Vodafone SatCo set for 2026; Nothing dials up new phone

The Friday File: Mobile World Live brings you our top three picks of the week as Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile fixed a launch in 2026 for their joint venture satellite business, Nothing made a bold redesign with its latest phone and HPE completed an acquisition of Juniper Networks.

Vodafone, AST reveal SatCo 2026 launch, HQ

What happened: Vodafone Group and AST SpaceMobile moved their joint satellite venture, SatCo, a step closer to take-off by revealing plans for a commercial launch in 2026 and confirming Luxembourg as the company’s headquarters.

Why it matters: First announced during MWC Barcelona 2025, SatCo is set to deliver direct-to-device satellite connectivity across Europe with aims to build out partnerships spanning both the public and private sectors. In the update this week, the companies also indicated strong regional demand for the service, citing interest from operators across 21 EU member states and several other European countries. Furthermore, the decision to base the business in Luxembourg reflects the country’s robust digital credentials and central location, offering a strategic foundation for distributing AST’s satellite services across the region via a single turnkey model. Vodafone CEO Margherita Della Valle called the JV “an important initiative for Europe,” hailing its role in helping the continent “take the lead in new direct-to-device mobile broadband technology.” Indeed, the targeted launch marks a move towards reducing digital divides and enhancing critical infrastructure across the region.

Nothing enters the matrix with latest phone

What happened: Nothing took the wraps off its “first true flagship smartphone”, the Phone (3), as well as its first over-ear headphones at a launch event in London, deepening its push into the premium device segment.

Why it matters: The device introduced a refreshed design featuring the Glyph Matrix, a circular rear mini-display, as well as fresh AI capabilities. CEO Carl Pei described the approach as “a blend of useful features and more stupid, fun features,” with the target audience remaining squarely focused on younger, design-conscious users. CCS Insight’s chief analyst Ben Wood praised the transition to the new design as “a more intelligible way of sharing information” compared to its predecessor’s abstract style. He hailed the progress of the three-year-old brand, which now claims over $1 billion in annual revenue. “When Phone (1) launched, people were excited, but the general consensus was that Nothing would likely fail. A few years later, the company has shipped several million phones,” he explained. Furthermore, priced from $799, the latest device positions Nothing squarely against higher-tier rivals like Samsung’s Galaxy S25. Indeed, Wood warned that despite its success, there is “zero room for complacency in the cut-throat smartphone business”, stating that as Nothing continues to scale its business, “the stakes will get even higher”. 

HPE, Juniper acquisition closes; bosses talk strategy

What happened: Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) officially closed its $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks just two days after receiving the green light from the US Department of Justice (DoJ).

Why it matters: The deal doubles the size of HPE’s networking business and gives it a full-stack modern networking portfolio that spans from silicon to software, along with cloud-native and AI-native capabilities. HPE CEO Antonio Neri and former Juniper CEO Rami Rahim laid out integration plans in a joint briefing, highlighting an aggressive push into AI, secure networking and hybrid cloud. Rahim will now lead the combined networking division, which brings together HPE Networking, Juniper, and HPE’s security and networking subsidiary Aruba under a single umbrella. The DoJ approval came with conditions, including the licensing of Juniper’s Mist AI Ops WLAN code via auction, and the sale of HPE’s Aruba Instant On WLAN business. Neri downplayed the impact, calling the latter a “very small business” and clarifying that Mist’s IP remains under HPE. “This is a licensing, not a divestiture,” he added. In a statement, Ben Fallon, global sales VP at Juniper, explained that the merger folds Juniper’s AI-native full stack Mist into Aruba, priming the companies to create a “next-gen platform built for AI workloads, modern data centres, and edge environments”. Fallon hailed the merger as a bridge towards providing customers with greater choice. “In a market often dominated by one major player, we’ll stand as a strong alternative; blending innovation, scale, and true multi-vendor agility,” he explained.