HTech has officially released the Magic OS 9.0 for Honor 200 series in India, bringing new features and enhanced security. This update delivers crucial performance and security enhancements, including the February 2025 security patches, and introduces a slew of new AI features like AI Translate, AI Photo Editor, AI Notes.
The rollout of Android 15-based Magic OS 9.0 for Honor 200 series will be completed by 27th February for all HONOR 200 Pro devices and by 3rd March for all HONOR 200 devices. Some of the key new features introduced in this update include:
Enhanced Performance and Security: Incorporates the Android February 2025 security patches for enhanced system security.
AI Translate: Real-time interpretation for meetings and lectures. Supports automatic language detection for seamless communication in business and travel.
AI Notes: Voice-to-text and real-time translation. Allows users to automatically transcribe minutes of a minutes, supporting multiple languages and dialects, with a one-click summary feature.
AI Photo Editor – Extract subjects from images, moving photos, and paused videos.
Eliminate unwanted images
Restore old or damaged faces
Expand images and apply AI-powered filters for creative enhancements
New Gesture Access: Pinch with two fingers on the home/lock screen for personalized space.
Redesigned UI: New icons, cards, and Control Center for a fresh aesthetic.
The update was also released for Honor’s flagship Magic 6 Pro 5G back in January. Meanwhile, the company is gearing up to launch the Honor X9c 5G in India soon. Honor X9c 5G sports a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel that offers a 1.5K resolution, 120hz refresh rate, 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, 4000 nits peak brightness, 437 ppi, and 1.07 billion colours. It is powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor, paired with up to 12 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of storage.
As for the expected price, the X9c 5G should launch around the same price point as the Honor X9b 5G from last year, which began at Rs 25,999.
Ultraviolette, maker of the ‘The Fastest Indian Motorcyle’, is set to expand its presence across multiple two-wheeler segments. With its focus on design, performance and future-ready technology, the company plans to roll out a diverse portfolio that caters to a wide range of consumer preferences and riding needs.
The company aims to leverage its extensive Research and Development prowess which brought the F77 MACH 2 and F77 SuperStreet to life, to build a robust future product pipeline. “This strategic expansion marks a significant milestone for Ultraviolette as it ventures into new product segments, reinforcing its commitment to Innovation, Sustainability, and Customer Centricity,” said the brand.
This expansion into various Two-Wheeler segments aims to make EV technology more accessible while maintaining the brand’s hallmark of futuristic design and advanced engineering, asserted Ultraviolette. “Ultraviolette’s expansion into new segments aligns with the company’s mission to redefine personal mobility. The new products are expected to debut in phases, with more details to be revealed soon.”
Expanding quickly beyond Bangalore, Ultraviolette has recently entered 11 new cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, and Vizag, aiming to boost sales. “By the end of this year, the target is to reach around 50 cities,” the company stated. Meanwhile, its F99 racing prototype set a new benchmark for India-made two-wheelers, reaching a record speed of 258 km/h in January.
The company, which sells the F77 bike (Mach2 and Super Street) priced around Rs 3 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), plans to bring three new electric motorcycles, and also a long-range scooter, founders Narayan Subramaniam and Niraj Rajmohan told Times of India. The exact roadmap will be revealed on March 5.
As February concludes with significant launches like the Apple iPhone 16e, March also appears promising with several major releases on the horizon. Here is a list of smartphones launching in March 2025, including both confirmed and anticipated debuts.
Samsung Galaxy A Series: Galaxy A56 5G, Galaxy A36 5G, Galaxy A26 5G (India, Global Launch)
Samsung is all set to debut three new Galaxy A Series smartphones in India next week and these include the Galaxy A56 5G, Galaxy A36 5G, and the Galaxy A26 5G. Starting with the Galaxy A56 5G, it could get a 6.7″ FHD+ AMOLED Display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 1200 nits high brightness mode, and Gorilla glass victus+ protection on the front and back. It will be powered by the Exynos 1580 SoC, and will run on Android 15-based One UI 7. Further, the device will receive updates for 6 years including both OS updates and security patches. The device should get Galaxy AI features as well.
The cameras could include a 50MP main sensor with OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide angle sensor, and a 5MP macro sensor along with a 12MP front-facing sensor. It may get a 5000mAh battery with 45W fast wired charging. There should be an in-display optical fingerprint sensor for biometrics.
