Apple was seemingly working on an electric car codenamed ‘Project Titan,’ which had yet to be announced. However, it appears that Apple hit a roadblock in the development process, prompting the company to discontinue work on the project. This move puts the final nail in the coffin after years of turmoil.
The report came from Bloomberg and Reuters, which said that according to people familiar with the matter, the decision to stop work on the Car project was internally disclosed by Chief Operating Officer at Apple, Jeff Williams and Vice President Kevin Lynch on February 27, leaving nearly 2,000 project employees stunned. Many of the employees will be transferred to a new team focused on generative artificial intelligence. This cutting-edge field aims to create novel content and data from existing ones, the report said. As for the employees, the reports says that there definitely will be layoffs but the exact number is unclear as of yet.
Artificial Intelligence has been a key priority for the brand, considering the competition has significantly ramped up its efforts in the area. The Titan project, which was started in 2014 by former design chief Jony Ive, faced multiple challenges and setbacks over the years as the company struggled to find a clear vision and direction for the car. The project also suffered from frequent leadership changes, internal conflicts, and high turnover rates, as many engineers left for rival companies or were laid off.
Apple’s most recently refreshed approach towards the development of the project internally was delaying the car’s release until 2028 and reducing self-driving specifications from Level 4 to Level 2+ technology. Apple had employees across the car industry working on the project, including designers from Aston Martin, Lamborghini, BMW and Porsche, read the report. Not only that but Apple was worried that even after setting a $1,00,000 price tag for the car, it might not be able to enjoy the margins it usually does on its products.
Apple’s decision to abandon the car project comes as the company faces slowing growth and increased competition in its core products, such as the iPhone and the Mac. The company has been looking for new sources of revenue and innovation and has invested heavily in areas such as wearable devices, streaming services, and augmented reality.
However, the car project was seen as a potential game-changer for the company. Apple could have gone head-to-head with other major automakers such as Tesla, whose CEO celebrated the news of Apple quitting on the car development with a salute and a cigarette emoji.
Apple’s only major play in the automobile industry is now CarPlay, which is now being redesigned to integrate more deeply with vehicle controls and entertainment systems. This will also give Apple an EDGE over its competitors, considering how big the user base of iPhones is in the US.
Tecno announced a new smartphone called the Pova 6 Pro 5G at the MWC 2024 annual conference, and alongside, the brand also confirmed the rollout of the device in key markets, including India. Here’s everything you can expect from the upcoming Tecno Pova 6 Pro 5G, including its specifications and an expected price tag.
Tecno Pova 6 Pro 5G: Specifications
Tecno Pova 6 Pro 5G sports a 6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, PWM 2160Hz high-frequency dimming and TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light Certification. It draws power from a MediaTek Dimensity 6080 6nm Processor paired with 8GB and 12GB LPDDR4x RAM options along with 256GB of storage. It also supports virtual RAM.
For optics, it gets triple rear cameras including a 108MP rear camera, a secondary 2MP camera and AI camera with dual LED flash. At the front, there’s a 32MP wide camera for selfies. The device is backed by a huge 6000mAh battery which supports 70W ultra-fast charging along with reverse wired charging as well.
Under the hood, it also has a 27342mm cooling area and supports an e-sports pro operation engine and 4D vibration sense for gaming. It is also the first Tecno smartphone to use Dolby Atmos spatial audio with stereo speakers. It further has dynamic MiniLED lighting on the rear panel with 210 LEDs, which can be used for various purposes.
The device runs on Android 14 with HiOS 14 and gets an in-display fingerprint sensor. For connectivity, it gets Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth v5.1, GPS/ GLONASS/ Beidou, USB Type-C, NFC, and a 3.5mm Headphone jack.
Tecno confirmed that TECNO POVA 6 Pro 5G will make its debut in the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and India starting from the end of February which means the device could debut in the next two days. Following the initial release, it will become widely available across key regions, spanning Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.
Tecno Pova 6 Pro 5G: Expected India Price
The Tecno Pova 6 Pro 5G is expected to have a $229 price tag for the 8GB/256GB version and $269 for the 12GB/256GB version. Converting it to INR, the device could be priced below Rs 20,000 in India. Also, keeping the specifications in mind, we think a sub-Rs 20,000 price tag would be justified for the Indian market. However, these are speculations and should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a fast and convenient way to transfer money between different bank accounts in India through a wide selection of apps. But did you know that you can also use UPI to make payments in some foreign countries? Here is a guide on how to use UPI outside India and which countries accept UPI payments.
