Technology

The Google Pixel 7 Pro was a good smartphone overall. It packed in everything a casual smartphone user would expect from an Android smartphone including, the now standard, timely software updates. But it came up short in a few areas like battery life, charging and had its fair share of heating issues and camera-related bugs as well. With the new Pixel 8 Pro, there’s a brand-new design, plenty of AI-enabled features and even a new processor. Keeping this in mind, one would naturally expect Google to have worked on some if not all of the shortcomings of its predecessor. But that’s not exactly the case with Google’s newest Pixel flagship.

Google Pixel 8 Pro price in India

Unlike last year, Google’s Pixel 8 Pro finally offers a higher storage option in India. After years of complaining about offering a measly 128GB of storage with its base models, Google finally decided to add a new storage tier in India with the introduction of a 256GB variant. I received the 128GB storage variant for review which is priced at Rs. 1,06,999 in India, while the 256GB variant is available at Rs. 1,13,999.

As mentioned in my first impressions, both the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro, are Google’s most expensive Pixel smartphones to launch in India. Simply put, the new top-end Pixel 8 Pro has received a price hike of Rs. 22,000, which instantly puts it out of reach of several potential buyers. And then you have to keep in mind that even at Rs. 1,06,999, you are still getting just 128GB of internal storage and no free cloud storage access either.

Indeed, Google has its hands full when it comes to convincing its existing Pixel users to upgrade to the latest model this year. And it’s probably one of the reasons why you are reading this review.

Google Pixel 8 Pro Review: Design

Google’s Pixel 8 Pro has seen more changes than the standard Pixel 8 (Review) this year. Basically, Google’s engineers got rid of some unnecessary stuff and made some refinements to the Pixel 7 Pro’s design. Keeping in mind its flat display, and overall flatter profile it qualifies as a new design. But it is an overhaul of sorts as the new Pixel 8 Pro still appears distinctly Pixel. This is mainly down to its sharper, visor-like camera module at the back which is as chunky as last year’s model.

The visor-like camera module still gets scratched easily, just like the Pixel 7 Pro

The camera module’s edges are quite sharp unlike last year’s model, but I’m glad Google retained its chunky protruding appearance because it makes it easier to hold on to the phone’s rather slippery matte-finished body by resting my index finger below it for support.

The matte-finished rear glass panel is a first for Google’s Pixel range and its overall rounded appearance and curves do remind me of the original Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. As slippery as the rear panel is, it’s excellent when it comes to resisting fingerprints. At 213g the phone does not feel too heavy or too light. This combined with the soft-finished glass back lends the device a very premium and luxurious feel.

Google’s Pixel 8 Pro definitely looks the part for a premium smartphone

Google also offers an IP68 rating which is the same as on last year’s model. Build quality is quite solid and I’m glad Google finally got rid of the curved edge display which seemed pointless on a Pixel, given that it never had any added software features like on Samsung’s smartphones.

Google Pixel 8 Pro Review: Specifications and software

This year’s Pixel 8 Pro brings another new chipset called the Tensor G3. It’s built using the 4nm manufacturing process, which in addition to its new nona-core architecture should in theory translate to better performance and efficiency. However, Google is more focused on its AI capabilities and this is where it is expected to shine. 12GB RAM is standard and the phone offers up to 256GB of storage this year with no expandable storage and no additional SIM card slot. However, one can use the eSIM functionality to use two numbers on the same device.

In terms of connectivity, the Pixel 8 Pro offers an upgraded WiFi 7 experience, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, a USB-C port, ultra-wideband (UWB) support and support for several global positioning systems.

The Pixel 8 Pro’s (right) design shares some similarities with the older Pixel 7 Pro (left)

Apart from the usual camera array, there is also a new thermometer which can be used to check the surface temperature of various materials. Google will be adding support for checking body temperature soon, which would make it useful if it turns out to be accurate.

The phone has a 5,050mAh battery and supports 30W wired charging and 23W wireless charging. However, the box contents don’t include a supported charging adapter.

Going with the AI trend, Google introduces its new AI wallpaper feature which is exclusive to this year’s Pixel 8 and 8 Pro devices. It needs an internet connection to work but chomps out some really unique and interesting wallpapers using its AI bits. The rest of Android 14 feels and appears similar to what’s available on a Pixel 7 Pro.

Other new smarts that are available on the Pixel 8 Pro include the ability to read aloud web pages or articles from a web browser. Google Assistant can even translate a web page before reading it aloud which is also useful. The operation is properly hands-free on the Pixel 8 Pro (I could not get the feature to work successfully on a Pixel 7 Pro), which is useful if your hands are busy.

The AI Wallpaper feature is a fun way to sample the power of AI and create some unique wallpapers in the process

The Pixel 8 Pro’s AI editing tools, which are available in its Photos app are jaw-droppingly impressive in terms of capability. While the older Magic Eraser has gotten much better over time, the newly advertised tools still need a bit of polish in terms of output.

The new Magic Editor tool lets you literally reposition people and objects in a photograph (which has to be uploaded to the cloud). The AI models sure are impressive! At times it can get really hard to tell if an image has been edited at all. However, pixel-peeping into these photos usually reveals some clues. Magic Editor isn’t perfect and should get polished with future updates, but it is a very powerful tool nonetheless.

The same can be said about the new Best Take feature which requires a sequence of photos of the same setting in order to work. If you happen to have enough photos of the same people in the same setting, then it’s rather hard to tell if an image has been edited.

Audio Magic Eraser is another AI-enabled tool, which can impressively understand the sounds in a video. Once activated, it listens to the clip and quickly identifies the different sounds and then categorises them (speech, nature, wind, noise etc.) letting one adjust the levels to bump up the volume of the sounds they wish to hear (speech, nature) over the ones that they want to quieten (noise, wind). While I did not find the results all that impressive, it is interesting to see how the AI model identifies the different sounds in any given video.

