Google to invest Rs 33,737 crore for 7.73% stake in Jio Platforms

The two companies will collaborate for the development of entry-level affordable 4G and 5G smartphones as well as Android-based operating systems, Ambani announced during the virtual AGM.

Reliance Industries (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani on Wednesday announced a strategic partnership with Google and development of in-house 5G solutions, in a bid to win over new customers and create a platform for future growth.

Google will invest Rs 33,737 crore for 7.73 per cent stake in Jio Platforms. The two companies will collaborate for the development of entry-level affordable 4G and 5G smartphones as well as Android-based operating systems, Ambani announced during the virtual annual general meeting (AGM).

“Our investment of $4.5 billion in Jio is the first — and biggest — that we will make through this ($10 billion) fund. I am excited that our collaboration will focus on increasing access for hundreds of millions of Indians who don’t own a smartphone, while improving the mobile experience for all at the same time,” said Google CEO Sundar Pichai in a video message.

With the latest investment, Jio has raised Rs 1.52 trillion, selling 32.97 per cent stake to 14 investors including Facebook, private equity (PE) firms and sovereign wealth funds in the process.

While the investments from PE firms and wealth funds were made at a valuation of Rs 4.91 trillion, Google’s stake purchase values Jio at Rs 4.36 trillion.

Jio disrupted the telecom market with its ultra-cheap data plans after its launch in 2016, and is now preparing for the next level of growth. Its strategy includes acquiring 300 million 2G network users by offering them affordable phones and launching new products for connectivity and entertainment. At the AGM, RIL announced Jio Glass, a mixed reality application for office meetings and education.

Qualcomm unveils 5G-ready Snapdragon 690 SoC for midrange phones: Know more

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 also brings Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1 with aptX adaptive codec support, up to 120Hz screen refresh rate support, and much more

After adding 5G network support to Snapdragon 8-series and 7-series processors, Qualcomm on Wednesday brought the 5G network support to its Snapdragon 6-series processors with the launch of Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 system-on-chip. Aimed at midrange smartphones between $300-$500 segment, the new SoC also brings Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1 with aptX adaptive codec support, up to 120Hz screen refresh rate support, and much more.

Here is what the Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 brings on table:

CPU and GPU

The Snapdragon 690 is manufactured on Samsung’s 8nm LPP process. It has an octa-core CPU based on ARM’s bigLITTLE architecture. It has two big ARM Cortex-A77 cores and six little Cortex-A55 cores, operating at a peak frequency of up to 2GHz. The CPU is paired with Adreno 619L graphic processing unit (GPU), which is up to 60 per cent faster than the GPU in its predecessor, the Snapdragon 675 – according to Qualcomm. The Snapdragon 690 supports a maximum of 8GB RAM -- 2 x 16-bit LPDDR4X memory at up to 1866MHz.

Spectra 355L

The Snapdragon 690 has Spectra 355L, which consists of dual 14-bit ISPs capable of up to ultraHD video capture in HDR mode. The processor supports up to 192MP camera sensor, and up to 48MP with multi-frame noise reduction (MFNR). There is dual camera support too -- up to 32MP + 16MP at 30fps. The processor also supports the high efficiency image and video codecs.

Snapdragon X51 5G Modem-RF system

The Snapdragon 690 boasts an integrated Snapdragon X51 modem-RF system for 5G connectivity. It supports both non-standalone (NSA) and standalone (SA) modes for 5G, and has Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) support. Being a midrange SoC, it has sub-6GHz 5G network support and skips the true 5G mmWave bandwidth support.

Review: PLAYGO BH70 AI wireless headphones are a bit out of tune

In terms of comfort, the leather padding on the headband and around the ear cups is nice and locks the headphones in place.

On paper, the PLAYGO BH70 is capable of going toe-to-toe with the best-in-class. But even though it tries really hard to pack everything useful in a pair of headphones — and I appreciate the sincere effort — it falls short on some things that an able pair of ears just can’t miss. In the following paragraphs, allow me to explain why you should or shouldn’t buy these headphones, and what you should consider buying instead. This will be especially useful to people who don’t wish to spend more than Rs 15,000 on a pair of all-purpose headphones, ever.

The construction

At a time when most gadgets have embraced the beauty of vibrant colours, the PLAYGO BH70 comes in two dull, unimaginative SKUs: Graphite Grey and Medallion Brown. At least a bright silver option would have been nice. For a brand called Play, it’s no fun at all.

In terms of comfort, the leather padding on the headband and around the ear cups is nice and locks the headphones in place. But the pair has been constructed around a gradient plastic skeleton, which does not feel solid or justify the 300 grams weight.

