Tech wrap Jul 30: iOS 18.1 dev beta, WhatsApp, Realme 13 Pro series, more

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jul 30, 2024 | Technology

3 min read Last Updated : Jul 30 2024 | 8:03 PM IST

Apple has released iOS 18.1 developer beta, packed with an initial set of Apple Intelligence features. Introduced in June at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), the full suite of Apple Intelligence will be available in beta later this year for iPhone, iPad, and Macs.

Qualcomm on July 30 announced the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 system-on-chip with which it aims to bring 5G to 2.8 billion smartphone users across the globe. Designed to enable gigabit 5G on smartphones under $99, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 will initially be offered by Xiaomi in a smartphone expected to be announced before the end of this year.

Realme on July 30 launched the Realme 13 Pro series 5G smartphones in India. Alongside, the Chinese smartphone brand launched the Realme Watch S2 smartwatch and Realme Buds T310 wireless earbuds. The smartphones debuted with its first set of artificial intelligence features, which are focused on enhancing the imaging experience.

WhatsApp on July 30 announced a chatbot-based service to enable Delhi Metro pass recharge facility on the platform. Powered by PeLocal, DMRC’s WhatsApp-based ticketing service is available across all lines operating in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) regions, including Gurugram Rapid Metro.

Honor Magic 6 Pro smartphone is set to launch in India on August 2, announced the Chinese smartphone brand on July 30. Released in its home country in January, the Honor Magic 6 Pro is a premium flagship powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 system-on-chip. The smartphone’s global version was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, US in February.

Reliance Jio has launched the JioBharat J1 4G, its new feature phone packed with Jio apps such as JioTV, JioCinema, JioSaavn, JioPay (UPI), JioChat, and JioPhotos. The budget 4G feature phone has a physical keypad with support for 23 languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, and Bangla.

Nvidia Corp., the world’s most valuable chipmaker, announced a raft of updates to its software offerings that aim to make it easier for a wider variety of businesses to use generative artificial intelligence.

Apple relied on chips designed by Google rather than industry leader Nvidia to build two key components of its artificial intelligence software infrastructure for its forthcoming suite of AI tools and features, an Apple research paper published on Monday showed.

Samsung Electronics Co., after a series of setbacks in developing the type of memory chips crucial for the artificial intelligence market, is beginning to make progress in narrowing the gap with rival SK Hynix Inc.

Meta Platforms on Monday said it will roll out a new tool called AI Studio that will allow users to create, share and design personalized AI chatbots.

First Published: Jul 30 2024 | 8:03 PM IST

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Realme 13 Pro series, Watch S2, Buds T310 launched in India: Price, specs

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jul 30, 2024 | Technology

3 min read Last Updated : Jul 30 2024 | 3:39 PM IST

Realme on July 30 launched the Realme 13 Pro series 5G smartphones in India. Alongside, the Chinese smartphone brand launched the Realme Watch S2 smartwatch and Realme Buds T310 wireless earbuds. The smartphones debuted with its first set of artificial intelligence features, which are focused on enhancing the imaging experience. Here is all you need to know about Realme’s new devices:

Realme 13 Pro Series 5G: Models and pricing

Realme 13 Pro+ 5G

8GB RAM + 256GB storage: Rs 29,999

12GB RAM + 256GB storage: Rs 31,999

12GB RAM + 512GB storage: Rs 33,999

Colours: Monet Gold and Emerald Green

Realme 13 Pro 5G

8GB RAM + 128GB storage: Rs 23,999

8GB RAM + 256GB storage: Rs 25,999

12GB RAM + 512GB storage: 28,999

Colours: Monet Gold, Monet Purple and Emerald Green

The Realme 13 Pro series goes on an early bird sale on July 30 from 6 pm to 10 pm on Realme’s official website and e-commerce platform Flipkart. Pre-booking starts from July 31, 12 AM on the official website and Flipkart. The smartphones go on sale from August 6.

