Google kicked off its I/O 2021 event this week, making a ton of new developments announced on the software front. Android 12 took centre stage at the event, with the search giant announcing the official beta release of Android 12. The new smartphone OS is getting a radical redesign with its new design language, Material You. Wear OS will be adopted by its newly acquired Fitbit unit and Samsung Electronics Co, both of which had used their own systems for years. Now working together, the companies could attract more app developers and better compete with Apple.
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We also got a glimpse of Project Starline, which Google is touting as the future of video calling, using 3D imaging to make video calls. Google also announced new Eco-friendly Routes and Safer Routing features for Google Maps. The former will help users reduce their carbon footprint, while the latter will use AI to suggest the safest route. We also saw new features and updates for Google Photos, Google Assistant, and so much more. Check out all the major announcements at Google I/O here.
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Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is on its last leg, with the software giant confirming that it will be putting Internet Explorer out of its misery on June 15, 2022. The company confirmed that long term servicing for the product will remain active till the end of next year before support for all versions of the browser will come to an end. In recent times, Internet Explorer has been kept on life support and hobbled on in meek existence within Windows 10.
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The Clubhouse Android app is now available for Android users to download worldwide. The drop-in audio chat platform was previously available only on iOS for iPhone users. The app has been making a buzz due to users looking for invites to sign in and create or join a room for voice conversations. The Android app’s listing on the Google Play Console confirms that users will still need a Clubhouse to invite to sign up. You can get the invite by joining the waitlist or asking for one from an existing user.
Apple’s iPhone 12 series fueled smartphone sales in the first quarter of 2021. According to the report by Counterpoint Research, global smartphone revenue crossed the $100 billion mark in Q1 2021, setting a first-quarter record driven by the iPhone 12 series. The report notes that the iPhone 12 Pro Max was the top smartphone in terms of revenue generated, while the standard iPhone 12 and 12 Pro follows in close second and third, respectively. For more details, head on over to the link.
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A group of Jewish Google employees penned a letter to company CEO Sundar Pichai, asking him to voice his support for the Palestinian civilians being killed in the wake of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The letter also criticises the Pro-Zionist movement and calls on Google to support the Palestine humanitarian efforts by raising funds and to terminate business contracts that support “Israeli violations of Palestinian human rights, such as the Israeli Defense Forces.”
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Cybersecurity firm Check Point Research discovered serious cloud misconfigurations leading to the potential exposure of data belonging to more than 100 million users. The firm said that at least 23 popular mobile apps contained a variety of “misconfigurations of third-party cloud services.” Over 100 million users’ personal data, including email, passwords, names, etc., were exposed and left corporate resources vulnerable to malicious actors. The report noted, “This research will describe the broad issue with misusing cloud-services – by both configuration and implementation – and portray the impact of “bad practices” on application developers and their users.”
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Qualcomm recently announced a new mid-range chipset for the next generation of mid-tier 5G phones. The Snapdragon 778G SoC is an octa-core processor built on a 6nm process. Moreover, Qualcomm has also brought down some of the Snapdragon 800-series features to the Snapdragon 778G SoC. The 5G processor comes with an X53 modem built-in to deliver mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G capabilities. Check out all the details about the Snapdragon 778G 5G SoC here.
German tech expo IFA 2021 Berlin was cancelled due to uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The main reasons for the cancellation of the event included the rapid emergence of COVID-19 variants in South East Asia and “continued uncertainties about the speed of the rollout of vaccination programs around the world.” Organizers are now focusing on hosting IFA Berlin in person next year.
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Several smartphone brands in India extended the warranty for their devices that would have otherwise expired in May or early June. The list of brands includes Vivo, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Tecno, Oppo, Realme, and Poco. Depending on the brand in question, warranty extensions have been offered anywhere from June 30 to as long as August. The warranty extensions are a result of the current lockdowns in the country due to a surge in COVID cases in the country.
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Poco launched the M3 Pro 5G this week as its first 5G device under its mid-range M series. The device arrived with a high-refresh-rate panel, a 5G MediaTek chipset, a sizeable battery, and a triple camera setup. The Poco M3 Pro 5G’s price is set at EUR 179 (roughly Rs 16,000) for the 4GB/64GB model. Poco is yet to announce the availability of the device in India. Check out the full specifications of the Poco M3 Pro here. Poco also confirmed a total of over 17.5 million smartphones shipped, a number which sat at just 6 million in November. The Poco M3 shipped 3.2 million units in total since its launch less than seven months back.
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Samsung recently launched yet another 5G mid-range smartphone in the form of the Galaxy F52 5G. Unlike the Galaxy F62 (Review), which was unveiled earlier this year, the new F52 supports 5G connectivity. The Galaxy F52 also boats a 64 MP quad-camera setup, a 120Hz display, a Snapdragon 750G SoC, and a 4,5000 mAh battery with 25W fast-charging support. The Samsung Galaxy F52 5G is priced at CNY1,999 (Roughly Rs 22,650) in China.
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Japanese brand Sharp announced a new smartphone in its home country with the world’s first 1-inch camera sensor. The Sharp Aquos R6 is powered by the Snapdragon 888 SoC paired with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The R6 also sports a 6.6-inch Pro IGZO OLED with a WUXGA+ (2730 x 1260 pixels) resolution and 240Hz refresh rate. The phone uses a dual-camera setup with a main 1-inch 20MP CMOS sensor that features a 7-element f/1.9 Leica Summicron lens with an equivalent focal length of 19mm and a TOF sensor. For more details, head on over to the link.