The Audio Magic Eraser tool in the Photos app is useful for removing or reducing unwanted sounds in a recorded video

As controversial as these image editing features are, I can see a lot of Pixel 8 and 8 Pro users helping many who aren’t able to snap good-looking photos. Moreover, Pixel 8 Pro users may seem like wizards to elderly folk who usually don’t end up composing a vacation photo right, and often request the unimaginable, like moving the Eiffel Tower a bit to the right. Surprisingly, all of that and more is now possible using simple drag-and-drop tools.

As impressive as the Pixel 8 Pro’s photographs and editing capabilities are this year, I still faced the same camera bug as on last year’s models. The Night Sight bug triggers when shooting back-to-back photos from the camera app’s night mode when transitioning from 1X to 2X. Once triggered, all photos captured thereafter do not get stored in the phone, leaving one with a camera that will let you click photos but not save them. The only way to get the camera to start storing snapped photos again is to restart the phone or wait for the camera app to crash.

For long, Pixel smartphones have always been the first devices to receive Android software updates and Google has somehow managed to one-up itself in this area with the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. Google claims that it will provide up to 7 years of software updates which includes its quarterly Feature Drops (that bring new features) and security updates. Adding to this commitment Google also explained that it will stock up on spares for these two smartphones as well, in case your smartphone gets damaged or stops functioning over the next 7 years. Indeed such commitments will appeal to those who don’t upgrade their devices frequently, but replacing your smartphone less frequently works well for the environment as it also reduces e-waste.

Google Pixel 8 Pro Review: Performance

As for the Pixel 8 Pro’s 6.7-inch QHD+ OLED display, it works well under bright sunlight and shows fairly accurate colours when set to the Natural colour mode. Its 120Hz dynamic refresh rate, which can drop to 1Hz when not being used, also works as expected.

Just like last year, battery statistics aren’t all that great as I often found me reaching out for the charger by the end of a work day with about 20 percent left around 7:00 PM, after unplugging the phone at around 8:00 AM. If you end up using the camera and edit several images expect the battery levels to drop even faster. In our video loop battery test, the Pixel 8 Pro managed to last for 14 hours and 15 minutes, which is slightly better than the Pixel 7 Pro, but not great compared to what most smartphones in this segment are capable of. Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra which currently retails an additional Rs. 20,000 managed to last 21 hours and 7 minutes in the same test.

The Pixel 8 Pro (right) has a flat display compared to the older Pixel 7 Pro (left)

On the Pixel 8 Pro, most casual and high-end games run just fine at default settings. But the phone clearly isn’t as powerful when compared to its Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered counterparts so don’t expect flawless frame rates when playing graphics-intensive titles like Genshin Impact or fast-paced games like Call of Duty: Mobile.

The phone does warm up after playing a few Call of Duty tournaments on Ultra settings, but it does not get abnormally hot and that’s mainly down to CPU throttling. However, one can expect plenty of frame drops during gameplay as the Tensor G3 isn’t really designed for running demanding titles at the best settings. Ray-tracing, while being relatively new, is also not supported. I also found the touch sampling to be a bit sluggish when playing fast-paced FPS games.

The Tensor G3 inside the Google Pixel 8 Pro managed slightly inferior scores compared to most smartphones in this segment and were far below what Apple’s latest iPhone 15 Pro Max is capable of. The Pixel 8 Pro scored 10,38,343 points in AnTuTu and managed scores of 1,629 and 3,274 in Geekbench’s single and multi-core tests. To give you an idea about where Google’s Pixel 8 Pro stands, the lower-priced OnePlus 11 5G (QHD+ display) which we reviewed earlier this year scored 11,89,556 points and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 (FHD+ display) managed a score of 12,87,359 while the iPhone 15 Pro Max managed a comfortable lead scoring 16,61,205 points in our review.

Google sticking with its own Tensor design for its processor does have its downsides as they have yet to figure out better ways to handle all the processing that happens after snapping a photograph. Just like the Pixel 7 Pro, the Pixel 8 Pro struggles when shooting Portrait mode photos and will stop capturing photos (or disable the shutter button) when the photo buffer is full after clicking around 7-8 portrait mode photos in quick succession. It does this to finish processing them in the background and will let one snap more photos only once it’s done processing the ones that have already been captured. While this does not seem like a big problem, I did end up missing several moments while snapping photos of my kid. Shooting RAW photos also takes a while to process, compared to the iPhone 15 Pro Max which is almost instant.

The Pixel 8 Pro just like the Pixel 7 Pro runs a bit hot outdoors when connected to 5G networks

For a phone that’s more focused and known for its photography features, it’s sad to see that the latest Tensor G3 SoC isn’t capable of handling the basics. Google really has to work on the Tensor G3’s imaging pipeline or go with a separate imaging chip solely for handling all of its camera requirements as the current Tensor G3 processor clearly isn’t up for the job.

Even with daily usage, something as simple as scrolling through web pages and social media apps (even YouTube) can get jittery at times. Scrolling is jittery when using both native and third-party apps and this is something many users have complained about on Reddit as well. Google took its own sweet time to attempt to resolve its Pixel 7 Pro’s scrolling issues, but these have yet to be resolved successfully.

The phone still gets hot when using the camera app, especially when shooting more complicated camera modes like Portrait and Night mode. The phone also gets quite hot outdoors when connected to 5G networks. Google still does not offer any cooling solution (apart from CPU throttling) with its Pixel phones, which keeps them running warm most of the time when used outdoors. Many Chinese smartphone brands have adopted vapour chamber cooling to maintain performance levels while performing power-intensive tasks. This year’s Samsung Galaxy S23 also utilised the same, making it run a lot cooler compared to its predecessor. So, it’s really a mystery why Google refuses to include the same in its flagship Pixel smartphones.

The new and secure Face Unlock feature works as quickly as Apple’s Face ID authentication, however, it only works well (or quickly) in good lighting. Dimly lit settings will see the camera struggling to recognise faces, which is when I had to revert to the good old fingerprint scanner, which thankfully worked as expected.

