Increase for the First Time in Seven Years, Japanese Media: Chinese Electric Vehicle Sales Increase Significantly

The rising demand for electric vehicles is driving a transformation in the Japanese imported car market. According to a report by Nikkei Chinese Net on the 18th, data recently released by the Japan Automobile Importers Association (JAIA) shows that the number of imported cars newly registered in Japan by foreign manufacturers in fiscal year 2025 was 238,000, a year-on-year increase of 3.4%. This is the first increase in seven years since 2018. In March, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry adjusted the "Subsidy Policy for the Introduction and Promotion of Clean Energy Vehicles", raising the subsidy cap for pure electric vehicles by 400,000 yen to 1.3 million yen, which promoted the consumption of electric vehicles. Meanwhile, the global energy crisis caused by the conflict in the Middle East has pushed up oil prices, leading to an increase in Japanese consumers' interest in electric vehicles. (Global Times)

Guizhou Moutai's intraday stock price exceeded that of Yuanjie Technology, reclaiming the title of the "top stock" in the A-share market

36Kr learned that on the morning of April 20th, Guizhou Moutai's intraday stock price fluctuated within a narrow range. However, during the same period, Yuanjie Technology's stock price showed a more obvious downward trend. As a result, Guizhou Moutai's intraday stock price exceeded that of Yuanjie Technology, reclaiming the title of the "top stock" in the A-share market.

Yonghui Superstores: Large-scale store closures have ended, and revenue growth has been achieved in currently renovated stores

Yonghui Superstores stated at the earnings briefing on April 20th that large-scale store closures have ended, and revenue growth has been achieved in currently renovated stores. (Securities Times)

The forefront of AI

Lingguang Releases New-Generation Flash Application "Lingguang Circle" and Launches "Lingguang Flash Application Creator Incentive Program" with 100 Million Yuan Investment

36Kr learned that on April 20th, Lingguang released a new-generation flash application called "Lingguang Circle", aiming to create a consumer-level Coding Agent that everyone can use. Based on the original "create an application in 30 seconds", Lingguang's flash application continues to strengthen multi-agent collaboration, full-modal generation, and the integration of native mobile capabilities. It has become the first platform that allows users to create, distribute, use, and iterate AI applications on mobile phones using natural language. Lingguang App also announced the launch of the "Lingguang Flash Application Creator Incentive Program", with a special fund of 100 million yuan to support high-quality flash applications and outstanding creators.

SDIC Intelligence: The company has built a full - chain AI security capability system

36Kr learned that on April 19th, SDIC Intelligence stated at its performance briefing that the rapid emergence of edge - side AI Agents has brought about systematic security challenges, which is a key bottleneck for large - scale implementation. The company has built a full - chain AI security capability system, covering all aspects including detection (Meiya's "Wisdom Eye" authenticity verification), protection (the "Star Shield" platform), evidence collection (the OpenClaw special evidence - collection module), and governance (researching the "Lobster Certificate" to achieve the identification of AI behavior responsibilities).

Alibaba Releases Large Speech Recognition Model Fun-ASR1.5

36Kr learned that on April 20th, Alibaba released the end-to-end large speech recognition model Fun-ASR1.5, which can accurately recognize 30 languages with a single model without preset language tags. Previously, Fun-ASR1.0 had been used in intelligent hardware such as DingTalk AI note-taking and DingTalk A1 recorder. The newly upgraded version 1.5 covers seven major Chinese dialect systems and more than 20 local accents, and enhances the special recognition of ancient poetry recitation. It will expand the application scenarios to multinational enterprises, international conferences, multilingual live broadcasts, county-level government services, and ancient poetry education.

Alibaba Releases Preview Version of Qwen3.6-Max

36Kr learned that Alibaba has released Qwen3.6-Max - Preview. It is understood that this model is an early preview of the new - generation Qianwen flagship model, with stronger world knowledge and instruction - following capabilities, as well as significantly improved agent programming performance on multiple benchmarks.

Financial Reports of Large Companies

Han's Laser: Net profit in the first quarter was 354 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 116.59%

36Kr learned that Han's Laser released its first-quarter report. In the first quarter of 2026, it achieved an operating income of 5.135 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 74.44%; the net profit attributable to shareholders of the listed company was 354 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 116.59%.