Although most people would use a good pair of headphones for music, if you happen to wear these on a brisk walk while listening to an audio book like I did, you might hear a slight creaking noise coming from the moving parts of the headphones. The Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) takes care of it but, like most other pairs, these headphones aren’t light or secure enough for running.

The tech

And now for the sales pitch. The PLAYGO BH70 has a host of useful tech. But the ones you really should care about are ANC, Bluetooth 5.0 and a very capable Qualcomm aptX LL (Low latency) audio codec. In top features, there’s a proximity sensor that detects when you take the headphones off (pause) and put them back on (play), while another mutes the sound and lets you get a quick word in as long as the left ear cup is covered. These are some very useful attributes for a pair of headphones but nothing that we haven’t seen before.

China's OnePlus set to unveil a new logo in black on March 18: Report

The new logo will be part of OnePlus' 2020 products, including the upcoming OnePlus 8-series smartphones.

Chinese electronics maker OnePlus took to its official Weibo account to tease something new which is coming on March 18 and now CEO Pete Lau has shared that it will be the unveiling of a new brand logo.

On the first look, the new logo is almost identical to the original one, but this time the company is changing the brand's colour from Red to Black which is evident from the new logo that now has Black colour, 9To5Google reported on Monday.

Also, the typeface for the number "1" has also been changed and now the company is also adding its "OnePlus" branding below the logo.

This new logo will be the one OnePlus uses on its 2020 products such as the upcoming OnePlus 8 series.

OnePlus is reportedly planning to launch its upcoming 'OnePlus 8' flagship series on April 15 and recently Hollywood superstar Robert Downey Jr was photographed holding it.

Additionally, the company's CEO Pete Lau has confirmed that the upcoming series of phones will indeed all be 5G-ready.

Putting together all the rumours and speculations, the likely specs sheet could include an obvious Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chip and Android 10 bits.

A OnePlus 8 Pro prototype was recently spotted, hinting at dual punch-hole display and a curved display like the OnePlus 7 Pro.

The back panel of the device shows off the quad-camera setup with three lenses along with an LED flash arranged in a vertical strip and a fourth camera placed alongside it.

The leaked images also show that the back panel of the phone comes with a gradient finish.

IQOO 3 first Impressions: This 5G smartphone has something for all

A simple glance at the specifications makes it clear that iQOO plans to make it big and better right from the start rather than aiming at the already cluttered mid-range segment.

Technology News : iQOO is the latest player in the Indian smartphone market, and it has started with a bang with its 5G smartphone iQoo 3 that sports a combination of powerful specifications and notable features that brings it in direct competition with OnePlus smartphones and Realme X50 Pro 5G.

We got our hands on the device and here are the first impressions:

Specifications

The 5G version of iQoo 3 comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The key highlight of the phone is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset. This is an octa-core SoC manufactured using a 7nm process with Kryo 585 cores backed by Adreno 650 GPU. The smartphone also supports the latest UFS3.1 storage and LPDDR5 RAM.

A simple glance at the specifications makes it clear that iQOO plans to make it big and better right from the start rather than aiming at the already cluttered mid-range segment.

Design and display

It has a 6.44-inch AMOLED display with a tiny hole-punch on the top right. The full-HD+ resolution has good viewing angles. The bezels are very slim that makes the viewing experience better. The iQoo 3 also comes with 90Hz refresh rate display.

Coming to the build quality iQOO 3 is solid and slightly bulky with 214gm weight, but the curved metal frame makes it easy to hold. The phone has a premium feel to it, considering the overall look and even the camera module at the rear complements the design language.

There is a 3.5mm headphone socket on the smartphone at the top, it adds to the convenience of those who still prefer wired earphones. The USB Type-C port and the loudspeaker are at the conventional bottom position but what's unusual is that the SIM tray that can accommodate two Nano-SIMs, is also at the bottom.

The power and the volume buttons are positioned on the right of the frame and they are easily within the reach of the fingers even when you use the phone single-handedly. There is a dedicated button on the left for a virtual voice assistant. The right frame also has pressure-sensitive buttons that come handy for gaming.

The rear panel has Corning Gorilla Glass 6 protection to prevent scratches.

Apple makes software changes to iOS to avoid ban on iPhones in China

In a bid to avoid Qualcomm patent around app management, the update changes the animation for when an app is forced to close, according to MacRumors.

Apple has made small changes to its software for iPhones to avoid a ban on their sales in China.

A Chinese court had earlier banned the sale and import of most iPhone models after granting Qualcomm an injunction against Apple. Qualcomm claimed that Apple violated two of its patents.

