It was yet another busy week for the Indian tech space as multiple brands announced new launches. This is not limited to brands that’ve already made their mark, as HONOR also confirmed its comeback to the country. Meanwhile, we also saw important new debuts in the Chinese market. WhatsApp released a much-awaited feature and iPhone leaks are mounting up ahead of launch next month.
Here are the important stories for this week, in case you missed any of them.
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OnePlus Ace 2 Pro launched in China with 24GB RAM
OnePlus added another phone to its China-exclusive Ace series in the form of the OnePlus Ace 2 Pro. This device, with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 150W charging and up to a massive 24GB of RAM, starts at just CNY 2,999 (Rs 34,400 approx) in the brand’s home country. Unfortunately, there are no indications of an India launch, or a global one for that matter, even as a rebrand. However, we could see OnePlus Open and OnePlus 12 series later this year.
Realme 11 5G, Realme 11X 5G and Realme Buds Air 5 series India launch date announced
One of the fastest-growing smartphone brands in India, Realme, could be bringing its A-game in the sub-20K segment with the new Realme 11 5G and Realme 11X 5G models. Luckily for us, the launch event is not very far and will be happening on August 23rd in the country. The brand has already revealed the design of these phones and the Realme 11X 5G will be making its global debut at this announcement. Realme Buds Air 5 and Realme Buds Air 5 Pro will also tag along with these devices based on new teasers.
Realme GT 5 to be the brand’s first 24GB RAM smartphone
Realme is also debuting its flagship smartphone in China soon, the Realme GT 5. Based on Weibo posts by the brand’s President, this new device will allow the company to join Nubia, Redmi and OnePlus in being one of the few makers providing a 24GB RAM option. The phone will also house the top-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset which pretty much confirms it will be a powerhouse in the performance department. It remains to be seen just how soon this phone is coming out and if it will make a debut in global markets as we saw the absence of GT NEO 5 in our country.
WhatsApp now lets you send HD-quality photos
It won’t be an exaggeration to say that most WhatsApp users have always wanted the ability to send high-quality pictures to their loved ones and friends with a minimum amount of hassle. While we had workarounds earlier, the app by Meta is finally getting an update which enables you to send HD images with a simple toggle. The new feature is expected to be rolled out to all users in the coming weeks and an HD video option might make its debut soon as well.
iPhone 15 series tipped to feature Thunderbolt standard and up to 35W fast charging
The new iPhone 15 series has been rumoured to make its debut on September 13th with a USB-C port for quite a while now. What wasn’t known is just what functionalities the removal of the Lightning port would bring to the table for the users. The first important leak of this week showcases the leaked parts and indicated the presence of a Thunderbolt or USB 4 standard USB-C port which would bring faster transer speeds of 40Gbps. The fast charging speed could be increased to 35W from 27W which is present in the iPhone 14 Pro.
Honor confirms its return to India
The company which brought Honor laptops, accessories and Amazfit products to India, PSAV Global, has now confirmed that it will sell Honor smartphones in the country. This will be the first phone launch in the country’s competitive market in 3 years from the brand and comes after Honor has been separated from Huawei for quite a while now. The brand roped in top executives for Realme to kickstart these operations and Honor 90 could be the first device in the range to be selected for launch in India.
