Too many alerts, too little attention: Why your phone won't stop buzzing

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jun 10, 2026 | Technology

Pick up your phone. Before you unlock the screen, there is almost certainly a food delivery offer expiring in two hours, a payment app nudging you to invest, a shopping app reminding you of something you left in your cart three days ago, and an over-the-top (OTT) platform telling you that a new show has dropped. None of these was requested. All of them were carefully designed to capture attention.

According to DataReportal, a research platform that tracks global digital adoption trends, India had 1.06 billion active cellular mobile connections in late 2025, with internet penetration reaching 70 per cent of the total population. As apps compete for attention on over a billion screens, the push notification has become one of the most widely used tools in the country’s app economy — a free, instant, always-on channel that sits directly on a user’s lock screen.

Mumbai-headquartered customer engagement platform CleverTap analysed over 300 billion push notifications and reported that nearly 30 per cent of consumers delete an app specifically because of excessive advertising and notifications. The same tool companies use to keep users engaged may also be pushing them away. Yet notifications remain a central part of how apps compete for attention.

Why notifications matter

Most apps are free to download, meaning companies must find other ways to make money. Some rely on advertising. Others generate revenue through subscriptions, financial products, shopping transactions, or commissions. Regardless of the business model, one challenge remains constant: users need to keep returning.

A user who downloads an app and never opens it again has little value to a company. A user who returns every day, however, may watch ads, make purchases, subscribe to services, or recommend the platform to others. This is where notifications become valuable.

Unlike advertisements that require companies to pay for visibility, push notifications create a direct communication channel between an app and a user. Once permission is granted, companies can reach consumers instantly and at virtually no additional distribution cost.

An industry report from AppsFlyer describes engagement and retention as among the most important metrics for mobile app businesses, with re-engagement channels such as push notifications playing a central role in bringing users back into apps. For app companies, every notification is essentially an invitation to return.

Economics of retention

The importance of notifications becomes clearer when viewed through the economics of customer acquisition. Acquiring a new user has become increasingly expensive.

Companies spend heavily on digital advertising to persuade users to install their apps. Once those users arrive, businesses must ensure they remain active. If a user stops opening an app after a few weeks, the acquisition investment may never be recovered.

As a result, retention has become almost as important as acquisition itself. For many businesses, it is cheaper to bring back an existing user through a notification than to acquire an entirely new one through advertising campaigns. That economic reality explains why notifications have become embedded in nearly every category of mobile application.

For Indian apps competing in one of the world’s most downloaded-but-discarded markets, this is not an abstract statistic. According to a Ken Research report on India’s app market, approximately 70 per cent of app users in India uninstall an app within 30 days of downloading it, with excessive notifications cited as one of the primary reasons alongside poor user experience and lack of compelling content.

How notifications drive business

The link between a notification and a company’s bottom line is more direct than it might seem. When a user opens an app in response to a push alert, the clock starts. Time spent in-app translates to ad impressions, which translate to revenue.

CleverTap’s cross-channel research, published in 2024, found that push notifications contribute to a 26 per cent uplift in first-transaction rates for fintech apps when combined with in-app messaging.

The same report found a 6 per cent increase in e-commerce conversions when push notifications were part of a broader multi-channel engagement strategy. These are not marginal gains; at the scale of platforms with tens of millions of users, a 6 per cent conversion bump can mean hundreds of crores in additional gross merchandise value.

India’s spending on remarketing, or re-engaging users who have already installed an app, grew 118 per cent year-on-year in 2025, the fastest pace among major global markets, according to AppsFlyer. The surge highlights the growing challenge of retaining users in an increasingly crowded app ecosystem. As competition for attention intensifies, companies are investing more heavily in efforts to bring inactive users back to their platforms.

Engagement drives revenue

Notifications are not merely about keeping users informed. They are designed to influence behaviour. An e-commerce app may alert users about a limited-time sale. A fintech platform may encourage users to complete a payment or investment. A social media company may highlight new interactions to trigger another session.

Each notification aims to create a small action that eventually translates into business value.

The connection is particularly important for advertising-supported platforms. Advertising revenue depends heavily on user engagement. More time spent inside an app often means more advertisements viewed and more monetisation opportunities.

Notifications do more than keep users informed; they are designed to influence behaviour. A shopping app may promote a flash sale, a fintech platform may remind users to complete a payment or investment, while a social media app may highlight likes, comments, or new followers to draw users back. For app companies, every interaction has value. The more frequently users return, the more opportunities there are for purchases, transactions, subscriptions, or ad views. This is especially important for advertising-supported platforms, where higher engagement often translates directly into greater revenue.

This creates a direct relationship between engagement and revenue. The more often users return, the more valuable they become. That is one reason app marketers continue investing heavily in retention and re-engagement strategies.