Google Pixel 8 Pro Review: Cameras

This year’s Pixel 8 Pro comes with several improvements in the camera department as well. Key among these is the new 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera which replaces the 12-megapixel camera on the previous model. There’s a new brighter 50-megapixel primary camera as well but I expect minor improvements (if any) with this one. Everything else apart from the new Tensor G3 remains the same, which is not a bad deal as the previous Pixel 7 Pro was not bad at imaging to begin with.

The camera modes have been revamped on the Pixel 8 Pro. The Pixel 8 Pro in particular this year gets a special pro mode called Pro Controls, which brings advanced camera controls for smartphone camera enthusiasts who prefer to tweak things a bit before shooting or while recording.

Pro Controls is wonderfully designed with practicality and simplicity in mind, making it easy to use and understand

To be clear, the Pixel 8 Pro’s Pro Controls mode is not as advanced as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s camera app which also offers various controls for video. The Pixel 8 Pro’s Pro controls seem a lot more user-friendly (designed for the average Joe), and quite practical at the same time, easily making it a lot better in terms of capability and control when shooting video, even when compared to an iPhone 15 Pro Max, I reviewed earlier.

Unlike the Pixel 7 Pro where one gets access to brightness, shadow and white balance sliders in the viewfinder when shooting, the Pixel 8 Pro hides all of its Pro controls under a settings button located at the top right corner. Tapping on it gives one access to advanced controls like Night Sight duration, brightness, shadow, white balance, focus, shutter speed and ISO as well. I particularly liked the focus control as it highlights the currently focused area in pink thanks to a focus peaking feature like on a real camera.

Tapping on the usual gear icon at the bottom now opens a comprehensive menu with a special Pro tab in which one can select the resolution (binned or full frame), output type (RAW/JPEG) and a very handy Lens Selection selector, which lets you choose between Auto or Manual. Choosing Auto basically gets you the entire zoom range which also includes the digital levels between the native focal lengths (0.5X, 1X and 5X).

The manual gets you access to just the native focal lengths, which switches off the camera’s automatic lens selection. This is useful to avoid using the wrong camera (which the smartphone automatically selects depending on the distance of the object/subject from the lens. This often leads to digitally cropped and scaled photos. So, if your subject is too close for the 5X telephoto camera, it just won’t focus, letting you know that you need to maintain a greater distance to get the perfect shot.

Pixel 8 Pro also lets one shoot in RAW using all three cameras which means you can get high-resolution (50 or 48-megapixel) RAW images which can be tweaked later in the post. As for the video, Pro Controls only lets you tweak white balance and exposure in this mode.

The Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro camera samples were captured in daylight and low light using their primary cameras (tap image to expand)

As for image quality, I found the images from the primary camera to be almost identical to last year’s model. The minor differences are mainly down to the tone where the Pixel 8 Pro chooses cooler tones compared to the Pixel 7 Pro’s warmer hues. The level of detail is second to none, but I often noticed that colours aren’t as accurate even though the photographs looked good. Low-light imagery is fantastic, but I noticed that the primary camera tends to crush the blacks in settings with contrasted lighting.

Google Pixel 8 Pro captures some quality 5X telephoto shots (top) and macro photos (bottom) (tap images to expand)

Photos from the ultra-wide camera, which has seen the most changes this year, pack in more detail and dynamic range when shooting in daylight. Colours are quite accurate as well. Macro photos also came out great and the new camera lets you get even closer (up to 2cm) to your subject.

Google Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro daylight and low-light camera samples captured using their ultra-wide-angle cameras (tap image to expand)

In terms of zoom, the telephoto camera shoots really impressive photos with good detail. I used the 5X telephoto to capture some crisp portraits and close-ups and well and they all looked gorgeous with a natural bokeh. Going beyond its optical limits, Google’s Super Res Zoom manages quality images up to 10X (hybrid zoom) but the quality starts to dither thereafter.

Google Pixel 8 Pro telephoto zoom camera samples captured in daylight (tap image to expand)

While it manages good image quality, the Pixel 8 Pro just like the Pixel 7 Pro struggles with edge detection when in Portrait mode (tap image to expand)

After managing average video quality last year, it’s good to see that Google has finally upped its video game. 4K 30fps video recorded from the primary camera looks sharp, has a good bitrate and offers a steady frame rate. Stabilisation is also impressive, making it a solid upgrade over the Pixel 7 Pro’s video recording capabilities. Low light footage also has good detail with low noise. HDR footage shot at the same resolution appeared a bit saturated but showcased good contrast and detail even in low light.

Google Pixel 8 Pro Review: Verdict

What sets the Pixel 8 Pro apart from every other Pixel of the past, is its AI capabilities. It’s a direction that Google has charted for its Pixel smartphones, and the Pixel 8 Pro surely shines in this area with the ability to process a lot of requests and use several tools without the need to connect to the internet or the cloud for processing. The very capable and well-designed built-in Pro Controls is also an area which mobile photography enthusiasts will enjoy.

But the price hike may convince many upgraders to stick with their Pixel 7 Pro models this year as all of the above-mentioned features (except for a 7-year commitment for software updates) don’t really seem like must-haves on anyone’s list.

To make things worse, the Pixel 7 Pro today retails for as low as Rs. 63,999, which isn’t a bad deal, depending on what one is looking for in a new smartphone purchase. Its still camera performance is similar to the Pixel 8 Pro but falls behind when it comes to video recording. The new Pixel 8 Pro may not heat up as much as the Pixel 7 Pro but its battery life only offers minor improvements over the older model.

If you are willing to spend upwards of Rs. 1,00,000 in India, Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra (Review) (available at Rs. 1,24,999 for the 256GB variant) surely offers better value, with impressive zoom capability, a better and larger display, excellent battery life, and to an extent even Samsung’s Galaxy ecosystem of devices which includes, smartwatches, audio accessories, tablets and laptops.

