Siddhu: February 2023

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Google to Introduce eSIM Transfer Feature for Android Phones Later This Year: All Details

Google has announced several new features for Android at this week's Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. While some of the features have already rolled out to users, Google has also promised to bring eSIM transfer support to Android later this year. This will make it easy for users to transfer their mobile plan to a new device. Built on GSMA's global standard, the new feature will remove the need for swapping a physical SIM card to transfer the mobile plan to a new phone.

Google in its blog post has shared that the new eSIM transfer feature will be rolled out to Android devices later this year. Though it hasn't confirmed the exact rollout timeline, but it said that Deutsche Telekom will be the first carrier to get this support. It also noted that the new eSIM transfer ability will be built on GSMA's global standard. It will let users transfer their existing mobile plan to a new phone, without having to swap a physical SIM card.

In addition to the eSIM announcement, Google also shared the latest android abilities on the newly launched smartphones from its partner brands like Samsung, OnePlus, Oppo, and Xiaomi. While Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro have been launched with support for digital car keys, OPPO Find N2 Flip and OnePlus 11 have received the Nearby Share feature.

The company also announced a set of new Android features like the Google Keep single note widget on the home screen, Wear OS' new shortcuts to create notes and to-do lists from the watch face, audio enhancements, and new emoji packs. While the new note widget lets users manage notes and to-do lists from the home screen, the new shortcuts for Wear OS enable users to create notes or to-do lists with just one tap on their watch face.

The audio enhancements to Google Meet on mobile bring a noise-cancellation feature during calls.

After facing headwinds in India last year, Xiaomi is all set to take on the competition in 2023. What are the company's plans for its wide product portfolio and its Make in India commitment in the country? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Xiaomi 12 Pro Gets Price Cut in India After Xiaomi 13 Pro Launch: New Price and Offers

Xiaomi 13 Pro was recently launched in India. The high-end smartphone is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, and packs a 4,820mAh battery that supports both wired and wireless charging. The model will be available for purchase soon, along with many lucrative offers. In the meantime, the company has slashed the price of the Xiaomi 12 Pro. The smartphone that launched in India in April 2022 is now available at a discounted price along with multiple offers and deals.

Xiaomi 12 Pro price in India

The Xiaomi 12 Pro price in India was originally set at Rs. 62,999 for the base 8GB RAM model and the 12GB RAM variant was listed at Rs. 66,999. Xiaomi India has reduced the price of the smartphone by Rs. 10,000 after the launch of the Xiaomi 13 Pro. The Xiaomi 12 Pro will now be available for Rs. 52,999 and Rs. 56,999, respectively for the 8GB and 12GB RAM variants.

Also, for both the 8GB and 12GB models, the company is offering a Rs. 3,000 discount with HDFC Bank cards or a Rs. 3000 exchange bonus. Any customer who owns a Xiaomi or Redmi phone will receive an additional Rs. 5,000 discount, bringing the price of the 8GB RAM variant down to Rs. 47,999 and the price of the 12GB model down to Rs .51,999. The price reduction is effective starting today on mi.com, Amazon.in, Mi home stores, and offline stores.

Meanwhile, the Xiaomi 13 Pro is priced at Rs. 79,999 for the 12GB + 256GB storage variant and will go on sale starting March 10 with early access beginning from March 6.

The Xiaomi handset that launched last year is available in three colour variants - Couture Blue, Noir Black, and Opera Mauve.

Xiaomi 12 Pro specifications, features

The dual-SIM (Nano) Xiaomi 12 Pro runs Android 13 with MIUI 14 on top and has a 6.72-inch WQHD+ (1,440x3,200 pixels) E5 AMOLED display with a dynamic refresh rate of 1Hz to 120Hz. The display also has a peak brightness of up to 1,500 nits and Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support. A Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protects the display.

It is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC and an Adreno 730 GPU. The Xiaomi 12 Pro comes with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM.

For optics, there's a triple rear camera unit on the Xiaomi 12 Pro headlined by a 50-megapixel Sony IMX707 primary sensor that supports optical image stabilisation (OIS). A 50-megapixel ultra-wide sensor and a 50-megapixel telephoto sensor are also included in the setup. A 32-megapixel selfie camera sensor is housed in a centrally aligned hole-punch cutout at the top of the display.

The Xiaomi 12 Pro packs a 4,600mAh Li-Polymer battery with 120W Xiaomi Hypercharge fast wired charging. The phone also supports the charging standards Quick Charge 4, Quick Charge 3+, and Power Delivery 3.0. It also includes 50W Wireless Turbo charging.

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Apple Supplier Foxlink Investigating Cause of Fire, Working to Resume Production at Indian Plant

Taiwanese Apple supplier Foxlink said on Wednesday it is working hard to resume production following a fire at a plant in southern India that halted operations at the maker of iPhone charging cables.

The factory is located in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh and is unlikely to resume full operations for two months, raising supply chain concerns for the US tech giant, Reuters reported this week.

Foxlink was engulfed in a massive fire on Monday that led part of the building to collapse, but there were no casualties.

Foxlink, in a statement to the Taiwan stock exchange, said it is investigating the cause of the fire and "working hard to resume production".

In an earlier statement late on Tuesday, the company said that the site had been blocked off by the fire department and that four production lines were known to be damaged.

As the plant, equipment and inventory are covered by insurance, the fire has not yet had a significant impact on the company's finances and business, it added.

The company will coordinate with customers and suppliers to "discuss solutions for the production capacity affected before resuming work".

It did not elaborate.

The company's stock was down more than 2 percent in early morning trade Wednesday, compared to a 0.5 percent fall for the broader market.

On Tuesday, a source with direct knowledge told Reuters that Foxlink's factory was unlikely to resume full operations for two months after the fire incident, raising concerns of supply chain disruptions for the iPhone maker.

