JioPhone Next runs on Pragati OS, tailored for Indian customers.
The JioPhone Next will be launched in India on Diwali after the company unveiled the smartphone at its 44th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in June. The device is co-developed by Google and uses a Qualcomm processor to function efficiently. Although much has been said about the tailored Pragati operating system (OS) based on Google’s Android OS, the Qualcomm Snapdragon QM215 mobile processor powering the JioPhone Next is equally worth looking at. Reliance Jio says the Qualcomm processor on the JioPhone Next focuses on “delivering optimised connectivity and location technologies along with optimisations in device performance, audio, and battery".
First announced back in 2019, the ARM-based mobile processor has four cores (ARM Cortex-A53) and is designed for entry-level smartphones. The Qualcomm Snapdragon QM215 supports cameras with up to 13 megapixels and can attain a CPU clock speed of up to 1.3 GHz. The integrated graphics card is called Adreno 308 and is also designed for entry-level phones. In other words, the processor will let users access light apps seamlessly and run small-sized mobile games. The integrated wireless module on the chipset supports Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5), and Cat 4 4G-LTE with up to 150 Mbits download speed.
Despite all the technical specifications, during our test, the JioPhone Next offered a clutter-free and clean interface. Another positive feedback was that the smartphone did not attempt too many customisations as its Android-running counterparts. The Snapdragon QM215 chipset at its core allows the phone to run Android Go-based Pragati OS (a less resource-intensive version of Android) along with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. The JioPhone Next comes pre-installed with toned-down apps like Assistant, Gallery, JioCinema, Facebook, and JioTV.
The JioPhone Next is priced at Rs 1,999 (down payment) plus Easy EMI schemes for 18 or 24 months. It can even be bought for a one-time payment of Rs 6,499. Readers can find more details on the pricing and availability here.
Disclaimer:Network18 and TV18 – the companies that operate news18.com – are controlled by Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance Industries is the sole beneficiary.
The new Realme 14 Pro series gets a unique design and big battery
Realme is the latest brand to introduce its new mid-range smartphones in the Indian market this year and it is called the Realme 14 Pro series. The brand has brought two models in this, which focuses on different price bands with unique features. Realme is also offering a new design style that will surely catch your eye and using both MediaTek and Qualcomm chipsets to power the new devices.
Realme 14 Pro launch price in India starts from Rs 24,999 for the base 8GB + 128GB model, going up to Rs 26,999 if you want the 256GB variant. The Realme 14 Pro+ prices start at Rs 29,999 going up to Rs 34,999 for the 12GB + 256GB model. The Realme 14 Pro series sale starts from Rs January 23 in the country.
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Realme 14 Pro Series Features
Realme 14 Pro sports a 6.77-inch AMOLED display, while the 14 Pro+ gets a bigger 6.83-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and 4500 nits peak brightness for the screen. The 14 Pro is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Energy chipset with 8GB RAM and up to 256GB storage. The 14 Pro+ uses the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 SoC with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage.
Both the phones come with a 6000mAh battery and still weigh under 200 grams. The 14 Pro gets 45W charging speed, while the 14 Pro+ comes with 80W support. You get Android 15-based Realme UI version out of the box and promise of multiple OS upgrades from the company.
On the imaging front, the 14 Pro comes with a 50MP primary sensor with OIS and a secondary depth sensor at the back. The 14 Pro+ has a 50MP primary sensor, a 50MP periscope telephoto lens, and an 8MP ultra-wide angle lens.
The colour-changing design is a unique touch but doesn’t offer much. You get the phones with IP66, IP68 and IP69 ratings which is more useful, especially if you slip water onto the device.
The next Vision Pro model from Apple might not be seen before next year
Apple is said to be working on a successor to its first mixed reality headset, Vision Pro, which could be released in 2026, according to Bloomberg report. Initially unveiled at the 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Vision Pro was a specialised product aimed primarily at developers. Speculation surrounding its potential successor has been circulating in recent months, hinting at future advancements in mixed reality technology.
In addition to the alleged Apple Vision Pro 2, there are rumours of another wearable headset in the works that may be released as a less expensive alternative to the company’s current lineup.