How To Activate UPI International?
UPI is a real-time payment system that allows users to send and receive money using a virtual payment address (VPA) or a QR code. Users do not need to share their bank account details or card numbers with the recipient or the merchant. UPI is powered by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and is supported by over 200 banks and many popular apps such as PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm, Amazon Pay, and others.
To use UPI outside India, you must activate the UPI International feature on your UPI app, such as Paytm, PhonePe and GPay (Google Pay). The steps may vary slightly depending on the App you use, but the general process is as follows:
Step 1: Open the UPI app and go to the home screen.
Step 2: Click on your profile picture or the menu icon.
Step3: Under the Payment Settings section, select UPI International.
Step4: Click the Activate button next to the bank account you wish to use for international UPI payments.
Step5: Now enter your 6-digit or 4-digit UPI Pin. Some apps like Paytm will ask you how long you want to keep the service enabled. If not, the UPI international service disables automatically after 7 days, but you can enable it again if you wish.
Step 6: You will see a confirmation message on the screen. You can now use UPI outside India.
How to make UPI payments outside India?
To make UPI payments outside India, you need to scan the QR code of the merchant or the recipient using your UPI app. The QR code should be compatible with UPI, such as Bharat QR or UPI QR. You can also enter the VPA of the recipient if they have one. The steps are as follows:
Open the UPI app and click on the Scan or Pay option.
Scan the QR code of the merchant or the recipient, or enter their VPA.
You will see the details of the transaction on the screen, such as the amount, the currency, and the exchange rate.
Enter the amount you want to pay, and select the bank account you want to use. The amount will also be shown to you in rupees, as in the amount that will be deducted from your bank account in the form of Indian currency.
You will receive a confirmation message on the screen and a notification on your phone.
Note that using UPI doesn’t mean you are not subject to foreign exchange and bank fees. The exchange rate is calculated based on rates offered by partner banks and is shown below the transaction amount.
Such regions where QR-based UPI payments are supported include:
France
Bhutan
Nepal
Oman
UAE
Malaysia
Thailand
Philippines
Vietnam
Singapore
Cambodia
Hong Kong
Taiwan
South Korea
Japan
United Kingdom
Europe
How To Setup UPI on Your International Number?
If you are a non-resident Indian (NRI), you can also access the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) on your international mobile number. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) issued new guidelines last year that allowed NRIs in ten countries to access UPI services using their international mobile numbers for bank accounts that are classified as Non-Resident External (NRE) or Non-Resident Ordinary (NRO) accounts. These countries include:
Singapore
Australia
Canada
Hong Kong
Oman
Qatar
USA
Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
As for the steps regarding how to setup UPI on your international number, these are:
Ensure you have an NRO or NRE account with a bank in India that supports UPI transactions. Then, register your foreign mobile number with your bank account.
Now, select a UPI app of your choice, such as Paytm, PhonePe or GPay.
Ensure the app supports linking a bank account via an international phone number as you’ll now have to verify this international mobile number.
Then, link your NRO/NRE account to the UPI app after you find and tap on your bank’s name.
Samsung Galaxy S24 series launched in January earlier this year and after using the Galaxy S24 for about 2 weeks, we have compiled our thoughts in this detailed review of the compact flagship from the brand. Is it worth spending Rs 79,999 on it or not? Read further and decide for yourself.
Build & Design
Samsung usually opts for a minimal design approach that appeals to the masses and it did so with the Galaxy S23, now followed by the Galaxy S24. The rear design of the S24 is identical to the S23 and the overall compact form factor as well. In fact, you cannot distinguish between the two when looking from a distance.
However, it’s the in-hand feel that has been refined further. The completely flat edges give off a more premium feel and definitely an iPhone vibe. But that doesn’t mean the design is a copy. The flatter sides also offer better grip, making the design more functional. Moreover, the Armour Aluminium frame now has a matte finish, which I like better compared to the glossy finish on the predecessors.
Due to its compactness, you can reach all the corners of the screen with one hand. Compactness combined with the refreshed flat frame accounts for a spectacular in-hand experience. The buttons are now also slightly bigger in size while being tactile. The design is also IP68 rated so using it in rain shouldn’t be an issue.
As for the haptics, they are identical to last year’s S23. While they feel premium, they still do not beat the Haptics of the OnePlus 12 in terms of how strong the vibration is. The stereo speaker setup sounds excellent with a balanced sound signature and adequately loud.