Hot on the heels of its $6.6 billion funding round, OpenAI on Thursday debuted the beta of a new collaboration interface for ChatGPT, dubbed Canvas.

“We are fundamentally changing how humans can collaborate with ChatGPT since it launched two years ago,” Canvas research lead Karina Nguyen wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). She describes it as “a new interface for working with ChatGPT on writing and coding projects that go beyond simple chat.”

For the first time we are fundamentally changing how humans can collaborate with ChatGPT since it launched two years ago.

We’re introducing canvas, a new interface for working with ChatGPT on writing and coding projects that go beyond simple chat.

Product and model features:… pic.twitter.com/ruVvtCNKrV

— Karina Nguyen (@karinanguyen_) October 3, 2024

Canvas appears to work much like Claude’s Artifacts window (which is available for free), providing users with a real-time view of the chatbot’s output in a separate window outside of the chat stream. The feature reportedly works autonomously with ChatGPT automatically launching Canvas when it “detects a scenario in which it could be helpful,” per the announcement post.

With it, users can provide the AI inline feedback on its generated content, either for specific lines or the body of work as a whole. They’ll be able to highlight specific sections of code or text for ChatGPT to focus on and revise, or directly edit the output themselves. Canvas will even enable users to actively command ChatGPT to research specific subjects on the internet and incorporate that new information into the current project.

Canvas will also introduce a shortcuts menu of common tools, such as suggesting edits, adjusting the output length or reading level (from kindergarten to grad student), debugging code, adding emoji, and adding “final polish,” which checks for grammar, clarity, and consistency. Coding tasks have a shortcut menu of their own. Users will have quick access to tools like Review Code, Add Logs, Add Comments, Fix Bugs, and Port to a Language, which translates code between JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, C++, and PHP.

We’re rolling out an early version of canvas—a new way to work with ChatGPT on writing & coding projects that go beyond simple chat.

Starting today, Plus & Team users can try it by selecting “GPT-4o with canvas” in the model picker. https://t.co/GoGZiRzCsB

— OpenAI (@OpenAI) October 3, 2024

Canvas is still in beta release and, as such, is currently only being made available to Plus and Teams subscribers. Enterprise and Edu users will receive access next week, ChatGPT Free users will be able to try it once it’s out of beta.

Update: This post was updated to include additional information about canvas’ release timing.

With the arrival of 3D NAND about a decade ago, the storage capacity of solid-state drives has been increasing rapidly, and the per-GB price has been decreasing steadily. It is why the vast majority of client PCs use SSDs these days. IEEE believes this trend will continue in the coming years, increasing SSD storage capacity to at least quadruple by 2029.

The reason 3D NAND has been increasing capacity is multifaceted. On the one hand, the number of active NAND layers has increased over the years, and on the other hand, the number of bits stored per NAND memory cell has increased from two to three (triple-level cell, TLC) and four (quad-level cell, QLC). Both innovations have happened over time and were meticulously calculated to achieve economic targets regarding per-TB costs.

We live in 2024. 2Tb QLC NAND memory devices are readily available to enable some of the world’s best mainstream 2TB SSDs, which gives them 2TB of raw storage space. IEEE’s roadmap pins 4Tb 3D NAND devices to 2027, doubling the capacity for mainstream SSDs. Then, the capacity is expected to quadruple in 2029 as the industry migrates to 8Tb NAND memory devices. That given, expect the capacity of mainstream SSDs to quadruple by 2028, though we are speculating.

Regarding the number of active layers, we are in the midst of 200 and 300 layers, depending on the manufacturer, but IEEE predicts 500+ in 2027. Then companies like Samsung and SK hynix predicted 1000+ layers, which the respected institute decided to avoid predicting.

Unlike predictions for the evolution of hard drives, the new IEEE International Roadmap for Devices and Systems Mass Data Storage roadmap is vague regarding what is to be achieved regarding storage density. And the number of active NAND layers and other NAND memory architectures. IEEE does not even call QLC as QLC; it calls it TLC+, perhaps implying possibilities beyond even QLC (4-level charge), possibly to 5-level charged PLC (penta level cell).

“The path to continuing increasing the die density and reducing the cost per bit will involve minimizing the growth in layer count, increasing the density of memory cells per layer (increasing the areal density per layer), decreasing the size of the holes where the memory cells are manufactured, increasing the number of bits stored per transistor [triple-level cell (TLC) to QLC to PLC], and maintaining a uniform high aspect ratio etch for each memory hole. These are design and manufacturing issues and must be solved to maintain the high production yields necessary for profitable manufacturing.”

YouTube has confirmed it’s responsible for deleting thousands of accounts and videos that were mistakenly flagged as violations against its terms of service.

VIEW GALLERY – 2 IMAGES

9to5Google pointed out that many YouTube account holders reported the loss of access to YouTube content. These reports were quickly followed up by YouTube in a support thread that confirmed bugs were present and they were affecting many aspects of the platform such as access to paid features such as YouTube TV, YouTube Premium, and YouTube Music.

Additionally, the bugs also affected other YouTube features, such as playlists. Along with the deleted of specific channels these bugs also removed videos from the platform. Reports indicate that affected users were sent unclear instructions by YouTube that ultimately weren’t helpful in the recovery of their accounts. Additionally, another user claimed there was no way to lodge an appeal of the decision by YouTube.

“This is incredibly annoying since I pay for Premium,” wrote one commenter

“If your channel was incorrectly removed and reinstated, you might notice some content, such as playlists, might be missing,” YouTube’s support thread said. “Don’t worry-this is just a delay and all your content will soon be restored.“

“We’re happy to report that all channels incorrectly removed for Spam & Deceptive Practices have been fully reinstated! This includes access to all subscriptions (YouTube TV, YouTube Premium, YouTube Music). We’re working on reinstating the last few videos, thanks for bearing with us! We know this was a frustrating experience, really appreciate your patience while we sort this out,” reads an October 4 update from YouTube

Google I/O 2022 will take place between May 11–12, the company has announced. Similar to last year, this year’s Google I/O will be free to access virtually for everyone. The event will, however, be livestreamed from Google’s Shoreline Amphitheatre — the regular venue for the I/O conference — and will have a “limited live audience” that could include Google’s employees and some partners. Google also continued the tradition of releasing an “SVD” puzzle before revealing the dates for its developer-centric annual conference.