Rainbow Group: Net profit in 2025 was 63.6702 million yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 41.9%

36Kr learned that Rainbow Group disclosed its annual report. In 2025, it achieved an operating income of 1.144 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 12.07%; the net profit attributable to shareholders of the listed company was 63.6702 million yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 41.90%; the basic earnings per share were 0.60 yuan. The company plans to distribute a cash dividend of 3.5 yuan (including tax) for every 10 shares.

Zhangyuan Tungsten Co., Ltd.: Net profit of 290 million yuan in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 68.82%

36Kr learned that Zhangyuan Tungsten Co., Ltd. disclosed its annual report. In 2025, it achieved an operating income of 5.202 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 41.62%; the net profit attributable to shareholders of the listed company was 290 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 68.82%; the basic earnings per share was 0.24 yuan. The company plans to distribute a cash dividend of 1.2 yuan (tax included) for every 10 shares.

China Mobile: Net profit in the first quarter was 29.3 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 4.2%

36Kr learned that China Mobile released its first-quarter report. In the first quarter of 2026, the company achieved an operating income of 266.5 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 1%; the net profit attributable to shareholders of the parent company was 29.3 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 4.2%. The basic earnings per share were 1.36 yuan.

Cool Products

iPhone 18 Pro in the Chinese mainland may adopt a single physical SIM card plus eSIM strategy

Recently, blogger "Chana Digital" revealed that the Chinese mainland version of the iPhone 18 Pro series will adopt a "single physical SIM card + eSIM" strategy, while the Hong Kong version will maintain the "single physical SIM card + eSIM" configuration of last year's iPhone 17 Pro. The blogger said, "There are too many factors involved in the Chinese mainland version, so I can't guarantee the information is 100% accurate. It's confirmed that the Hong Kong version will maintain the physical SIM card slot."

For reference, Apple has already adopted a design of "single physical nano-SIM card slot + eSIM" in the Chinese mainland version of the iPhone 17e. The official description states that "two eSIMs can be activated, or one nano-SIM card and one eSIM." In many countries and regions such as the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (model A3575), the physical SIM card slot has been removed. (IT Home)

The first large-folded mobile phone series of Huawei is equipped with the Kirin 9030 Pro

36Kr learned that on April 20th, Huawei's first large-folded mobile phone, the Huawei Pura X Max, was officially released. The entire series of this phone is equipped with the Kirin 9030 Pro chip and the HarmonyOS 6.1 operating system, with the Lingxi CPU paired with the Ark Memory Engine.

Investment and Financing

"Intelligent Pie" Completes Hundreds of Millions of Yuan in Series B+ Financing

36Kr learned that "Intelligent Pie" has completed hundreds of millions of yuan in Series B+ financing. Led by Meituan, Shenzhen Capital Group, Hillhouse Capital, Intime Group, Guoce Investment, Minghui Zhiyuan, and Shenzhen High-tech Investment Group jointly invested. Less than half a year has passed since the last round in which DJI participated.

"Lingji Tianci" Completes Two Rounds of Tens of Millions of RMB in Financing

36Kr learned that "Lingji Tianci" completed two rounds of tens of millions of RMB in financing within the past year. The angel round was led by Delian Capital, with Xiaokonglong Fund and Ruisheng Fund participating. The Pre-A round was led by Implic Capital. In both rounds of financing, Tanqi Capital served as the company's exclusive financial advisor.

"Sunrise" Completes a New Round of Financing Exceeding 1 Billion RMB

36Kr learned that "Sunrise", a domestic full-stack self-developed AI inference GPU enterprise, announced the completion of a new round of financing exceeding 1 billion RMB. So far, Sunrise, which has been spun off and independent for just over a year, has completed a total of seven rounds of financing, with a total financing amount of approximately 4 billion RMB, becoming the first pure inference GPU unicorn in China with a valuation exceeding 10 billion. The funds from this round of financing will be mainly used for the large-scale mass production and delivery of the new-generation S3 inference GPU, the construction of a full-stack software ecosystem, and the R & D iteration of the subsequent S4/S5 chips.

Compiled | Xu Jiatong

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