Display
The 6.1-inch full-HD+ Dynamic AMOLED Display is protected with Gorilla Glass Victus 2, the same as the rear panel. While it doesn’t sport the Gorilla Armour with the anti-reflective properties as in the S24 Ultra, this display is still quite capable.
It is sharp and produces natural colours. Samsung will be pushing out an update to add vividness to the colours,, which I felt was considerably less compared to the Galaxy S23 as the colours looked washed out.
Aside from that, the viewing angles are impressive, and so is the brightness, which has pumped up from a peak of 1750 nits (on S23) to 2600 nits. In Netflix, the display supports HDR 10 as well as Widevine L1 so there are no issues in those areas as well. Watching movies and videos on this display was a visual treat, also thanks to the slim and uniform bezels around which add to the aesthetic appeal and aren’t much of a distraction.
There’s an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor at the bottom for security, which works faster than optical Sensors like the one seen on the OnePlus 12. However, the OnePlus 12 has a better overall panel if we compare the specs of the two.
Performance & Software
The Galaxy S24 packs the Exynos 2400 Chipset in India, paired with 8GB RAM and 256GB in the base model and 512GB storage in the top-end one. I had my doubts about the Exynos 2400 chipset as Samsung is using the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the device in the US and Canada.
Whenever Samsung has deployed such a strategy, its Exynos Processor has come out to be the poorer one. However, I was surprised that Samsung finally did justice with the chip and made it nearly as powerful as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, if not identical, while being efficient.
It won’t be wrong to say that Samsung has finally cracked the Exynos game. The Exynos 2400 has a deca-core setup, and this chip has been nothing short of impressive in daily use, which was also an issue in the past with these processors. The Galaxy S24 flies with most tasks and handles everything without breaking a sweat.
The RAM management is more than decent while there have been no stutters across the user interface. The device does get warm during tasks such as downloading, but it’s well under control and nothing to worry about. This means thermals are also well put together, combined with the larger vapour chamber over the S23.
I had no issues while gaming as well. It could handle heavy graphics in titles but with some amount of heat.
As for software, this is where Samsung has put in most efforts. It comes preloaded with One UI 6.1 based on Android 14, and Samsung claims the device will get seven years of OS updates. With how well Exynos 2400 has been tuned, we think that might just be possible but isn’t necessary as 4 to 5 years is the sweet spot.
As for the UI, it’s typical One UI with tweaked animations over One UI 6.0. These look and feel much smoother and more refined, upping the experience in daily use.
Samsung is also banking on AI features such as the new Photo editor. The new editor can move or remove objects and can also resize the photo generating more content around the edges to fill in any missing pieces. So far, with the majority of the images, the results have been excellent. Yes, the editing can be spotted if you go looking for it, but if you don’t, the edited photos are pretty promising.
Samsung keyboard also has AI features that can change the writing style and tone of your text and can also check for grammatical mistakes. Features like the interpreter mode, real-time translation in calls, and summarised web pages in Samsung Internet work well, too.
More than these, I used the generative AI wallpaper feature that can create various types of walls based on the prompts. Once again, the wallpapers that were being shown were beautiful and detailed. However, the Resolution of these wallpapers could have been higher.
For added security and privacy, Samsung gives you the option to enable the processing of data for AI features locally on the device instead of online processing, which is appreciated. The circle-to-search feature, where you can tap and hold on to the gesture bar and circle anything on the screen to search for it, is a feature that I feel will be useful for many.
Wallpaper AOD Turned ON
There are also new AOD options, including the one where the device can show the wallpaper on the always-on display. If it’s a live wallpaper, the animation seamlessly blends with the lock screen when you wake up the phone. It’s an excellent customisation feature that has been implemented nicely. Do note that it would drain more battery than usual, though.
There’s also a new “When to show” setting for the AOD, which says “Auto”. When this is enabled, the AOD will automatically switch off when it detects that your phone is in a dark place such as your pocket and will turn it off to save battery.
Battery Backup
The Galaxy S24 packs a 4000mAh battery with 25W fast wired charging and 15W wireless charging. While the battery size may seem small, as I mentioned before, Samsung has tuned the software and processor well with each other, which helped the battery last me a day easily.
Even with some gaming, browsing, watching videos and scrolling social media, I ended 23 hours of use with around 11% remaining with a five-hour 10m screen-on time, which is exceptionally good. Also, this included the wallpaper always-on display turned on all the time except for at night, which further enhanced its excellence.
