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Samsung Smart TVs Are Set to Get 7 Years of Updates

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Samsung was the second brand to announce that it’ll be providing 7 years of updates to its latest flagship smartphones but the brand is extending that commitment beyond phones, to select few of its Smart TVs. These Smart TVs run on Samsung’s in-house Tizen operating system.

As per Business Korea, Samsung made the announcement regarding Tizen OS-powered TVs at the Digital Research Lab of Samsung Electronics’ Suwon Campus in Gyeonggi Province. The publication reports that Samsung will provide 7 years of updates to select Smart TVs released in 2023 and the new AI TVs released in March 2024.

According to another publication, Korea Economic Daily, Samsung Electronics’ president of the Visual Display Business Division, Yoon Seok-woo, said at last week’s event,”With the seven-year free upgrade of Tizen applied to AI TVs, we will widen the gap in market share with Chinese companies.”

Samsung hasn’t released a detailed list of specific models that are guaranteed to receive seven years of updates. However, the announcement indicates that this will apply to TVs with AI-based features released within the specified timeframe.

Meanwhile in India, the brand recently announced a range of new 12 Kg front-load AI washing machines which start at Rs 52,990 and go up till Rs 74,990. Samsung’s Bespoke AI washing machines leverage 2.8 million big data points to offer optimized wash options with integration of the SmartThings App.

This also helps save a large amount of energy in every wash cycle – the AI Energy Mode results in a reduced electricity bill for consumers by providing up to 70% energy savings. The new modern washing machines come in Bespoke design with Flat Glass Door and AI features such as AI Wash, AI Energy Mode, AI Control and AI Ecobubble.

Samsung India Launches Ten New 12 Kg AI Washing Machines

Last week, Samsung announced its plans to introduce 10 new washing machines in India, and the launch has now taken place in the country. The new, larger washing machines from Samsung come in a size of 12 Kg and are packed with a load of AI features. Here’s what you should know about the new launch from Samsung.

Samsung 12 Kg AI Washing Machines: Price, Availability

Samsung India’s range of new 12 Kg front-load AI washing machines starts at Rs 52,990 and go up till Rs 74,990. The washing machines will be available starting today, August 27, on Samsung’s official online store Samsung.com, Samsung Shop App, retail stores, and other e-commerce platforms. With the help of Samsung Finance+, consumers can also buy the new washing machines with easy EMIs. Samsung Finance+ is a digital, paper-less financing platform through which loans are approved in minutes.

Samsung 12 Kg AI Washing Machines: Features

Samsung’s Bespoke AI washing machines leverage 2.8 million big data points to offer optimized wash options with integration of the SmartThings App. This also helps save a large amount of energy in every wash cycle – the AI Energy Mode results in a reduced electricity bill for consumers by providing up to 70% energy savings.

The new modern washing machines come in Bespoke design with Flat Glass Door and AI features such as AI Wash, AI Energy Mode, AI Control and AI Ecobubble. The AI Wash feature utilizes advanced to detect fabric weight and softness, while soil level tracking actively monitors the current soiling based on water turbidity, optimizing water and detergent usage for a thorough yet gentle wash.

The Auto Dispense feature automatically releases the precise amount of detergent and fabric softener, removing any guesswork. With AI Energy Mode accessible through the SmartThings App, you can manage your home appliances’ energy usage and save money.

Read More: Samsung Galaxy A55 5G, Galaxy A35 5G Get Vividness Slider Feature from Galaxy S24 Series

Users can track daily, weekly, and monthly power consumption, with the feature even estimating monthly energy bills. If the bill surpasses a preset target, the can activate energy-saving mode. The AI Control feature learns and adapts to user habits with Habit Learning, suggesting the cycles that best fit the user.

Additionally, with SmartThings Clothing Care, users can create and save custom cycles based on recommended settings. The SmartThings Going Out mode lets users manage their laundry remotely, so they never have to worry about the laundry schedule. If a user crosses the geofence they’ve set, the system intelligently sends a to their Galaxy smartphone, prompting them to reschedule the wash.

If the laundry isn’t taken out after the cycle ends, it sends a reminder, allowing the user to start a rinse and spin cycle to prevent odors. SmartThings Home Care monitors the machine’s performance, providing proactive maintenance alerts and troubleshooting tips directly on Galaxy devices.

There’s also a SuperSpeed option that reduces the wash time to 39 minutes, without compromising wash performance. Plus, features like Q-Bubble, and Speed Spray ensure powerful cleaning and efficient rinsing. The washing machines have a Tempered Glass Door, while the Less Microfiber cycle reduces microplastic release by up to 54%.

Furthermore, Hygiene Steam ensures a deep clean, which according to the brand, removes 99.9% of bacteria and inactivates allergens for a healthier wash. Powered by Digital Inverter Technology, these washing machines guarantee energy efficiency, less noise, and long-lasting performance, backed by a 20-year warranty on the motor.