The Galaxy A36 5G could also get the same display as A56 5G, paired with the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset, One UI 7 with 6 OS updates, 50MP + 8MP + 5MP rear camera setup, 12MP front camera, 5000mAh battery, 45W fast charging, and an in-display fingerprint scanner.
Lastly, the Galaxy A26 5G may get a similar display as the other two but with a notch and a lower 800 nits brightness. It could have the Exynos 1380 processor, One UI 7 with 6 OS updates, 50MP + 8MP + 2MP rear camera setup, 12MP front camera, 5000mAh battery, 25W fast charging, and an in-display optical fingerprint scanner.
The three new Galaxy A series devices are among the confirmed smartphones launching in March 2025, specifically on the 2nd, which is as soon as next week.
The Galaxy A56 5G and the A36 5G prices were leaked recently, suggesting the former will start at Rs 41,999 while the latter will start at Rs 32,999. There’s no word on the Galaxy A26 5G pricing as of now, but we think it should lie in the Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 price range.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra (Global Launch)
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is also amongs the smartphones launching in March 2025, and its specs have already leaked. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra sports a 6.73-inch display with a WQHD+ resolution, achieving a Pixel density of 522ppi. It reaches a peak brightness of 3200 nits and supporting Dolby Vision HDR format. Furthermore, this display employs LTPO technology, enabling avariable Refresh Rate from 1-120 Hz, alongside DC dimming and 1920Hz PWM dimming.
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC. The device gets 16GB LPDDR5x RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage.
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra has a quad-camera system on the rear, including a 50MP Sony LYT-900 f/1.63 main sensor with OIS, a 50MP f/2.2 ultra-wide lens, a 50MP OIS-enabled f/1.8 telephoto unit, and a 200MP f/2.5 periscope telephoto sensor also with OIS. There’s support for variable Aperture of f/1.6 to f/4.0 for the main sensor. There’s a 32MP f/2.0 selfie snapper on the front.
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is equipped with Dolby Atmos dual stereo speakers and a 4-mic array capturing sound in 360 degrees while recording a video. As for the battery, the device packs a 5,410mAh battery with 90W fast wired charging, 80W wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging.
The handset further has a customised high-vibration X-axis linear motor, USB-C 3.2 port, NFC, Bluetooth v5.4, 5G, Wi-Fi 7, an IR blaster, and Xiaomi’s latest HyperOS 2.0 based on Android 15. It is also IP68 rated.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Launch Date (Confirmed)
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is confirmed to debut globally on March 2.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Price (Expected)
The device may get a Rs 1,00,000 price tag when it launches in India, based on how Xiaomi has priced its previous Ultra series devices.
iQOO Neo 10R (India Launch)
The iQOO Neo 10R has already been confirmed to be one of the smartphones launching in March 2025. It is expected to sport a 6.78-inch (2800 x 1260 pixels) 1.5K AMOLED 20:9 display with a 144Hz refresh rate, 4500 nits peak brightness, 3840Hz PWM dimming, HDR, and P3 colour gamut support. The device packs the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC and runs on Android 15-based FunTouch OS 15. The smartphone also houses up to 16GB LPPDR5x RAM and 512GB UFS 4.0 storage
For optics, the handset features a dual rear camera setup with a 50-megapixel f/1.8 Sony LYT-600 sensor with OIS and an 8-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide angle lens. For selfies, the handset houses a 16-megapixel f/2.5 selfie camera.
Connectivity options include 5G dual SIM, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.4, Dual-Band GNSS, IR blaster and NFC. It has dual stereo speakers and is IP64 rated as well. The handset also features an in-screen fingerprint sensor. For battery, the smartphone packs a 6400mAh silicon-carbon battery along with support for 80W fast wired charging.
iQOO Neo 10R: Launch Date (Confirmed)
The Neo 10R is confirmed to debut in India on March 11.
iQOO Neo 10R: Price (Expected)
The device may get a sub-Rs 40,000 price tag based on how iQOO has priced its previous Neo series devices.
Poco M7 5G (India Launch)
Poco M7 5G will be one of Poco’s smartphones launching in March 2025 in India. The device is confirmed to be powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset. It sports a 6.88-inch 120Hz screen with 600nits brightness along with 6GB RAM as well. The device is also confirmed to sport stereo speakers as well.