With the regular AOD without wallpaper or with it completely turned off, I could easily touch the 6-hour mark in terms of screen-on time. However, these stats were primarily recorded when we were on Wi-Fi. Turning on 5G does take a hit on the backup, where the Screen-on time and usage time will drop.
Charging time is something that needs to be improved now. Samsung has been opting for 25W Fast charging for a while now, which takes around 1 hour and 10 minutes to charge from 0 to 100.
The competition, including the OnePlus 12 or even the iQOO 12, not only have a bigger battery but much faster up to 120W charging and 50W wireless charging (on the OnePlus 12).
Cameras
The Galaxy S24 gets a triple rear camera setup, including a 50MP primary wide camera with f/1.8 aperture, multi-directional PDAF and OIS. Then there’s a 10MP telephoto sensor with 3x Optical Zoom support, an f/2.4 aperture, OIS, PDAF and a 12MP ultra-wide sensor with an f/2.2 Aperture and 120-degree FoV. Next, it has a 12MP f/2.2 front-facing camera.
The cameras on the Galaxy S24 are the same as the Galaxy S23 and while that may not be the bad thing, we think Samsung can now do better in this area. The new Super HDR feature works well and shows a wider spectrum of colours, even on the S24’s screen itself. As usual, the photos are sharp and vivid, with colours with exposure levels under control. The overall output from this sensor is quite decent, but again, it could have been better considering other flagships such as iQOO 12, Vivo X100, and more are catching up.
Ultra-wide Angle 1Ultra-wide Angle 2
The shots from the ultra-wide angle sensor are, again, decent. There’s no colour shift of sorts over the primary sensor, and the shades remain contrasting. On the other hand, distortion at the edges could have been better. Moreover, we feel the detailing and sharpness of the photos could have also been improved as we noticed slight noise in the images from such shots.
2x zoomed
The telephoto sensor has been well tuned, though, as shots zoomed in by up to 2x and 3x have more than enough details. Moreover, the HDR handles the colours very well, and such photos are a treat to look at. Even the portrait shots have a good amount of natural-looking bokeh with accurate EDGE detection.
Selfie shots from the 12MP sensor have decent skin tones and impressive sharpness. The bokeh effect can be inconsistent at times, but the overall selfie looks excellent in most lighting conditions.
The sensor with a high level of detailing and excellent colour reproduction well handles shots under low-light conditions. There’s no noise in the photo, and the results seem promising. Similar is the situation with shots clicked under artificial lighting. As you can notice in the shot above, the scratches on the case are clearly visible, even to the naked eye.
With night shots as well, the camera doesn’t disappoint. It doesn’t seem to struggle in such conditions, and turning on Night mode does bring a noticeable difference to the photo with exposure levels going up. Detailing also increases to some extent.
Google has released a new set of features for Android to enhance the overall experience of Android users. This includes the likes of Gemini in Google Messages, so you can chat with the AI assistant right within the Messages app. Aside from these, here are all the 9 new Android features you should check out.
New Android Features
As announced by Google in a blog post, Android Auto can now automatically summarize long texts or busy group chats while you’re driving with the help of AI. It will also suggest relevant replies and actions, such as sending a message, sharing your ETA or starting a call
AI will now also help users listen to auto-generated AI descriptions of photos, online images and pictures included in messages. Designed with blind and low-vision communities, this feature is now rolling out globally in English.
The screen reader support in Google Maps has now also been enhanced where you can directly point your phone’s camera at your surroundings, and TalkBack will read the place’s information out loud — like its business hours, rating or directions on how to get there.
Next up, with Google Docs markups, you can now add handwritten annotations to Docs from your Android phone or tablet using your finger or stylus. Google says there’s a variety of markup tools on offer. Then, the casting controls of the output switcher in Android now also support Spotify apart from YouTube Music, so you can easily switch between your devices — whether it’s your phone speaker, headphones, smart speakers or TV.
In addition, the Fitbit App has now been redesigned so you can see a complete picture of your health. With Health Connect, head to the You tab in the Fitbit app on your Android phone to see data from connected apps next to your Fitbit data. In the Today tab, you can see data like exercise, steps, calories burned, floors climbed, and distance travelled from Health Connect-compatible apps.
Google Wallet passes are now available on Wear OS watches so you can access boarding passes, event tickets, gym memberships, loyalty cards and more from your smartwatch itself. Moreover, with public transit directions on Google Maps for Wear OS, you can leave your phone in your pocket and glance at your wrist to ensure you catch your bus, train or ferry. It will show you the departure times right from your smartwatch and compass-guided navigation directions to your destination.