Airtel XStream Premium Adds Apple TV+ and Apple Music Perks in India

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Airtel has unveiled a partnership with Apple to provide exclusive Apple TV+ and Apple Music perks to its customers in India. Beginning later this year, Airtel Xstream users will enjoy access to Apple TV+ and Apple Music content through Airtel’s premium and postpaid plans.

In addition to Apple TV+, Airtel will also provide exclusive Apple Music offers to its Wynk Premium users. Wynk Music is Airtel’s own music streaming service, and its users will now be transitioned to Apple Music, which will give them access to a wide range of global and Indian music, curated playlists, artist interviews, and Apple Music Radio.

Apple Music’s standout features include Apple Music Sing, time-synced lyrics, lossless audio, and immersive Spatial Audio. “We are thrilled that Airtel customers in India will soon be able to enjoy all of the incredible content on Apple TV+ and Apple Music,” said Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple Music and international content.

Read More: Best Upcoming Movies And Shows On Apple TV+

While Airtel and Apple didn’t reveal an exact date when users could access these services via XStream Premium, it’s been confirmed that it will happen sometime later this year. There’s also no word on the prices of the Airtel XStream plans that will support Apple TV+ and Apple Music.

Meanwhile, a report from earlier in May suggested that Apple was hiring for roles that involved developing an app for Apple TV+. Apple could be planning to gain more market share amongst the billions of Android users who do not have access to an Apple device but would still pay for an Apple TV+ subscription. This would result in a similar situation to Apple Music, whose app and subscription services are also available on Android.

Snapchat App Update Adds Native Apple iPad Support With Optimised UI

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Many of the apps available in the Apple ecosystem are well optimised for iOS, but when it comes to for iPads, these apps lack proper user interface (UI) optimisation. One such app was Snapchat, which has now updated its app to add native support for Apple iPad, enabling an optimised for the big screen.

In an update issued on App store for the Snapchat app, the change log reads, “Snapchat now offers native support for iPad! This means that Snapchat will fill an iPad’s full screen, providing you with a larger canvas when capturing Snaps and allowing you to see more friends on the 2nd and 4th tabs.”

Earlier, the Snapchat app on iPad was basically the same app as the iPhone. Due to the massive difference between the aspect ratio and size of the displays of an iPad and an iPhone, apps optimised for the latter wouldn’t run properly on an iPad, showing thick black borders around a small window within which the app would run. Thankfully, the new Snapchat update on the iPad solves this issue.

Read More: Snapchat To Watermark AI-Generated Photos: All Details

“It’s still the same Snapchat you know and love, but this time on the big screen,” said Snapchat.

Snapchat has added many new features to its app throughout the year so far. A recent update to the platform added support for editing messages, allowing users to make changes up to five minutes after sending them. Following this, the Reactions feature was introduced, letting users enhance their chat experience by reacting to messages with any emoji they choose.

Back in June, enhanced security and privacy features were added to Snapchat, too. Users were disallowed from sending friend requests to users between the ages of 13 and 17 unless they had mutual friends.

Vivo T3 Pro 5G Launched in India: Who Does it Compete With?

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Vivo India has launched the T3 Pro 5G smartphone, which is essentially a rebranded iQOO Z9s Pro 5G that was also launched in India earlier last week. The T3 Pro 5G is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, packs a 5500mAh battery, and has many other features.

Vivo T3 Pro 5G: Price, Availability

The Vivo T3 Pro 5G, priced at Rs 24,999 for 8GB+128GB and Rs 26,999 for 8GB+256GB, will be available for sale from September 3rd, 12 PM onwards, in Emerald Green and Sandstone Orange colour variants. On purchase of the device, customers can enjoy a flat discount of Rs 3000 with HDFC and ICICI Bank credit/debit card or an exchange bonus of Rs 3000, coupled with no-cost for up to 6 months. The device can be bought via Vivo India’s e-store and Flipkart.

Vivo T3 Pro 5G: Specifications

The T3 Pro 5G gets a 6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, 300Hz touch sampling rate, 387 ppi, and 4500 nits peak brightness. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 SoC powers it, coupled with 8GB LPDDR4x RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage.

It is backed by a dual rear camera system, including a 50MP f/1.79 Sony IMX882 main sensor with OIS and an 8MP ultra-wide angle f/2.2 sensor. On the front, it gets a 16MP f/2.45 selfie sensor.

It packs a 5500mAh battery with 80W Fast charging support. For biometrics, there is an in-display fingerprint sensor. For audio, it has a stereo speaker setup. The device will run on FunTouch OS 14, which is based on Android 14. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.4, GPS, 5G, and a USB-C port for charging.