How different apps use the same tool differently

Not every notification is built the same. The way e-commerce, fintech, and social media apps use push alerts reveals how differently the same tool can be deployed — and how differently users respond.

E-commerce: Creating urgency

Shopping apps such as Meesho, Flipkart, Myntra, and Nykaa primarily use notifications to drive purchases. Common alerts include flash sales, price drops, abandoned cart reminders, and low-stock warnings.

The goal is to create a sense of urgency and encourage users to act immediately.

Fintech: Delivering useful information

Payment and financial apps use notifications for transaction confirmations, UPI payments, EMI reminders, SIP updates, and account activity. Unlike promotional alerts, these notifications provide information users actively want and expect to receive.

This makes notifications a trusted communication channel for fintech companies.

The challenge for fintech apps arises when trusted transactional channels are used for marketing. Loan offers, insurance promotions, and credit card pitches can dilute the value of notifications that users rely on for important financial updates.

Social media: Driving engagement

Social platforms use notifications to bring users back into the app. Alerts typically revolve around likes, comments, follows, messages, and friend recommendations.

The objective is not a transaction but increased time spent on the platform

India’s notification overload

India’s notification overload is closely tied to the scale of its app economy. With more than a billion mobile connections and millions of users spread across shopping, fintech, entertainment, and social media platforms, notifications have become one of the easiest ways for companies to reach consumers directly. As businesses compete for engagement, retention, and transactions, the volume of alerts landing on users’ lock screens continues to grow.

This easy access to users also helps explain why notification volumes remain high. According to a Ken Research report, around 70 per cent of Indian users uninstall an app within 30 days of downloading it. Yet product teams are measured on engagement and app opens, creating a strong incentive to send more notifications even if they risk frustrating users over time.

Too many notifications, too many uninstalls.

Personalisation

CleverTap in its report stated that basic personalisation can increase open rates by 9 per cent, while adding emojis can boost click-through rates by another 9.6 per cent. The findings suggest that relevance, rather than volume alone, plays a key role in how users respond to notifications.

Users generally dislike irrelevant notifications, not notifications themselves. Personalisation aims to make alerts more relevant based on a user’s interests, purchases, and behaviour.

Indian apps are increasingly using AI and customer data to improve notification targeting.

According to CleverTap’s 2024 cross-channel engagement report, brands with higher AI adoption achieved conversion rates up to four times higher than those using basic broadcast methods.

Personalisation remains challenging because users interact with multiple apps, and each platform has only a partial view of their behaviour. Even relevant notifications must compete with dozens of other alerts on an already crowded lock screen.

When notifications are relevant, conversions follow.

Limits of the notification strategy

Attention is finite: Every app is competing for the same limited resource — user attention.

Notification overload reduces effectiveness: As more apps send alerts, individual notifications become easier to ignore.

Users are fighting back: Consumers increasingly mute, filter, or disable notifications they consider unnecessary.

Platforms are adapting: Features such as Apple’s Focus Modes and Android’s notification controls give users greater control over interruptions.

Regulatory scrutiny is growing: Authorities are paying closer attention to dark patterns and manipulative engagement tactics.

Retention is becoming more expensive: Companies are spending more on remarketing and re-engagement to bring inactive users back.

Losing attention has a direct cost: Disengaged users mean lower engagement, fewer transactions, reduced ad revenue, and higher marketing expenses.

The next challenge is relevance: Companies must find ways to stay visible without overwhelming users with excessive notifications.

The next competitive edge

The companies most likely to win the next phase of India’s app economy are not the ones that figure out how to send more notifications. They are the ones who figure out how to send fewer and make each one count. That requires a shift in how success is measured, with greater emphasis on notification quality, including open rates, conversions, and retention impact, rather than the sheer volume of messages sent.

A handful of Indian platforms are already moving in this direction. Better AI tools, richer behavioural data, and growing user sophistication are creating new opportunities for more targeted engagement. This is particularly true among users in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, many of whom are entering the app economy for the first time and are still deciding which platforms they trust. For companies, that creates an opportunity to build a more valuable and less intrusive relationship with users.

For the billion-plus smartphone users in India, the notification wars are not going anywhere. But the terms of engagement are slowly starting to shift. The apps that treat the lock screen as a billboard will keep losing users. The ones that treat it as a conversation may be the ones worth keeping.

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Claude Fable 5 explained: What Anthropic's guarded frontier AI model can do

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jun 10, 2026 | Technology

Anthropic has introduced Claude Fable 5, a new artificial intelligence model that brings its most advanced “Mythos-class” capabilities to general users, while retaining strict controls over how those capabilities can be applied. Alongside it, the company has also released Claude Mythos 5, a separate version of the same system that remains restricted to vetted organisations under its Project Glasswing programme.

The dual release marks a shift in how Anthropic is deploying frontier AI systems. Instead of limiting access entirely, the company is separating capability from access, exposing a controlled version publicly while keeping full capabilities within restricted environments.