Realme Watch S2: Price and colours

Price: Rs 4,499

Colour: Metallic Grey, Midnight Black & Ocean Silver

Realme Buds T310: Price and colours

Price: Rs 2,199

Colour: Monet Purple, Vibrant Black, and Agile White

The Realme Watch S2 and Realme Buds T310 go on sale from August 5, 12 PM on Realme official website and Flipkart with cash benefits up to Rs 500 and Rs 300, respectively.

Realme 13 Pro+ 5G: Specifications

The Realme 13 Pro+ 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2. It sports a 6.7-inch fullHD AMOLED display of 120Hz refresh rate. The smartphone packs a 5,200mAh battery and comes with 80W charger. For imaging, the smartphone sports a 50MP (Sony LYT-701) main sensor with optical image stabilisation (OIS), paired with a 50MP periscope telephoto camera for 3x optical zoom, and 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera. On the front, the phone sports a 32MP camera sensor.

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2

RAM: 8GB and 12GB

Storage: 256GB and 512GB

Rear camera: 50MP primary (Sony LYT-701) OIS + 50MP telephoto (Sony LYT-600) sensor for 3x optical zoom + 8MP ultra-wide-angle

Front camera: 32MP

Battery: 5,200mAh

Charging: 80W SUPERVOOC wired

OS: Android 14-based Realme UI 5.0

Realme 13 Pro 5G: Specifications

The Realme 13 Pro 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 5G. It sports a 6.7-inch OLED display of 120Hz refresh rate. The smartphone has a dual-camera system on the rear, featuring a 50MP (Sony LYT-600) sensor with OIS and an 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor. On the front, the phone has a 32MP camera sensor.

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2

Rear camera: 50MP Primary (Sony LYT-600) (OIS) + 8MP ultra-wide-angle

Front camera: 32MP

Battery: 5200mAh

Charging: 45W SUPERVOOC wired

OS: Android 14-based Realme UI 5.0

Realme Watch S2: Details

The Realme Watch S2 sports a 1.43-inch AMOLED display of up to 60FPS. It boasts IP68 dust and water resistance rating. Realme said that the watch is equipped with a “Super AI Engine” for heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen monitoring, and pressure monitoring for health assessment. Realme also said that the Watch S2 offers a battery life of up to 20 days.

Realme Buds T310: Details

The Realme Buds T310 supports hybrid noise cancellation up to 46dB. The Buds are equipped with a 12.4mm dynamic bass driver and offer a 360-degree spatial audio effect. Realme has claimed that the earbuds offer a total playback time of up to 40 hours. The charging case has a capacity of 480mAh, while each earbud holds 58mAh.

First Published: Jul 30 2024 | 3:39 PM IST

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Qualcomm introduces chip to democratise 5G smartphone access in India

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jul 30, 2024 | Technology

3 min read Last Updated : Jul 30 2024 | 3:20 PM IST

Qualcomm on July 30 announced Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 system-on-chip with which it aims to bring 5G to 2.8 billion smartphone users across the globe. Designed to enable gigabit 5G on smartphones under $99, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 will initially be offered by Xiaomi in a smartphone expected to be announced before the end of this year.

“The Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 Mobile Platform is a significant leap forward in making 5G technology more accessible, so more people can navigate the world at 5G speeds,” said Chris Patrick, senior vice president and general manager of mobile handsets, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

“We are excited to be working with Qualcomm Technologies to enable access to gigabit-fast connectivity for users” said Muralikrishnan B, President, Xiaomi India. “Many people have yet to experience the benefits of 5G, and thanks to Snapdragon 4s Gen 2, Xiaomi can bring 5G connectivity to a broader audience to help reshape the way the world connects and interacts.”

