Samsung released its One UI 6.1 update with all the Galaxy AI features for Galaxy S23 series, Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 in March and now it’s time for 2022 flagships to get the update. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is now reportedly getting the One UI 6.1 update in India with a host of AI features such as Circle To Search, Chat Assist and more.

Shared by X user Yash Agarwal, the One UI 6.1 update for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 has been released in India with firmware version F936BXXU6FXE3. While the update weighs in at about 3.1GB, it still doesn’t carry the May 2024 security patch and runs on April 2024’s. If you have a Galaxy Z Fold 4 in India, you can check for the new update by heading over to Settings, then Software update and tapping on the Download and install option.

The One UI 6.1 update puts the following Galaxy AI features into the hands of more users: Circle to Search with Google, Chat Assist, Interpreter, Live Translate, Note Assist, Transcript Assist, Browsing Assist, Generative Edit, Edit Suggestion and AI-Generated Wallpaper.

One UI 6.1 has been one of the most popular and successful updates from Samsung in the company’s history. Since rolling out in March, 8.8 million users have downloaded and used the update as of April 2024. The One UI 6.1 update was downloaded by nearly 75% of European Galaxy Z Fold5 users, 80% of S23 Ultra users, and nearly 65% of Tab S9 users. Samsung aims to have more than 100 million users access to Galaxy AI by the end of 2024.

The Galaxy Z Flip 4 may also have received the update in India or will get it in a few days, as it is also poised to receive it in Phase 2 of the rollout alongside the Z Fold 4 and the Tab S8 series. With the update reaching more number of devices, the number of users having access to Galaxy AI is surely set to increase by a considerable amount.

HMD began teasing a new smartphone in India last week, and while it was expected to be a rebranded HMD Pulse, we have exclusive information that it isn’t. In fact, the HMD Arrow is set to be a completely new smartphone for the Indian market with upgraded specifications, a new design, and other differences over the HMD Pulse.

Sources familiar with the development have told The Mobile Indian that HMD Arrow isn’t a rebranded HMD Pulse smartphone that debuted globally and in the US (with model name HMD Vibe) earlier last month. “HMD Arrow will have a completely new design, more powerful specs, different processor, 5G connectivity, and camera specs.”

HMD Pulse series devices that launched in Europe are all 4G enabled and have a Unisoc T606 Chipset under the hood. Markets like Europe and the US still have a considerable amount of share of 4G smartphones likely due to which HMD wants to tap into that segment in those regions.

However, in India, 5G smartphones have been constantly getting cheaper, with 4G launches diminishing. The cheapest 5G smartphone in India costs below Rs 10,000, which is a competitive market, and those brands with 4G products in that segment are having difficulty convincing consumers to buy the 4G phones now that India has widely adopted 5G.

Consumers are having a hard time justifying their purchase of a smartphone without 5G support. As a result, HMD may want to target 5G users at the lower end of the price spectrum in India with its Arrow smartphone.

India had 159 million 5G subscribers, or a penetration of 15 per cent, as of January 2024 according to a report by Bank of America Global Research. Moreover, according to an Ookla report from earlier this March, Reliance Jio and Airtel’s 5G networks have improved video start times and reduced buffering compared to 4G LTE, clocking 5G video start times of 1.14 seconds and 1.29 seconds, respectively. In contrast, Reliance Jio’s 4G LTE video start time was 1.99 seconds and 1.73 seconds for Airtel. Mobile gamers also experienced improved median latency, with 77 ms and 92 ms for Reliance Jio and Airtel, respectively.

As for the pricing, there’s no word regarding which segment the HMD Arrow will belong to. Considering the past pricing trends from Nokia in India and HMD in global markets, the Arrow could be a mid-budget 5G handset catering to many users in the sub-Rs 20,000 price segment.

Tecno debuted the Camon 30 5G series smartphones globally earlier this year and their India arrival is now set for later this week on May 18. As of now, two smartphones are likely to launch on the said date, including the Tecno Camon 30 5G and the Camon 30 Premier 5G. Here’s what you may expect from the launch.

Tecno Camon 30 5G Series India Launch

Tecno has begun teasing the launch of the Camon 30 5G series in India via its own X handle, its website and through the Amazon microsite, suggesting the smartphones will be Amazon-exclusive products. While the teaser from X handle suggests that Camon 30 5G will be one of the devices to launch on May 18, the teaser on brand’s website confirms that it will be joined by the Camon 30 Premier 5G as well. The series consists of four models in total, including the Camon 30 (4G), Camon 30 5G, Camon 30 Pro 5G and the Camon 30 Premier 5G.