Finally, as a part of these 9 new features, starting this week in beta in English, you can access Gemini right in Google Messages on your Android phone. Chat with Gemini to draft messages, brainstorm ideas, plan events, or have a fun conversation without leaving the Messages app.
OnePlus has announced a new smartwatch worldwide called the OnePlus Watch 2. The new watch from the brand runs on Wear OS 4, making it the first smartwatch from the brand to do so. The OnePlus Watch 2 is competing with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 in India, and here we are to tell you whether it’s better than the competition or not.
OnePlus Watch 2: Price, Availability
The OnePlus Watch 2 comes in Black Steel and Radiant Steel, priced at Rs 24,999. It will be available for purchase beginning March 4 in India via Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, OnePlus online store, Reliance Digital, Croma, and other offline stores.
OnePlus Watch 2: Specifications
The OnePlus Watch 2 sports a 1.43-inch circular AMOLED Display with a Resolution of 466 x 466 pixels, a 60Hz refresh rate, a 1,000 peak brightness level, and a 2.5D sapphire crystal screen. The watch has a dual-chip system, where it’s powered by a Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 SoC for running Wear OS apps as well as a BES2700 chipset, which runs RTOS (OnePlus’ own OS for wearables) for background activity.
This also gives users a choice to switch between the two operating systems. The watch packs 2GB RAM and 32GB storage along with 4GB eMMC storage for RTOS. The OnePlus Watch 2 is fully protected, thanks to the military-grade MIL-STD-810H build, paired with 5ATM and IP68 rating.
The company has packed a large 500mAh battery in the OnePlus Watch 2 that supports 7.5W VOOC fast charging, which can charge the watch from zero to 100 in 60 minutes. The watch can run for up to 48 hours with heavy usage, up to 100 hours of battery life in Smart Mode, and up to 12 days of battery life in Power Saver mode.
As for health tracking, the smartwatch has an optical heart rate monitor and pulse oximeter sensor, and it can also track sleep cycles and stress levels. It supports more than 11 professional and more than 100 sports modes with automatic recognition for 6 of them. The OnePlus Watch 2 has L1+L5 GPS, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, Dual-Band Wi-Fi, and USB Type-C connectivity which also supports data transfer. You can also make calls via the watch itself.
The Galaxy Watch 6 from Samsung launched last year and is available starting at Rs 29,999 for the 40mm model. The Galaxy Watch 6 comes in various sizes, compared to the single 47mm dial offered in the OnePlus watch. This one’s vital for those who want a smaller watch where the Watch 6 could be a better option for them. Both the watches also have the IP68 rating, which makes them durable as well.
Then, both of them run on Wear OS 4, but in Samsung’s case, it has One UI on top, while OnePlus offers its own set of customisation with Wear OS 4 and RTOS. However, this is where things differ the most between the two watches, as Galaxy Watch 6 limits some of the features to Samsung users while so far, from what we have seen, OnePlus doesn’t.
Then, the OnePlus Watch 2 also gets you more RAM and storage than the Galaxy Watch 6. Also, the OnePlus Watch 2 has a more powerful Processor under the hood which should help launch apps faster along with other smoother daily operations.
The Watches have enough number of sports modes to track and offer a wide range of health monitoring services, including the basics such as Heart rate tracking, SpO2 measurement, Sleep tracking, etc.
However, only the Galaxy Watch 6 can perform an ECG, whereas the OnePlus Watch 2 cannot, which is actually a bummer considering most high-end watches have this feature. Both of them support stress notifications, built-in GPS, Bluetooth calling support and more. Both of they pretty much cover the basics.
Finally, in terms of battery, the OnePlus Watch 2 wins the competition with a bigger battery that would help it run longer than the Galaxy Watch 6.
To sum up, both the watches are solid for the price if you are an Android user. But, if you own a Samsung phone, the Galaxy Watch 6 is a much better option, thanks to Samsung’s ecosystem features. However, if you have any other smartphone apart from Samsung, the OnePlus Watch 2 is clearly the better and more value for money offering in most aspects, except for some, such as the lack of ECG support and tap-to-pay functionality.
In a move to enhance user experience, Truecaller has extended its call recording and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered transcription capabilities to India. Initially launched in the US in June 2023, the feature has garnered popularity, prompting the company to expand its availability to additional regions in less than a year.