What is Claude Fable 5

Claude Fable 5 is a Mythos-class model, meaning it operates at the same capability level as Anthropic’s most advanced internal systems. It is designed as a general-purpose AI system capable of handling complex, multi-step tasks across domains such as software engineering, reasoning, and scientific analysis.

Unlike earlier Claude models, Fable 5 is built for sustained workflows rather than single prompts. It is designed to plan, execute, and iterate across tasks, making it closer to an agent-style system than a traditional AI chatbot.

What does Claude Fable 5 do

Fable 5 is positioned for high-complexity use cases, including:

Large-scale software engineering and codebase transformation

Long-form reasoning and knowledge work

Vision-based tasks involving structured and unstructured data

Scientific and technical problem-solving

Anthropic has indicated that performance gains are most visible in longer and more complex tasks, where the model is able to maintain context and execute multi-step workflows.

Mythos Preview, Mythos 5 and Fable 5: What has Anthropic built

Anthropic’s Mythos programme has evolved in three stages, each reflecting a different deployment approach.

Claude Mythos Preview was the first version, released under Project Glasswing as a restricted system focused on cybersecurity. It was designed to identify vulnerabilities in software and, in some cases, explore exploit paths across systems. Because of these capabilities, access was limited to vetted organisations, including infrastructure providers and cyberdefence teams.

Claude Mythos 5 is the latest version of this system. It builds on Mythos Preview with improved reasoning, coding, and cybersecurity performance. It is a separate model release, not just an update, and continues to operate under restricted access through Glasswing.

Claude Fable 5 is the public-facing version of the same underlying system. It shares the same architecture and capability level as Mythos 5, but introduces safeguards that limit how those capabilities can be used.

The difference between the three is therefore defined by access and control:

Mythos Preview: Early, cybersecurity-focused system with strict access controls

Mythos 5: Updated system with full capabilities, still restricted

Fable 5: Public version with safeguards and controlled behaviour

How the models differ

Anthropic’s evaluation data shows that Mythos 5 and Fable 5 perform similarly in general-purpose tasks, including coding, reasoning, and knowledge work.

In benchmarks such as Agentic coding (SWE-Bench Pro and FrontierCode) and multidisciplinary reasoning (Humanity’s Last Exam), both models outperform earlier Claude versions and competing systems, indicating that their underlying capability is aligned.

However, differences emerge in high-risk domains.

In cybersecurity evaluations (Firefox, OSS-Fuzz, CyberGym, CyScenarioBench), Mythos systems (Mythos Preview and Mythos 5) show high success rates in completing offensive tasks across environments such as browser exploitation and fuzz testing. These results reflect the model’s ability to identify and act on vulnerabilities.

Fable 5, when safeguards are active, shows a near-complete suppression of these outcomes. In automated adversarial testing, attack success rates drop sharply compared to earlier models, indicating that the system is actively blocking or limiting such behaviour.

A similar pattern is visible in biology-related evaluations. Mythos 5 shows higher performance in predicting experimental biological properties compared to Mythos Preview and earlier models, while Fable 5 may restrict or limit responses in these domains depending on the query.

This indicates that the difference between Mythos 5 and Fable 5 is not capability, but behaviour.

What safeguards are in place on Claude Fable 5

Claude Fable 5 introduces safeguards designed to address these risks.

These include:

Blocking responses in high-risk domains such as cybersecurity and biology

Falling back to Claude Opus models for sensitive queries

Applying conservative filtering to prevent misuse

In adversarial testing, these safeguards significantly reduce the model’s ability to complete offensive cybersecurity tasks. In some benchmark environments, success rates fall to near zero when safeguards are enforced.

However, these safeguards are not without trade-offs. They can also block legitimate queries or reduce the quality of responses in sensitive areas, as the system may either refuse to answer or fall back to a less capable model.

Why Mythos systems were restricted in the first place

The decision to restrict Mythos systems is tied directly to their real-world implications.

AI models capable of identifying vulnerabilities and generating exploit pathways can compress the time between discovery and exploitation. This is a concern already highlighted by cybersecurity agencies, including frameworks such as those from India’s CERT-In, which note that attackers are increasingly able to act within hours of vulnerability disclosure.

Mythos-class systems extend this capability further. They do not just identify issues, but can assist in understanding how those issues can be exploited in practice.

This creates a dual-use problem. The same capability that can be used for defence can also be used for attack.

This is why Mythos Preview was never released publicly, and why Mythos 5 continues to operate under restricted access.

Do safeguards on Claude Fable 5 address these concerns?

The safeguards directly target the risk of AI-assisted exploit development by reducing the model’s effectiveness in offensive scenarios. This is also clear from the benchmark scores presented by Anthropic.

