 "Tech wrap Aug 12: Apple iPhone SE, Sony Bravia 8 OLED TVs, YouTube and more")
Sony has launched the Bravia 8 OLED TV series in India, featuring Studio Calibrated Mode to offer image quality as intended by content creators. The Sony Bravia 8 OLED TV series is offered in 65-inch and 55-inch display options, both with IMAX enhanced 4K panels and with support for Dolby Vision. The Bravia 8 series is powered by the AI Processor XR. Priced at Rs 219,990 onwards, the Sony Bravia 8 OLED TV series is available on Sony Centers, major electronic stores, and e-commerce portals.
Sennheiser has expanded its HD 600 series headphones portfolio in India with the launch of the HD 620S. The Sennheiser HD 620S headphones feature a 42mm driver and come in a metallic chassis that the company said “feels great but also serves an acoustic purpose”. The headphones are available at an introductory price of Rs 32,990 on the company’s official website, Amazon India and Flipkart.
Apple could bring the next version of its affordable iPhone SE early next year. According to a Bloomberg report, the iPhone SE, which was last updated in 2022, could get a complete overhaul in early 2025. The updated iPhone SE could feature a new design, a better display, and access to Apple Intelligence, the company’s suite of artificial intelligence features.
China’s Realme has launched its budget C63 5G smartphone in India. Priced at Rs 10,999 onwards, the Realme C63 5G smartphone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 5G chip and features a 120Hz refresh rate display. The smartphone is available in two colour options: Starry Gold and Forest Green.
Google’s upcoming Pixel 9 series smartphones will be available in India from August 14, the day after the global unveiling. Google has previously confirmed through its India-centric online that the Pixel 9 Pro and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will be available in India from August 14. However, the e-commerce platform Flipkart has also listed the Pixel 9 Pro XL smartphones on its website.
The Samsung Galaxy S series has, over the years, earned a reputation for offering improved features and performance, but the Galaxy Fan Edition (FE) series has been seen as a budget offering with some compromises on specifications. However, recent reports suggest that the Galaxy S24 FE could be more than that.
China’s OPPO has announced that its F27 Pro Plus smartphone will soon receive new artificial intelligence-powered features. Launched in India on June 13, the midrange smartphone is set to receive AI Eraser 2.0, AI Smart Image Matting 2.0, AI Studio, and more as part of a system update on August 22. The company has also announced that it will be launching the OPPO F27 5G smartphone soon.
Google-owned video streaming platform YouTube has rolled out a sleep timer on its mobile app and desktop version that pauses the video playback after a specified time. The feature is currently being tested with premium subscribers, with TVs excluded from this test for now.
Instagram is experimenting with a new feature similar to Snap Maps by the social media app Snapchat. This feature will allow users to post text and video to a map based on where they were taken and share it with friends. Shared updates from users and friends can appear next to each other.