Android and iOS users will now be able to record incoming and outgoing calls, with the added benefit of AI-driven transcription. However, it’s important to note that this feature will be accessible only to paid subscribers of the Truecaller app.
While specific smartphone models, such as the Google Pixel 8 series and select Samsung devices supporting Galaxy AI, already offer built-in call transcription features, Truecaller aims to fill the gap for users who need access to such functionalities. By integrating call recording directly within the app, Truecaller eliminates the need for third-party recording tools.
Utilizing AI technology, Truecaller aims to ensure accurate recorded call transcription, delivering a seamless user experience. Previously, Truecaller offered call recording capabilities but had to discontinue them due to restrictions imposed by Google. Now, with advancements in AI, Truecaller re-introduces this feature, catering to the evolving needs of its user base.
How to record Calls on Truecaller?
The process of call recording varies between Android and iOS devices. Android users can initiate recording directly from the Truecaller dialer, while iOS users will access the feature through the Search page. Upon selecting the “Record a call” option, Truecaller prompts users to call a designated recording line, facilitating seamless recording initiation.
Once the call concludes, Truecaller notifies users when the transcription is ready, and it is available in both English and Hindi.
Users can manage recordings within the app, including playback, renaming, deletion, and sharing with other applications. All recorded calls are stored locally on the device, with the option to create backups on iCloud for iOS users.
At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024, Qualcomm showcased an artificial intelligence (AI) features suite for Android smartphones. These features, powered by Snapdragon and Qualcomm platforms, operate entirely within the device, a departure from traditional AI models that rely on external servers.
“The future of generative AI is hybrid, with on-device intelligence working together with the cloud to provide greater personalization, privacy, reliability and efficiency,” Cristiano Amon, president and CEO of Qualcomm, said in a statement.
Highlighted offerings include a large language model (LLM) for multimodal responses and an image generation tool. Qualcomm also introduced over 75 AI models accessible to developers for specialized applications.
Unlike typical AI models, Qualcomm’s solutions are localized within the device, ensuring personalized experiences while addressing privacy concerns. These models are available to developers through platforms like Qualcomm AI Hub, GitHub, and Hugging Face.
Qualcomm emphasized the efficiency of its AI models, boasting reduced computational power consumption and cost-effectiveness for App development. Despite being task-specific, these models offer diverse applications such as image editing and transcription, as seen on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Series.
“With Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for smartphones and Snapdragon X Elite for PCs, we started commercialising on-device AI at scale. Now, with the Qualcomm AI Hub, we will empower developers to fully harness the potential of these cutting-edge technologies and create captivating AI-enabled apps,” said Durga Malladi, senior vice president and general manager of technology planning and EDGE solutions at Qualcomm Technologies.
Qualcomm integrated automation processes into its AI library to streamline development, facilitating model translation and optimizations. Additionally, it introduced research-phase tools like the Large Language and Vision Assistant (LLaVA) and Low-Rank Adaptation (LoRA) for enhanced efficiency.
At the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024 in Barcelona, Samsung showcased its latest innovation – the Samsung Galaxy Ring. This news gadget in the health wearable segment will leverage the capabilities of the Samsung Health platform.
Samsung has not shared any information regarding when it will launch the ring or any indication of the price.
More information about the Samsung Galaxy Ring has yet to be made available. However, the images of the device reveal a dark metallic body with Sensors placed on the inner side, which was also shown during the Galaxy Unpacked event in January. According to Samsung, the Galaxy Ring will be available in three colour options and offer a range of health tracking features.
The Galaxy Ring boasts a sleek and comfortable ring form factor, emphasising simplicity and ease of wear. It offers health insights beyond conventional smartwatches’ functionalities, making it ideal for health-conscious individuals. During a dedicated session at MWC, Samsung showcased the device’s ability to monitor vital health metrics such as pulse, body temperature, and more.
In a statement, Samsung said that the Galaxy Ring will simplify everyday wellness and provide users with greater insights into their health.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the latest flagship from the Samsung stable. It claims to offer a seamless fusion of advanced technology and performance. In this comprehensive review, we examine every aspect of Samsung’s newest flagship device to discover its true capabilities and help you decide if it’s worth investing in.
