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Google launches Pixel 8a, opens pre-order in India with introductory offers

Google launches Pixel 8a, opens pre-order in India with introductory offers

by | May 7, 2024 | Technology


3 min read Last Updated : May 07 2024 | 9:51 PM IST


Google has announced the Pixel 8a, its affordable smartphone in the Pixel 8 series. Powered by its Tensor G3 chip, the smartphone gets select artificial intelligence features from the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, such as Google Gemini and gesture-driven Circle to Search. Following suit with other models in the Pixel 8 series, the Pixel 8a is promised seven years of software support, encompassing security updates, Android OS upgrades, and feature drops.


Google Pixel 8a: Price and variants


Google is offering the Pixel 8a in 128GB and 256GB on-board storage configurations, both with 8GB RAM, at Rs 52,999 and Rs 59,999. The smartphone will be available in new Aloe and Bay colour options in addition to the existing Obsidian and Porcelain colours.


  • Pixel 8a (8GB + 128GB): Rs 52,999


  • Pixel 8a (8GB + 256GB): Rs 59,999


  • Colours: Aloe, Bay, Obsidian, and Porcelain


Google Pixel 8a: Pre-order and introductory offers


Pre-orders for the Pixel 8a are currently open on Flipkart in India, with sales scheduled to commence on May 14 at 6:30 am. In collaboration with Flipkart, Google extends bank offers of up to Rs 4,000 and 12-month no-interest equated monthly instalment (no-cost EMI) plans with select bank cards. Moreover, consumers can avail of a bonus of up to Rs 9,000, atop the exchange value of select smartphone models in trade-in deals. As part of the pre-order bundle, consumers have the option to secure the Pixel Buds A-series wireless earphones at a discounted price of Rs 999.


Google Pixel 8a: Specifications


The Pixel 8a sports a 6.1-inch fullHD OLED display of up to 120Hz refresh rate, protected by Gorilla Glass 3. Powered by the Google Tensor G3 chip, the smartphone offers storage configurations of 128GB (UFS 3.1) and 256GB (UFS 3.1), both coupled with 8GB of RAM (LPDDR5x). Imaging is covered by a dual-camera system on the rear, comprising a 64-megapixel main sensor with optical image stabilisation (OIS) and electronic image stabilisation (EIS), alongside a 13MP ultra-wide-angle sensor


with a 120-degree field-of-view (FoV). On the front, there is a 13MP camera sensor. The Pixel 8a incorporates an in-display fingerprint sensor for secure unlocking and supports face unlock via the front camera. Powered by a 4492mAh battery, the Pixel 8a is compatible with both wired and wireless (Qi) charging methods.


  • Display: 6.1-inch, FullHD, OLED, 120Hz, 1400 nits (HDR) and up to 2000 nits (peak)


  • Audio: Dual stereo speakers


  • Weight: 188g


  • Battery: 4492 mAh


  • Charging: Wired and Wireless (Qi)


  • RAM: 8GB


  • Storage: 128GB and 256GB


  • Processors: Tensor G3 and Titan M2


  • Software: Android 14


  • Rear camera: 64MP (OIS and EIS) + 13MP


  • Front camera: 13MP


  • Port: USB-C v3.2


  • Protection: Gorilla Glass 3 and IP67


Google Pixel 8a: Features


The Pixel 8a features select AI-driven functionalities from its higher-tier counterparts. These encompass imaging enhancements like Gemini and Circle to Search, alongside camera-centric features such as “Best Take”, “Magic Editor” and “Audio Magic Eraser”. Additional features include Super Res Zoom (up to 8x), as well as capabilities like Magic Eraser, Night Sight, and Photo Unblur. Maintaining consistency with other Pixel smartphones, the Pixel 8a integrates “Real Tone” technology to faithfully represent skin tones in photos and videos.