Qualcomm Snapdragon 4s Gen 2: Details

The system-on-chip has an octa-core design for CPU, featuring two Kryo Prime cores (A78-based) and six Kryo efficiency cores (A55-based). While the Kryo Prime cores offer peak speed of up to 2GHz, and uses the same 4nm processing node as the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2, the efficiency cores go up to 1.8GHz. The chip supports FHD+ displays of up to 90Hz refresh rate, gigabit 5G connectivity with support for standalone network, and dual-frequency GNSS (L1 + L5), including India’s NavIC.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 4s Gen 2: Specifications

CPU: Qualcomm Kryo CPU – 2 PC (up to 2GHz) and 6 EC (up to 1.8GHz)

GPU: Qualcomm Adreno GPU, API support: OpenGL ES 3.2, OpenCL 2.0, Vulkan 1.1, hardware-accelerated H.265 and VP9 decoder

5G: Snapdragon 5G modem-RF system, up to 1Gbps

Wi-Fi: Qualcomm Wi-Fi 5

Bluetooth: v5.1

Camera: Qualcomm Spectra Image Signal Processor, Dual 12-bit ISPs, Up to 16MP + 16MP dual camera with 30FPS zero shutter lag, up to 32MP single camera with 30 FPS zero shutter lag, Up to 84MP photo capture, 1080p single video capture at 60 FPS, 1080p dual video capture at 30 FPS, HEIC photo capture, H.264 (AVC) and H.265 (HEVC) video capture, slow-motion video capture 720p at 120 FPS, Multi-Frame Noise Reduction (MFNR), Motion Compensation Temporal Filter (MCTF) for video, video image stabilization, and face detection.

Audio: Qualcomm Aqstic audio codec, Qualcomm Aqstic smart speaker amplifier, Qualcomm aptX Adaptive audio at 96 kHz

First Published: Jul 30 2024 | 3:19 PM IST

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Now, you can recharge Delhi Metro pass on WhatsApp: Here is how it works

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jul 30, 2024 | Technology

2 min read Last Updated : Jul 30 2024 | 3:36 PM IST

WhatsApp on July 30 announced a chatbot-based service to enable Delhi Metro pass recharge facility on the platform. Powered by PeLocal, DMRC’s WhatsApp-based ticketing service is available across all lines operating in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) regions, including Gurugram Rapid Metro.

“Introducing metro pass recharge via WhatsApp will revolutionize the commuting experience for everyday commuters who use the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). Offering various payment methods to recharge the card, this integration builds on the success of our previously introduced QR ticketing systems bringing us one step closer to our goal of simplifying transit for millions of people across the NCR region,” said Ravi Garg, Director, Business Messaging, Meta in India.

Last year, the Meta-owned instant messaging platform had enabled the QR-based ticketing system across all DMRC routes, including Gurugram rapid metro. WhatsApp said that the chatbot provides passengers with instant information and support, including details on train schedules, fares, and station information. The Delhi Metro pass recharge facility is a newly added feature, powered by the same chatbot.

Using the same ticketing and chatbot services, commuters can now access the metro card recharge service in both English and Hindi by sending “Hi” to “+91-9650855800”. Within the chat window, users can recharge their metro cards using their preferred payment methods such as unified payments interface (UPI), debit cards, and credit cards. Users on Android and iOS can also find quick access to the chatbot by tapping on the payments section on their WhatsApp.

In related news, Google had recently announced the expansion of metro booking options in Google Maps to Kochi and Chennai. This is part of Google’ ongoing collaboration with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and Namma Yatri, a Google-backed ride-hailing app. Users will receive a QR code as a ticket when using Google Maps to book metro tickets.

First Published: Jul 30 2024 | 2:33 PM IST

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Honor Magic 6 Pro smartphone launching in India on August 2: What to expect

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jul 30, 2024 | Technology

2 min read Last Updated : Jul 30 2024 | 12:44 PM IST

Honor Magic 6 Pro smartphone is set to launch in India on August 2, announced the Chinese smartphone brand on July 30. Released in its home country in January, the Honor Magic 6 Pro is a premium flagship powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 system-on-chip. The smartphone’s global version was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, US in February.

