Intel has officially announced their 12th Gen Alder Lake hybrid desktop processors during their Intel InnovatiON virtual event. These new processors are built using the Intel 7 process (previously known as Intel 10nm Enhanced Super Fin process) and utilise a hybrid architecture that includes powerful P-Cores to handle demanding workloads and efficient E-Cores to handle less intensive workloads. Intel hopes to win back the desktop CPU performance crown with the help of Alder Lake CPUs that boast of having enough power to take the single threaded performance crown while also providing decent multithreaded performance on account of the E-Cores. In fact, Intel claims that just the E-Cores on the 12th Gen Core processors can provide similar multithreaded performance at 1/4th the power of their older 11th Gen Intel Core processors. The top of the line Intel Core i9-12900K will feature 8P and 8E cores which total up to 24 threads (only the E-Cores feature multi-threading) and will have 20 PCIe Gen 5.0 lanes. All Alder Lake desktop processors will require LGA1700 motherboards and as of launch, there will only be the top-of-the-line Z690 chipset based boards available for sale. The Intel Core i9-12900K will be priced at USD 589 which works out to be around INR 44,182 (direct conversion) or INR 52,135 (if you factor in taxes). The launch lineup does not include Core i3 entry-level processors so budget builds will still have to resort to either AMD Ryzen 3 CPUs or Intel 10th Gen Core i3 CPUs.
Intel 12th Gen Core Desktop Processors
The Intel 12th Gen desktop processor lineup will only have six processors at launch. This includes two each under the Core i9, Core i7 and Core i5 segments. This leaves out budget PC builders for the second time in a row since even the 11th Gen Rocket Lake launch did not include any Core i3 processors. Here’s the full lineup of Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake processors.
Reliance JioPhone Next is confirmed to launch by Diwali in India, Google CEO Sundar Pichai has revealed in the Q3 earnings call. Reliance has also confirmed the launch date to be November 4 and has also revealed the key features of the JioPhone Next.
The JioPhone Next is an affordable 4G smartphone that is expected to help existing 2G feature phone users migrate to 4G LTE connectivity. As per an estimate, there are over 350 million feature phone users in India and Reliance along with Google want to help them transition to faster internet connectivity.
In a Q3 earnings call, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said, “The JioPhone Next device features premium localized capabilities and is on track to launch in-market by Diwali.”
The JioPhone Next was announced during the 44th Reliance Annual General Meeting 2021 and recently, Reliance Jio revealed its key features. The JioPhone Next runs on Pragati OS which is based on Android and is developed in collaboration with Google and Jio.
It is expected to be powered by a Qualcomm chip and has a 13MP primary camera with features like portrait mode, night mode, filters and more. While the exact details on specifications, pricing and availability remain under wraps, previous leaks indicate that the phone could be powered by the Snapdragon 215 chip and could be priced at Rs 3,499.
Earlier this month, whilst in the midst of a controversy, Facebook boldly announced its intention to create a metaverse - a concept that enables shared experiences using virtual, augmented and physical reality. Now, the trillion dollar social media platform has announced that it plans to invest $10 Billion in Facebook Reality Labs, which will create hardware and software designed to make the metaverse a reality.
What is Facebook’s Metaverse?
Additionally, the company said that it will be reporting revenue generated by Facebook Reality Labs separately from Facebook, the social media platform. This indicates to investors that the two are separate entities and should be judged as such.
“We plan to break out Facebook Reality Labs, or FRL, as a separate reporting segment. As we have discussed, we are dedicating significant resources toward our augmented and virtual reality products and services, which are an important part of our work to develop the next generation of online social experiences,” stated the company in its third-quarter earnings release.
Facebook Falls Short of Revenue Expectations
While some may consider Facebook’s decision to reveal its plans about the Metaverse right in the middle of a controversy odd, this may very well be a strategic move on the company’s part. The social media giant may be trying to distract investors from the fact that its earnings were $ 1 Billion short of what it had projected for the year. While Facebook is blaming the economy, the pandemic and Apple’s recent privacy changes for the same, the truth is that the company is under a lot of heat ever since the whistleblower revealed that it knows exactly how Instagram harms teens' mental health.
“We expect our investment in Facebook Reality Labs to reduce our overall operating profit in 2021 by approximately $10 billion. We are committed to bringing this long-term vision to life and we expect to increase our investments for the next several years,” the company added in its third-quarter earnings release.