The source with direct knowledge said that Foxlink operates a total of 10 assembly lines in two separate facilities at the plant in Andhra, of which four were completely damaged and unlikely to resume operations for two months.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

Apple launched the iPad Pro (2022) and the iPad (2022) alongside the new Apple TV this week. We discuss the company's latest products, along with our review of the iPhone 14 Pro on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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EU Antitrust Regulators Narrow Charges Against Apple Over App Store Rules, Drop In-App Payments Case

EU antitrust regulators on Tuesday narrowed their case against Apple, focusing on its App Store rules that prevent developers from informing users of other purchasing options, while dropping another charge related to in-app payments.

The European Commission, which acts as the executive for the 27-country European Union, did not say why it had dropped its case against the iPhone maker for requiring developers to use its own in-app payment system.

However, the victory for the US tech giant will be short-lived as a new EU tech law known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which will apply from May, bans both of the Apple practices investigated by the Commission, with fines of up to 10 percent of a company's global turnover for infringements.

The Commission said Apple's so-called anti-steering obligations, which prevent developers from informing users about other purchasing options, violate EU rules against unfair trading conditions.

These obligations are "neither necessary nor proportionate for the provision of the App Store on iPhones and iPads" and "are detrimental to users of music streaming services on Apple's mobile devices who may end up paying more", the EU competition enforcer said in a statement.

Apple said it was pleased the Commission, which can fine it up to 10 percent of its global turnover for antitrust violations, had narrowed the case and it would respond to the regulator's concerns.

Spotify triggered the case against Apple by complaining about both its anti-steering mechanism and in-app payment system, leading the Commission to issue a charge sheet against Apple in April 2021.

The streaming giant urged the Commission on Tuesday to issue a swift decision.

The Commission said Tuesday's charge sheet, known as a statement of objections, would replace the 2021 document.

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Binance USD Stablecoin to Be Delisted From Coinbase, Trading to Halt Starting March 13: All Details

Coinbase, one of the world's largest crypto exchanges, has decided to delist the Binance USD (BUSD) stablecoin starting March 13. The decision comes in the backdrop of the BUSD token facing legal challenges in the US. Paxos, the stablecoin issuer that wholly owned and managed the Binance USD stablecoin is facing a lawsuit from the Securities and Exchange Commission in the US. Paxos has been accused of issuing the BUSD token as an unregistered security, Paxos meanwhile, has denied the allegation.

“We've determined that BUSD does not currently meet our standards for trading support,” a Coinbase spokesperson reportedly said, not elaborating on the details.

Launched in 2019, the BUSD stablecoin built on the Ethereum blockchain, currently has a market valuation of over $10 billion (roughly Rs. 87,987 crore). As per CoinMarketCap, the market cap for BUSD dropped by three percent in the last 24 hours.

At the time of writing, each BUSD was trading at $1 (roughly Rs. 82), showed the crypto price tracker by Gadgets 360.

Coinbase claims on its website that its digital asset listings group has a vote to get any cryptocurrency listed or delisted.

Assets are regularly analysed on the basis of their legal status, technical security quotient as well as compliance with the laws, violations of which could get assets delisted from Coinbase.

We regularly monitor the assets on our exchange to ensure they meet our listing standards. Based on our most recent reviews, Coinbase will suspend trading for Binance USD (BUSD) on March 13, 2023, on or around 12pm ET.
— Coinbase Assets (@CoinbaseAssets) February 27, 2023

The decision will be executed across Coinbase's suite of services including Coinbase.com, Coinbase Pro, Coinbase Prime, as well as Coinbase Exchange.

Meanwhile, Coinbase will continue to allow its users to access and withdraw their BUSD funds despite its decision to delist the token. Users, however, will not be able to trade the token on Coinbase after March 13.

BUSD issuer Paxos was served a notice by the New York State Department of Financial Services earlier in February. The financial authority has instructed Paxos to stop issuing BUSD tokens.

Soon after the news broke, Coinbase had noted that stablecoins are not considered as securities in the US.

This week the NYDFS ordered US-based Paxos to stop issuing US dollar-denominated stablecoin BUSD and the SEC issued a Wells notice to Paxos. We don't know what aspects of BUSD might be of interest to the SEC.
What we do know: stablecoins are not securities :thread:
— Coinbase (@coinbase) February 15, 2023

Pegged against a fiat currency like the US dollar or reserved assets like gold, stablecoins are crypto assets that latch their values to their underlaying assets.

This prevents stablecoins against fluctuations in the volatile crypto industry as compared to other assets.

Tether, USD Coin, and Ripple are among other popular stablecoins pegged against the US dollar just like the BUSD.

Cryptocurrency is an unregulated digital currency, not a legal tender and subject to market risks. The information provided in the article is not intended to be and does not constitute financial advice, trading advice or any other advice or recommendation of any sort offered or endorsed by NDTV. NDTV shall not be responsible for any loss arising from any investment based on any perceived recommendation, forecast or any other information contained in the article.

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Technology Will Help India Become Developed Nation by 2047; 5G, AI Will Transform Sectors: PM Modi

Technology will help India achieve the target of becoming a developed nation by 2047, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday, as he outlined the massive and modern digital infrastructure being created to ensure that benefits of digital revolution reach all citizens.

Addressing a post-Budget webinar on 'Unleashing the Potential: Ease of Living Using Technology', Modi said the government wants to reduce the cost of compliance of small businesses, and asked the industry to formulate a list of compliances that can be pruned.

"We want to reduce the compliance cost of small businesses. Can you (industry) formulate a list of unnecessary compliances that can be pruned. We have finished 40,000 compliances," Modi said.

India is creating a modern digital infrastructure, and ensuring that benefits of digital revolution reach everyone, he noted.

Technology is being used to make tax system faceless to address problems faced by taxpayers.

"We used technology to make the tax system faceless, and to address problems faced by taxpayers," he said adding technology is being leveraged to usher in a qualitative difference in the lives of Indian citizens.

He said technologies like 5G and AI (Artificial Intelligence) are leading conversations now and poised to transform areas like medicine, education, agriculture, and many other sectors.

The prime minister exhorted stakeholders to identify 10 problem areas facing the common man which can be solved using AI.

