Tech Wrap Feb 16: India AI Impact Summit, Android 17 beta, WhatsApp Status
India AI Impact Summit 2026. Google releases Android 17 beta update. WhatsApp Status preview. Google Pixel 10a specifications. iPhone 18 Pro series. Now playing for Pixel phones
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URIndia is hosting one of the largest global gatherings focused on artificial intelligence (AI) this week, welcoming industry leaders, top tech executives and AI researchers from across the world. The India AI Impact Summit 2026, beginning Monday in New Delhi, aims at addressing the benefits and risks of the rising use of AI.
After postponing the release of Android 17 beta 1 update, Google finally rolled it out to select Pixel devices on February 13. The latest beta update, now available for download for select users, brings new features related to core Android functionality. One of the biggest changes this update introduces is mandatory large screen adaptivity, meaning developers can no longer opt out of resizing the app or including orientation changes for devices with bigger screens, like foldable smartphones.
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WhatsApp is reportedly developing a new way for users to access status updates directly from the Chats tab. According to a report by WABetaInfo, the status updates may soon appear in the top app bar, making them easier to access without switching tabs. The feature was spotted in the latest WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.6.9.
Google is set to launch the Pixel 10a on February 18, and ahead of the launch, alleged specifications of the upcoming smartphone have surfaced on the web. According to a report by GSMArena, citing German blog WinFuture, the Pixel 10a will be protected by Gorilla Glass 7i instead of Gorilla Glass 3 seen on its predecessor Pixel 9a. Apart from this, the difference between the two models will be in terms of charging speed and Bluetooth version.
Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, expected to launch in September 2026, could bring some of the biggest hardware changes to the iPhone in years. According to a report by 9To5Mac, the upcoming Pro models may feature fresh colour options, a smaller Dynamic Island, improved camera hardware, a larger battery, and more. While these details are based on early reports, the iPhone 18 Pro lineup is reportedly shaping up to be one of the most significant updates in recent years.
Google’s Pixel phones could soon receive a separate app for the Now Playing feature, according to a report by 9To5Google. The report noted that Google is preparing to turn the long-running background music recognition tool into a “dedicated” app that may be released through the Play Store. Now Playing has been available on Pixel devices for years. The feature automatically identifies songs playing nearby and displays the track name and artist on the lock screen. As for timing, 9To5Google suggested that the new app may arrive with an upcoming Pixel Feature Drop, possibly as early as March.
Apple’s next-generation operating system update for iPhones, iOS 27, might focus on performance improvements and stability rather than introducing something entirely new like iOS 26 did with the Liquid Glass interface. According to a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, with iOS 27, Apple is aiming to “tidy” its codebase, upgrade older apps, and tweak Liquid Glass, due to which the battery life of iPhones may improve.
Apple may be preparing to launch a budget-friendly MacBook model in the coming months. According to a report by 9To5Mac, citing Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the new entry-level MacBook is expected to arrive in several “fun colours.” The company has reportedly tested shades such as light yellow, light green, blue, pink, classic silver, and dark grey. As reported, the low-cost MacBook could be announced at an event in March.
Google has rolled out a new cross-device continuity feature, “Handoff,” with the release of the Android 17 beta 1 update. Google, in its release notes, describes Handoff as both a consumer feature and a developer API that operates quietly in the background. It enables users to begin a task on one Android device and continue it on another nearby device.
As the government-backed BharatGen prepares to showcase its next generation of large language models at the India AI Impact Summit, questions around what “sovereign AI” means in practice — and what India is actually building — are becoming central to the policy and technology debate. BharatGen, a consortium of leading academic institutions funded by the government, is working on foundational AI models designed to support Indian languages, data, and use cases.
US semiconductor company Qualcomm on February 16 showcased its full robotics technology stack at theIndia AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, marking its India debut after first presenting the platform at Consumer Electronics Show in January.
As leading global chief executives, heads of state and representatives from more than 100 countries gather for the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi this week, Ashwini Vaishnaw — Union Minister for Electronics & IT, Information & Broadcasting, and Railways — outlines the nation’s global ambitions in AI in an email interview with Surajeet Das Gupta.
Several widely used global artificial intelligence (AI) systems struggle with Indian languages, accents and dialects, even as voice-based interfaces are increasingly being used in public services and consumer applications, according to an AI benchmark report. Called Voice of India, the sovereign benchmark is developed by Josh Talks in collaboration with AI4Bharat at IIT Madras and evaluates automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems across 15 Indian languages using speech from more than 35,000 speakers.
The UK's focus during the AI Impact Summit starting in New Delhi on Monday will be on championing how artificial intelligence can supercharge growth, unlock new jobs, improve public services and deliver benefits for people across the globe, the British government has said.
India is set to host the AI Impact Summit 2026 from February 16-20 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, bringing together world leaders, technology executives, policymakers and artificial intelligence (AI) innovators. It is the first major global AI summit to be hosted in the Global South, marking India’s growing role in shaping global AI governance and deployment.
The summit will bring together global leaders, experts and innovators to deliberate on technology, policy and international cooperation in the AI space. Around 35,000 delegates, including global executives and several heads of state, are expected to attend. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has made registration for the summit free of charge.
InfoEdge Founder and Executive Vice-Chairman Sanjeev Bikhchandani on Monday said that artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to enhance productivity rather than eliminate jobs. Speaking at the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Bikhchandani said that for many companies, deploying employees to cater to thousands of low-paying customers does not make economic sense. However, he stated that AI-driven voice bots can now manage such interactions efficiently, allowing firms to tap into an underserved market segment without adding to their workforce.
