America wants more robots built at home. The problem is that many of the parts U.S. startups need to build them still come from overseas.

The Federal Communications Commission has added certain foreign-made advanced robotic devices to its Covered List as Washington raises national-security concerns around connected robotics. The move could create new hurdles for U.S. startups that rely on foreign components for prototyping and production.

That creates an uncomfortable trade-off: policies designed to strengthen America’s robotics industry could make it harder for some of its youngest robotics companies to compete.

The restrictions came with requirements, though, with Rest of World noting that a robot must be assembled in the U.S. with at least 65% of its components made in the U.S.

That’s exactly where the catch is, as 65% can be especially difficult for startups operating with limited capital and supplier options. At the moment, China is likely to be among the countries most affected, given its dominant role in robotics manufacturing and the broader pattern of U.S. technology restrictions targeting Chinese suppliers.

Why startups could feel the impact most

The same policy that could give U.S. robotics companies more protection from foreign competition may also raise the cost of getting a new robotics company off the ground.

Startups typically have less capital, fewer supplier relationships, and less manufacturing flexibility than established companies. Replacing foreign components can therefore mean higher costs, longer lead times, hardware redesigns, and slower prototyping.

Rest of World founders raised similar concerns.

Elizabeth Williams, founder of cosmetics-robotics startup Gemma, said it would have been impossible to prototype her company’s robots in the U.S. at the same pace. At the same time, Michael Perry of Persona AI argued that Washington needs to “provide the carrot as well as the stick” by building the domestic suppliers startups are being asked to use.

That concern echoes the argument made by nearly 200 U.S. startups that recently opposed broad restrictions on Chinese open-weight AI models.

Their case was not that Chinese technology should remain unrestricted, but that smaller companies often need access to affordable, capable tools because they cannot match the resources of the largest U.S. technology companies. Cutting off those options too early could raise costs and concentrate more power among better-funded firms.

An unintended opportunity

Rest of World cited several ways the U.S. could ease the pressure on startups while still reducing its reliance on Chinese robotics.

Per Kyle Chan, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, a more gradual use of tariffs would give American manufacturers time to catch up rather than immediately cutting off foreign supply.

There is also a case for investing more in the companies that make the parts themselves. More U.S. R&D, manufacturing incentives and demand could help create suppliers for motors, actuators, sensors and other components that startups currently struggle to source domestically.

And that may be the more interesting consequence for startups. If Washington succeeds in pushing robotics production to the U.S., it could create an entirely new market for startups that do not build robots at all but instead supply the components American robotics companies need to build them.

Other News: Apple reportedly developed a China-specific AI model with Alibaba’s help as it prepares to bring Apple Intelligence to the country.

Google has released Android 17 QPR2 Beta 3 for eligible Pixel devices, with the update bringing a broader set of changes than the previous beta.

The biggest visible addition is a new Quick Settings layout editor. Users can rearrange key sections of the panel, including the brightness slider, Quick Settings tiles and media controls. That means people can move frequently used controls to positions that better fit how they use their phones.

Google is also expanding Android’s theming options. Users can fine-tune the system color with a slider and choose from four styles: Neutral, Soft, Bright and Bold. The update adds more blur effects to the lock screen, including the notification area, shortcuts and fingerprint interface. Foldable users also get improvements to windowed apps, including an app handle for moving between windowed and full-screen modes.

Google targets call-forwarding scams

The most consequential change may be the security update around call forwarding.

Google says Android 17 now analyzes call-forwarding USSD codes, including codes such as 21, when apps attempt to run them through the TelephonyManager.sendUssdRequest() API. Standard apps will no longer be able to execute these call-forwarding codes in the background using only the CALL_PHONE permission. Blocked attempts will return a USSD_ERROR_NOT_ALLOWED callback.

Android will also show an operating system-level confirmation when users manually enter call-forwarding codes through the system dialer. Google says the change is intended to counter social-engineering scams that trick people into activating call forwarding. Other USSD functions, including mobile-money transfers and account checks, are not affected.

More Google coverage

Cellular security gets a bigger upgrade

Android Authority identified broader additions to Android’s Mobile Network Security feature. The beta includes a timestamped SIM security timeline that records modem-detected events, including when a cellular network accesses device identifiers such as the IMEI or IMSI. Users with multiple active SIMs can filter the events by SIM.