Technology formed the base of One Nation One Ration, he said adding that JAM (Jan Dhan Yojana, Aadhaar, and Mobile number) trinity helped in giving benefits to the poor.

He said 21st century is technology-driven, and one can't restrict it to just digital, internet technology.

5G is here. Should you buy a 4G phone? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Monday, February 27, 2023

Tecno Phantom V Fold With MediaTek Dimensity 9000 Plus SoC Unveiled At MWC 2023: Report

Tecno reportedly unveiled its Phantom V Fold, the first foldable smartphone from the Chinese smartphone manufacturer during the Mobile World Congress 2023 event today. The phone, showcased at the company's booth, is said to be the first left-right foldable smartphone in the world. The smartphone is said to be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ chipset. The company revealed that the chipset has an AnTuTu test score of more than 1.08 million. During the same MWC event, Tecno also introduced its newest Chameleon Coloring Technology.

The Phantom V Fold is Tecno's first foldable smartphone. It is claimed to be the world's first left-right foldable smartphone and is said to be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ chipset, as per a report by Gizmochina. The dual-SIM supported smartphone is said to come equipped with a dual 5G processor, designed specifically for the device and is manufactured using an enhanced TSMC 4nm manufacturing process, which is claimed to offer better performance while maintaining low power consumption.

Also included with the Phantom V Fold device is an ultra-clear 5-lens camera system, which includes a 50-megapixel primary lens with a super light-sensitive custom sensor, and two additional rear lenses, the report added. The newly unveiled phone is said to feature two front camera lenses for selfies and video calling.

No more information about the phone has yet been revealed by the company. Although we can expect more details about the device and its dimensions, camera, battery life, and more to be revealed soon. In an earlier teaser, Tecno revealed the Phantom V Fold to have a hinge with a reverse snap structure. It is yet to be confirmed whether that helps the device fold flat.

Tecno also introduced the Chameleon Coloring Technology at MWC 2023, which is a full-spectrum electrically-controlled prism colouration technology that uses a grid of sub-micron prism substance, that switches direction when an electrical field is present.

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BTC Price Stays Close to $23,000 Mark, ETH Joins Most Altcoins in Seeing Losses

Most cryptocurrencies reflected losses on the crypto price charts on Tuesday, February 28. Bitcoin, that recorded a small loss of 0.63 percent, is presently trading at the price point of $23,437 (roughly Rs. 19.3 lakh) on both, national as well as international exchanges. Throughout February, BTC came close to breaching the mark of $25,000 (roughly Rs. 20.6 lakh) several times but could not. Industry experts have time and again noted that once BTC rises in value, its next resistance point would be at around $31,000 (roughly Rs. 25.6 lakh).

Ether tailed behind Bitcoin to trade in minor losses. As per Gadgets 360's crypto price tracker, the price of ETH stands stuck at $1,628 (roughly Rs. 1.34 lakh).

While BTC values dropped by $103 (roughly Rs. 8,520) in the last 24 hours, ETH price increased by $10 (roughly Rs. 826).

Majority cryptocurrencies recorded losses on the last day of February 2023.

These include stablecoins such as Tether, USD Coin, Ripple, and Binance USD as well as popular altcoins such as Binance Coin, Cardano, Polygon, and Solana.

It is expected that the stablecoin Binance USD could see more losses in the coming days now that the Coinbase crypto exchange has decided to delist it amid its ongoing issues with the SEC. At the time of writing, the Binance USD coin was trading at $1 (roughly Rs. 82.68).

Memecoins DOGE and SHIB also failed to reel-in any gains amid the volatile market.

The overall crypto market valuation dropped by 0.47 percent in the last 24 hours. As per CoinMarketCap, the crypto market cap stands at $1.07 trillion (roughly Rs. 88,49,113 crore).

Only a small bunch of altcoins managed to retain profits on the price chart.

These include Tron, Bitcoin Cash, Cronos, EOS Coin, NEM, and Circuits of Value.

Meanwhile, in a latest study, Arcane researcher Jaran Mellerud has claimed that Iceland is the most ‘stable' BTC mining region in the world. Its independent energy production system as well as its cool climate make Iceland a favourable destination for crypto mining operations.

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Elon Musk Assembling Team to Develop ChatGPT Rival, Held Talks With Former DeepMind AI Researcher: Report

Elon Musk has approached AI researchers in recent weeks about forming a new research lab to develop an alternative to OpenAI's ChatGPT, the Information reported on Monday, citing people with direct knowledge of the effort.

Tesla and Twitter chief Musk has been recruiting Igor Babuschkin, a researcher who recently left Alphabet's DeepMind AI unit, the report said.

The report comes after ChatGPT, a text-based chatbot developed by OpenAI that can draft prose, poetry or even computer code on command, gained widespread attention in Silicon Valley.

Musk, who had co-founded OpenAI along with Silicon Valley investor Sam Altman in 2015 as a nonprofit startup, had left its board in 2018, but chimed in with his take on the chatbot, calling it "scary good".

Musk and Babuschkin have discussed assembling a team to pursue AI research but the project is still in the early stages, with no concrete plan to develop specific products, the report said quoting an interview with the latter.

Babuschkin added that he has not officially signed onto the Musk initiative, according to the report.

Musk and Babuschkin could not be reached immediately for comments.

Since its launch in November 2022, ChatGPT has exploded in popularity and compelled tech giants to jump in the AI race. Several companies are developing their own ChatGPT-style AI chatbot.

China's Baidu is working on Ernie Bot to rival ChatGPT and revamp its search engine. Earlier this week, Baidu CEO said the company will use its ChatGPT-like app Ernie Bot to create a "revolutionary" version of its popular search engine.

Baidu, which has invested heavily in artificial intelligence in recent years, is regarded as at the forefront of efforts to create a Chinese rival to the AI platform developed by OpenAI and backed by Microsoft.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

After facing headwinds in India last year, Xiaomi is all set to take on the competition in 2023. What are the company's plans for its wide product portfolio and its Make in India committment in the country? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Honor Magic 5 Series With Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 5,100mAh Battery Launched at MWC 2023

Honor Magic 5 series was unveiled by the company on the first day of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023 in Barcelona, Spain. The flagship lineup from the Shenzen-based company includes Honor Magic 5, and Honor Magic 5 Pro. The smartphone company also unveiled the Honor Magic Vs, which is its first foldable flagship to debut outside China. The Honor Magic 5 series smartphones come equipped with Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. Moreover, the Honor Magic 5 Pro packs a bundle of significant upgrades.