Poco M7 5G: Launch Date (Confirmed)
The Poco M7 5G will launch in India on March 3.
Poco M7 5G: Price (Expected)
The Poco M7 5G has been confirmed to launch in the sub-Rs 10,000 price range but the exact tag will be unveiled on the launch date.
Nothing Phone (3a) Series (Global, India Launch)
Nothing’s Phone (3a) series are also amongst smartphones launching in March 2025. The Nothing Phone (3a) series, as per leaks, sports a 6.77-inch AMOLED FHD+ screen with a resolution of 1084 x 2412 pixels, HDR10+, up to 3000 nits peak brightness, 240Hz touch sampling rate and a 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, the Nothing devices are powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 mobile platform, paired with up to 12 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of internal storage.
On the front, the Phone (3a) will get a 32-megapixel f/2.2 selfie camera while the Pro model will have a 50MP sensor. The Nothing Phone (3a) series will come with a triple rear camera setup, consisting of a 50-megapixel f/1.88 OIS-assisted primary camera, a 50-megapixel telephoto sensor, and an 8-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide angle camera. However, the difference here is that the Pro will have a periscope telephoto lens with 3x Optical Zoom and 60x digital zoom. The Phone (3a) will support 2x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom.
Both devices pack a 5000mAh battery with 50W Fast charging support.
Connectivity options on the smartphones could include 5G SA/NSA, Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 6 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.3, GPS (L1 + L5), USB Type-C, and NFC. There’s an in-display optical fingerprint sensor for security. The devices will run on Nothing OS 3.1 based on Android 15 and will get updates till Android 18 along with 4 years of security patches.
Nothing Phone (3a) Series: Launch Date (Confirmed)
The new Nothing devices are confirmed to launch on March 4 at 3:30PM IST.
Nothing Phone (3a) Series: Price (Expected)
The standard model might begin at Rs 25,000 while the Pro model could start at Rs 30,000 as per our expectations.
Vivo T4x 5G (India Launch)
The Vivo T4x 5G is all set to launch in India next month. As per confirmed specs, the device will get a 120Hz FHD+ LCD display along with a Dimensity 7300 Chipset under the hood. It will have a 6500mAh battery with 44W fast charging. There’ll be a side mounted fingerprint sensor for biometrics. On the back there could be a 50MP primary sensor and an auxiliary sensor along with an 8MP selfie camera. The device will get 2 major OS updates.
Vivo T4x 5G: Launch Date (Expected)
The T4x 5G will launch in March in India but an exact date hasn’t been specified by the brand.
Vivo T4x 5G: Price (Expected)
As per the brand itself, the Vivo T4x 5G could carry a price tag below Rs 15,000 in India.
Honor X9c 5G (India Launch)
Honor X9c 5G is also one of the smartphones launching in March 2025 in India. The device has already debuted in international markets so we know the specs the device will have. Honor X9c 5G sports a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel that offers a 1.5K resolution, 120hz refresh rate, 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, 4000 nits peak brightness, 437 ppi, and 1.07 billion colours. It is powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor, paired with up to 12 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of storage.
Honor X9c has a dual rear camera setup including a 108MP f/1.75 primary lens with OIS, and a 5MP ultra-wide f/2.2 sensor. On the front, the device is equipped with a 16MP f/2.45 selfie camera.
The device is backed by a 6600mAh battery with 66W Fast charging support. It runs on MagicOS 8.0 based on Android 14. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth v5.1, GPS, 5G, NFC, and a USB-C port. The device also has an in-display fingerprint sensor for Biometrics and stereo speakers as well.
Honor X9c 5G: Launch Date (Expected)
The device doesn’t have a concrete launch date in India as of now but the launch should happen in March itself.
Honor X9c 5G: Price (Expected)
As for the expected price, the X9c 5G should launch around the same price point as the Honor X9b 5G from last year, which began at Rs 25,999. In Malaysia, the Honor X9c starts at MYR 1,499 (approx Rs 28,700) for the 12GB + 256GB variant, while the 12GB + 512GB version is priced at MYR 1,699 (approx Rs 32,500).
