Top tech news of the week:

1) Google launches Pixel 9 series:

Google finally unveiled its Pixel 9 lineup this week at the company’s annual Made by Google event. The four new devices: Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold were all released in India and are designed to compete with the Apple and Samsung of the world. The new phones come with tons of AI features thanks to Google’s Gemini AI model, and some of these features will be available on other Android phones as well.

Shortly after the launch of the Pixel 9 series, Google also announced a price cut for some of its earlier devices such as Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 7a and Pixel 8a.

2) The iPhone SE4 with Apple Intelligence is expected to be launched early next year:

As Apple prepares to launch its flagship iPhone 16 series next month, rumors are already circulating about the relatively cheaper new iPhone SE. According to a recent leak from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the new iPhone SE 4 will likely launch early next year and will come with Apple intelligence.

After months of lagging behind the competition, Apple finally announced artificial intelligence features for its operating systems, dubbed Apple Intelligence. However, these features were limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, and even the latest iPhone 15 did not have access to these features.

The news of the new iPhone SE model comes as a surprise, especially since previous reports also suggested that the SE 4 could have a similar design to the iPhone 14, which means that the cheaper iPhone SE 4 could likely have a similar design to the latest iPhones while maintaining the performance quotient.

In particular, many of the Apple Intelligence features work on the device and require a lot of processing power, so Apple is rumored to introduce the same A18 processor and RAM upgrades to the iPhone 16 lineup. However, it is not clear whether Apple will introduce the A18 chipset or an older processor to the iPhone SE lineup, or exactly what RAM configurations will be present.

3) WhatsApp may soon add a “Like” button:

Meta-owned WhatsApp is reportedly set to introduce a new feature that will allow users to express their appreciation for status updates with a simple “like” reaction. This addition, which is similar to Instagram’s story likes, is intended to simplify the process of acknowledging and interacting with content shared by contacts.

According to reports from WABetaInfo, the Like Reactions feature is currently being tested by public beta users and has been in development for some time. Users can like a status update by tapping a heart emoji icon in the bottom left of the screen when viewing the update. This action triggers a notification for the status updater informing them of the new like. Additionally, users can see who liked their status via the usual view list.

4) Google could be forced to separate from Android: report

Alphabet-owned Google is reportedly facing breakup as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) considers its options following a recent court ruling. The ruling, announced last week, found that Google had illegally monopolized the online search market and spent billions to secure its dominance as the world’s leading search engine. The decision represents a significant victory for federal authorities in their ongoing efforts to curb the power of Big Tech.

According to a report by Bloomberg News, the Justice Department is considering several possible actions in response to the court’s decision. These options include forcing Google to share its vast amounts of data with rivals, putting safeguards in place to prevent the company from gaining an unfair competitive advantage in artificial intelligence (AI) products, and even considering divesting some of its key assets.

Among the most widely discussed remedies is the possible split of the Android operating system from Google. Justice Department lawyers are also considering the possibility of forcing Google to sell its search advertising program AdWords and even its Chrome web browser, according to people familiar with the matter, the report added.

5) Instagram starts working on another Snap-like feature:

Instagram will allow users to select the specific group of people they want to share their location with, such as “close friends” or “only followers they follow,” a Meta spokesperson told The Verge. They also explained that Instagram is developing this feature “with safety in mind,” but remained tight-lipped about further details of the service. According to the report, Instagram’s new feature will be optional and only available as a “small test” in some markets.

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Published: August 17, 2024, 3:37 PM IST