Meanwhile, Gurman claims that no new Vision Pro hardware is on Apple’s 2025 roadmap in his piece. And we might have to wait till 2026 before the next headset product is unveiled by the company.
In some ways, this supports Gurman’s previously leaked timeframe, which suggested that the device may be released “between the fall of 2025 and the spring of 2026." The journalist further claims that rather than the M2 SoC that drives the current Vision Pro model, it is most likely to be powered by Apple’s M5 chipset.
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According to earlier reports, the majority of the changes would occur beneath the hood, and the current model’s design might be preserved. The “human-machine user interface," which is thought to be one of the main obstacles facing head-mounted display systems, is predicted to be improved with its assistance.
In addition, the company’s “more urgent goal" is to build an affordable Vision Pro model, and it is now exploring its alternatives for doing so. Its launch date was not disclosed by journalist Gurman, but if earlier reports are to be accepted, it might have been postponed past 2027.
Possible internal component downgrades for the successor headset could include cheaper materials, subpar chips, internal XR screens, and the absence of EyeSight, which may impact its overall performance and features.
TikTok ban in the US seems inevitable and users are now switching to other apps. (Photo courtesy: Unsplash)
TikTok is facing another big test as it could be banned from the United States, one of its biggest markets in the next few days. The US government looks intent on making this happen, even though the platform has millions of users from the country. They feel that TikTok is not safe for use in the region, and have repeatedly alleged TikTok for having deep connections with the Chinese government.
The news of TikTok ban has already got thousands to just ship, and guess what, most of these users are looking towards China, for another short-video app called RedNote. But the short video market has plenty of other options and we are here to tell you everything about this Chinese app and other alternatives to TikTok and people in the US can switch to if and when the ban becomes official.
The biggest name making the news as a TikTok alternative is an app called Xiaohongshu, or RedNote. The platform caters to short videos for people in China and has been in the market since 2013, which is before TikTok even existed.
The biggest takeaway of RedNote is that you can enjoy the short videos from other people, create your own and also indulge in some online shopping through these avenues. Quite understandably, RedNote is called the Instagram of China for its identical features to the namesake and it targets the youth and women audience in the region. The TikTok ban has got people in the US interested in RedNote, which has suddenly jumped to the top of App Store charts in less than a week.
Other TikTok Alternatives You Can Use
Instagram
The US-based platform owned by Meta is the obvious contender to benefit from the TikTok ban in the region. Instagram Reels is the ideal TikTok alternative that has been around since TikTok was banned in India in 2020. Reels is far more engaging as a short video platform, as it works through the main Instagram app, where you can send direct messages, create stories that disappear, and much more. Like TikTok, you can use songs, edit videos and even change their speed within the app on Reels.
YouTube Shorts
When you talk about short videos, YouTube Short is an obvious choice, and once again, its origin in the US means more people might consider using it if the TikTok ban goes through. Shorts is also linked to the main YouTube app which means you don’t need to download another app or login/create a new account.
Shorts was also introduced around the time when TikTok was banned in India a few years back and is now catering to billions of views. Being part of YouTube means, Shorts allows you to use the in-house music catalogue for the content, and use advanced AI tools available to them for free.
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Likee
Moving beyond the popular apps, you have Likee which itself has over 100 million users and lets people share videos and set up live streams which is another big avenue for viewership online. Likee borrows features from apps like Snapchat and YouTube, offering AR filters and a large music catalogue, respectively.
This is an intriguing option for TikTok fanatics who don’t want to lose their content on the platform when they won’t be able to use the short video app. Triller started its journey as a TikTok rival but now it lets you transfer videos from TikTok to this app. This platform caters to users who like music and videos.
Meta may have to "roll back or pause" some features in India due to an antitrust directive which banned its WhatsApp messaging service from sharing user data with Meta for advertising purposes.
Meta is adamant that its policies did not violate any rules.
NEW DELHI: Meta may have to "roll back or pause" some features in India due to an antitrust directive which banned its WhatsApp messaging service from sharing user data with Meta for advertising purposes, according to a court filing by the U.S. company seen by Reuters.