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 renders have made an appearance online, giving us our first look at the design of the upcoming foldable from Samsung. The Flip 7 design seems largely to remain the same as the Flip 6 as well as the Flip 5 with minor refreshments. Here’s everything to know about the Galaxy Z Flip 7’s design features.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 renders come from Android Headlines, as per whom the Flip 7 will have the same folder-shaped cover screen, a flat frame, identical button and port placement, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and more, as the Galaxy Z Flip 6 had. However, the minor design refreshes we talked about include a slightly larger 3.6-inch cover screen compared to the Flip 6’s 3.4-inch display, which also corroborates a report from earlier last year.
The dimensions have also grown a little, to 166.6 x 75.2 x 6.9mm, or 9.1mm thick with the camera bump. As for the cameras, you get same 50MP plus 12MP sensor setup but these Sensors are upgraded ones over the Flip 6.
The Galaxy Z Flip 7 will continue to be offered with 12GB of RAM, and either 256GB or 512GB of storage. The report adds that Samsung still doesn’t have a Processor of choice for the Flip 7, which means it could either end up using its own rumoured Exynos 2500 or could opt for the safer bet – the Snapdragon 8 Elite.
Samsung may have also upgraded the hinge on the Flip 7 which could result in a lesser visible crease compared to the Flip 6, according to some reports online.
Amazon has announced Alexa+, its next-generation assistant powered by generative AI, bringing it on par with the likes of Google Gemini, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and more. “Alexa+ is more conversational, smarter, personalized—and she helps you get things done,” said Amazon.
Alexa+: All Features
“She keeps you entertained, helps you learn, keeps you organized, summarizes complex topics, and can converse about virtually anything. Alexa+ can manage and protect your home, make reservations, and help you track, discover, and enjoy new artists. She can also help you search, find or buy virtually any item online, and make useful suggestions based on your interests,” Amazon said in a blog post.
Conversations with the assistant claimed to have been improved, with them being more “expansive and natural.” Whether you’re speaking in half-formed thoughts, using colloquial expressions, or exploring complex ideas, Alexa+ understands what you mean, and responds like a trusted assistant, according to the company.
Powering Alexa+ are the LLMs available on Amazon Bedrock. The assistant is designed to take action and can orchestrate across tens of thousands of services and devices. To achieve this, Amazon created a concept called “experts”—groups of systems, capabilities, APIs, and instructions that accomplish specific types of tasks for customers.
“Alexa+ can control your smart home with products from Philips Hue, Roborock, and more; make reservations or appointments with OpenTable and Vagaro; explore discographies and play music from providers including Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, and iHeartRadio; order groceries from Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market, or delivery from Grubhub and Uber Eats; remind you when tickets go on sale on Ticketmaster; and use Ring to alert you if someone is approaching your house.”
Alexa+ also introduces agentic capabilities, which will enable Alexa to navigate the internet in a self-directed way to complete tasks on your behalf, behind the scenes. For instance, you need to get your oven fixed—Alexa+ will be able to navigate the web, use Thumbtack to discover the relevant service provider, authenticate, arrange the repair, and come back to tell you it’s done—there’s no need to supervise or intervene.”
The upgraded Alexa is also highly personalised so its responses get tailored to the user patterns. Moreover, it can remember what you tell it to, even from past conversations, and she can apply that knowledge to take useful action. “For example, if you are planning a dinner for the family, Alexa+ can remember that you love pizza, your daughter is vegetarian, and your partner is gluten-free, to suggest a recipe or restaurant.”
Alexa+ can also suggest users to take action by being proactive when it’s important, like telling users to leave early for work if there’s traffic across their route.
Customers will also be able to access Alexa+ in a new mobile App (available in the Apple App Store and Google Play store) and a new browser-based experience at Alexa.com. You can start a conversation with Alexa+ on your Echo device, continue on the go with your phone or in the car, and pick it up on your computer—Alexa+ remembers the context and can continue the conversation across any of your endpoints.
Alexa+ is also multimodal, so users can send it documents, emails, photos, and messages for it analyse, remember, and summarize. “Built on the secure infrastructure of AWS, Alexa+ brings world-class privacy and security protection to your everyday interactions,” said Amazon.
Alexa+: Pricing
Alexa+ costs $19.99 per month, but all Amazon Prime members will get it for free. Alexa+ has been launched as the newest Prime benefit.