First Published: May 07 2024 | 9:30 PM IST



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Apple launches iPad Pro and iPad Air: India pricing, availability, and more

Apple launches iPad Pro and iPad Air: India pricing, availability, and more

by | May 7, 2024 | Technology


4 min read Last Updated : May 07 2024 | 9:27 PM IST

Apple on May 7 launched the iPad Pro and iPad Air. Alongside, the Cupertino, US-based technology giant introduced the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro accessories. With the iPad Pro, Apple debuts its next-generation M4 silicon, which it said brings up to 50 per cent improvement in CPU performance over the M2 chip that powered the predecessor. The iPad Air, on the other hand, is powered by Apple M2 chip. Both the iPads support the new Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard. Below are the details:


Apple iPad Air: What’s new


The 2024 iPad Air is offered in 11-inch and 13-inch display options. Both models boast Apple’s Liquid Retina IPS display technology and landscape-focused front camera. Featuring recycled aluminium enclosure, the iPad Air is offered in Blue, Purple, Starlight and Space Grey colour options. With the base model now starting with 128GB storage, the iPad Air is offered in multiple storage options going up to 1TB.


iPad Air 2024 Photo: Apple

Apple iPad Air: India pricing and availability details


The 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air will be available in blue, purple, starlight, and space grey, with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage option. Customers can order the iPad Air with M2 starting May 7 Apple Store Online and in the Apple Store app in 29 countries and regions, including India. It will ship to customers, and will be in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorised Resellers, starting Wednesday, May 15.


The 11-inch iPad Air starts at Rs 59,900 for the Wi-Fi model, and Rs 74,900 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The 13-inch iPad Air starts at Rs 79,900 for the Wi-Fi model, and Rs 94,900 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.


Apple iPad Pro: What’s new


The 2024 iPad Pro is offered in 11-inch and 13-inch display option, both with new “Tandem OLED” display technology that Apple said delivers up to 100 nits brightness (HDR) and 1600 nits peak brightness. Like the Air, the iPad Pro has aluminium enclosure. It will be available in Silver and Space Black colour option. Perhaps the most important update that the 2024 iPad Pro brings is the Apple M4 Silicon.

iPad Pro 2024


iPad Pro 2024 Photo: Apple

Apple iPad Pro: India pricing and availability details


Customers can order the iPad Pro with M4 starting May 7 on Apple Store Online and in the Apple Store app in 29 countries and regions, including India, with availability in stores beginning Wednesday, May 15.


The 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro will be available in silver and space black finishes in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB storage options.


The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at Rs 99,900 for the Wi-Fi model, and Rs 119,900 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The 13-inch iPad Pro starts at Rs 129,900 for the Wi-Fi model, and Rs 149,900 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.


Apple M4 chip


Currently exclusive to the iPad Pro, the M4 chip is based on second-gen 3nm technology. It boasts a 4-performance cores and 6-efficiency cores, but most importantly a new 16-core neural engine that Apple said can deliver up to 38 trillion operations per second. It is the neural engine that handles AI workloads on the chips and Apple said its neural engine makes “M4 an outrageously powerful chip for AI.” According to Apple, the neural engine on the M4 chip is significantly powerful than any neural processing unit in any AI PC today.

Apple M4 chip


Apple M4 chip

Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard: Details


The Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro are compatible with both the iPad Pro and iPad Air 2024 models. The Magic Keyboard features a floating design and boasts a new function row. It has an aluminium plam rest and large touchpad with support for haptic feedback. Offered in black and white finishes, the 11-inch Magic Keyboard is available for Rs 29,900 and the 13-inch Magic Keyboard is available for Rs 33,900. Both the models support layouts for over 30 languages.

Apple Pencil Pro


Apple Pencil Pro

Priced at Rs 11,900, the Apple Pencil Pro introduces new sensors, which enables new gestures such as roll and squeeze. Besides, the Pencil Pro brings support for haptic feedback. The Pencil Pro supports Apple’s Find My network.