CEO Sundar Pichai announced the dates of Google I/O 2022 through a tweet posted on Thursday. The conference will be livestreamed and will be free to access for everyone attending virtually.

According to an FAQ page available on the Google I/O site, registrations for the conference will begin later this month.

In a statement shared with The Verge, Google spokesperson Alex Garcia-Kummert said that this year’s event would be broadcast in front of a limited live audience. Google clarified to Axios’ Ina Fried that the limited audience will primarily include Google employees and some partners.

This suggests that for the rest of the attendees, this year’s Google I/O would remain an online event.

In 2020, Google completely cancelled its I/O conference due to the COVID-19 emergence. It, though, conducted the event as an online-only conference last year.

Google I/O has been popular among developers building mobile and Web apps ever since its start back in 2008. However, for the general public, the conference has gained significant popularity in the last few years due to various consumer-focused announcements, including the release of new Android features.

Last year, Google unveiled Android 12 with Material You design. It also announced a partnership with Samsung for developing the new Wear OS update.

Google is likely to showcase Android 13 at its this year’s I/O conference and may give details around the rumoured developments of foldable phones and the Pixel Watch. We are also likely to see the Pixel 6a as Google’s new affordable Android phone.

Ahead of revealing the dates for Google I/O 2022, Google released the SVD puzzle on Wednesday where it asked enthusiasts to untangle a given string with some references.

The puzzle contains overlapping shapes and a sound toy that can be used to solve the riddle and know the dates as a fun exercise.

Amazon Great Republic Day Sale 2023 has entered its last 12 hours. The Republic Day special sale kicked off last week for Prime members, after eventually opening up for everyone else one day later. Amazon’s Great Republic Day Sale brings hundreds of deals across all major product categories. In case you missed the initial phase of the sale, we’ve handpicked some of the best tech deals and offers you can grab on the last day of Amazon’s Great Republic Day Sale 2023 today. Make sure you don’t miss the available bundled offers which can further help sweeten these deals. 

Amazon Great Republic Day Sale 2023 – Best offers on mobile phones

Apple iPhone 13 128GB (Rs. 61,999)
Apple’s iPhone 13 128GB is currently selling at Rs. 61,999 (MRP Rs. 69,900) on Amazon during the Great Republic Day Sale 2023 this week. You can exchange a used smartphone to receive another instant discount worth up to Rs. 18,050 on your purchase. Amazon is also offering 5 percent cashback to Amazon Pay co-branded ICICI Bank credit card users and Rs. 1,250 additional discount to SBI credit card users.

Buy now at: Rs. 61,999 (MRP Rs. 69,900)

OnePlus 10R 5G (Rs. 36,999)
OnePlus 10R 5G is being sold at Rs. 36,999 on Amazon during the Great Republic Day Sale 2023 sale. Amazon is also bundling an exchange offer that’s capped at a maximum discount of Rs. 18,050. OnePlus 10R is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 8100 SoC, a 50-megapixel triple rear camera setup, and a large 5,000mAh battery. It’s worth mentioning here that the OnePlus 11 launch in India is just around the corner.

Buy now at: Rs. 36,999 

Realme Narzo 50 (Rs. 9,999)
If you’re eyeing a budget smartphone, the Realme Narzo 50 is available at Rs. 9,999 (MRP Rs. 15,999) on Amazon’s Great Republic Day Sale this week. You can exchange an old smartphone, and receive another instant discount worth up to Rs. 9,300. Realme Narzo 50 comes with a 50-megapixel triple rear camera setup, and is powered by MediaTek Helio G96 SoC, supported by 4GB of RAM.

Buy now at: Rs. 9,999 (MRP Rs. 15,999)

iQoo Neo 6 (Rs. 27,999)
iQoo Neo 6 is available at a discounted price of Rs. 27,999 (MRP Rs. 34,999) on Amazon during the Great Republic Day Sale 2023. The bundled exchange offer can further sweeten the deal by up to Rs. 18,050. SBI card users can avail an additional 10 percent instant discount. iQoo Neo 6 is powered by Snapdragon 870 5G SoC, supported by 8GB RAM.

Buy now at: Rs. 27,999 (MRP Rs. 34,999)

Amazon Great Republic Day Sale 2023 – Best deals on Amazon devices

Fire TV Stick (Rs. 2,799)
Amazon’s Fire TV Stick is down to Rs. 2,799 (MRP Rs. 4,999) as part of Amazon’s Great Republic Day Sale 2023. Fire TV Stick is great if you’re looking to turn your dumb TV into a smart one. All it needs is an HDMI port on your TV. The 4K variant is also available at a discounted price of Rs. 4,699 (MRP Rs. 6,499).

Buy now at: Rs. 2,799 (MRP Rs. 4,999)

Kindle Paperwhite (Rs. 11,499)
If you love reading book without buying a hard copy, you should switch to a Kindle Paperwhite. Currently down to Rs. 11,499 (MRP Rs. 13,999), the Kindle Paperwhite is great for reading books no matter what time of the day or night. This model comes with an adjustable warm light that makes it easier to read at night.

Buy now at: Rs. 11,499 (MRP Rs. 13,999)

Echo Dot 3rd gen with Amazon Smart Plug (Rs. 4,848)
If you’re looking to experiment with a smart home setup, and are looking for an affordable entry point, you can play around with this combo. Amazon is selling the Echo Dot 3rd gen with Amazon Smart Plug for Rs. 4,848 (MRP Rs. 6,498) during the Great Republic Day Sale 2023. The deal is exclusive to Prime members today.