Alexa+: Supported Devices, Rollout Timeline
Alexa+ will start rolling out in the U.S. in the next few weeks during an early access period, and subsequently in waves over the coming months. Amazon said it will prioritize Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21 device owners in the early access period.
Customers will be notified via email and through device notifications once access is granted. Once you have access and opt-in, Alexa+ will start working across all your compatible Echo devices, Fire TV, and Fire tablets, as well as on your web Browser and the Alexa app. There’s no word on India arrival of Alexa+ as of now.
As for the supported devices, when you get access to Alexa+ by owning or purchasing an Echo Show 8, 10, 15, or 21, it will be available on all Echo devices, except certain older generation Echo devices like Echo Dot 1st Gen, Echo 1st Gen, Echo Plus 1st Gen, Echo Tap, Echo Show 1st Gen, Echo Show 2nd Gen, and Echo Spot 1st Gen, where you can continue to use the original Alexa.
You’ll also be able to try Alexa+ on your web browser, the Alexa app, compatible Fire TVs and Fire tablets. However, this experience is not currently supported on Alexa Built-in devices and Amazon Astro.
Micromax Informatics, India’s home-grown consumer electronics brand, is expanding its footprint into the renewable energy sector with the launch of “Startup Energy”. This new venture aims to revolutionize solar panel manufacturing in India, driving the widespread adoption of sustainable energy and supporting the country’s ambitious clean energy mission.
“As the world accelerates its transition to clean energy, Startup Energy is poised to play a pivotal role in India’s renewable energy revolution. The company will focus on producing high-efficiency solar panels for residential, commercial, and industrial applications, ensuring affordable and scalable solar power solutions across the country,” said Micromax.
As part of this expansion, Micromax has signed a strategic contract with Jinchen for the phased deployment of a 5GW advanced solar module manufacturing line. This project will be executed in multiple phases, integrating automation and high-efficiency module production technologies to deliver high-end solar solutions.
“By leveraging Jinchen’s advanced manufacturing expertise and Micromax’s proven ability to scale technology-driven innovations, Startup Energy will play a crucial role in accelerating India’s transition to clean energy,” the company noted. With the government targeting 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, there is an increasing demand for high-quality, locally manufactured solar panels—a demand that Startup Energy aims to meet.
To support this vision, Startup Energy will establish a manufacturing facility in the country as well, equipped with advanced automation and precision engineering to ensure quality and efficiency. The company will also explore strategic R&D partnerships to develop next-generation solar solutions, enhancing energy efficiency and long-term sustainability.
Microsoft has announced free and unlimited access to Think Deeper and Voice in Copilot AI assistant. Powered by OpenAI’s o1 model, now you can have an extended conversation with Copilot using Voice and take advantage of Think Deeper’s advanced reasoning models to tackle more complex questions or tasks, anytime.
One can use the Voice feature to talk to Copilot, such as to practice essential phrases in a new language before traveling or when engaging with new acquaintances. Another intsance where you can use it is that you can inform Copilot about the job you are applying for and share your work experience, then request a mock interview. Additionally, you can seek hands-free cooking advice while following a new recipe step by step.
Think Deeper, on the other hand, proves invaluable when addressing more intricate matters such as making significant purchases, evaluating the future value of home renovations, or planning a career move.
With free and unlimited access to Think Deeper and Voice in Copilot, Microsoft says it is “working hard” to further scale unlimited access to more advanced features in the future. It’s worth noting that you may experience delays or interruptions during periods of high demand or if Microsoft detects security concerns, misuse or other violations of the Copilot Terms.
In addition, Microsoft reiterates that Copilot Pro users will retain preferred access to its latest models during peak usage, early access to experimental AI features, and additional use of Copilot in select Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Nothing has announced Circle to Search support for Nothing Phone (1) and the CMF Phone (1). Meanwhile, the new update for the Nothing Phone (1) also brings a set of improvements and a couple of new features as well, despite the fact that the device received its last major update earlier this year with Nothing OS 3.0.