Tecno Camon 30 Premier 5G: Specs

The Tecno Camon 30 Premier 5G carries 6.67-inch AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, 1400 nits peak brightness and 1080×2400 pixels resolution. It gets an in-screen optical fingerprint scanner for biometrics. As it is an LTPO panel, it sports a dynamic refresh rate up to 120Hz. The handset is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8200 Ultra Chipset paired with 12GB RAM and 512GB of storage. 

Camon 30 Premier 5G focuses on the optics with the new PolarAce Imaging System that utilises a CXD5622GG Sony Imaging chip. The company then further integrates its Universal Tone technology, which uses AI to render accurate skin tones. Then, it uses Sony’s Lytia components as well. The imaging system supports end-side FP16 floating computing and can achieve 4.6 TFLOPS at FP16 (16-bit floating point).

It has a triple rear camera system including a 50MP Sony IMX 890 sensor with OIS, a 50MP periscope telephoto sensor with support for 3x optical zoom, 60x hybrid zoom, and a 50MP ultrawide sensor. Additionally, there’s a 50MP shooter with Autofocus on the front. However, it seems like the Indian variant will get a 100MP primary rear sensor according to the brand’s website.

Finally, the device packs a 5,000mAh battery with 70W fast wired charging. The device supports stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support, an IR blaster, and more. It runs Android 14-based HiOS 14 out of the box.

Despite being one of the largest technology companies and having powerful hardware and high-level expertise at hand, Apple clearly missed AI bandwagon and so, one would think the brand’s delayed entry into the AI segment would be a huge setback for it. However, Apple is making sure that doesn’t happen and here’s how the brand is trying to convert its delayed AI rollout to its own benefit.

According to a recent report from Bloomberg, Apple is closely working with OpenAI for an AI deal which has nearing completion. Its unclear how Apple will use OpenAI’s expertise in the field and what role ChatGPT will play but Mark Gurman says that OpenAI could power some iOS 18 features, including a chatbot which would have the AI smarts of ChatGPT.

While this may seem that Apple skipped Google for the AI deal, that’s not the case. The report further states that Apple is still in talks with Google for a collaboration but they aren’t close to finalising it at the moment. Google has Gemini Nano powering multiple AI features in its own Pixel smartphones and Samsung’s flagship Galaxy devices along with a Gemini chatbot as well. Again, its not clear as to which capability Apple will be taking advantage of and how it will implement it but the Californian brand will make sure it makes the best out of the deal.

This doesn’t mean Apple doesn’t have its own LLM. While it does have an LLM that’s available only internally inside the company and is supposedly codenamed “Ajax”, there’s no word on whether it could ever make a public debut or is only designed for the internal functions of the organisation.

How Apple Could Benefit From The Deals?

While Apple may have missed the opportunity to be first at AI, it’s clearly approaching the situation in a strategic manner. It’s possible that Apple faced delays in readying its own Ajax LLM for public release and couldn’t wait further to implement AI in its software as by that time, the competition would have gone much further than where they already are. As a result, Apple chose two companies to collaborate with, that also happen to be the best in business at the moment.

OpenAI is already excelling in the AI race with its ChatGPT and powering Microsoft’s Copilot. On the other hand, Google is giving it a tough competition with Gemini models and powering on-device AI capabilities on smartphones from brands like OPPO, OnePlus and Samsung, which means the brand has enough experience in the area for Apple to consider it. Apple seems to be trying to make the best out of both worlds in a collaboration where it could power Generative AI features in its upcoming iOS 18 software update from both OpenAI and Google.

By tapping into Google’s Gemini AI and OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Apple could significantly enhance Siri’s functionality, making it a more powerful and intuitive assistant. In addition, a dedicated chatbot powered by either of the two’s AI models could be a sweet new addition too. Its suggested that Apple is also working on features like AI webpage summaries such as the one Samsung introduced in its own Browser App with Galaxy AI.

The potential partnership could be mutually beneficial. For Apple, it means access to state-of-the-art AI without the need to develop similar capabilities from scratch. For Google and OpenAI, it represents an opportunity to expand their reach to Apple’s vast user base, further embedding their AI into everyday use.

As the tech world eagerly anticipates Apple’s next move, the potential integration of Google and OpenAI’s AI smarts could mark a new era for Apple, one where AI becomes a cornerstone of its innovation strategy.

Human Mobile Devices (HMD) recently announced the Pulse series smartphones in Europe and while you’d think the device would have the same model name in other regions when launched, that’s not the case. HMD is all set to launch the Pulse in India but with a different name that’s most likely to be called as HMD Arrow as per reports.