From a policy perspective, this aligns with concerns raised by regulators and cybersecurity agencies about automation in vulnerability exploitation.

However, it should be noted that only the outputs are restricted, the underlying capability still exists. This creates a system where risk is managed through control layers rather than removed entirely.

Claude Fable 5 vs GPT models and Gemini

According to Anthropic’s benchmark data, Fable 5 outperforms competing models across several agentic and cybersecurity-focused evaluations.

For agentic coding, Fable 5 outperforms OpenAI’s GPT 5.5 and Google’s Gemini 3.1 Pro on several benchmarks such as SWE-Bench Pro. It also scores significantly higher than both on Multidisciplinary reasoning benchmarks such as Humanity’s Last Exam.

While all three companies are competing across similar areas including agentic workflows, coding, and multimodal systems, their approaches differ in how these capabilities are deployed and integrated.

With its newer flagship GPT models, such as GPT 5.5, OpenAI has increasingly focused on building general-purpose agent systems capable of carrying out multi-step tasks across software tools and services.

Google, meanwhile, is integrating AI more deeply across its ecosystem with its latest Gemini 3.5 models. Through initiatives such as Gemini Intelligence on Android, Gemini Live, and Gemini-powered Workspace features, the company is focusing on persistent, context-aware AI that can operate across devices, applications, and services.

Anthropic’s approach differs from both. Rather than positioning Fable 5 primarily as a consumer assistant or ecosystem layer, the company is emphasising high-performance reasoning, coding and scientific work.

The release of Mythos 5 alongside Fable 5 also shows that Anthropic is developing specialised frontier models for high-risk domains while maintaining separate safety controls for broader deployment, a step that no competitor has taken yet.

Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5: Pricing and availability

According to the company, Fable 5 is available globally through the Claude API and consumption-based Enterprise plans from day one. Developers can access the model directly via the API, with pricing set at $10 per million input tokens and $50 per million output tokens. The same pricing applies to Claude Mythos 5.

However, access differs significantly between the two models.

Claude Mythos 5 remains restricted under Project Glasswing and is currently available only to vetted partners, primarily in cybersecurity. Anthropic also said it plans to extend access to select biology researchers, where safeguards related to biology and chemistry can be lifted in controlled settings.

For subscription users, Anthropic is taking a phased approach to Fable 5 rollout.

From launch until June 22, the model is included at no additional cost across Pro, Max, Team, and seat-based Enterprise plans. After this period, access will shift to a usage-based model, requiring credits for continued use.

The company indicated that this temporary inclusion is tied to capacity constraints, and that it intends to reintroduce Fable 5 as a standard part of subscription plans once sufficient infrastructure is available.

Fable 5 and the IPO race

The release of Claude Fable 5 also comes at a critical moment for Anthropic as it prepares to enter public markets.

According to a Reuters report, the company has confidentially filed for a US initial public offering, positioning itself ahead of OpenAI in what is shaping up to be a high-stakes race to define the commercial future of artificial intelligence.

The timing is significant.

Anthropic last raised $65 billion at a post-money valuation of around $965 billion, more than doubling its valuation from earlier this year and placing it among the most valuable private technology companies globally.

This rapid rise reflects investor expectations that frontier AI systems will drive the next phase of growth in the technology sector. At the same time, it raises a key question for the company: how to translate cutting-edge capability into a scalable and defensible business model.

This is where Fable 5 fits in.

Unlike Mythos Preview, which was restricted under Project Glasswing due to its ability to identify real-world vulnerabilities and perform high-risk tasks, Fable 5 represents a controlled pathway to commercialisation. It brings Mythos-class intelligence into broader use, but with safeguards that limit access to sensitive capabilities.

The distinction is likely to be closely watched by investors.

As Reuters notes, Anthropic and OpenAI are both moving toward public listings, with the race to go public expected to shape how AI companies present their financial models and long-term viability.

In that context, Fable 5 is more than a product launch. It is a signal of how Anthropic intends to balance scale, safety, and revenue as it transitions from a research-driven company to a publicly traded one.

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Smartphone discounts fade as prices rise amid AI-led memory crunch: Report

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jun 10, 2026 | Technology

Smartphone prices have risen sharply in 2026. While the Indian smartphone industry recorded almost no net price movement in 2025, the chart has gone up by 7.9 per cent in just five months of this year.

According to a report by market tracker TechArc, the price index increased every month in 2026 through May, rising by about 2.16 per cent each month. Currently, there is no indication that the trend will reverse. Entry-level and base-level smartphones appear to have been hit the hardest.

According to the report, the ratio between price increases and price cuts was 1:1 in 2025. In 2026, that has changed to 4.4:1. In simple terms, smartphone prices remained close to flat last year, but in the first five months of 2026, price increases have far outpaced cuts. One main reason for this surge is the global shortage of memory.