Buy now at: Rs. 4,848 (MRP Rs. 6,498)

Amazon Great Republic Day Sale 2023 – Best offers on electronics

Asus Vivobook 14 (Rs. 53,990)
Asus Vivobook 14 thin-and-light laptop is down to Rs. 53,990 during Amazon’s Great Republic Day 2023 sale. You can exchange an old machine to receive another instant discount worth up to Rs. 10,850. Asus Vivobook 14 is powered by 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, supported by 16GB of RAM. It comes with a 512GB SSD, and runs Windows 11 out-of-the-box.

Buy now at: Rs. 53,990 (MRP Rs. 80,990)

Honor MagicBook 14 (Rs. 40,990)
If you’re looking for a thin-and-light laptop around the Rs. 40,000-price point, the Honor MagicBook 14 is being sold at a discounted price of Rs. 40,990 (MRP Rs. 75,999) on Amazon right now. Amazon is also offering a bundled exchange offer that’s capped at Rs. 10,850. Honor MagicBook 14 is powered by AMD Ryzen 5 processor, supported by 16GB RAM. It comes with a 512GB SSD, and runs Windows 11 out-of-the-box.

Buy now at: Rs. 40,990 (MRP Rs. 75,999)

iPhone 14 was initially unveiled in India in September 2022. The smartphone was launched alongside the iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. The prices of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus have been discounted in the country since their launch. Now, the vanilla iPhone 14 handset can be bought at an even cheaper rate during the ongoing Monsoon Fest sale held by Apple reseller Imagine. This discounted price is considerably lower than the price that the iPhone 14 is listed at on the official site or e-commerce sites.

iPhone 14 price in India during Monsoon Fest sale, offers

The 128GB variant of the iPhone 14 was launched in India at Rs. 79,900. It is currently priced at Rs. 69,900 via the official website.

Apple reseller Imagine has confirmed that the same option of the iPhone 14 can be bought in India during the ongoing Monsoon Fest sale at an effective price of Rs. 34,900. However, it is not a flat discount, there are conditional offers.

Upon the listed price of Rs. 69,900, customers buying the iPhone 14 currently can avail of an Imagine Instant discount of Rs. 6,000 and an instant bank cashback of Rs. 3,000. You can also exchange your older smartphone at an exchange value of up to Rs. 20,000. They can also get an additional Rs. 6,000 exchange bonus offer. These deductions bring the net effective price down to Rs. 34,900.

Note that even if you do not have a product you can exchange, you are still eligible for a discount worth Rs. 9,000, bringing the effective price down to Rs. 60,000. This is less than the price it is listed at via the official Apple e-store.

iPhone 14 specifications

The iPhone 14 sports a 6.1‑inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen and is powered by Apple’s A15 Bionic SoC. The phone gets a 12-megapixel dual rear camera unit and a 12-megapixel selfie shooter for optics. It is claimed to offer a battery life of up to 26 hours on a single charge.

Chinese drone maker SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd has established a strong early lead in the US commercial market as companies turn to its inexpensive, light-weight flying devices for a host of uses from shooting films to mapping and site inspections.

Sixty-one of the 129 companies that received regulatory approval to use unmanned aircraft are using DJI drones, or 47 percent, far ahead of its nearest rival, a Reuters review of federal records as of April 9 shows. Nearly 400 other companies, more than half of the 695 businesses still awaiting approval, have applied to use DJI drones.

Shenzhen-based DJI, whose best-selling Phantom 2 Vision+ drone retails for around $1,200 in the United States, estimates that it already has about 70 percent of the commercial market worldwide and a larger portion of the consumer market.

Federal records also suggest that DJI is quickly expanding its US market share, thanks in part to a new process speeding federal exemptions for companies that intend to use drones previously vetted by regulators.

DJI accounted for about a third of the roughly 50 exemptions granted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from last September through mid-March. But it has claimed just over half of the 89 exemptions received since then.

Industry experts say basic drones such as DJI’s are likely to drive the US commercial market for the foreseeable future, meeting business demand for uses such as aerial photography for site inspections, real estate promotions and video production.

The market for more sophisticated unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is being limited by FAA policy that restricts commercial drone flights to line-of-sight operations at altitudes of 500 feet (152 meters) or less. Those rules are complicating efforts by e-commerce giants Amazon and Google Inc to develop high-tech drones capable of delivering packages over long distances.

“Those limitations effectively rule out larger UAVs, which are not going to be cost-effective with that sort of restriction,” said Philip Finnegan, the Teal Group’s director of corporate analysis. “It’s really going to drive things toward the low end of the market.”

The Teal Group expects the US market for commercial drones to reach $5.4 billion in sales by 2023.

Founded in 2006 by Chinese entrepreneur Frank Wang, DJI generated nearly $500 million in revenue in 2014, up from $130 million in the prior year.

It expects to exceed $1 billion in sales this year and is in talks with investors to raise new capital. A person familiar with the discussions said DJI, valued at $10 billion, is also pursuing partnerships.

Ease of use
The emergence of a Chinese company as a dominant player in a new US technology market has so far not raised concerns in Congress. Other Chinese technology companies including telecom equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. have been accused by US lawmakers of posing national security risks, hurting their chances of building a substantial US business.

DJI’s US business customers include American International Group Inc, Commonwealth Edison in addition to a host of lesser known firms in real estate, insurance, energy, agriculture and film and television.

Due to safety concerns, US companies are banned from using drones unless they obtain an FAA exemption. The US aviation regulator proposed rules in February to lift the ban, but final regulations are not expected until late 2016 or early 2017.

Since FAA began granting exemptions last September, gains have been limited for DJI’s rivals, whose products are often much more expensive. DJI’s nearest competitor in the US commercial market is Swiss drone-maker senseFly, owned by Paris-based Parrot, with 8.5 percent of the exempted companies, federal records show.