Honor Magic 5, Honor Magic 5 Pro, Honor Magic Vs price, availablity

The MWC 2023 witnessed the launch of latest flagship smartphones from Honor, which included non-foldable Magic 5 series and company's first global foldable smartphone — the Honor Magic Vs. The Honor Magic 5 Pro comes five colour variants — Black, Glacier Blue, Meadow Green, Orange and Coral Purple, while the vanilla Magic 5 variant comes in Blue and Black colour options. Similarly, the Honor Magic Vs also offers Cyan and Black colour variants.

The Honor Magic 5 will be available at the stating price of EUR 899 (nearly Rs. 78,800), while the Honor Magic 5 Pro comes at EUR 1199 (nearly Rs. 1,05,100) for the 12GB RAM and 512 GB storage model. On the other hand, the Honor Magic Vs offers similar configuration at EUR 1599 (nearly Rs. 1,40,300).

The company has not revealed any date regarding the availability of the smartphones yet.

Honor Magic 5 Pro specifications

The smartphone features a 6.81-inch OLED display with 19.54:9 aspect ratio. It gets quad-curved floating screen with support for gestures. The Honor Magic 5 runs on MagicOS 7.1, based on Android 13. It packs a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC coupled with Adreno 740 GPU.

For optics, the smartphone gets a triple unit rear camera unit led by a 50-megapixel wide primary sensor, a 50-megapixel ultra wide camera and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto lens with OIS. It also sports a rear single LED flash in the camera unit. Meanwhile, users get a 12-megapixel front snapper with 3D depth camera for selfies and video calls.

The Honor Magic 5 Pro packs a 5,100 mAh battery with 66W SuperCharge charger and 50W support for wireless charging. The dual-SIM smartphone gets connectivity support for 5G, WiFi, Bluetooth and USB Type-C. It is IP68-rated for water and dust resistance.

Honor Magic 5 specifications

On the other hand, the Honor Magic 5 offers a 6.73-inch OLED display with 19.54:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone has similar details as its high-end variant when it comes to operating system and processor.

Meanwhile, the tripe rear camera setup includes a 54-megapixel wide main camera, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide camera and a 32-megapixel telephoto lens, along with a 12-megapixel front camera for selfies and video calls. The Honor Magic 5 is backed by a 5,100mAh battery. Other specifications are similar to the Honor Magic 5 Pro.

Honor Magic Vs specifications

Claimed to be the company's first foldable smartphone to be launched outside China, the Honor Magic Vs offers 7.9-inch inner display and 6.45-inch external screen, with screen-to-body ratio of 90 percent.

The smartphone is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC coupled with Adreno 730 GPU. The keyboard supports gestures and comes equipped with three-key navigation. Just like the other two smartphones in the Magic series, the Honor Magic Vs also runs on Android-13 based MagicOS 7.1.

The optics specifications of the smartphone include a 54-megapixel led triple camera setup and a 16-megapixel front snapper. The rear camera unit also has a 50-megapixel ultra-wide shooter and an 8-megapixel telephoto lens.

It gets a 5,000mAh coupled with an HONOR 66W SuperCharge charger. With USB Type-C cable, the Honor Magic Vs gets WiFi, Bluetooth, and 5G connectivity support.

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Xiaomi 13, Xiaomi 13 Pro, Xiaomi 13 Lite Launched Ahead of MWC 2023: Details

Xiaomi 13 series had a global launch today, on February 26, a day before MWC 2023 begins. The smartphone series from the Chinese manufacturer sported three models — the vanilla Xiaomi 13, the Xiaomi 13 Pro and the Xiaomi 13 Lite. The smartphone series announced its launch in China in December 2022, however, it included only two variants. While the Xiaomi 13 and the Xiaomi 13 Pro are powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, the Lite version in the series comes equipped with a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 SoC.

Xiaomi 13, Xiaomi 13 Pro, Xiaomi 13 Lite price, availability

The Chinese tech giant Xiaomi announced the launch of the Xiaomi 13 series in Barcelona. The base storage variant has a starting price of EUR 999 (nearly Rs. 87,600), while the Xiaomi 13 Pro is priced at EUR 1299 (roughly Rs. 1,13,900). On the other hand, Xiaomi 13 Lite cost EUR 499 (roughly Rs. 43,800).

The Xiaomi 13 Pro global variant will make its debut in two colour options — Ceramic Black and White. On the other end, the base model will offer Black, Green and White colour variants. The Xiaomi 13 Lite makes its way in Black, Blue and Pink colour options.

Xiaomi 13 Pro specifications

The high-end variant in the Xiaomi 13 series — the Xiaomi 13 Pro — is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, and comes equipped with a 4,820mAh battery that supports both wired and wireless charging. The smartphone gets wired charging support of 120W, with 50W wireless charging support.

For optics, the Xiaomi 13 Pro sports a Leica-branded triple camera unit at the back, which houses a 50-megapixel Sony IMX989 primary sensor, a 50-megapixel floating telephoto sensor, and a 50-megapixel wide-angle sensor. Meanwhile, the 32-megapixel front snapper is placed at the top centre of the display.

With support for dual SIM (Nano-SIM), the Xiaomi 13 Pro runs on MIUI 14. It features a 6.73-inch OLED 2K (1,440x3,200 pixels) display that gets support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+. The Xiaomi 13 Pro pairs up to 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, with up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 inbuilt storage.

Meanwhile, the connectivity options on the Xiaomi 13 Pro include 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.3, NFC, GPS, and a USB Type-C port, among others.