How the trend changed between 2025 and 2026

According to TechArc, smartphone prices remained largely stable last year, with the average price moving by a negative 0.1 per cent despite seasonal fluctuations.

Prices stayed close to launch prices during the first quarter and gradually declined through the middle of the year as the initial launch premium faded. They reached their lowest point in September, when prices were about 5 per cent below launch levels. However, prices recovered towards the end of the year, with the index returning to 100 per cent by December. Overall, there was almost no change over the full year.

That trend has reversed decisively in 2026.

Price increases have significantly outpaced reductions, with 79 models becoming more expensive compared to only 18 seeing cuts. Overall, smartphone prices rose every month between January and May, resulting in an average increase of 7.9 per cent in just five months.

In contrast, in 2025, 47 smartphone models saw price increases and 44 saw price cuts. Prices of 66 models remained flat in 2025, compared to 60 from January to May 2026.

In simple terms, Indian buyers who earlier benefited from waiting for post-launch discounts are now facing a market where delaying a purchase could mean paying more.

Among segments, entry-level smartphones saw the sharpest rise in both 2025 and 2026. The category, which saw an average price increase of 7 per cent last year, recorded a 17.6 per cent rise in the first five months of 2026. At the top end, the luxury segment saw a small increase in 2025, but prices declined slightly in 2026.

Which segments faced the price increases?

The TechArc study divided the smartphone market into six segments:

Entry-level: less than Rs 10,000

Base-level: Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000

Mid-level: Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000

Premium: Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000

Premium Pro: Rs 50,000 to Rs 100,000

Luxe or Luxury: above Rs 100,000

The sharpest change was seen in lower-priced segments.

Entry-level devices priced below Rs 10,000, which had already become 7 per cent more expensive in 2025, saw average prices rise by 17.6 per cent in 2026.

Similarly, the base-level segment moved from a modest 1.2 per cent increase in 2025 to a much steeper 13.9 per cent rise this year.

The mid-level segment saw a 1.6 per cent price decline last year, but in 2026, prices increased by 5.6 per cent.

In contrast, the pace of price growth moderated as devices became more expensive.

Smartphones in the premium bracket rose 2.8 per cent in 2026 after declining 5.7 per cent in 2025.

Premium Pro models remained cheaper. In 2025, their prices fell 3.1 per cent, and in 2026, they declined 2 per cent.

In the luxury segment, prices rose 0.4 per cent in 2025, but fell 2.6 per cent in 2026.

Why are smartphone prices rising?

A major factor behind the current wave of smartphone price increases is a prolonged global shortage of memory chips, including DRAM and NAND, which are essential components in modern smartphones.

According to a Nikkei Asia report, supply constraints are expected to persist as major memory manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Micron struggle to expand production quickly enough. Together, these companies control around 90 per cent of the global DRAM market.

The report noted that memory shortages could continue until around 2027, with planned production increases expected to meet only about 60 per cent of demand.

The main driver of the shortage is the rapid growth of AI infrastructure.

Memory manufacturers are increasingly prioritising high-bandwidth memory (HBM), a higher-margin product used in AI servers and data centres. This has reduced the supply of general-purpose memory used in smartphones and PCs.

Analysts expect the pressure to continue.

Upasana Joshi, senior research manager, Devices Research Asia/Pacific, IDC, noted in one of its reports that the global memory shortage is likely to extend into 2027, with rupee depreciation adding further cost pressure.

The impact is also visible in shipments.

Counterpoint Research reported a 3 per cent year-on-year decline in overall smartphone shipments during the Q1, CY2026, describing it as the weakest first quarter for the industry in six years. It further projected a full-year decline of around 10 per cent in smartphone shipments for 2026.

Why entry-level smartphones are suffering the most

While rising memory costs are affecting the entire smartphone market, the impact is being felt most sharply at the lower end of the price spectrum.

In an earlier interview with Business Standard, Sumit Singh, SVP and product head at Lava International, said memory had emerged as the single biggest cost pressure for smartphone makers.

He explained that memory, which previously accounted for around 15-20 per cent of a smartphone’s total cost, now contributes nearly half of the bill of materials, fundamentally changing the economics of smartphone manufacturing.

That shift is making ultra-affordable smartphones increasingly difficult to sustain.

Singh said devices that were once commonly available in the Rs 6,000-Rs 7,000 range are gradually disappearing, with the practical entry point for new smartphones moving closer to Rs 8,000-Rs 10,000.

Rather than a temporary pricing cycle, he described it as a structural change that is making it harder for brands to offer low-cost smartphones without sacrificing margins.

Counterpoint Research senior analyst Prachir Singh made a similar point earlier.

In April, Singh said: “The market is facing a clear affordability squeeze, driven by sharp memory-led cost inflation and currency pressures that have forced OEMs to raise prices across key models. With average hikes exceeding Rs 1,500, the sub-Rs 15,000 segment has been hit the hardest, given its high price sensitivity.”