Sensefly’s eBee mapping drone package has a price tag of around $25,000. More complex systems made by European and US competitors can cost upwards of $100,000.

DJI has gained its market lead without a US-based sales staff. Both hobbyists and business customers purchase drones through online retail outlets and directly from DJI’s site, and say they stand out for their ease of use as well as the low price.

“Everything just works. A lot of other systems require you to tweak all the settings and parameters,” said Paul Callahan, chief executive of New York-based SouthGate Films, which won FAA approval this month to use a DJI drone for aerial photography including solar panel inspections.

Some lawmakers, including Senator Charles Schumer of New York, have called on the FAA to ease flying restrictions so drones can be used for a wider array of business applications. Lawmakers have also argued that restrictions on outdoor drone testing have put US companies at a disadvantage to foreign rivals, which operate in less restrictive climates overseas.

Some industry executives say low-end drones like DJI’s risk becoming commoditised and that the more promising market lies in high-end services such as thermal imaging and 3D mapping. DJI says it has plans to expand into more sophisticated drones.

© Thomson Reuters 2015

Xiaomi 12S Ultra, Xiaomi 12S Pro, and Xiaomi 12S were unveiled as the company’s latest flagship smartphones on Monday. In the Xiaomi 12S series, all three models come with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC that was unveiled in May. The smartphones also come with Leica optics. In addition to the Xiaomi 12S Ultra, Xiaomi 12S Pro, and the Xiaomi 12S, the Chinese company launched the Xiaomi 12 Pro Dimensity Edition as its new MediaTek Dimensity-powered smartphone and introduced the Mi Smart Band 7 Pro as its new fitness-tracking wristband. The Mi Smart Band 7 Pro comes with an always-on display and carries GPS support.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra, Xiaomi 12S Pro, Xiaomi 12S, Mi Smart Band 7 Pro price

Xiaomi 12S Ultra price begins at CNY 5,999 (roughly Rs. 70,700) for the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant. The phone also has a 12GB + 256GB model at CNY 6,499 (roughly Rs. 76,600) and the top-of-the-line CNY 6,999 (roughly Rs. 82,500).

The Xiaomi 12S Pro starts at CNY 4,699 (roughly Rs. 55,400) for the base 8GB + 128GB model. The smartphone also comes in an 8GB + 256GB option at CNY 4,999 (roughly Rs. 58,900), 12GB + 256GB variant at CNY 5,399 (roughly Rs. 63,700), and the top-end 12GB + 512GB model at CNY 5,899 (roughly Rs. 69,500).

However, the Xiaomi 12S price is set at CNY 3,999 (roughly Rs. 47,100) for the base 8GB + 128GB variant, CNY 4,299 (roughly Rs. 50,700) for the 8GB + 256GB model, CNY 4,699 (roughly Rs. 55,400) for the 12GB + 256GB option, and CNY 5,199 (roughly Rs. 61,300) for the top-of-the-line 12GB + 512GB version.

In addition to the Xiaomi 12S series, the Xiaomi 12 Pro Dimensity Edition was launched by the company at CNY 3,999 (roughly Rs. 47,100) for the 8GB + 128GB configuration and CNY 4,499 (roughly Rs. 53,100).

The Xiaomi 12S Ultra will go on sale in China from July 8, while the Xiaomi 12S Pro and Xiaomi 12S will be available in the country starting July 6. The Xiaomi 12 Pro Dimensity Edition, on the other hand, will go on sale from July 12.

The Mi Smart Band 7 Pro price is set at CNY 399 (roughly Rs. 4,700). The band will go on sale in China from July 7. Initially, Xiaomi will offer the Mi Smart Band 7 Pro with an introductory price of CNY 379 (roughly Rs. 4,500).

Details about the global availability and pricing of the Xiaomi devices are yet to be revealed.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra specifications

The dual-SIM (Nano) Xiaomi 12S Ultra runs Android with MIUI 13 and features a 6.73-inch 2K (1,440×3,200 pixels) AMOLED micro-curved display with up to 120Hz refresh rate, up to 240Hz touch sampling rate, and a maximum of 1,500 nits brightness. The display also has Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support and has DCI-P3 colour gamut. Further, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra carries the second-generation LTPO technology for enabling an energy-efficient display viewing experience.

In addition to the top-end display, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is powered by the octa-core Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, along with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM. The phone comes with a triple rear camera setup that houses a 50-megapixel 1-inch Sony’s IMX989 primary sensor with an f/1.9 lens that has optical image stabilisation (OIS) support. The camera setup also includes a 48-megapixel camera sensor that is available under a periscope-shaped lens. Further, there is a 48-megapixel ultra-wide shooter.

The rear camera setup carries a laser autofocus sensor and is paired with an LED flash module.

The Xiaomi 12S Ultra also comes with a 32-megapixel selfie camera sensor at the front.

Xiaomi has equipped the 12S Ultra with up to 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage.

Connectivity options on the Xiaomi 12S Ultra include 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.2, Infrared (IR) blaster, GPS/ A-GPS, NFC, and a USB Type-C port. Sensors on board include an accelerometer, ambient light, barometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, and a proximity sensor. The phone also comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor that also doubles as a heart-rate sensor.

The Xiaomi 12S Ultra packs a 4,860mAh battery that supports 67W wired and 50W wireless charging. The phone also has 10W reverse wireless charging support. It comes in an IP68-rated build that measures 163.17×74.97×9.06mm and weighs 225 grams.

Xiaomi 12S Pro specifications

The dual-SIM (Nano) Xiaomi 12S Pro runs MIUI 13 based on Android and features a 6.73-inch 2K (1,440×3,200 pixels) curved AMOLED display with up to 120Hz refresh rate and DCI-P3 colour gamut. The display also comes with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. Under the hood, the Xiaomi 12S Pro has the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, along with up to 12GB LPDDR5 RAM. The phone also has a triple rear camera setup that includes a 50-megapixel Sony IMX707 primary sensor, with an f/1.8 lens that supports OIS. The camera setup also includes a 50-megapixel ultra-wide shooter and a 50-megapixel telephoto shooter with 2x optical zoom support.

