JBL has launched a new portable Bluetooth speaker in India, the JBL Grip. The speaker comes with JBL Pro Sound, AI Sound Boost technology and Auracast support for stereo and multi-speaker pairing. According to the company, the device offers up to 12 hours of battery life, with an additional two hours through Playtime Boost. The JBL Grip also features IP68-rated water and dust protection, along with support for the JBL Portable app.

Meta has announced that it will discontinue support for end-to-end encryption in direct messages on Instagram. According to an Instagram support page, the feature will be removed after May 8. A report by 9To5Google also stated that the company has begun notifying users about the change through an in-app pop-up.

Google has reportedly begun rolling out Gemini task automation, also referred to as screen automation, to the Samsung Galaxy S26 series in beta. The feature allows the AI assistant to carry out certain tasks inside supported apps, such as ordering food or booking rides, based on user prompts.

POCO is set to launch its X8 Pro series in India on March 17. The lineup will include two models — POCO X8 Pro and POCO X8 Pro Max. Ahead of the launch, the company has revealed several key specifications of the global variant, including details of the processor, battery and more. The Indian variants of the smartphones are expected to feature similar specifications.

OPPO is set to launch its next foldable smartphone, the OPPO Find N6, in China on March 17. The Chinese smartphone maker has confirmed the launch date of the device in its home market and has teased a global launch without announcing its date.

Chinese smartphone maker Realme has announced the launch date of its upcoming P4 Lite 5G smartphone in India. The Realme P4 Lite 5G, set to launch in India on March 19, will be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chip and pack a 7,000mAh battery. Notably, the company also launched the P4 Lite smartphone last month with a UNISOC T7250 chip. The new model will bring 5G connectivity and several changes.

Spotify has announced a new feature called Taste Profile that lets listeners review and adjust how the platform understands their music preferences. According to Spotify, the update aims to give users more transparency and control over Spotify’s recommendation system. The feature is currently limited to select beta testers and will roll out to Premium users in New Zealand before expanding to more regions.

Meta has announced updates for Facebook, which it said will prioritise original content and reduce the reach of copied posts. The company has also introduced clearer guidelines explaining what qualifies as original content. In addition, Meta is testing updates to its existing content protection system that would allow creators to report impersonators and better protect their work. Meta said the changes are intended to improve content recommendations in Feed and Reels while reducing spam and imitation accounts on the platform.

There are two ways to think about Apple turning 50. One is as a corporate milestone for one of the world’s richest companies in terms of market capitalisation. The other is stranger and more interesting: much of the modern technology landscape now looks the way it does because Apple decided it should.

OnePlus is reportedly gearing up to launch the anticipated OnePlus Nord 6 soon. According to a report by GizmoChina, the OnePlus Nord 6 may launch next month and share a lot of similarities with the OnePlus Turbo 6, which launched in January in China. As per the report, the OnePlus Nord 6 is expected to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip.

Huawei is reportedly planning to launch a new device in India, likely a tablet. A microsite for the upcoming Huawei product has gone live on the e-commerce platform Flipkart, which does not mention any details. According to a report by 91Mobiles, the teaser image is believed to be of a tablet that looks very similar to the MatePad 11.5, which Huawei already sells in several other regions.

Apple’s next major iOS update may not bring major visual changes to iPhones. However, it may allow users more options to fine-tune the Liquid Glass design that Apple introduced last year with iOS 26. According to a report by 9To5Mac, citing Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, despite notable changes in the Apple design team, there is no major visual overhaul planned for the next-generation update. The report stated that users should expect “years of gradual improvements,” rather than immediate changes.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra introduces several refinements, but the most distinctive addition remains the Privacy Display. It works well and offers genuine protection against shoulder surfing, although the reduction in brightness and contrast means it will not appeal to everyone. For users who value privacy and multimedia tools, the Galaxy S26 Ultra offers something different. For others, the experience may feel like a steady evolution rather than a dramatic leap.

Apple’s MacBook Neo, the laptop it announced last week that starts at $499 for students, is the most repairable laptop the company has released since 2012, according to an analysis released Friday by iFixit.