March 2025

Flutterwave, an African payments technology company, said yesterday it has received approval from Ghana’s Central Bank to provide inward remittance services.

This development, according to the business, reinforces Flutterwave’s aim to simplify payments across Africa.

In announcing the development, Flutterwave stated that Ghana’s financial sector is fast growing, with high mobile phone penetration and a vibrant mobile money ecosystem.

Remarkably, it continued, 60% of foreign exchange is received through mobile money platforms, demonstrating the critical role they play in the financial lives of Ghanaians.

Beyond mobile money, areas such as insurtech, lend-tech, and buy now, pay later are expanding rapidly, creating a vibrant and diverse fintech environment, according to the business.

Furthermore, Flutterwave stated that the Bank of Ghana’s supportive regulatory framework and the Ghana Digital Agenda have created an attractive market for fintech innovation.

According to Flutterwave, the latest approval is consistent with these trends, guaranteeing that Ghanaians can benefit from rapid, secure, and cost-effective remittance services.

Olugbenga Agboola, founder and CEO of Flutterwave, commented on the milestone: “Remittances play a vital role in the Ghanaian economy, and our goal is to make the process as seamless as possible for Ghanaians in the diaspora looking to send money home.”

Oluwabankole Falade, chief regulatory and government affairs officer at Flutterwave, added: “We are grateful to the Bank of Ghana for their support and look forward to expanding our services in the country.”

Source: Extensia

Apple reportedly planned a major overhaul of its operating software to update the interfaces across its iPhone, iPad and Mac devices to create a more consistent look and feel.

Bloomberg reported the updates are scheduled for later this year and will include new versions of its menus, apps, icons, windows and system buttons.

The news agency’s unnamed sources stated the project is working to simplify the way users control and navigate across their devices.

The new design will be “loosely based” on the Vision Pro headset software, according to Bloomberg.

The new interfaces are slated for iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16.

Bloomberg noted the new software will be the most significant upgrade to the Mac since 2020 while the revamp for iPhones is the largest since iOS 7 in 2013.

The changes could be announced during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

Creating the new interfaces could kick-start an increase in sales for Apple. The tech giant’s smartphone revenue in fiscal Q1 2025 (the period to 28 December 2024) was $69.1 billion, flat year-on-year. Sales in China fell by 11.1 per cent to $18.5 billion.

As of Q1, Apple had over 2.35 billion active devices in use around the world.

Source: Mobile World Live

Google reportedly entered talks to acquire Canadian eye-tracking start-up AdHawk Microsystems for $115 million as part of efforts to upgrade its smart glasses and augmented reality (AR) headsets.

According to Bloomberg, the proposed deal includes $15 million in conditional payments tied to the start-up meeting specific performance milestones. The tech giant is in the final stages of negotiations, with the deal reportedly expected to close by the end of the week.

AdHawk Microsystems provides its advanced technology to manufacturers, enabling precise eye tracking without traditional cameras. The company develops low-power components that analyze corneal and pupil movements faster and with higher accuracy than competing sensors.

The start-up is supported by the venture arms of companies including Samsung, Intel, HP, and Sony Group. Additionally, EssilorLuxottica, the owner of Ray-Ban and Meta’s partner in smart glasses, is also an investor.

If completed, the acquisition would bring AdHawk Microsystems’ eye-tracking technology under Google’s umbrella, providing a boost to its AR and VR offerings.

Google launched its Glass smart glasses headset more than a decade ago but discontinued the device range in 2023 after it struggled to gain widespread adoption.

Since then, the company has explored a potential return to the market and ramped up its investment in AR and VR, highlighting advancements in AI as a driver for renewed interest in the technology.

In December 2024, the company launched Android XR, a dedicated operating system for immersive devices. Meanwhile, in early 2025, it acquired parts of HTC’s XR division, acquiring more engineers and intellectual assets to accelerate development.

Source: Mobile World Live

Google Cloud and network software vendor Infovista partnered to provide smaller operators across North America with a platform to lower the cost of designing RF networks.

Infovista is integrating Google Cloud’s propagation API with its Planet network planning suite to reduce the complexity and cost of wireless network design.

The cloud-based propagation API calculates radio signal paths using Google geodata, including terrain, building, and tree models.

Google Cloud stated its specialized wireless propagation models are optimized for North American wireless landscapes.

Infovista’s Planet service uses AI and ML, live data sources, and 3D simulation technologies to scheme the radio network designs.

It stated the collaboration includes an improved total cost of ownership (TCO) approach for network planning, reducing upfront investment and ongoing operational expenses while also providing continuously updated geodata and propagation models.

The collaboration targets network planners at North America-based Tier 2 and Tier 3 mobile network operators, managed service providers, and private networks. It includes pre-calibrated models ready for immediate use.

Infovista CEO Rick Hamilton said the partnership “is particularly crucial as the industry expands CBRS deployments, accelerates fixed wireless access rollouts, and embraces private networks.”.

It replaces Google’s network planning tool that was discontinued earlier this year.

Source: Mobile World Live