First Published: May 07 2024 | 9:23 PM IST



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Apple working on developing AI chips for software in data centers: Report

Apple working on developing AI chips for software in data centers: Report

by | May 7, 2024 | Technology


Project ACDC has been in the works for several years and it is uncertain when the new chip will be unveiled, if ever, the WSJ report said. Photo: Bloomberg

2 min read Last Updated : May 07 2024 | 7:56 PM IST


Apple is developing its own chip to run artificial intelligence software in data centers, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.


The project, internally codenamed as Project ACDC (Apple Chips in Data Center), aims to leverage Apple’s chip design expertise for its server infrastructure, the report said.

 


Apple, whose shares were 1% higher before the bell on Tuesday, did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.


The company has emerged as a major chip designer in recent years, thanks to the success of its semiconductors that are used in the iPhone, iPads and Mac laptops.

 

Apple’s server chip will likely be focused on running AI models, also known as inference, rather than in training AI models, where Nvidia is dominant, the WSJ report said.


Amid growing pressure due to a slow roll out of AI services, CEO Tim Cook had last week signaled that Apple plans to unveil a raft of features powered by the technology in the coming months.

 


“We continue to feel very bullish about our opportunity in generative AI and we’re making significant investments,” Cook told Reuters last week.

 


The company plans to hold a virtual event on Tuesday where it is expected to showcase new iPad models, some of which could come with a new chip aimed at speeding up AI tasks carried out on the devices.

 


Project ACDC has been in the works for several years and it is uncertain when the new chip will be unveiled, if ever, the WSJ report said.

 


Apple has been closely working with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co to design and initiate production of such chips and that it remains uncertain whether both companies have yielded a definitive result, the report said.

First Published: May 07 2024 | 7:56 PM IST



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Nintendo set to announce Switch gaming console successor by March-end

Nintendo set to announce Switch gaming console successor by March-end

by | May 7, 2024 | Technology


Nintendo Switch OLED model

2 min read Last Updated : May 07 2024 | 6:39 PM IST


Japan’s Nintendo said on Tuesday it plans to make an announcement about the successor to its long-lasting Switch console during the financial year ending March 2025.


Nintendo has extended the lifecycle of the Switch device with hit titles such as “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom”, with the market focused on the prospects for a smooth transition to next-generation hardware.


The Kyoto-based gaming company said it expects to sell 13.5 million Switch units in the current financial year as it tries to squeeze further sales from the aging device.


Nintendo did not offer further details on new hardware, saying that there would be no disclosure at its Nintendo Direct presentation in June.


“A lot of users will now hold off buying the current Switch as they know that the new model will come out some time in 2025,” said Serkan Toto, founder of the Kantan Games consultancy.


Nintendo last year sold 15.7 million units of the hybrid home-portable device, which launched in March 2017. Nintendo lifted its full-year forecast to 15.5 million units in February.


The company has made incremental changes to its Switch devices, with sales of the OLED model growing year-on-year even as broader hardware sales continued their annual decline.


Nintendo expects operating profit to fall this year by around a quarter to 400 billion yen ($2.6 billion).


The company is seen as having a thin pipeline as it holds back heavy-hitting titles for the successor device with announced titles including “Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door” later this month and “Luigi’s Mansion 2” in June.


Nintendo expects to sell 165 million software units this year, which would be a 17% decline on the year earlier.


“The development of games has become more sophisticated, long term and complex,” Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa said when asked how the market has changed since the Switch launched.


In the year ended March operating profit grew 4.9% to 528.9 billion yen.


Nintendo’s shares closed up 2.4% ahead of earnings and are up 5.4% this year after a recent sell-off.


“Fiscal 2026 is a very late launch window for new hardware,” said Toto.

First Published: May 07 2024 | 6:39 PM IST



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Apple expected to show new iPads and possibly new chip at 'Let Loose' event

Apple expected to show new iPads and possibly new chip at 'Let Loose' event

by | May 7, 2024 | Technology


Representative Image: iPad Pro with M2

3 min read Last Updated : May 07 2024 | 6:28 PM IST


Apple plans to hold a virtual event on Tuesday where it is expected to show new iPad models, some of which could come with a new chip aimed at speeding up artificial intelligence tasks carried out on the devices.