HMD ran a campaign in India with the hashtag “#HMDNameOurSmartphone” and after browsing through a considerable amount of entries, suggesting names like Indhumanoid, Manbha, Naruto, Brahmos and more, HMD seems to have chosen the name Arrow, as announced by the Rajasthan Royals IPL Team’s X handle, for whom HMD is a sponsor partner. As per the teaser shared, the handset will arrive in India within a few weeks. HMD Arrow is being touted as the sharpest smartphone for India.

Apparently, HMD has decided to use different names for the same smartphone in different regions. For instance, the device that’s called HMD Pulse in Europe is the same as HMD Vibe in the US and it will also likely be the same as HMD Arrow in India. We feel HMD Arrow may not be the same smartphone as Pulse.

Read More:

(Exclusive) HMD Arrow To Launch In India With 5G, New Design Over HMD Pulse

HMD Acknowledges Mistake In Marketing Material Of Pulse Series Smartphones

HMD Pulse: Specs

HMD Pulse features a 6.65-inch HD+ display that offers a screen resolution of 720 x 1612 pixels and runs at 90Hz refresh rate. It has 600 nits of peak brightness. The device is powered by the Unisoc T606 chipset. In addition, it features 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot for storage expansion of up to 256 GB.

For optics, the phone has a dual-camera setup on the back, featuring a 13-megapixel primary sensor and an unspecified auxiliary sensor. On the front side, there’s an 8-megapixel snapper for taking selfies and video calling.

Furthermore, the Pulse runs on the Android 14 operating system out of the box and the company has confirmed that the device will receive 2 major OS upgrades with 3 years of security patches.

It is backed by a 5000mAh battery with support for 10W standard wired charging. Connectivity options include Dual-SIM (Nano), Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth v5.0, a USB Type-C port, NFC, and a 3.5mm Headphonejack. For security, this handset gets a Face Unlock feature and a side fingerprint sensor. It is IP52-rated for water and dust resistance

OnePlus is a global brand with presence spread across the globe and surely, you’d think the company has matured enough after making enough mistakes in the past but unfortunately, it hasn’t. In a new series of events, or should we say errors, in the case of OnePlus, the brand has been found pushing bloatware to the two of its most premium flagship smartphones available, the OnePlus 12 and the OnePlus Open.

First spotted by Android Authority, OnePlus is installing up to four additional third-party apps in some regions, unless you opt out during the setup process when it asks you to “Review additional apps.” Tested by the same publication, OnePlus is injecting four apps in India, one in the US and none in the EU. In addition to the four apps presented in India, there are three more pre-installed Meta apps: Meta App Installer, Meta App Manager, and Meta Services that were found on the OnePlus Open.

On top of that, these are installed as system apps, meaning you can’t uninstall them but disable them. Also, these are the same apps for which OnePlus received a lot of criticism as they were found pre-installed on the OnePlus 8 series, the brand’s flagship of that time.

If that wasn’t enough, OnePlus is further testing waters with more bloatware apps coming in soon, as spotted OnePlus enthusiast 1NormalUsername in the latest OnePlus 12 Oxygen OS 14.0.0.610 firmware. The user spotted evidence of more third-party apps being added to the list of pre-installed apps. These apps could be preloaded on the device either as full apps or as APK stubs/shortcuts in the future, said the report.

OnePlus’ Usual Response: It Was An Error

OnePlus was quick to released a statement to Android Authority, saying that “The soft-preloads on OnePlus 12 was an error made during testing and has been rectified as of 6 May. The OnePlus 12 does not come pre-loaded with any of these apps and will continue to remain light, fast and smooth.”

Android Authority says otherwise, and claims that it tested the same process after May 6 and was still presented with the same options to install bloatware.

OnePlus Errors: When Will The Trend End?

OnePlus was once known for offering a neat and close-to-stock Android experience with its OxygenOS software but those days are over. The brand has already received a lot of criticism in the past for not only the choices it makes with its software, but also for other mistakes it has been regularly making, with the most recent one being a goof-up with the OnePlus 12R specs showing the wrong storage type for the 256GB variant.

OnePlus has been a part of multiple controversies in the past, such as wrongly mentioning E-SIM support for Indian Variant of OnePlus 12, unexplained OnePlus Nord 2 explosions, multiple issues with OnePlus 9 series and even more. OnePlus surely accepts its mistakes and has often found to be offering compensation to the affected customers but it definitely doesn’t learn from the mistakes it makes, thereby continuing the infamous trend of making errors.

The trend has not only adversely affected the trust users have on OnePlus, but also affect the experience a user expects from a flagship that costs well above Rs 1 lakh in India. We hope this consistent behaviour from the brand’s side comes to an end soon, or things could soon go haywire for OnePlus.