The Metaverse, if successful, will revolutionise communications, advertising, and gaming across the board.
Also Read: What do Civil Unrest in Myanmar, Ethiopia, India and the US have in Common? Facebook
Snap Co-Founder and CEO Evan Spiegel announced that Snapchat now has 100 million monthly active users in India during the virtual Snap for India 2021 event on Wednesday. The platform also claimed that it has seen a surge in new advertisers by 70% in 2020 and is introducing new monetisation streams for users who plan to create content on Snapchat.
Snapchat reveals its partners in India
During the event, Snapchat also revealed its partners in India, highlighting how the company plans to expand its reach further. They announced that they are working with e-commerce giant Flipkart in order to create an AR-based experience centered on shopping online. To do so, Snap plans to deploy its camera kit, which is basically an end-to-end solution for third-party users. The same will be integrated with Flipkart’s Camera Storefront, so that users can experience products and shop for them.
On a similar note, Snap is also partnering with Zomato to offer AR-based solutions that will allow people to place orders straight from their personal maps on the Snapchat app. Snapchat is also partnering with Sugar cosmetics and MyGlamm to help consumers try out products before purchasing them.
“We have made significant investments to localise the Snapchat experience for the Indian community. We have added culturally relevant content, developed highly active and creative local creator communities, and invested in local products, marketing initiatives, and language support,” Spiegel said in a prepared statement.
Snapchat is partnering with Jio Phone Next
Snapchat is also partnering with the new Jio Phone Next by making its lens available on the native camera app of the smartphone.
“If you look at a JioPhone Next through our partnership with Google, when you open up a JioPhone Next and you open the camera, Snapchat is not even there but when you open up a JioPhone Next camera the Snapchat lenses are gonna be inside the camera, like native camera integration of our Snapchat lenses,” Nana Murugesan, Managing Director of International Markets at Snap, told Gadgets 360.
Also Read: Jio Phone Next features and launch date: Everything you need to know
Last month, WhatsApp’s cross platform chat history transfer feature debuted on Samsung Galaxy devices, enabling users to preserve their information when migrating from one OS to another. Now, the feature is being made available across the larger Android ecosystem, with the rollout to Google Pixel devices initiated.
Who can use WhatsApp’s history transfer tool?
While the chat history transfer tool can be used on Samsung Galaxy devices running Android 10 and higher, it will only work on smartphones with Android 12 when used on devices from other manufacturers. As a result, it is currently only available on Google Pixel 3 and above, as these devices have already received the Android 12 update.
How to transfer your WhatsApp chat history from iOS to Android?
In order to transfer your WhatsApp chat history from iOS devices to your new Android device, you will need a Lightning to USB Type-C cable. You’ll also need to scan a QR code that will show up on your iOS device to be able to initiate the transfer of data.
With Android 12 rolling out to new devices soon, more people will be able to migrate from iOS to Android without worrying about losing their Whatsapp data.
Also Read: Over 3 Million WhatsApp Accounts were banned in India from June-July
Now that Google has begun rolling out Android 12, smartphone makers are following suit by revealing their own custom UI skins. Samsung shared a promotional video today to unveil the One UI 4 - this UI has already been rolled out to beta users and we’re expecting a mass roll out to initiate as soon as it's stable.
What is Samsung’s One UI Book 4?
Apart from unveiling the One UI 4, Samsung also revealed that it has created a custom UI skin for laptops, known as the One UI Book 4. This will be available for use on Samsung laptops that run the Windows OS.
The UI is likely to bring cosmetic changes to the Windows OS to make sure that all apps follow the same aesthetic style of Samsung’s designs. The idea is to make the visual experience of using Samsung smartphones and Samsung laptops similar.
What changes will Samsung’s One UI Book 4 bring to the Windows OS?
Apart from revealing its plans to roll out the UI, Samsung is being quite guarded about the kinds of changes the new UI will bring. The Windows OS is not an open source OS like Android, so it will be interesting to see the extent to which Samsung can customise the overall look and feel of the OS.
Samsung is also bundling Microsoft apps on its smartphones, and has emerged as one of the early adopters of a system that allows Android and Windows to function in tandem on smartphones.
Also Read: Best premium flagships you can buy right now
The Amazon Great Indian Festival finale sale is on and brings to you the best deals on budget smartphones. Amazon India has partnered with ICICI and Kotak to bring you amazing discounts on credit or debit card transactions and EMI options on cheap mobile phones. Buyers will get cash backs as well as extra discounts on purchases. Amazon is offering up to 40 per cent off on leading mobile brands, as well as added benefits like free screen replacement, exchange offers, and more for buyers. We have curated the best deals on budget smartphones below.