Aside from releasing Circle to Search Support for Nothing Phone (1), the update also includes other improvements including:
New features
Circle to Search is available now. Initiate a search from any text, image or video on your screen:
3-button navigation: Long-press the Home button
Gesture navigation: Long-press the Navigation bar. (Ensure your Navigation bar is not hidden)
To enable the settings for Circle to Search, navigate to: Settings > Special features > Gestures > Navigation mode > Circle to Search
Added power-off Password verification to prevent immediate power-off if your phone is lost. Path: Search ‘Power off verify’ in Settings.
Added new wallpapers.
General improvements
Improved responding speed of Settings.
Optimised Quick Settings pull-down speed in landscape mode.
Meanwhile, Nothing sub-brand’s CMF Phone (1) also received support for Circle to Search. It’s great to see the brand adding support for some of the latest features even for its 3-year old device. The CMF Phone 1 also received the latest February security patch recently and both of them have been updated to Nothing OS 3.0 in the past couple of months, bumping their Android version to the latest one available, which is Android 15.
Meanwhile, Nothing is gearing up to launch the Phone (3a) series on March 4 at 3:30 PM IST. The series will consist of the Phone (3a) as well as the Phone (3a) Pro.
Amazon’s Echo devices are widely accepted across the world due to their smart nature and most importantly, Alexa, which can handle your smart home appliances as well as answer most of your queries. The brand’s latest launch in India is the Amazon Echo Spot, priced at Rs 8,499, which stands out by being a smart Alarm Clock with Alexa, rather than being a smart speaker. Here’s our review of the device, which should help you decide whether to purchase it for your bedside table or not.
Amazon Echo Spot (2024): Design & Display
The Amazon Echo Spot gets a design similar to the Echo Dot but split in half with a slant. The front gets a semi-circle-shaped cutout with a glass covering and a small rectangular display, below which sits a speaker.
There are three mics on the top along with a mute button and volume up/down buttons on either side of it. The mute button, when pressed, shuts off the mics and the button turns red to indicate that Echo Spot is muted.
The device feels heavy in the hand and looks quite premium with the matte finish body and a mixture of glass and mesh on the front. The bottom side of the device is flat while at the rear, there’s a small port for power input.
The buttons have a tactile feel when pressed, and the overall form factor is compact, so it won’t take up too much space on the table. The wire on the back, though, might bother many as it’s cheap-looking and spoils the device’s premium look to some extent.
The front display is a 2.83” touch-screen LCD panel. When looking from the front, the screen blends in nicely with the black glass, but if it’s too bright or when looked at from a certain angle, the display cutout is visible.
However, an LCD panel is a better choice as the clock has to always stay ON, where the AMOLED Display could be an issue due to chances of burn-in. Because the device is always plugged in, the high battery-consumption characteristics of an LCD panel are nonexistent.
The display’s brightness is enough for the device’s primary use case location, indoors. Moreover, there’s support for auto-brightness so it can adjust automatically based on ambient lighting. The colours are handled decently and are quite vibrant. For its size, the panel is also sharp enough to display all the content clearly.
Because it is too small for a touch screen, touch targets could feel a little smaller, such as when pressing the pause and play buttons while playing music, but fortunately, the touch functionality is responsive.
The clock’s display is acceptable and usable without any issues for its purpose, but keep your expectations in check, as it’s nothing extraordinary.
Amazon Echo Spot (2024): Features and Performance
Speaking of the sound quality of the Amazon Echo Spot, the speaker can get pretty loud for its size. The sound does distort minorly at maximum volume but doesn’t break anywhere.
The bass is decent, but don’t expect it to be extraordinary like the Amazon Echo Dot. That is a dedicated speaker, while the Echo Spot serves as a smart clock. Even for that, the speaker sounds good, and you can easily listen to music on it for an enjoyable experience.
You could even tune the mids, highs, and bass through the Alexa App and it does make a difference to the sound signature if you tune it correctly.
The speed of Alexa’s responses is definitely better than that of my second-generation Amazon Echo smart speaker. When you activate Alexa through voice, a blue indicator is shown on the display.
It can also show you various graphics based on its responses, such as a sun or clouds if you ask it weather or some animals if you wish it Good Morning. There’s also an animation that plays across the screen when you play music which looks stylish.
Alexa’s performance remains phenomenal as usual where it understood most of my commands with ease, be it when I asked it to play a particular song, asking it about the weather, a general knowledge question, or commanded it control my smart home devices.