Price and Variants
The cost of the Galaxy S24 Ultra varies depending on the region and the amount of storage you choose. In the United States, you can select from three storage options: 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. The prices for these variants are $1,299.99, $1,419.99, and $1,659.99, respectively. In the UK, the prices range from £1,249 to £1,549, and in India, the base model starts at Rs. 1,29,999 with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The higher-tier models cost up to Rs. 1,59,999.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is available in three colour options, namely Titanium Gray, Titanium Violet, and Titanium Black. Additionally, Samsung is offering exclusive online colour options in its stores, including Titanium Blue, Titanium Green, and Titanium Orange. Though the phone is priced slightly higher than its predecessor, the company provides enticing offers in association with banks to reduce customer impact.
Design and Build Quality
The overall design of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra exhibits incremental changes from its predecessors, characterized by a fully flat screen and new titanium sides reminiscent of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. This design choice not only provides a grippier finish but also enhances durability, theoretically making the device stronger.
One notable alteration is the adoption of Corning’s latest Gorilla Armor glass for the screen, boasting enhanced scratch resistance and reduced reflectivity. This innovative glass technology significantly diminishes glare, making outdoor usage seamless even under the brightest sunlight.
The device’s flat display, measuring a substantial 6.82 inches, is a departure from the curved panels found in previous flagship models. This design modification not only impacts the overall aesthetics of the smartphone but also contributes to a sleeker profile. Additionally, thinner bezels and a reduced front-facing camera cutout further refine the device’s appearance, accentuating its modern appeal.
On the rear panel, users will find a frosted back panel adorned with layers of metallic paint, creating a captivating depth effect, particularly in the ghostly, natural grey titanium finish. While the speaker grills and microphone placements have been subtly altered, the overall aesthetic remains reminiscent of its predecessors.
S Pen Integration
The S Pen, which was exclusive to the Note series ( now discontinued) until a couple of years ago, is more than just a mere novelty in the S24 Ultra. It comes equipped with Bluetooth functionality and the side button of the S Pen doubles as a remote control, allowing for seamless interaction with various features on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, such as enhancing the camera functionality. Additionally, those who use it for drawing or scribbling will not be disappointed, although there have not been many changes from what was seen in the S Pen of the S23 Ultra.
However, I would like to point out that the camera bump on the Galaxy S24 Ultra causes the phone to wobble when placed on a flat surface. This instability makes it uncomfortable to use the SPen for note-taking while the phone is lying flat. As a result, the most convenient way to take notes with the SPen is to hold the phone in one hand and write with the other hand.
Display Performance
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra features an exceptional display that meets the high standards of a top-tier smartphone. It has an expansive size, vibrant brightness, and rich colours, especially when using the Vivid colour tone option.
The phone’s innovative anti-glare coating mitigates the common annoyance of sunlight reflection on the screen, ensuring optimal visibility even in bright outdoor environments. Moreover, the display has a range of adaptive features, including automatic adjustments to brightness and colour tones based on ambient lighting conditions. When exposed to intense sunlight, the display can reach an impressive brightness level of up to 2,600 nits.
The always-on display has a dim wallpaper feature and the ability to incorporate visible widgets even when the phone is locked, similar to Apple’s implementation.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra boasts a stunning 6.82-inch AMOLED Display with LTPO technology that enables a dynamic Refresh Rate ranging from 1 to 120Hz. Supporting HDR10 and HDR10+, the device delivers vibrant colours and sharp contrast, enhancing the viewing experience across various multimedia content.
Users can select different display modes, including an enhanced mode for more vivid colours or a natural “Basic” mode. Additionally, the display features adaptive eye protection, adjusting blue light filtration based on the time of day and surrounding lighting conditions, ensuring optimal visual comfort.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra incorporates an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner embedded beneath the display glass. This technology offers enhanced security, renowned for its speed and accuracy, even when fingers are moist, or the display surface is smudged.
The Samsung One UI 6.1 software is built on Android 14 and offers a wide range of customization options and features that make the user experience smooth and friendly. Samsung has committed to providing software and security updates for seven years from the release date, in line with Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Pixel 8.
The software’s AI-powered features, which Samsung Calls Galaxy AI, are particularly notable, although their effectiveness may vary. For example, the AI wallpaper generator is similar to the one found on the Pixel 8 Pro and adds a personal touch to the user experience. The keyboard incorporates various AI tools, including language translation, advanced grammar and spelling checks, and the ability to rewrite messages in different tones, catering to diverse communication needs. While this feature may produce somewhat generic results, it can be useful for people who struggle with more formal correspondence, such as composing emails to their superiors.
The Samsung Notes App offers document summarization, although it is limited to documents under 8,000 characters. Similarly, the Samsung Internet Browser can summarize lengthy articles, showcasing impressive capabilities on the surface.