Industry data suggests that this transition is already underway.

According to IDC, shipments in the entry-level smartphone segment, or sub-$100 category, declined 59 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of CY2026, while the segment’s share of the market fell from 18 per cent to just 8 per cent.

Together, these figures suggest that rising component costs are disproportionately affecting the most price-sensitive segment of the market.

Which brands were affected the most?

At the brand level, 2026 saw a much sharper divergence in pricing strategies than 2025.

While most brands remained relatively stable last year, the biggest increases in 2026 came from value-focused players.

Acer recorded the largest average increase, with prices rising 63.7 per cent, followed by Ai+ at 31.6 per cent, Redmi at 26.5 per cent, CMF at 24.3 per cent, Infinix at 19.9 per cent and Poco at 16.4 per cent.

On the other side, Xiaomi reduced prices by 13 per cent, while Itel and Alcatel lowered prices by 6.8 per cent and 6.6 per cent, respectively. Apple and Honor remained broadly unchanged.

Based on smartphones launched between 2025 and May 2026, Google smartphones saw a price rise of 4.6 per cent, while Samsung recorded a price rise of 6.1 per cent.

iPhones stayed unchanged, with no price increase.

Google and Apple smartphones are priced in the Premium Pro to Luxury segment, while Samsung’s portfolio is spread across segments, from affordable models to flagships.

The pattern closely mirrors the broader market trend, with budget-focused brands pushing through the largest increases while premium players have largely held prices steady or offered selective cuts.

What’s the outlook for India’s smartphone industry?

The forces driving smartphone prices higher are unlikely to disappear soon.

The global memory shortage is expected to continue until at least 2027 as demand from AI infrastructure continues to absorb a growing share of supply. As a result, the cost pressures currently affecting smartphone makers are expected to remain in place over the coming quarters.

That outlook is echoed in TechArc’s assessment of the Indian market.

The research firm believes the price increases seen across smartphone categories in the first half of 2026 are unlikely to be reversed, even if component costs eventually begin to stabilise.

Once consumers accept a higher price band, brands typically have little incentive to roll prices back.

In practical terms, this means the new pricing levels emerging in the Rs 8,000-Rs 18,000 segment could become the industry’s new normal rather than a temporary adjustment.

According to TechArc, the next battleground will be the mid-range segment. The firm identified the Rs 20,000-Rs 30,000 category as a key indicator to watch in the second half of 2026.

If prices continue to firm up in this bracket, it would suggest that inflationary pressures that first hit budget smartphones are moving further up the market.

At the same time, premium smartphones may continue to see steep discounts and promotional offers as brands compete for flagship sales, creating a different pricing dynamic at the top end.

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Xiaomi 17T review: Great cameras, lasting battery, and near-flagship appeal

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jun 10, 2026 | Technology

The Xiaomi 17T enters the mid-premium smartphone segment with a familiar formula: a sharp AMOLED display, capable cameras, a large battery and a performance-focused chipset. On paper, the device ticks most of the right boxes. It features a 6.59-inch 1.5K AMOLED display of a 120Hz refresh rate, Leica-tuned cameras, MediaTek’s Dimensity 8500 Ultra processor and a 6,500mAh battery.

After using the device, the Xiaomi 17T feels like a smartphone that gets most fundamentals right. However, it also highlights an issue Xiaomi continues to face: strong hardware paired with software that still lacks the refinement of some competitors.

Design and display

The Xiaomi 17T strikes a balance between compact design and large-screen usability.

Its 6.59-inch display offers enough screen real estate for media consumption, gaming and multitasking without making the phone feel excessively large. Everyday tasks such as typing, browsing social media and navigating apps feel comfortable.

The phone does feel slightly dense in hand, particularly when used with the bundled case, but weight distribution is balanced enough to make one-handed use manageable for shorter periods.

Xiaomi has kept the design relatively understated. The flat frame and matte finish give the phone a clean, mature appearance that aligns closely with the design language of the Xiaomi 17.

The only element that disrupts the otherwise minimalist look is the large camera island, which draws more attention than the rest of the design.

Build quality is reassuring. The phone feels sturdy, with well-finished edges and a premium feel without appearing overly flashy.

The matte rear panel does a good job of resisting fingerprints and smudges, helping maintain a cleaner appearance throughout the day. However, the finish is somewhat slippery. While the phone never feels unsafe to hold, most users will likely prefer using the included case for additional grip and security.

The 1.5K AMOLED display is sharp, vibrant and smooth. Outdoor visibility is strong, and colours appear vivid without looking overly saturated. Combined with the adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, the display delivers a dependable viewing experience that feels well suited to daily use.