Vivo T3 Pro 5G: Competitors

Priced identically to the iQOO Z9s Pro 5G, the Vivo T3 Pro 5G can be considered over it solely due to the Emerald Green option if you prefer it over the Lixe Marble variant of the iQOO Z9s Pro 5G. Aside from that, they remain identical in terms of specifications.

By spending 1,000 bucks more, you could also get the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus, which offers a better chipset, faster (but lesser) RAM, and a better ultra-wide angle sensor on the back. You also get one major Android OS update on your phone (2a) plus over the T3 Pro 5G, which offers just 2 years of updates and 3 years of security patches. However, on Nothing Phone (2a) Plus, you’d miss out on the bigger battery and faster charging the T3 Pro 5G offers.

Gmail on Android Gets Updated With “Quick Reply” Feature: What is it?

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Google has updated the Gmail on with a quality-of-life improvement that allows for a faster experience while replying to emails. The new feature, “Quick Reply,” allows Gmail users on Android to reply to emails via a new chat box that appears at the bottom of each email once it is opened.

Google announced the feature via a Workspace blog post, which said, “Starting today, you can reply to emails directly from the bottom of the conversation, without opening a new screen, making it easier to reference the email you’re replying to.” Google says this new option is best for quick, lightweight responses, while for longer and more formal responses, one can simply expand the text box to access more formatting options.

Currently, when in the conversation view of an email on your Gmail app, you can only reply, reply all, or forward a message. Upon selecting one of those options, you are directed to a full-screen compose view to send your reply.

To use the Quick Reply feature in the Gmail app on Android, open an email > click into the text box at the bottom > type your reply > tap the send icon. Clicking the “Expand to full screen” icon allows you to switch to the full screen compose view. Google confirmed that this feature will also be available on devices later this year.

The feature is available to all Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.

Meanwhile, Gmail on Android recently also gained support for Gemini, adding features like Polish, allowing users to ask Gemini to refine the rough notes in their Gmail Drafts and convert them into a full-fledged professional e-mail. Aside from that, there’s also a new “Help me write” shortcut now appearing in the email’s body. When selected, it will open the full Help me write experience.

Amazon Rufus AI Shopping Assistant Arrives in India: Things to Know

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Back in February, Amazon announced Rufus, its own generative-AI-powered shopping assistant, and then in July, it made it available for users in the US. Now, Rufus has been launched in India in the beta phase, and Amazon says it can answer customer questions on shopping needs, products, and comparisons, make recommendations based on this context, and do much more.

Amazon announced via a blog post that it is launching Rufus in beta to customers in India. “Customers in the U.S. have already asked Rufus tens of millions of questions, and we’re excited to introduce it in India,” the post said.

Rufus has been trained on Amazon’s extensive product catalogue, customer reviews, community Q&As, and information from across the web to answer customer questions on various shopping needs and products, provide comparisons, and make recommendations based on conversational context.

Amazon Rufus

Read More: Amazon Integrates AI In Fire TV Devices To Power Search

With Rufus, for instance, customers can conduct more general product research on Amazon, asking questions such as “What to consider when buying headphones?” or “Things to consider when choosing the right moisturiser” and receive helpful information to guide their shopping mission.

Customers can also ask Rufus to quickly compare product category features by asking questions like, “Which is better, a OLED TV or a 4K TV?”

How to Use Amazon Rufus in India?

Rufus is now being made available to select customers in India when they next update their Amazon.in the shopping app. To use Rufus, customers in the beta can simply click on the icon in the bottom right-hand corner of Amazon’s mobile app, and a Rufus chat dialogue box will appear on their screen.

Customers can also expand the chat dialogue box to see answers to their questions, tap on suggested questions, and ask follow-up questions in the chat dialogue box. One can dismiss Rufus to return to their traditional search results anytime by swiping down to send the chat dialogue box back to the bottom of their screen.

“Rufus generates answers using relevant information from across Amazon and the web to help customers make better, more informed shopping decisions,” said Amazon.

Arc AI Search Browser is Coming to Android: Confirmed

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If you are unaware of the Arc search browser, it’s a popular Chrome competitor available on Windows, macOS, and (along with iPadOS). While users have been missing out on this minimal AI browser, they soon won’t, as Arc has announced that the is also coming to Google’s operating system.

The arrival of the Arc Search browser on Android has been confirmed in a reply to a Threads question about when it might arrive on Google’s mobile OS. The official Arc Internet account shared a brief clip of the running on what seems to be a Google Pixel, hinting that it is “coming soon.”

There’s no word on when exactly the Arc AI Search browser will be released on Android, but one could speculate that it will launch before the end of the year. As for what makes it special and stand out in the plethora of browser options available, the Arc search browser is known for the minimal and distraction-free experience it offers, which other browsers haven’t been able to offer.

