With news pouring in at a rapid pace each week, staying up-to-date can be challenging. To help, we’ve put together a roundup of the top tech headlines. This week’s recap features the debut of Apple’s iPhone 16 series, OpenAI’s new o1 language model, and Motorola’s latest Razr 50.
Top Tech News for the Week
Apple Unveils iPhone 16 Series
At the company’s ‘It’s Glowtime’ event on Monday, Apple introduced its new iPhone 16 series, featuring four distinct models. The highlight of the launch was the advanced Apple Intelligence capabilities powered by the latest A18 Bionic chipsets, which will be available later this year.
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus maintain last year’s pricing, starting at ₹79,900 and ₹89,900, respectively. However, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max have seen significant price reductions in India, now starting at ₹1,19,900 and ₹1,44,900.
OpenAI Debuts o1 Language Model
OpenAI has unveiled its new o1 series of language models, featuring enhanced ‘reasoning’ capabilities designed to provide more thoughtful and detailed responses. This latest model, available now, promises to tackle complex tasks previously beyond the scope of earlier models.
While the o1 model excels in tasks such as coding and solving intricate problems, it comes with trade-offs, including slower performance and higher costs compared to current models like GPT-4o. OpenAI researcher Noam Brown shared on X (formerly Twitter) that o1’s extended ‘thinking’ process improves its reasoning abilities, with longer deliberation times yielding better results.
Motorola Razr 50 Launches in India
The Motorola Razr 50 has made its debut in India, boasting a 6.9-inch FlexView Full HD+ pOLED LTPO display with a 2640 x 1080 resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 3000 nits. It also features a 3.6-inch external pOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection.
Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300x processor (built on a 4nm process) and paired with a Mali G615 MC2 GPU, the Razr 50 handles demanding tasks efficiently. Running on Hello UI based on Android 14, it promises 3 years of OS updates and 4 years of security patches. The device is equipped with a 4,200 mAh battery supporting 33W TurboPower fast charging and 15W wireless charging.
WhatsApp Plans Multi-Voice Feature for Meta AI
WhatsApp, under Meta, is working on an upgrade to its AI chatbot capabilities by adding a two-way voice chat feature. This update, reported by WhatsApp feature tracker WABetaInfo, will allow users to interact with the Meta AI chatbot using various voices, including those of public figures, enhancing personalization and engagement.
Though the feature is not yet available to beta testers on Android, the update hints at a future where users will have access to multiple voice options, including voices of well-known personalities.
OnePlus 13 Set for Next Month’s Launch
OnePlus has officially confirmed the upcoming release of its flagship OnePlus 13 smartphone, slated for next month. Louis Lee, President of OnePlus China, announced that the new device will likely feature Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset, promising significant advancements in performance and technology.