Xiaomi 13 specifications

The smartphone series also gets a vanilla variant, which gets similar software and hardware features as the Xiaomi 13 Pro. The Xiaomi 13 sports a 6.36-inch OLED (1,080x2,400 pixels) display with up to 120Hz refresh rate and 1,900 nits of peak brightness. The Xiaomi 13 is also powered by a 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, coupled with up to 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM with up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 inbuilt storage.

The vanilla variant differs from the high-end module in terms of battery and optics. The Xiaomi 13 is backed by a 4,500mAh battery with support for 67W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. For optics, it too gets a Leica-branded camera unit. However, the triple rear camera setup packs a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 10-megapixel secondary sensor, and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor.

Xiaomi 13 Lite specifications

The smartphone, which did not launch in China along with the Xiaomi 13 series, is a rebadged version of the Xiaomi Civi 2. The smartphone runs Android 12 out-of-the-box with MIUI 13 skin. The smartphone is powered by a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 SoC coupled with 8GB RAM.

Xiaomi 13 Lite gets a 6.55-inch full-HD+ AMOLED panel with a 120Hz screen refresh rate. Similar to the other two Xiaomi 13 variants, this smartphone also gets a triple camera unit on the back. With a 50-megapixel primary camera, the other two sensors include an 8-megapixel and a 2-megapixel camera. The handset is equipped with a 32-megapixel selfie camera, according to the company.

It will be backed by a 4,500mAh battery that gets Xiaomi's 67W TurboCharge technology.

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Motorola Rizr Concept With Rollable 6.5-Inch POLED Display Spotted at MWC 2023: Report

Motorola when it comes to foldables still appears to stick to its clamshell design, which is based on its original clamshell feature phone, the Razr (V3), which was announced back in 2003. With the current gen Motorola Razr 2022 foldable that features two displays, including one inner folding display, is still exclusive to China and the company has now reportedly showcased a new rollable concept at the ongoing Mobile World Congress 2023 (MWC 2023). Motorola is said to have branded the handset as the “Rizr” and while it's still a concept device, it could give us a glimpse of things to come.

According to Twitter user Ben Wood, the device is still in the concept stage, even though a functional working concept was showcased at the unveiling. As the source points out, the name of the smartphone has not been finalised yet, but according to Android Police it's been referred to as the Rizr as it goes with the sliding form factor of the older feature phone. While hands-on demos have been provided, Motorola has revealed very little about this prototype's specifications.

From various reports, it is known that the device that has been showcased at MWC2023 has a 5-inch POLED display with a 15:9 aspect ratio that can reportedly expand to 6.5-inches (in a 22:9 aspect ratio) when needed. The part of the display that's not in use when rolled up, is said to wrap around the bottom and slides up on the back over the rear panel. So, when flipped over, the rolled up display on the back is said to double up as a secondary display, which can be used for showing notifications, just like the outer display on a regular clamshell foldable.

? Wow! Think I've found my favourite gadget at #MWC23 before it even starts. This concept rollable is really impressive and @Moto was confident enough to let us have hands-on time. Interesting to watch the road to commercialisation on this one... pic.twitter.com/EDgkWsOm1t
— Ben Wood (@benwood) February 26, 2023

The software interface has also been customised by Motorola to take advantage of the foldable display, as per the report. The interface and apps are said to stretch and change depending on the state of the display and is smart enough to adapt depending on the content being viewed or the app being used. For example, when in the YouTube app, the display is said to automatically expand when the device is held horizontally to showcase a video in fullscreen.

The rollable display is said to be driven by a small motor that takes up space in the phone, which is why the battery reportedly has a limited 3,000mAh capacity. The phone is quite thick (even with the transparent protective case on) and weighs 210g, as per the report, which is a bit heavier than an Apple iPhone 14 Pro. There appear to be two cameras on the back and a selfie camera along with a speaker grille and sensors are reportedly revealed when the rollable display on the front drops even further when placing calls or clicking selfies.

Is 2023 the year when you should finally buy a foldable phone? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Sunday, February 26, 2023

Twitter Lays Off Around 10 Percent of Its Workforce in Latest Round of Job Cuts: Report

Twitter has laid off at least 200 employees, or about 10 percent of its workforce, the New York Times reported late on Sunday, in its latest round of job cuts since Elon Musk took over the micro-blogging site last October.

The layoffs on Saturday night impacted product managers, data scientists, and engineers who worked on machine learning and site reliability, which helps keep Twitter's various features online, the NYT report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Twitter did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The company has a headcount of about 2,300 active employees, according to Elon Musk last month.

The latest job cuts follow a mass layoff in early November, when Twitter laid off about 3,700 employees in a cost-cutting measure by Musk, who had acquired the company for $44 billion (roughly Rs. 3,64,720 crore).

Musk said in November that the service was experiencing a "massive drop in revenue" as advertisers pulled spending amid concerns about content moderation.

Twitter recently started sharing revenue from advertisements with some of its content creators.

Earlier in the day, The Information reported that the social media platform laid off dozens of employees on Saturday, aiming to offset a plunge in revenue.

Earlier this month, Twitter closed two of its three offices in India after the company had fired more than 90 percent of just over 200 of its staff in India last year.

The social media company reportedly shut down offices in New Delhi and Mumbai but continued to operate its office in the southern tech hub of Bengaluru which mostly houses engineers.

Thomson Reuters 2023

After facing headwinds in India last year, Xiaomi is all set to take on the competition in 2023. What are the company's plans for its wide product portfolio and its Make in India committment in the country? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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The Last of Us Episode 8 Trailer: Troy Baker’s Cannibalistic Gang Is on the Hunt for Ellie and Joel

The Last of Us episode 8 trailer is out. Keeping with the trend, HBO has dropped a preview for the upcoming episode of the post-apocalyptic drama based on the beloved PlayStation video game, teasing a group of cannibalistic survivors who come to Ellie and Joel's aid, but with ulterior motives. Titled ‘When We Are in Need,' this new episode stars Troy Baker — the original voice actor for Joel — as James, a senior member of the said group of settlers. Episode 8 reportedly clocks in at 51 minutes and is directed by Ali Abbasi (Holy Spider). The Last of Us episode 8 premieres March 6 at 8:30am IST/ March 5 at 9pm ET on Disney+ Hotstar and HBO Max, respectively.