Read More: Google Chrome Gets Google Lens, AI Search For Browsing History and More

This experience includes a clean and clear Reader mode that makes it easier for users to read long articles without any distractions. The browser also incorporates some AI features, including a “Browse for Me” feature that summarises information from multiple websites on a single page.

The browser includes an auto-archive feature for old tabs to help keep your browsing history organized. It also has a built-in ad blocker that protects against trackers, ads, and all web page banners. Moreover, Arc Search is optimized for mobile devices, offering features like quick keyboard access, which opens up with a keyboard on the screen so you can quickly visit the web address you want.

YouTube Premium Price Hike in India: New Prices Announced

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YouTube hiked its YouTube Premium subscription prices in several countries late last year, but India wasn’t on the list. However, that changes today as YouTube has announced a significant price hike for its Premium subscription in India, with rates increasing by a substantial 58%.

YouTube Premium users in India are being sent emails notifying them of the price hike. YouTube Premium launched in India in 2019 with a starting price of Rs 129 a month for the individual monthly plan, which has now increased to Rs 149 a month. The student plan has increased from Rs 79/month to Rs 89/month.

The YouTube Premium family membership, which was launched for Rs 189 a month, now costs Rs 299, accounting for a 58.2% price hike. The family plan allows users to share their subscription with five more family members. The individual has gone up from Rs 139/month to Rs 159/month. The Quarterly prepaid plan for an individual, which cost Rs 399, now costs Rs 459. Finally, the annual plan that cost Rs 1,290 earlier now costs Rs 1,490.

PlanNew PriceOld Price
Individual MonthlyRs 149 Rs 129
Family MonthlyRs 299 Rs 189
Student MonthlyRs 89Rs 79
Individual Monthly (Prepaid)Rs 459 Rs 399
Individual Quarterly (Prepaid)Rs 459Rs 399
Individual Annual (Prepaid)Rs 1,490Rs 1,290
Revised YouTube Premium Plans Tariff

Read More: YouTube Deploys AI Chatbot to Aid Creators in Securing Hacked Accounts

These were all the six Premium plans available whose price YouTube increased for the first time since the subscription was introduced in the country. In the mail sent to users, YouTube said, “We don’t make these decisions lightly, and this update will allow us to continue to improve Premium and support the creators and artists you watch on YouTube.”

The email also mentions that if the user takes no action before their next billing date in September, their subscription will automatically end before the new price takes effect in October.

YouTube Premium gives users access to YouTube Music, background play, the ability to download videos for offline playback, and unlimited ad-free video streaming.

Google May Have Delayed Android 15 Release for Pixel Smartphones

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Update 27/08/2024, 12:00 PM IST: The release notes for the Android Beta Exit update which was rolled out to Android 15 beta users were updated recently, stating that those who are waiting for the Android 15 stable update should “ignore the until Android 15 is available in October.” This confirms that Android 15 stable update will indeed rollout later in October this year.

Original Story Below

The final beta for Android 15 was released earlier this month and while it was expected that Google’s own Pixel devices will get the stable update next month, that might not be the case as a report suggests that it may have been delayed. This would reportedly also result in the biggest gap ever between the source code release and the Pixel update release of the latest Android version.

Android Authority reports the release of stable Android 15 update is seemingly being delayed to improve its stability. Google also didn’t launch Pixel 9 series with Android 15, likely due to the same reason. Citing a source close to the development, the publication notes that Google currently plans to roll out the Android 15 update for Pixel phones sometime in October, possibly even in the middle of the month.

This is important to note because Google is scheduled to release the source code for Android 15 next week. However, with the Android 15 stable release for Pixel devices delayed, this could lead to a delay of 30 days or longer between when these devices receive their OTA update and when the source code of Android 15 is released.

Furthermore, this would be the first time the gap has extended beyond 15 days which happened only once when Android 12 was released. Otherwise, Google has been consistent in rolling out the souce code of the latest Android version and releasing it to the Pixel devices on the same date.

Read More: Google Pixel 9 First Impression: Best Built Pixel Till Date

Since the same-day release guarantee was broken with Android 12, the Pixel team now routinely holds back updates until they’re fully prepared to launch. This approach, as per the publication, allows them additional time to finalize marketing for Pixel Feature Drops, conduct thorough testing, and address any last-minute bugs.

It’s possible that the release date might change, but the publication is “fairly confident” that the information it was given is, at the very least, not outdated. Google did add Pixel 9 series to the list of devices supporting Android 15 beta quite recently. Pixel 6 series, 7 series, 8 series, and the latest Pixel 9 series are set to receive the update whenever it releases.

As for progress from other brands, One UI 7 beta based on Android 15 has also likely been delayed, but reports suggest Samsung will launch it sometime in September. OnePlus is also expected to debut OxygenOS 15 next month.