The update also exposes encryption cipher information for cellular connections. Strings found in the beta suggest Google is preparing warnings for threats including downgrade, denial-of-service, jamming and location-tracking attacks, although features discovered in an APK teardown may change or never reach a public release.

QPR2 Beta 3 suggests Google is using its quarterly releases for more than cosmetic experimentation. The combination of deeper customization and protections against telecom fraud points toward an Android experience that gives users more control while quietly putting tighter limits on risky background behavior.

The beta is available to enrolled users with a Pixel 6a or newer supported Pixel device. Google is distributing build CP41.260731.005.A2 to the Pixel 6a, Pixel 7 series, Pixel 7a, Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet, while newer eligible models receive build CP41.260731.005.B1.

Read more: Google’s call-forwarding protections are part of a wider security push targeting Android scams, theft, spyware and malicious apps.

OnePlus shoppers in India just got another reason to check the price tag twice.

Prices have reportedly risen by ₹1,000 to ₹4,000, or roughly $10 to $42, across five models: the Nord 6, Nord CE6, Nord CE6 Lite, N6, and N6x. Several of the phones are still relatively new, meaning buyers are facing higher prices only weeks or months after launch.

Increases of roughly 4% to 13% can put a phone against an entirely different set of rivals. Various OnePlus models have now crossed into that territory.

Updated prices move several models into new brackets

For scale, ₹20,000 is roughly $210, while the largest ₹4,000 increase is about $42.

Nord CE6 Lite takes the biggest hit, with its 8GB and 256GB version rising ₹4,000. Its 8GB and 128GB model now sits above ₹30,000. The Nord CE6 8GB and 256GB version, on the other hand, moves past ₹40,000.

OnePlus just launched the N6x on July 31 with a ₹18,999 starting price and compared it with phones in India’s ₹15,000 to ₹20,000 segment. Latest reporting uses ₹19,999 as the previous price for that configuration and ₹20,999 as the revised price, making the entry model ₹2,000 more than its launch price.

Nord 6 has reached further across several increases, with its ₹38,999 and ₹41,999 launch configurations now reported at ₹46,999 and ₹52,999.

Checkout totals may be lower for eligible shoppers. OnePlus lists instant bank discounts across the affected phones during August, depending on the model and payment method.

Memory costs are squeezing cheaper phones

RAM has become considerably more expensive for phone manufacturers. TrendForce estimated that contract prices for LPDDR4X mobile memory jumped at least 70% to 75% quarter over quarter in the second quarter of 2026, while LPDDR5X jumped by an estimated 78% to 83%.

AI server demand is tightening supply as memory producers devote more capacity to higher-end products. Similar conditions are contributing to higher smartphone prices and putting cheaper Android phones under added cost pressure.

Manufacturers can also respond by offering less memory in lower-priced devices. TrendForce says entry-level smartphones are settling around 4GB of RAM, while 8GB is becoming common in mid-range models. Similar RAM and storage constraints are influencing Android hardware decisions across 2026.

OnePlus has not linked the latest price hikes directly to memory costs, though both are happening amid a steep rise in mobile DRAM prices.

Mobility must-reads

Buyers should compare the phones all over again

Rebuild your shortlist if an affected phone now crosses the amount you planned to spend. Compare the N6x at ₹20,999 with other strong options around ₹21,000, and apply the same test to the Nord CE6 Lite above ₹30,000 and the Nord CE6 above ₹40,000.

Paying more does not add RAM, storage, battery capacity, or performance to the phone you were already considering.

Use the checkout price you can actually claim when comparing models. An instant bank discount can narrow the difference, but an advertised offer should not influence your decision if your card or payment method is not eligible. Waiting for a sale can be worth considering if your current phone still works and the new price no longer fits your budget.

If you need a replacement now, compare the entire price band instead of staying within OnePlus. Continued memory constraints across smartphones also mean waiting does not guarantee that future phones at the same price will offer more RAM or storage.

More News: OnePlus 16 leaks suggest a huge 9,000mAh battery alongside a 200MP camera, 185Hz display, and new Snapdragon chip.