The trailer for The Last of Us episode 8 brings us back to the present, where Joel (Pedro Pascal) struggles to recover from his near-fatal injury. “You won't survive for long out there,” David (Scott Shepherd), the settler's leader tells Ellie (Bella Ramsey), having tracked his way into their safe house. “There's room for you in our group, if you want.” Being a cannibal, David's group has a deceiving front — one that is god-fearing and willing to help anyone at a moment's notice. Of course, our protagonists aren't aware of that, and Ellie being an untrusting person kept refusing his advances either way. “I don't mean to question your sense of mercy, David. She's just another mouth to feed,” James (Baker) tells David, who is adamant about forcing her into their group. Episode 6 saw our pair of heroes scouring through the university for any signs of the Fireflies, which ended with an encounter with a weird group of survivors — one of whom injured Joel. As it turns out, they were part of David's gang.

Now David understands the promise Ellie and Joel have, and sees them as a worthy addition to their group. “The others want to kill you. Let me protect you,” he tells Ellie in confidence, who was presumably captured and taken to their base — if we're going by the video game's series of events. The Last of Us episode 8 trailer also shows the scene where Ellie, now adept at hunting, shoots down a deer, which she offers in exchange with one of the survivors for a syringe and a bottle of penicillin. The events depicted in the trailer also raise the question of whether The Last of Us episode 8 will also feature Ashley Johnson as Anna, Ellie's biological mother. For the uninitiated, she voiced and provided motion capture for Ellie in the original video game.

Reports from earlier this month suggested that HBO content, including The Last of Us, Game of Thrones, Euphoria, and more, is set to leave the Disney+ Hotstar platform in India, owing to some ‘restructuring plans' laid out by the returning Disney CEO Bob Iger. Currently, there is no word on the platform the HBO content would move to, once the plans are put into motion, though Amazon Prime Video is being seen as the frontrunner to gain the streaming rights.

HBO also announced in January that The Last of Us series has been renewed for a second season and that it will follow the events of the polarising gory sequel, The Last of Us Part II video game. Showrunner Craig Mazin also suggested that season 2 could be a split into two parts, given how much bigger and more complicated the story was.

New episodes of The Last of Us stream every Monday on Disney+ Hotstar, at 8:30am in India, and Sunday at 9pm ET on HBO Max wherever available. Season 1 is stated to have nine episodes, of which seven have released thus far.

The Chromecast with Google TV that runs on Android TV is here. When will Google learn how to name products? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Xiaomi 13 Pro With Leica-Branded Sensors, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC Launched in India

Xiaomi 13 Pro, the high-end variant of the Xiaomi 13 series, has launched in India today. The smartphone has already been launched in China along with the vanilla Xiaomi 13. While the company is yet to reveal the pricing details of the Xiaomi 13 Pro, the handset packs Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. The smartphone can be purchased in India via Amazon, while the information regarding its offline availability is yet to be revealed. Moreover, the company has not confirmed any plans for the vanilla variant in India yet.

Xiaomi 13 Pro availability, price in India

The Xiaomi 13 Pro has been launched in India today in partnership with Leica. The smartphone will be available for purchase on Amazon, and the e-commerce giant has already made a live microsite live for the handset. The handset can also be purchased on the Xiaomi India site.

The smartphone from Xiaomi comes in two colour variants — Ceramic Black and Ceramic White. Moreover, Xiaomi 13 Pro offers up to 12GB of RAM, paired with up to 256GB of internal storage. The company is expected to reveal the final pricing of the smartphone soon. The Chinese variant of the smartphone was launched at a starting price of CNY 4,999 (roughly Rs. 61,000).

Xiaomi 13 Pro specifications, features

Xiaomi has launched the smartphone right before the commencement of Mobile World Congress 2023. The Xiaomi 13 Pro smartphone in India is powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC.

The smartphone company has partnered with Leica for the sensors on the Xiaomi 13 Pro, which is claimed to be the first handset to get Leica's 75mm floating telephoto lens. The specifications of the smartphone are similar to its Chinese variant. For optics, the Xiaomi 13 Pro sports a triple rear camera setup, led by a 50-megapixel 1-inch Sony IMX989 primary sensor, a 50-megapixel floating telephoto sensor, and a 50-megapixel wide-angle sensor. Meanwhile, a 32-megapixel front-facing shooter will be helpful for clicking selfies and attending video calls.

The Xiaomi 13 Pro India variant features a 6.73-inch 2K OLED display with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support. With up to 120Hz refresh rate, the smartphone gets up to 240Hz touch sampling support. For strong battery life, Xiaomi's flagship smartphone houses a 4,820mAh cell, which gets 120W wired charging support and 50W wireless charging support.

The handset packs up to 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, coupled with up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 inbuilt storage. For connectivity options, it supports 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.3, and NFC. It is IP68-rated against for dust and water resistance.

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Xiaomi 13 Pro First Impressions: New Heavyweight Flagship

The Indian smartphone market has already witnessed the launch of many premium devices in 2023, such as the iQoo 11 5G (Review), OnePlus 11 5G (Review) and the Samsung Galaxy S23 series. Joining the league is Xiaomi's most premium smartphone offering to date, the Xiaomi 13 Pro. The new flagship features top-of-the-line hardware and was announced here at MWC 2023. The highlight feature is its new 1-inch camera sensor, which was first seen in the Xiaomi 12S Ultra. There is more to the Xiaomi 13 Pro than just the main camera sensor, and here's our first look at the phone.

The Xiaomi 13 Pro comes in two premium colours — Ceramic Black and Ceramic White. We have the black colour option which has a glossy back panel. While it is a fingerprint magnet, I do like the overall look of the phone. Xiaomi has bundled a case inside the box for people like me, who like to keep their phone's back looking neat and clean.

