Siri set for Google makeover; DT, Nvidia seal €1B AI deal

The Friday File: Mobile World Live brings you our top three picks of the week as Apple nears a $1 billion Google AI tie-up to boost Siri, Deutsche Telekom teamed with Nvidia on a Munich-based AI data hub and Orange took full ownership of MasOrange in a €4.2 billion deal.

Apple nears $1B Google AI deal to power revamped Siri

What happened: Apple is reportedly close to finalising a $1 billion annual deal with Google to license its Gemini AI model for the next-generation of Siri.

Why it matters: The partnership would see Apple tap Google’s 1.2 trillion parameter system to power smarter features like summarisation and task planning, marking an upgrade from Apple’s current 150 billion parameter model. After reportedly testing OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude, Apple chose Gemini as an interim fix while it builds its own 1 trillion parameter AI model. Max Zhang, CEO at IT and intelligence consultancy CTOL Digital Solutions, noted the deal marks a “shift in the tech landscape” as, “for the first time, Apple acknowledges it can’t navigate the AI race solo”. Apple plans to host Gemini on its Private Cloud Compute servers, walled off from Google to maintain user privacy. “As Siri struggles with outdated tech, this partnership offers a lifeline while maintaining its fierce privacy ethos,” Zhang noted. However, he cautioned that while the collaboration provides Siri with a short term AI boost, “it also raises questions about dependency on Google for key technology”.

Deutsche Telekom, Nvidia team on €1B AI data hub

What happened: Deutsche Telekom and Nvidia teamed up on a €1 billion AI data centre in Munich, housing 10,000 Nvidia Blackwell GPUs to create one of Europe’s largest industrial AI clouds.

Why it matters: According to the pair, the facility will boost Germany’s AI capacity by 50 per cent in support of the country’s Made 4 Germany digitalisation initiative. With operations expected to begin in Q1 2026, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the facility will “supercharge” Germany’s industrial base. Software player SAP will integrate its business platform into the cloud, linking AI models to industrial data to accelerate automation and smart manufacturing. Early partners also include Siemens, Perplexity, Agile Robots and Quantum Systems. Larbi Belkhit, ABI Research analyst, said the deal “marks a significant moment in Europe’s push toward AI sovereignty” as regional players invest in their own infrastructure instead of relying on hyperscalers. For DT, he said it “underscores its strategic repositioning to move into the GPU-as-a-service market via this AI factory,” while commercial success hinges on industrial uptake. According to Belkhit, “the real question now is what partnerships will telcos form when going to market, and at what layers of the stack?”

Orange reaches €4.2B deal for the rest of MasOrange

What happened: Orange struck a €4.2 billion deal to acquire the remaining 50 per cent stake it doesn’t own in Spanish operator MasOrange from private equity consortium Lorca.

Why it matters: The non-binding agreement strengthens Orange’s position in the group’s second-largest market in Europe, with the operator adding the deal “confirms its long-term industrial commitment in Spain”. A binding agreement is expected to be signed by the end of 2025, with completion of the transaction targeted for the first half of 2026 subject to regulatory clearance.. The buyout comes after Orange Spain and Masmovil merged in 2022 to create MasOrange, Spain’s largest mobile operator by connections. With over 25.8 million mobile lines, the operator leads rivals Telefonica’s Movistar and Vodafone Spain. In October.