To avoid the ban, Apple released a small update to iOS this week, The Verge reported on Wednesday, adding that iOS version 12.1.2 contains software changes exclusive to China.

In a bid to avoid Qualcomm patent around app management, the update changes the animation for when an app is forced to close, according to MacRumors.

Rather than moving up and off the screen, apps now appear to shrink into themselves when swiped closed, the report said.

Apple and Qualcomm are suing one another in courts across the world. Apple has also appealed against the Chinese court ruling.

It accused Qualcomm of playing dirty tricks, including asserting a patent that had already been invalidated by international courts, and other patents that it had never before used.

"Qualcomm's effort to ban our products is another desperate move by a company whose illegal practices are under investigation by regulators around the world," Apple said in a statement last week.

The ban does not cover the new iPhone XS, iPhone XS Plus or iPhone XR, which were not yet available when Qualcomm filed its lawsuit.

Business Standard

Apple to push software update in China in bid to resolve Qualcomm fight

The case, brought by Qualcomm, is part of a global patent dispute between the two US companies that includes dozens of lawsuits.

Apple Inc , facing a court ban in China on some of its iPhone models over alleged infringement of Qualcomm Inc patents, said on Friday it will push software updates to users in a bid to resolve potential issues.

Apple will carry out the software updates at the start of next week "to address any possible concern about our compliance with the order", the firm said in a statement sent to Reuters.

Earlier this week, Qualcomm said a Chinese court had ordered a ban on sales of some older Apple iPhone models for violating two of its patents, though intellectual property lawyers said the ban would still likely take time to enforce.

"Based on the iPhone models we offer today in China, we believe we are in compliance," Apple said.

"Early next week we will deliver a software update for iPhone users in China addressing the minor functionality of the two patents at issue in the case."

The case, brought by Qualcomm, is part of a global patent dispute between the two U.S. companies that includes dozens of lawsuits. It creates uncertainty over Apple's business in one of its biggest markets at a time when concerns over waning demand for new iPhones are battering its shares.

Qualcomm has said that the Fuzhou Intermediate People's Court in China found Apple infringed two patents held by the chipmaker and ordered an immediate ban on sales of older iPhone models, from the 6S through the X.

Apple has said that all of its phone models remained on sale in mainland China and that it had filed a request for reconsideration with the court. All the models appeared to be available to buy on Apple's China website on Friday.

Qualcomm, the biggest supplier of chips for mobile phones, filed its case in China in late 2017, arguing that Apple infringed patents on features related to resizing photographs and managing apps on a touch screen.

Business Standard

Apple says Chinese ban on iPhone sale will force settlement with Qualcomm

Apple also warned that the ban would hurt Chinese manufacturers like Foxconn and suppliers.

Apple Inc said a Chinese ban on the sale of some models of the iPhone will force it to settle a long and bitter licensing battle with Qualcomm Inc., according to a recent legal filing.

Earlier this week, a court in China ruled that Apple is infringing two Qualcomm patents and issued injunctions against the sale of six versions of the iPhone in the country. Apple said on Monday it had filed a request for reconsideration with the court.

"Apple will be forced to settle with the Respondent, causing all mobile phone manufacturers to relapse into the previous unreasonable charging mode and pay high licensing fees, resulting in unrecoverable losses in the downstream market of mobile phones," the iPhone maker said in the Dec. 10 filing to the court. The document was submitted in Mandarin with an English translation.

Apple didn’t respond to a request for comment. The technology giant has given no indication that it intends to settle with Qualcomm. The filing shows how important the U.S. company is to the Chinese economy, and vice versa.

The ban would cost Apple millions of dollars a day and affect both the Chinese government and consumers, the company added, noting it has created 5 million jobs in China across the supply chain and third-party software developers.

The Chinese government "may suffer hundreds of thousands of tax losses" from the iPhone ban because of lost taxes from sales of the devices, the company also said, citing estimates of 50 million units sold in the country in 2017.

Apple also warned that the ban would hurt Chinese manufacturers like Foxconn and suppliers.

"Apple and many other companies, consumers, and government will suffer truly irreparable harm," the company said in the filing.

The two U.S. companies are locked in a worldwide dispute over licensing fees that Qualcomm charges for use of technology that the chipmaker says underpins all modern phone systems. Apple has argued that its former supplier unfairly leverages its position as the biggest supplier of chips for smartphones to force payment of the fees.

Qualcomm has countered that Apple is using its intellectual property without paying for it and the legal cases are aimed at forcing it to lower licensing charges.

Qualcomm has brought patent suits in China and other jurisdictions seeking bans on the sale of iPhones to force Apple to the negotiating table.

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