The mic sensitivity is high and it could even listen to my commands from across a room. The quality of the mics is also quite nice which I tested through the drop-in feature between my two Amazon Echo devices. My voice went through clear and crisp to the other end.
The new Amazon Echo Spot further supports functions like tap gestures so you can tap on the top of it to simply snooze an alarm. However, you cannot customise this function. Then there’s ultrasound motion detection support so it can detect when a person walks into the room and perform user-defined actions based on that.
Smart home control is also present for those devices that have Alexa support.
Through the Alexa app, you can perform various functions like changing the clock style, enabling night mode, Amazon Kids, changing the display brightness or enabling/disabling auto-brightness, changing the colour theme, restarting the device, changing Alexa’s voice, and more.
The Photoshop iPhone App has been announced by Adobe as a brand-new, free mobile image editing and design app built to provide “the magic for which Photoshop is known with a reimagined interface optimized for phones.” Now, mobile creators can add, remove, adjust and combine content and tap into a vast library of free Adobe Stock assets to create rich visuals, without compromising on precision or resolution.
As of now, the Android app is slated to be “coming soon.” Alongside the Photoshop iPhone app, Adobe has also announced Photoshop Mobile & Web plan, available via the App Store, which gives creators access to premium mobile features and Photoshop on the web. Both the mobile and web apps are designed with similar user experiences, and files automatically sync so you can seamlessly create across surfaces.
Photoshop on the web has powerful new updates including enhancements to the user interface for more intuitive editing, direct integration with the Adobe Stock library of hundreds of thousands of free assets, and expanded availability across browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge. For existing Photoshop desktop subscribers, Photoshop on iPhone and Photoshop on the web are included with your subscription.
Coming back to the Photoshop iPhone app, it provides access to free, powerful layering and editing tools all in one place, enabling you to make precise edits, showcase your unique style and bring any idea to life without compromising on precision or resolution. It has a design “reimagined for mobile.” The Photoshop iPhone app has a bunch of free capabilities including:
Create unique designs and images by combining, compositing and blending images with core Photoshop tools and features, including preciseselection tools, unlimitedlayers and masks.
Remove, recolor or replace part of an image after making a selection using the intuitive Tap Select tool.
Brush away spots in seconds with advanced removal tools like the Spot Healing Brush.
Speed up and simplify complex edits with powerful generative AI tools that are safe for commercial use, like Generative Fill and Generative Expand.
Make advanced edits in Photoshop, then bring your cloud PSDs into Adobe Express and Adobe Fresco and even edit Adobe Lightroom photos in Photoshop on iPhone.
Edit with flexibility, using non-destructive unlimited layers, selective adjustments and the PSD format.
Import and export images while preserving file fidelity and image quality with full-resolution editing.
Add, replace and create with a vast library of hundreds of thousands of free Adobe Stock assets.
Alongside the Photoshop iPhone app, Adobe has introduced a premium plan that unlocks full access to the newly updated Photoshop on the web, along with a wider set of premium mobile tools and content for even greater editing precision and control. In addition, Photoshop on the web is introducing a reimagined user experience to align with the visual look and feel of the mobile application. With this plan, you’ll get access to the capabilities below:
Photoshop on the web:
Seamlessly pick up where you left off with files that automatically sync and save across iPhone and web.
Access even more powerful features like: Camera RAW filter, shapes, layer effects, Quick Actions, generative AI features like Generate Similar, Reference Image and more.
Premium mobile capabilities:
Easily remove objects by brushing over them with Remove Tool, use Clone Stamp to hide unwanted objects by cloning areas of an image, and seamlessly fill portions of an image with content sampled from other parts of the image with Content-Aware Fill.
Quickly and precisely select people, plants, cars and more with enhanced precision using Object Select or isolate an object or area of an image and adjust it with targeted editing tools with Magic Wand.
Control transparency, color effects and add unique styles to images with Advanced Blend Modes.
Explore different typefaces and styles by accessing more than 20,000 fonts or importing your own.
Export assets for a broad range of print quality and compression possibilities and use additional file formats (PSD, TIF, JPG, PNG).
Generative AI with Firefly
Add or remove content from images using Generative Fill or extend an image with Generative Expand, non-destructively. Also, ideate, create new assets and jumpstart creativity using Text to Image, all powered by Adobe Firefly which is safe for commercial use.