Using the case does add some weight to the already heavy device (229g), and you'll miss the great in-hand feel of the ceramic back panel. In short, I would recommend getting the white colour instead, which looks equally good and also helps hide fingerprints better.

The retail box also packs a charging adapter, USB Type-A to Type-C cable, screen protector, SIM ejector tool, and some documentation booklets.

Another key highlight of the Xiaomi 13 Pro is its big display. The phone features a 6.73-inch WQHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It gets all the premium display features too such as support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+ playback, WideVine L1 certification, etc. The curved-edge screen offers 1,900 nits of peak brightness and comes with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. For security, there is an in-display fingerprint scanner along with the convenient AI face unlock.

Xiaomi 13 Pro 5G 4 Xiaomi 13 Pro

The Xiaomi 13 Pro has a curved-edge AMOLED display

The metal frame of the Xiaomi 13 Pro is curved on the sides, whereas the top and bottom are flat. On the right side, you get the power and volume keys, whereas the bottom edge houses the USB Type-C port, primary speaker, SIM card tray and microphone. The top edge houses the IR emitter and another microphone.

On the back, there is a square-shaped camera module for the triple-camera setup. The Xiaomi 13 Pro houses a 50-megapixel 1-inch Sony IMX989 primary camera with support for optical image stabilisation (OIS). There is also a 50-megapixel ultra-wide camera with a 115-degree field of view, and a 50-megapixel telephoto camera with 3.2X optical zoom. Digitally, the camera can zoom up to 70X. There is a hole-punch cutout at the top of the display for the 32-megapixel front camera.

Xiaomi's partnership with camera manufacturer Leica for its flagship smartphones will also making its debut in India with the Xiaomi 13 Pro. It goes without saying, our review will cover the performance of all four camera sensors, so stay tuned for our final verdict.

Xiaomi 13 Pro 5G 3 Xiaomi 13 Pro

The Xiaomi 13 Pro has the same 1-inch camera sensor found in the Xiaomi 12S Ultra

What we will also be testing is how the phone performs during routine tasks and while gaming. The Xiaomi 13 Pro has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, which is currently the most powerful SoC for Android smartphones. The phone also packs a 4,820mAh battery with support for 120W fast wired charging, 50W wireless charging, and 10W reverse wireless charging. Our unit had 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage.

In terms of software, Xiaomi has launched the 13 Pro with the latest MIUI 14 which is based on Android 13. The new MIUI skin is claimed to have received many enhancements under the hood, which should help offer a smoother user experience. Xiaomi has also promised to provide three years of software updates and five years of security support.

Stay tuned for the full review of the Xiaomi 13 Pro, which will be up very soon on Gadgets 360. Let us know what you think about the new Xiaomi 13 Pro in the comments below.

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Saturday, February 25, 2023

Xiaomi 13 Lite Appears on Geekbench Listing Ahead of Global Launch; Specifications Leaked

Xiaomi 13 series will be launched in Barcelona on February 26, a day before the Mobile World Congress 2023 begins. The company will unveil three models in this series — the Xiaomi 13, the Xiaomi 13 Pro, and the Xiaomi 13 Lite. While the Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 13 Pro were already launched in China, the global series will reportedly have one more addition i.e, the Xiaomi 13 Lite. The details about all three devices have been doing rounds on the internet. Now, the Xiaomi 13 Lite has appeared on a Geekbench listing, suggesting the processor and its performance.

According to a report by Gizmochina, the upcoming Xiaomi 13 Lite has been spotted on the Geekbench certification site with model number 2210129SG. The listing suggests that the handset will be powered by a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 SoC coupled with 8GB RAM. The phone is hinted to come pre-installed with Android 12, paired with MIUI 13 skin. Additionally, the listing reveals that the phone has scored 793 in single-core tests and 2,938 in multi-core tests.

While the Geekbench listing has only this much information, the phone was recently spotted on German e-retailer CyberPort for a brief time. The listing reportedly revealed its detailed specifications and pricing. Xiaomi 13 Lite is speculated to be available in two shades – Black and Pink.

The other two models — Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro — were already launched in the Chinese market in December 2022. The global variants of the phone are speculated to carry the same features as their Chinese variants. The vanilla variant in the series runs MIUI 14 and has a 6.73-inch 2K OLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC coupled with up to 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM.

The phones also appeared on a European retail site, suggesting that the Xiaomi 13 will be priced at EUR 999.90 (roughly Rs. 88,300) for 8GB RAM and 256GB storage variant, while the Xiaomi 13 Pro will cost EUR 1,299.90 (roughly Rs. 1,14,700). Both smartphones are said to be available in lack and white colour options.

Xiaomi 12 Pro is littered with features, but is that enough? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Vivo V27 Pro Price in India Leaked Ahead of March 1 Launch

Vivo V27 Pro is all set to be the next flagship smartphone in the V-series portfolio of the company. The company has confirmed the launch date for the upcoming smartphone via its official website. The smartphone will debut in the Indian market on March 1. While the design and key specs of the upcoming V27 Pro have been teased via the official website as well as Flipkart, a recent report has tipped the price of the phone in India. The Vivo V27 Pro is said to succeed the Vivo V25 Pro.

According to a report by 91arena, the Vivo V27 Pro will come in three variants in India – 8GB RAM +128GB storage, 8GB RAM +256GB storage, and 12GB RAM +256GB storage. The base model of the phone with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage will reportedly be priced at Rs. 37,999, while the 8GB RAM model with 256GB storage could cost Rs. 39,999, and the top-end model with 12GB RAM +256GB storage is expected to be priced at Rs. 42,999.

According to the Vivo V27 Pro's landing page on Flipkart, Vivo V27 Pro will come with a 3D curved display and ultra slim design i.e, 7.4mm thickness with up to 120Hz refresh rate. The smartphone will feature a colour-changing glass back with a triple rear camera module and a ring LED flash. Additionally, the phone will pack a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766V main camera sensor with OIS support.

Vivo V27 Pro will come in two colour variants — Magic Blue and Noble Black, according to the Vivo's official website.