There is a lot of scope for AI integration in the road and transport industry to help avoid accidents and check issues of vehicular pollution, a government official said on Monday. Measures such as a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system and adding driving-in-school curriculum can help in this direction, Pankaj Aggarwal, an officer in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, said while speaking at the India AI Impact Summit in the national capital.
Actor Soha Ali Khan, speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 on Monday, raised concerns about rising risks for women in the fast-changing digital world, highlighting strong ethical safeguards in artificial intelligence are now essential.
Highlighting the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, Harish Krishnan, Managing Director, Cisco Systems India, stated on Monday that AI is reforming social good for generations to come and effectively augmenting essential human capabilities.
Norway's Ambassador to India May-Elin Stener, has underscored the urgent need to address gender imbalance in artificial intelligence and technology, stressing that inclusion must move beyond discussion panels and into real structural change.
The global financial architecture is currently facing a ‘dual-use’ paradox. While artificial intelligence (AI) is being hailed as a transformative force for governance and productivity, it is simultaneously enabling new solutions for fraudsters, money launderers and terrorist financiers. To stay ahead of them and protect the integrity of the global financial system, regulators and other stakeholders need to embrace responsible use of AI.
As India advances towards becoming a global manufacturing powerhouse, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the entire industrial value chain, enabling manufacturers to enhance productivity and strengthen global competitiveness.
As New Delhi brings together industry giants from across the world to the one of the biggest gatherings on Artificial intelligence, the US- India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) has arrived with the largest US delegation. President & Chief Executive Officer, Mukesh Aghi underlined the critical importance of India to American companies from AI perspective and as a leader in leveraging tech to provide digital infrastructure with citizens, not only just from a payment perspective.
The government is looking to provide access to e-books and AI resources to medical students to help them hone their skills better, with the first phase of the initiative covering around 57 medical colleges in the smaller towns and rural areas, according to a senior Health Ministry official.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can play a vital role in disaster management, specially in minimising losses but it would need legal and policy framework for such new age technologies to be able to be relied upon by officials at ground level who would take decisions for preventive actions, a top official of UNDRR said on Monday.
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi have combined traditional models used to predict streamflow in India's rivers with artificial intelligence, finding that the new approach significantly improved prediction accuracy in 208 of the 220 rivers tested.
India is hosting the "Maha Kumbh" of artificial intelligence, with world leaders, startups, innovators and researchers gathering here for the five-day AI Impact Summit, Union Minister Jitin Prasada said on Monday. The Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology said the outcomes of the summit are being deeply watched not only in India but across the world.
When you visit the official website of the ongoing India AI Impact Summit 2026, one thing that will capture your attention is the embedded accessibility feature. The website does not assume every visitor sees, reads, or processes information the same way and allows users to adjust text size, spacing, contrast, colour settings, and even convert text to speech. These features are designed to ensure that people with visual, cognitiv,e or neurological challenges can access information without barriers.
Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran on Monday said that artificial intelligence (AI) progress will not happen by "drift". While speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Nageswaran stressed that it requires urgency, political will, and strong state capacity.
With India’s headline-making artificial intelligence (AI) summit opening in New Delhi on Monday, attention turns to the distinctive nature of the domestic ecosystem. While global leaders like the United States (US) have set the pace, Indian startups are now showcasing a unique model of deployment and innovation. The showcase reveals a fundamental truth: India’s AI trajectory is no longer just following the global trend — it is defining its own.
Puneet Chandok, President of Microsoft India and South Asia, on Monday said Artificial Intelligence models are improving at an unprecedented pace and predicted exponential growth in the sector over the next three years.
Union Minister Jitin Prasada on Monday urged caution in the use of AI tools, saying misinformation generated through artificial intelligence has the power to undermine democratic systems. Speaking at a session in the AI Impact Summit here, the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology also said artificial intelligence (AI) can significantly enhance learning for students and teachers, but it must not be treated as a shortcut that weakens critical thinking or curiosity.
India kicks off one of the world’s largest artificial intelligence summits Monday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking to clear a path for India in a heated race to develop frontier models. World leaders, tech moguls, AI founders and investors are expected to arrive in New Delhi for the India AI Impact Summit, potentially the largest gathering of AI luminaries to date. Sundar Pichai of Alphabet Inc., Sam Altman of OpenAI Inc., Dario Amodei of Anthropic PBC and Meta Platforms Inc.’s Alexandr Wang are on the guest list, alongside researchers including Yann LeCun and Arthur Mensch.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India stands at the forefront of the artificial intelligence transformation and its strides in AI reflect both ambition and responsibility. In a post on X, Modi said, "Bringing the world together to discuss AI! Starting today, India hosts the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi. I warmly welcome world leaders, captains of industry, innovators, policymakers, researchers and tech enthusiasts from across the world for this Summit."
A growing procession of tech industry leaders including Elon Musk and Tim Cook are warning about a global crisis in the making: A shortage of memory chips is beginning to hammer profits, derail corporate plans and inflate price tags on everything from laptops and smartphones to automobiles and data centers — and the crunch is only going to get worse.
A strong partnership between India and the US in AI offers a tremendous opportunity to deliver across sectors such as healthcare, education, job training and digital literacy, a senior official of AI operations giant Rubrik has said. Chairman and CEO of security and AI operations giant Rubrik, Bipul Sinha, made these remarks.
URIndia is hosting one of the largest global gatherings focused on artificial intelligence (AI) this week, welcoming industry leaders, top tech executives and AI researchers from across the world. The India AI Impact Summit 2026, beginning Monday in New Delhi, aims at addressing the benefits and risks of the rising use of AI.
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First Published: Feb 16 2026 | 8:03 PM IST