Find the best deal on budget smartphones below.
iQOO Z3 5G
Price- Rs 24,990.00 Deal Price – Rs 18,990.00
The iQOO Z3 5G smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 768G 5G octa-core processor. It is backed by a 4400mAh battery with a 55W Flash charge which can charge your phone up to 50% in just 19 minutes and a full charge in just 50 minutes. It is one of the best smartphones available in the budget under 20K segment and comes with powerful features. It is a fully loaded smartphone and is available at a great price on Amazon India. View deal here.
Samsung Galaxy M32
Price- Rs 16,999.00 Deal Price – Rs 12,999.00
Samsung Galaxy M32 smartphone has a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED - Infinity U-cut display. The complex has a 6.4-inch FHD+ resolution and is protected by Gorilla Glass 5. It has a quad-camera with 64MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP resolution. It has a 20MP (F2.2) front camera for clicking selfies. The phone has a huge 6000 mAh battery. It runs on Android v11.0, which is based on One UI 3.1 operating system with MediaTek Helio G80 Octa Core 2 GHz processor. View deal here.
OPPO A74 5G
Price- Rs 20,990.00 Deal Price – Rs 15,990.00
OPPO A74 5G smartphone is a powerful phone with a 6.49”-inch FHD+ Punch-hole display. Under the hood, it is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G GPU 2 GHz octa-core processor. It is backed by a 5000 mAh lithium polymer battery. The phone comes with a 48MP Quad Camera (48MP Main + 2MP Macro + 2MP Depth Lens) and an 8MP Front Camera. It is one of the best budget smartphones available under 20K on Amazon India. View deal here.
Redmi Note 10S
Price- Rs 16,999.00 Deal Price – Rs 13,999.00
Redmi Note 10S has a 6.43-inch FHD+ (1080x2400) AMOLED Dot display. The sleek mobile has a powerful MediaTek Helio G95 Octa-core processor. The phone has a 64 MP Quad Rear camera with 8MP Ultra-wide, 2MP Macro and Portrait lens and a 13 MP Front camera. The has a mammoth 5000 mAh battery with a 33W fast charger in-box and Type-C connectivity. View deal here.
Samsung Galaxy M51
Price- Rs 28,999.00 Deal Price – Rs 19,999.00
Samsung Galaxy M51 smartphone has a powerful Quad camera setup and a 32MP (F2.2) front camera for clicking selfies. The smartphone has a large 6.7-inch AMOLED Plus - Infinity-O display and runs on the Android v10.0 operating system. Backed by a 7000mAH lithium-ion battery and supports 25W USB Type-C to C fast charger in the box. The phone has a fast face unlock and side fingerprint sensor for quick access as well as security. The smartphone comes with a 1-year manufacturer warranty. View deal here.
Redmi 10 Prime
Price- Rs 14,999.00 Deal Price – Rs 11,499.00
Redmi 10 Prime smartphone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G88 Octa-core processor and has a powerful 6000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support. The phone supports up to 9W reverse charging. It has a 6.5-inch FHD+ (2400x1080) Dot display and can handle most everyday tasks like gaming, web browsing, and more with ease. View deal here.
Redmi Note 10 Pro Max
Price- Rs 22,999.00 Deal Price – Rs 18,999.00
Redmi Note 10 Pro Max smartphone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G with Kryo 470 Octa-core processor. It has a 108 MP Quad Rear camera setup and a 16 MP front camera. The phone has a 6.67-inch display with Corning Gorilla Glass protection. It has a 5020 mAH large battery with a 33W fast charger in-box which can easily last the whole day on a single charge. Amazon India offers amazing prices on budget mobile phones during the Amazon Great Festival Sale Finale. View deal here.
Oppo A16
Price- Rs 15,990.00 Deal Price – Rs 13,490.00
Oppo A16 smartphone has a 6.52" Inch HD+ Water Drop Display and a Screen body ratio of 88.7%. The phone has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and runs on MediaTek Helio G35 2.3 GHz Octa-core processor backed by a 5000 mAh lithium polymer battery. The phone has a 13MP Triple Camera and an 8MP Front Camera. View deal here.
Snapchat reveals its partners in India
What changes will Samsung’s One UI Book 4 bring to the Windows OS?