The voice recorder app can transcribe audio to text, although not in real-time like Google’s version. Real-time voice translation is also available in the phone app, facilitating cross-language communication, albeit with limitations in handling casual language.
Notable additions include the Generative Edit feature in the photo gallery app, which is similar to Google’s Magic Editor on Pixel phones. This tool leverages AI to resize, reframe, erase, or move objects within images, offering quick editing solutions that would otherwise require complex software like Photoshop or simpler ones like Canva. However, it may occasionally yield unintended results. Also, to address concerns related to the misuse of AI-generated edits, Samsung added a watermark for demarcation.
The ability to convert videos to slow motion using AI-generated frames is another unique capability, producing impressive results with minimal artefacts.
Finally, the Circle to Search feature allows users to effortlessly search for highlighted content on their screen. By circling desired elements with a finger or stylus, Google swiftly retrieves relevant information, enhancing user productivity and convenience. While similar functionalities exist with Google Lens, Circle to Search stands out for its intuitive execution.
Performance and Processing Power
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra comes with a customized version of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, coupled with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage options that go up to 1TB. This hardware configuration significantly enhances the phone’s performance, allowing users to execute tasks faster than before.
Whether you’re a gaming enthusiast or not, the S24 Ultra offers seamless gameplay, even at the highest settings, with smooth frame rates and stutter-free performance. The enhanced performance also makes non-gaming activities, such as photo editing in Adobe Lightroom, a breeze, enabling users to make precise adjustments and see real-time changes to their images.
However, the addition of new AI features on the Galaxy S24 Ultra causes occasional delays. Despite Samsung’s technological EDGE over its competitors, the innovative AI functionalities sometimes result in waiting periods for tasks like composing text messages or editing photos in the gallery. While the AI capabilities show promise, the current user experience is marred by these delays.
In terms of haptics, the S24 Ultra offers tactile feedback similar to its predecessor, the S23 series, providing a clicky, robust, and responsive user experience.
Camera Capabilities
The Galaxy S24 boasts a top-of-the-line camera that sets the standard in smartphone photography. It features a 200 MP primary camera, a 12 MP ultra-wide camera, and two zoom cameras – a 10 MP zoom camera with a 3x telephoto lens and a 50 MP zoom camera with a 5x lens. The S24 has made subtle but impactful changes, such as replacing the 10x lens with the 50 MP sensor, which produces impressive results with the help of AI enhancements.
In daylight conditions, the primary camera captures vibrant and well-exposed images with balanced dynamics and subdued color saturation compared to previous Samsung models. Some sharpening is still evident, but it is tastefully applied, avoiding the excessive artificiality often associated with smartphone photography.
In low-light situations, the S24 performs well, retaining details in shadows while preserving the integrity of light sources. Although noise reduction and sharpening can occasionally be overzealous in dimly lit environments, overall image quality remains commendable, making the S24 a reliable companion for nighttime adventures.
The S24’s zoom capabilities are impressive, with the software compensating for increased magnification by adjusting exposure and colour balance. Despite the digital zoom’s limitations, the transition between 3x and 5x zoom levels is seamless, and the 5x lens and 50 MP sensor combination can deliver comparable results to its predecessor’s 10x telephoto lens.
While slightly lower in quality than the primary sensor, the ultra-wide camera still captures compelling shots with impressive detail and dynamic range despite minor distortion and HDR artefacts near contrasting elements.
Selfies are a highlight, with the front-facing camera adeptly preserving facial details and accurately reproducing skin tones. Whether capturing intricate facial features or dynamic outdoor scenes, the Galaxy S24’s selfie camera delivers consistently impressive results.
Video recording capabilities are equally impressive, with the S24 capable of capturing richly detailed footage in daylight conditions. Stabilization technology ensures smooth video capture even during movement, making it ideal for vlogging or documenting adventures. However, telephoto lenses may struggle to maintain quality in low-light environments, presenting a minor drawback in an otherwise stellar camera package.
Battery Life and Charging
The Galaxy S24 Ultra maintains its 5,000 mAh battery capacity from the previous model. However, Samsung has enhanced power management for efficient energy utilization. The device has adaptive screen settings and users can optimize power consumption by adjusting screen resolution and Processor performance. Samsung has integrated a comprehensive power-saving feature with options like limiting app usage and dimming the display to conserve energy. The device charges quickly with a 45W charging capability. Although it may not last for two days, it offers ample battery life to last a day and a half for casual users.