Meanwhile, the phone has also appeared on the Geekbench website with model number Vivo V2230. The listing reveals that the phone has scored 1,003 in the single-core test and 3,936 in the multi-core test. The listing also suggests that it will pack a MediaTek Dimensity 8200 SoC under the hood. For software support, it will run on the latest Android 13 operating system out-of-the-box.

Should you pick Vivo over Galaxy S22 and OnePlus 10 Pro? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Acer One 10 (2023) Spotted on FCC Certification Website; Specifications Tipped: Details

Acer One 10 tablet is soon going to be announced with an updated version. The upcoming tablet will reportedly come with a number of upgrades from its previous models including a faster and more efficient chip. The tablet was recently spotted on US FCC certification listing with the model number T9-1212L, suggesting an octa-core 2.0GHz MediaTek MT8768 SoC that uses an ARM Cortex-A53 core. The listing also suggests that the Acer One 10 updated version will bundle up 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, which is expandable to up to 1TB of storage.

According to a report by IT Home, the Acer One 10 (2023) has passed the US FCC certifications revealing its processor and other details. The upcoming tablet is an upgraded version of Acer One 10 that debuted in October 2022. The listing suggests that the upcoming Acer One 10 will come with some significant upgrades over its previous version. It is said to come with an octa-core 2.0GHz MediaTek MT8768 chip which uses an ARM Cortex-A53 core.

The tablet is said to pack 4GB RAM and 64GB storage that can be expanded up to 1 TB. Additionally, the upcoming tablet could ship with a dual rear camera setup headlined by a 13-megapixel camera. It is also expected to get a 5-megapixel front camera. The device is said to feature a 10.1-inch IPS display with a 1920x1200 resolution. It could pack stereo speakers, a 3.5mm audio jack for headphones, and a USB Type-C port.

Furthermore, the tablet is expected to measure 7.6mm in thickness and weigh 450 grams. There is also said to be optional keyboard support. Other leaked features include Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 5,000mAh battery with 7 hours of battery life.

Last month, Acer launched three new models in its budget-friendly Aspire 3 series. The laptops are powered by Intel Core i3-N series processors and feature around 40 percent more fan surface area than their predecessors. They are also said to offer a 17 percent increase in thermal capacity. The laptops are equipped with full-HD displays with Acer Blue Light Shield technology.

The iQoo 11 is currently the most powerful Android phone you can buy in India. Should you buy it right away? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Friday, February 24, 2023

Meta to Go Ahead With Acquisition of VR Platform Within Unlimited as FTC Withdraws Case

The Federal Trade Commission voted to withdraw an antitrust complaint challenging Meta Platforms's purchase of virtual-reality startup Within Unlimited, officially closing the agency's case.

The FTC sued to block the deal last year, filing twin complaints in federal court and its in-house court. Following a December trial in a San Jose federal court, US District Judge Edward Davila found in favor of Meta, ruling the FTC didn't offer enough evidence to prove that the acquisition would harm competition in the nascent virtual-reality industry.

The FTC opted this month against appealing Davila's decision and paused the administrative case while it considered next steps. Although the judge's ruling allowed Meta to close the deal on February 10, the FTC could have continued its case in administrative court and sought to unwind the transaction. But on Friday, the FTC voted to withdraw the complaint and end the case.

“We're excited that the Within team has joined Meta, and we're eager to partner with this talented group in bringing the future of VR fitness to life,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.

The decision represents the first major loss for FTC Chair Lina Khan, who was appointed by President Joe Biden to reinvigorate antitrust enforcement.

Khan has taken a more aggressive approach to mergers than her predecessors and stepped up the agency's focus on technology giants because of their potential to quickly dominate budding markets. The FTC has also challenged Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard on similar grounds — that allowing the acquisition would give the dominant platform a leg up in the emerging cloud-gaming market.

The FTC maintains that losing the case wasn't all bad: Davila's decision recognized the agency's theory that mergers that don't immediately hurt competition but have the potential to do so in the future should be blocked.

“The judge sided with the FTC on basically every question of law and laid out a very clear opinion that said the way we were interpreting the law was correct,” Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, a Democratic member of the commission, said of Davila's decision at a conference in Arlington, Virginia, on Friday.

After facing headwinds in India last year, Xiaomi is all set to take on the competition in 2023. What are the company's plans for its wide product portfolio and its Make in India committment in the country? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Ericsson Could Cut 8,500 Jobs Under Cost-Cutting Plans, Reveals Internal Memo

Telecom equipment maker Ericsson will lay off 8,500 employees globally as part of its plan to cut costs, a memo sent to employees and seen by Reuters said.

While technology companies such as Microsoft, Meta and Alphabet have laid off thousands of employees citing economic conditions, Ericsson's move would be the largest layoff to hit the industry.

"The way headcount reductions will be managed will differ depending on local country practice," Chief Executive Borje Ekholm wrote in the memo.

"In several countries the headcount reductions have already been communicated this week," he said.

On Monday, the company, which employs more than 1,05,000 worldwide, announced plans to cut about 1,400 jobs in Sweden.

While Ericsson did not disclose which geography would be most affected, analysts had predicted that North America would likely be most affected and growing markets such as India the least.

The company said in December it would cut costs by 9 billion crowns ($880 million or nearly 7,300 crore) by the end of 2023 as demand slows in some markets, including North America.

"It is our obligation to take this cost out to remain competitive," Ekholm said in the memo. "Our biggest enemy right now may be complacency."

Many telecom companies had beefed up their inventories during the height of the pandemic which is now leading to slowing orders for telecom equipment makers.

Verizon, one of the largest telecom companies, plans to spend between $18.25 billion (nearly Rs. 151,400 crore) and $19.25 billion (nearly Rs. 1,59,700 crore) this year, down from a capital expenditure budget of $23 billion last year.

Ericsson Chief Financial Officer Carl Mellander had earlier told Reuters that cost cuts would involve reducing consultants, real estate and employee headcount.

Nordic rival Nokia has not announced any plans to lay off employees.

The iQoo Neo 7 packs a lot of power at an affordable price. But did the company cut the right corners to keep the price low? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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