Xiaomi 12S Pro comes with a 6.73-inch 2K curved AMOLED display
Photo Credit: Xiaomi

For selfies and video chats, the Xiaomi 12S Pro comes with a 32-megapixel selfie camera sensor at the front, with an f/2.4 lens.

The Xiaomi 12S Pro comes with up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage.

Connectivity-wise, the Xiaomi 12S Pro offers 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.2, IR blaster, GPS/ A-GPS, NFC, and a USB Type-C port. Onboard sensors include an accelerometer, ambient light, gyroscope, magnetometer, and a proximity sensor. The phone also includes an in-display fingerprint sensor.

The Xiaomi 12S Pro packs a 4,600mAh battery that supports 120W wired, 50W wireless, and 10W reverse wireless charging. The phone comes in glass and leather finishes where the glass body measures 163.6×74.6×8.16mm and weighs 204 grams, while the leather version measures 163.6×74.6×8.66mm and 203 grams.

Xiaomi 12S specifications

The Xiaomi 12S runs MIUI 13 based on Android and features a 6.28-inch full-HD+ (1,080×2,400 pixels) display with up to 120Hz refresh rate and up to 240Hz touch sampling rate. The display also has DCI-P3 colour gamut and a peak brightness of up to 1,100 nits. The phone also has Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. The Xiaomi 12S is powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, along with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM. There is a triple rear camera setup that has the same primary sensor of the Xiaomi 12S Pro, along with a 13-megapixel ultra-wide shooter and a macro shooter.

Xiaomi 12S carries a full-HD+ display
Photo Credit: Xiaomi

For selfies and video chats, the Xiaomi 12S carries a 32-megapixel selfie camera sensor, with an f/2.4 lens.

The Xiaomi 12S comes with up to 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage.

Connectivity options on the Xiaomi 12S include 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.2, IR blaster, GPS/ A-GPS, NFC, and a USB Type-C port. Sensors on board include an accelerometer, ambient light, gyroscope, magnetometer, and a proximity sensor.

The Xiaomi 12S packs a 4,500mAh battery that supports 67W wired, 50W wireless, and 10W reverse wireless charging. The phone comes in glass and leather finishes where the glass model measures 152.7×69.9×8.16mm and weighs 182 grams, whereas the leather option measures 152.7×69.9×8.66mm and weighs 179 grams.

Xiaomi 12 Pro Dimensity Edition specifications

The Xiaomi 12 Pro Dimensity Edition is similar to the original Xiaomi 12 Pro, though it comes with an octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ SoC, along with Mali-G710 GPU and packs a 5,160mAh battery that supports 67W fast charging.

Xiaomi 12 Pro Dimensity Edition is quite similar to the original Xiaomi 12 Pro
Photo Credit: Xiaomi

Also, the triple rear camera setup on the Xiaomi 12 Pro Dimensity Edition includes a 5-megapixel macro shooter and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide shooter — alongside the 50-megapixel Sony IMX707 primary sensor.

Mi Smart Band 7 Pro specifications

The Mi Smart Band 7 Pro comes with a 1.64-inch colour display that delivers a 326ppi of pixel density and offers 70 percent screen-to-body ratio. The screen is featured on a meta frame and supports always-on display technology. The Mi Smart Band 7 Pro also comes with GPS support for precise location tracking. The smartband has a 5ATM water-resistant design and features quick-release wristbands.

Mi Smart Band 7 Pro comes with an always-on display
Photo Credit: Xiaomi

On a single charge, the Mi Smart Band 7 Pro is rated to deliver up to 12 hours of battery life. The band also includes NFC support and has Xiao AI voice assistant.

YouTube Premium subscription cost was increased in some regions recently. Premium users can enjoy ad-free access to videos, the ability to watch videos or listen to music in the background, and high-quality video streaming. YouTube claims to have 80 million paid and free trial Premium users around the world. Now, the Google-owned company has announced new features for Premium users. YouTube users across platforms, including smartphones, smart TVs and tablets, will now be able to enjoy videos at a higher picture quality. Some features introduced are also backed by artificial intelligence.

In a blog post, YouTube confirmed that Premium users can now stream an enhanced bitrate version of 1080p videos on more platforms now. Initially introduced for only iOS users, the feature is now available for Android users. Premium subscribers can also stream videos of this quality on smart televisions and other Android devices like tablets. The 1080p High Bitrate feature can be enabled from the Quality menu option.

A higher bitrate yields a higher quality viewing experience by offering more information per pixel resulting in clearer images with more details. Google notes that videos that were submitted in 1080p can only be eligible for an improved bitrate. Videos uploaded at resolutions higher or lower than 1080p, live streams and YouTube Shorts will not support the 1080p Premium feature.

Meanwhile, YouTube has also brought Conversation AI, which can recommend videos similar to the one you’re watching or anything else related to your search if asked. This AI chatbot can also answer questions regarding the video, as per the compnay. You can access the tool by tapping the Ask button. This feature, however, is currently only available to Android users in the US.

You can also ask the AI chatbot to summarise lengthy comments into a smaller paragraph with distinctive identified themes. YouTube suggests that creators can use this feature to collect ideas for their future content.

When switching devices, Premium users can now continue watching a video from where they left off on another device with the same account. For instance, you can continue the same video on YouTube if you stop watching it on your phone and play it on your TV. YouTube will indicate the video with the label Continue Watching. Earlier this feature was only available for users switching between phones and the Web. Now it can be enjoyed across all platforms.

Long-term Premium subscribers can now receive virtual badges, which claim to reward users for their loyalty. Users above the age of 18 can earn these badges by engaging with the Premium benefits like Afterparty, YouTube Music, Continue Watching, etc. By clicking on locked badges on the Your Premium benefits page on your YouTube account, you can learn how to earn that badge.