Audio is handled by stereo speakers. The output is loud and clear enough for video streaming, casual gaming and calls. However, the sound lacks the depth and bass response found on some competitors. It gets the job done but does not feel particularly immersive.

Camera performance

The Xiaomi 17T features a Leica-tuned triple-camera setup comprising:

50MP primary camera

50MP 5x periscope telephoto camera

12MP ultra-wide camera

On the front, there is a 32MP selfie camera.

The camera system follows a distinct Leica-inspired tuning philosophy. Images generally lean towards warmer tones, stronger contrast and more vibrant colours. Whether using Leica Vibrant or Leica Authentic modes, the output prioritises character over strict neutrality.

In daylight, the cameras perform well.

Images are detailed, colours appear rich, and photos often have a cinematic quality. Xiaomi’s image processing produces visually engaging shots that are immediately ready for sharing on social media.

The 5x telephoto camera is one of the highlights of the setup. It retains an impressive amount of detail at longer focal lengths and captures elements that would otherwise be difficult to notice with the naked eye.

Portrait photography is equally capable. Subject separation is reliable, edge detection is generally accurate, and the background blur looks natural rather than artificially generated. However, skin tones continue to reflect the warmer Leica colour science, which may not appeal to users seeking more natural rendering.

Low-light performance is dependable. The phone maintains balanced exposure, controls highlights reasonably well and preserves a useful amount of shadow detail. Noise management is also handled effectively, resulting in images that remain usable without extensive editing.

The biggest limitation is the overall colour profile. Users who prefer natural, true-to-life colours may find Xiaomi’s processing a little too stylised, particularly in Vibrant mode.

For video, the Xiaomi 17T delivers stable and consistent performance. It supports recording at up to 4K 60fps and maintains reliable colours and exposure across most shooting scenarios.

Performance and software

Powering the Xiaomi 17T is MediaTek’s Dimensity 8500 Ultra processor, paired with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage.

The hardware combination delivers strong day-to-day performance.

Apps launch quickly, multitasking feels smooth and background processes remain well managed. Everyday activities such as browsing, messaging, streaming and social media usage are handled without issue.

Gaming performance is another strength.

Titles such as BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile run comfortably at high settings with stable frame rates. Even during longer gaming sessions, performance remains largely consistent.

The device does warm up under sustained loads, but thermal management is competent enough to prevent major throttling or discomfort during normal gameplay.

Xiaomi has also included a growing set of AI-powered features, including:

Writing assistance tools

AI image-editing features

Google Gemini integration

These additions can be useful in specific scenarios, although they remain supplementary rather than transformative.

The hardware experience is impressive. The software experience, however, feels less polished.

HyperOS 3 is responsive and fluid, but the overall interface still lacks the refinement expected at this price point.

Navigation occasionally feels unintuitive, and some customisation options are buried within menus that are not always easy to locate. While the platform offers a broad feature set, the experience does not always feel cohesive.

Compared with competitors such as OPPO’s ColorOS 16, HyperOS still feels a step behind in terms of organisation, discoverability and overall polish.

Battery life and charging

Battery life is one of the Xiaomi 17T’s strongest attributes.

The 6,500mAh battery comfortably powers the device through a full day of use, even under relatively heavy workloads involving gaming, photography and media consumption.

For most users, reaching the end of the day without battery anxiety should not be a problem.

Charging is handled by a 67W wired charger.

While this is no longer among the fastest charging solutions in the segment, it remains perfectly usable. A full charge takes just under 90 minutes, which is reasonable given the battery’s large capacity.

The combination of strong endurance and reliable charging makes the Xiaomi 17T a dependable everyday device.

Verdict

The Xiaomi 17T is a well-rounded smartphone that focuses on delivering strong fundamentals.

The display is sharp and smooth, battery life is excellent, performance is consistently reliable, and the Leica-tuned camera system produces engaging images with plenty of character.

However, the phone is not without compromises.

HyperOS 3 still lacks the polish of some competing Android interfaces, and Xiaomi’s image processing may not appeal to users looking for natural colour reproduction. Charging speeds are also no longer class-leading.

Still, for buyers who prioritise battery life, dependable performance and a capable camera system, the Xiaomi 17T presents a compelling package.

It is not the most refined smartphone in its class, but it is one of the more balanced ones.

Price

Rs 59,999 (12GB + 256GB)

Rs 64,999 (12GB + 512GB)

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Ambani-backed robot startup Addverb seeks $100 million to lead in India

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jun 10, 2026 | Technology

By Sankalp Phartiyal

Indian startup Addverb Technologies Ltd. is seeking to raise more than $100 million, trying to cement its role as the country’s top maker of robots.

Addverb, whose robots handle sorting, material movement and other tasks at logistics firms, warehouses and electronics companies, is scouting for more capital after expanding in markets including the US, the Netherlands and Australia, Chief Executive Officer Sangeet Kumar said. The startup is investing in new technologies as it eyes growth in areas such as humanoid robots and prepares for a stock market debut in a few years, he said.