Meta is seeking to quash the Competition Commission of India's (CCI) November directive which found the company abused its dominance and "coerced" WhatsApp users into accepting a 2021 privacy policy which allegedly expanded user data collection and sharing, giving it an unfair advantage over rivals.
The CCI has imposed a fine of $24.5 million and a five-year ban on the data sharing practice in India, the biggest market for Meta where it has more than 350 million Facebook users and over 500 million people using WhatsApp.
Publicly, Meta has defended its policy change and said it disagrees with the CCI order, but its appeal filing has taken a critical position on the watchdog's functioning and details how unnerved the U.S. firm is about the CCI's decision.
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The company is concerned that the WhatsApp-to-Meta user data sharing ban on WhatsApp will curb its ability to offer users personalized ads on Facebook and Instagram, according to a Reuters review of its nearly 2,000 page filing with the Indian appeals tribunal dated Jan. 3, which is not public.
WhatsApp publicly says it shares with Meta a user's phone number, transaction data, how they interact with businesses and mobile device information.
Detailing the ruling's impact for the first time, Meta said in its filing the data sharing ban could mean that an Indian fashion business won't be able to personalize ads on Facebook or Instagram based on their interaction with a WhatsApp user regarding a specific clothing line.
"Under its widest interpretation, implementing the remedy will likely require Meta to roll back or pause several features and products," it said.
"It impacts Meta’s and WhatsApp’s ability to remain commercially viable," the company added, without quantifying any exact business impact in monetary terms.
Facebook's registered entity engaged in selling advertising inventory in India – Facebook India Online Services – reported revenue of $351 million in 2023-24, the highest in at least five years.
The Indian appeals tribunal will hear Meta's plea on Thursday. Though the case could go on for weeks or months, the tribunal can put the CCI directive on hold in the meantime.
Meta and the CCI did not respond to Reuters queries.
GLOBAL CHALLENGES
The Indian antitrust concerns add to Meta's global woes. In 2021, WhatsApp was accused to have violated the EU bloc's law by failing to clarify changes to its policy in plain and intelligible language. It later agreed to explain the changes to EU users.
The Indian case started in 2021 amid criticism of WhatsApp's privacy policy changes. Meta told the CCI the changes were only to provide information about how optional business messaging features work and did not expand its data collection and sharing ability.
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But the CCI disagreed.
Its ruling in November said WhatsApp's policy pushed users to accept or risk losing access to the service and had no opt-out feature. The watchdog has ordered WhatsApp to now allow users to decide whether they want WhatsApp to share data with Meta or not.
Meta in its Indian tribunal challenge also took a critical position about the CCI and its functioning, arguing the watchdog should have consulted with Meta and WhatsApp before passing directives to change company behaviour.
The Galaxy S25 series is likely to borrow its design from the old models
Samsung Galaxy S25 series is launching next week globally, and that includes India as well. The new Galaxy flagship phones don’t get people as excited as for the iPhones but it is still a big part of the yearly tech affair. The Galaxy S25 series launch date is known, multiple leaks have told us about the possible design and hardware upgrades coming your way.
So now, all we wanted is to get a teaser about the possible Galaxy S25 series prices, especially for buyers in India. The new leak this week covers up that base as well, and it seems people might have to shell out more to buy the new Samsung phones this year.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Series Price In India Expected: What Reports Say
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The Samsung Galaxy S25 phone price in India will be revealed next week but a European retail listing has leaked which brings attention to how Samsung might go about with its pricing this year.
The report claims the base 128GB Galaxy S25 model will come for EUR 964 (Rs 85,600 approx), while you might end up spending over EUR 1,150 (Rs 1.1 lakh approx) for the highest 512GB variant. With the Galaxy S25 Plus, the starting price could be around EUR 1,235 (Rs 1.09 lakh approx) and much higher for the other variants.
And finally, the Galaxy S25 Ultra could get a starting price tag of EUR 1,557 (Rs 1.38 lakh approx) and take it closer to the Galaxy Fold 6 price in the market for the higher model.
These are mostly prices in Euros so it is possible that Samsung has some room to lower the figures when it launches in India later this month. Either way, with the focus on AI and other premium upgrades, expect the Galaxy S25 models to cost a premium once again.