Its latest product launch event comes as the Silicon Valley heavyweight trails Big Tech rivals as they race to build AI into its products across their businesses and dominate the emerging technology.


Apple often introduces new iPads in May, a time when education customers are making purchasing decisions for the next academic year. But in recent years, Apple has started to transform its higher-priced models into devices for creative and business professionals with its iPad Pro models.


It is these tablets, which currently come with Apple-designed chips that earlier appeared in the company’s MacBook laptops, that could get an upgrade with a new processor optimized for AI work. But precisely what AI features the new chips could power might not become fully clear until Apple holds its annual software developer conference next month.


For now, many AI features – such as helping zoom in on a user during a video call and slightly altering the look of their eyes to make it look as though they are looking directly into the camera – are not likely to inspire a wave of upgrades, according to some analysts.


“Is it really enough for people to look into it and buy them? Probably not,” said Mikako Kitagawa, an analyst at Gartner. “It has to be some kind of remarkable experience.” Apple rivals Microsoft and Alphabet’s Google have dived headlong into AI, introducing chatbots that aim to act as virtual assistants for tasks such as writing emails or tapping out lines of computer code.


While those companies’ stocks’ have surged to record highs, Apple’s share have fallen 6% year to date as it struggles with weak iPhone demand and tough competition in China, and as investors wait for it to show how it will leverage AI technology.


Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said last week the company is “very bullish about our opportunity in generative AI” and plans to make more announcements later this year.


Carolina Milanesi, an analyst with Creative Strategies, said upgraded iPads could be a way for Apple to get new chips onto the market ahead of its developer conference next month, where it may reveal more about how it plans to address AI.


That could come in the form of automating common tasks to make them faster, or letting Siri, the company’s voice-based assistant, delve deeper into apps to carry out tasks on the user’s behalf.


The key question facing Apple is how much it can improve its AI features while processing most information on the device itself, for privacy reasons.


“I always say that the AI is only as smart as the data it can get its hands on,” Milanesi said.

First Published: May 07 2024 | 6:27 PM IST



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Apple Let Loose event LIVE: iPad Pro with OLED, iPad Air, Pencil expected

Apple Let Loose event LIVE: iPad Pro with OLED, iPad Air, Pencil expected

by | May 7, 2024 | Technology



Apple is set to kick off its “Let Loose” event on May 7 at 7:30 pm (IST). The Cupertino, US-based technology giant is anticipated to update its iPad portfolio with the new iPad Pro and iPad Air. Concurrently, Apple is expected to unveil new iPad accessories, such as the Apple Pencil and Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro.


Apple Let Loose event: Where to watch

The virtual launch will be livestreamed on the company’s official website and YouTube channel, catering to a global audience. Additionally, viewers can tune in to the Apple “Let Loose” event via the video embedded in the live blog below. In India, the live stream will commence at 7:30 pm.


Apple Let Loose event: What to expect


iPad Pro: Apple is anticipated to unveil the next-generation iPad Pro model, boasting enhanced performance and a revamped design. The most notable alteration is expected in the display domain, with reports suggesting that the premium iPad variant will be the inaugural model in its lineage to incorporate an OLED display. Regarding design, the 2024 iPad Pro model may adopt a new camera orientation, featuring a rectangular module housing the cameras and flash. There’s speculation that the front camera might be positioned in landscape orientation. Furthermore, Apple could introduce the M4 chip with the iPad Pro, purportedly featuring a new neural processing unit (NPU) capable of executing AI models on-device.


iPad Air: Similar to the 2024 iPad Pro, the iPad Air may receive a redesigned camera setup. While the tablet is anticipated to maintain the chassis of the current generation model, it might offer a new 12.9-inch display variant alongside the standard 10.9-inch model. Additionally, the iPad Air is expected to incorporate support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, enhancing connectivity capabilities.


iPad accessories: Apple is slated to introduce new iPad accessories, including the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard Pro. These accessories are likely to be tailored exclusively for the iPad Pro model.



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