The startup faces much bigger rivals from countries such as China, Japan, and the US, yet Kumar is betting there’s room for an Indian contender in the rapidly developing industry. Backed by billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd., Addverb has won over several Indian corporations as customers and now is setting its sights further.

“We want to be in the top 10 in the next 5 years and top 5 in the next 10 years,” Kumar, 46, said in an interview at one of Addverb’s two factories on the outskirts of New Delhi. The company estimates it currently ranks just outside the global top 30 in robotics market share by revenue.

The fundraising marks Addverb’s first such major effort since 2021, when it secured $132 million from Reliance, which now owns a controlling stake in the firm. Founders and employees own about a fifth of the company.

It’ll use the fresh capital mainly to develop products such as humanoid and quadruped robots, collect data and build artificial intelligence systems to train sophisticated machines.

The company sees a major growth opportunity in humanoids, a swiftly emerging market where companies from Unitree Robotics to Tesla Inc.’s Optimus vie for leadership. Kumar believes Indian companies can come up with competitive strengths, even with Chinese firms’ head start and advantages including government subsidies.

One way to boost competitiveness is to develop proprietary technology and reduce reliance on imported components, Kumar said. Addverb plans to launch lidar sensors soon after more than two years of development, in one move that’ll help cut dependence on overseas suppliers.

Addverb was founded in 2016 as a warehouse automation firm by four engineers, all of whom previously worked at Asian Paints Ltd., India’s largest paints company. The upstart’s asset-heavy model failed to win over venture funds, but one of the backers of Asian Paints invested in their firm.

The company has since has expanded to robots for factory automation, electronics manufacturing, health care, defense and research applications. Its customers include retail and consumer goods companies including Lenskart Solutions Ltd., Hindustan Unilever Ltd. and Reliance.

Addverb makes half of its revenue from outside of India, employing a total of nearly 1,100 people in more than two dozens countries. After reporting losses during its international expansion over the past two years, Addverb is set to be back in the black in the fiscal year through March 2027 on an adjusted basis, Kumar said. He expects net profit the following year.

Revenue will hit ₹1300 crore ($136 million) this fiscal year, helped by an order book that stands at about $200 million, Kumar said.

An initial public offering is a key option for Addverb to boost scale, though it has no immediate plans for one, he said.

“At this stage, we think we are too small to go for an IPO,” Kumar said. “Probably when we are more than ₹4000 crore or ₹5000 crore in revenue, that is when we would go for IPO.”

That sales milestone could be reached as soon as within the next two years if the company continues to grow at the current pace, Kumar said.

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Reliance Industries to build Meta's first AI-enabled data centre in India

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jun 10, 2026 | Technology

Reliance Industries (RIL) will build an AI-enabled data centre for Facebook parent Meta. The data centre, which will be Meta’s first AI-powered data centre in India, will be situated in Jamnagar with a capacity of 168 MW.

Meta will take the data centre on lease, with an option to scale up.

In a statement, Meta said it will cover the full cost of the energy and water supporting the facility.

“This investment is a significant milestone in Meta’s global infrastructure expansion and deepens our long-standing strategic partnership with Reliance — one that spans connectivity, commerce, and AI innovation in one of the world’s most dynamic digital markets,” the company said.

This is not the first time Meta has worked with Reliance. Last year, Meta and Reliance formed a joint venture with an initial investment of ₹855 crore, split 30:70, respectively. The joint venture was set up to build AI platforms and tools for enterprises in India.

In 2020, Meta made a $5.7 billion investment in Jio Platforms, accelerating connectivity and supporting the growth of small businesses across India.

“We deepened the collaboration through a joint venture bringing Meta’s open-source AI models to Indian enterprises and developers. Today’s data centre agreement marks the next chapter — extending our partnership to the physical infrastructure powering Meta’s products and AI capabilities in one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing digital economies,” the company said.

“We’re proud to be working with Reliance to build our first AI-enabled data centre in India. This world-class facility in Jamnagar will help us scale our AI infrastructure globally while deepening our long-term investment in India’s economy,” said Mark Zuckerberg, founder and chief executive officer (CEO), Meta.

Jamnagar is a strategic location, and Reliance is developing one of the largest data centre campuses in the world there, with access to significant energy resources needed to power advanced AI-enabled infrastructure.

Mukesh D Ambani, chairman and managing director, Reliance Industries Limited, said: “This partnership with Meta marks a transformative moment for India’s digital infrastructure. Building India’s first built-to-suit AI data centre for a global technology leader of Meta’s scale demonstrates India’s readiness to be at the forefront of the global AI revolution. At Reliance, we are committed to building world-class digital infrastructure that will power the next generation of AI innovation — not just for India, but for the world.”

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