Honor said that the smartphone has been awarded five 2024 golden labels from online benchmark platform DXOMark for cameras, audio, display, and battery. The company has confirmed that the smartphone will be available on e-commerce platform Amazon India, Honor website, and at select retail stores. Here is all you need to know about the smartphone.

Honor Magic 6 Pro: Details

Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the Honor Magic 6 Pro smartphone boasts built-in AI capabilities leveraging Facebook’s open-source LlaMA AI model. Some of the AI features that will be available out-of-the-box include offline text generation and summarisation tools for long-form content.

Honor introduced MagicOS 8.0, based on Android 14, with the Magic 6 Pro. It is said to incorporate the company’s AI features for smartphones such as “Magic Portal”, which the company said uses AI to understand the user’s usage pattern and behaviour for personalised suggestions. According to the company, the Magic Portal is capable of recognising addresses in a text message and directs users to Google Maps with a tap. Honor said that the portal will also facilitate “image-based shopping experiences”.

At the global unveiling, Honor announced that it would add more AI-powered features to the Magic 6 Pro smartphone in future such as the “AI-powered eye-tracking systems”, which would allow users to control the smartphone and other connected smart devices hands-free – using eye-tracking from smartphone sensors.

Honor Magic 6 Pro: Specifications

Display: 6.8-inch FHD+ OLED display, 120Hz refresh rates, 5000nits peak brightness, 4320Hz PWM dimming

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

RAM: 12GB

Storage: 512GB

Rear Camera: 50MP main camera + 50MP ultra-wide + 180MP Periscope Telephoto Camera (2.5X optical Zoom)

Front Camera: 50MP + ToF

Battery: 5,600mAh

Charging: 80W wired, 66W Wireless

OS: MagicOS 8.0 (based on Android 14)

Durability: Anti-drop display

First Published: Jul 30 2024 | 12:34 PM IST

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JioBharat J1 4G with pre-installed Jio apps for UPI, TV, and more launched

by Hansraj Agrawal | Jul 30, 2024 | Technology

2 min read Last Updated : Jul 30 2024 | 11:37 AM IST

Reliance Jio has launched the JioBharat J1 4G, its new feature phone packed with Jio apps such as JioTV, JioCinema, JioSaavn, JioPay (UPI), JioChat, and JioPhotos. The budget 4G feature phone has a physical keypad with support for 23 languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, and Bangla.

The JioBharat J1 4G is backed by JioBharat recharge plans, which are available from Rs 123 (28 days) to Rs 1234 (336 days). In all recharge plans, Jio offers 0.5GB data per day, unlimited voice calls, and 300 messages per 28 days. Alongside, all plans are offered with subscription to JioSaavn, JioCinema, and JioTV services.

JioBharat J1 4G: Price and availability

The JioBharat J1 4G is available on Amazon India at Rs 1,799. The feature phone is offered in sole dark grey colour.

JioBharat J1 4G: Specifications

The feature phone has a 2.8-inch non-touch display. Powered by a 2,500 mAh battery, the feature phone is based on the ThreadX RTOS operating system. Locked for Jio SIM, the phone has a single nano SIM slot beside a microSD card slot for external storage (up to 128GB). The phone has a camera on the rear, though exact camera specifications are not detailed by Jio. It is through this camera that the phone enables online payments through UPI. The handset measures 135 x 56 x 16mm in size and weighs 122g.

What is JioBharat

Announced in July last year, JioBharat is a platform targeted to original equipment manufacturers to offer internet-enabled services on entry-level phones. At tha launch. the company said that apart from Reliance Retail, other phone brands (starting with Karbonn) will adopt the “Jio Bharat platform” to build “Jio Bharat phones.” The beta trial for the first one million Jio Bharat phones started from July 7 in 2023 across 6,500 tehsils in India.

First Published: Jul 30 2024 | 11:36 AM IST

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