Lava Blaze AMOLED 2 key specifications have been revealed by the homegrown smartphone maker along with a hint for the device’s price point also. The device is set to be a budget offering with a completely new design that is unlike anything we have seen from Lava before.
Lava Blaze AMOLED 2 key specifications were shared by the brand’s official X account, suggesting that the device will be coming with a 6.67-inch full-HD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate along with a 50MP Sony camera sensor on the back. A post by tipster Yogesh Brar reveals that the device is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7060 processor and runs on a clean Android 15 operating system.
While RAM and storage weren’t revealed, the device is supposed to pack a 5000mAh battery with 33W fast charging. As for the design, the company revealed that the device will have the slimmest body, at 7.55mm thickness, under the Rs 15,000 segment which confirms the handset’s price point as well.
It will be available in Feather White and Midnight Black colour options. There will be an edge-to-edge strip on the back which will be housing the camera sensors, looking a lot like the Google Nexus 6P that debuted nearly a decade ago. The device will also be IP64 rated for protection against dust and water.
The Blaze AMOLED 2 will be launching in India next week, on August 11, when we’ll know more about its pricing and detailed specifications.
Meanwhile, the company launched the Probuds N21 neckband earlier this week in India. Designed with a lightweight silicone build, the Probuds N21 is equipped with 10mm dynamic drivers to deliver punchy sound. One of the standout features is its Dash Switch magnetic controls, allowing users to play or pause music just by snapping the earbuds together or even answer and end calls. The neckband boasts up to 40 hours of playback on a full charge, and supports fast charging—offering 12 hours of playback with just 10 minutes of charging via USB Type-C.
All India Mobile Retailers Association (AIMRA) has taken a swipe at US President Donald Trump, while urging the Indian government to act swiftly against what it calls “predatory” and “unlawful” practices by American e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart.
In a letter addressed to Indian authorities, AIMRA demanded the immediate implementation of a stringent e-commerce policy and the creation of a regulatory body to oversee foreign online platforms operating in the country.
“When a US President like Mr. Donald Trump can unilaterally impose unfair and unethical tariffs of up to 50% on India without any justification, why is our own government, under the leadership of Shri Piyush Goyal ji, waiting to roll out a strict e-commerce policy with a regulatory body? How long must we live in fear of America’s economic dominance? It is high time to take decisive action against these anti-competitive and unlawful e-commerce companies to protect our own people and our economy,” AIMRA said in a sharp statement.
The association accused Amazon and Flipkart of engaging in anti-competitive behaviour, including collusion with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and banks to offer exclusive deals and cashbacks that undermine traditional brick-and-mortar retailers.
“These practices are decimating India’s retail sector, leading to widespread shop closures and rising unemployment,” AIMRA said, citing findings from India’s Competition Commission.
AIMRA also alleged that e-commerce platforms were complicit in schemes that result in phones being illegally exported after being pre-activated, depriving the Indian government of tax revenue through GST drawbacks and export incentives.
“The misuse of incentives and tax structures by companies that report losses and pay no taxes is damaging the national exchequer,” AIMRA warned, adding that the upcoming festive season could turn into a “Black Diwali” for Indian retailers if the government does not intervene.
The group urged Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to convene a meeting and fast-track legislation, saying the livelihoods of millions of small retailers depend on it.
Samsung 2025 Soundbar lineup has been announced in India, consisting of the flagship HW-Q990F and convertible HW-QS700F models that are claimed to be “immersive, adaptive,” and come with space-smart audio design. Here are all the details to know about these soundbars.
Samsung 2025 Soundbar Lineup: Price, Availability
Samsung’s 2025 sandbars are now available across at Samsung.com, leading offline retailers, and major e-commerce platforms, starting at a price of Rs 14,990, ranging up to Rs 92,990 for its flagship HW-Q990F model.
Samsung 2025 Soundbar Lineup: Specifications
The new lineup consists of flagship HW-Q990F and the convertible HW-QS700F models. The lineup features:
AI Sound Optimization for real-time audio tuning tailored to content
Dynamic Bass Control for deeper, more refined low-end sound without distortion
Active Voice Amplifier Pro for enhancing dialogue clarity with Convertible Fit Design
Integrated Gyro Sensor for adjusting acoustics based on placement.
A compact wireless subwoofer offers powerful bass in a smaller form, Q-Symphony Pro creates expansive, synchronized sound with Samsung TVs whilst Wireless Dolby Atmos brings cinematic 3D audio without cables.
The 2025 soundbar range is powered by Samsung’s upgraded AI Sound Engine, which analyzes content in real time and automatically adjusts audio output for genre, content type, and environment. The result is more precise dialogue, dynamic action soundscapes, and deeper engagement with every scene.
Dynamic Bass Control further enhances low-frequency output using non-linear bass management for clarity without distortion, while Active Voice Amplifier Pro sharpens dialogue by analysing ambient sound and isolating voices for louder, clearer conversations.
The 2025 soundbar range seamlessly integrates into the Samsung ecosystem through Q-Symphony Pro, which pairs the soundbar’s channels with the speakers of compatible Samsung TVs to create a more immersive, AI-synchronized surround sound experience.
All models support Wireless Dolby Atmos with 3D sound. Elevated with SmartThings, Alexa, Google Assistant, Chromecast, AirPlay, and Roon Ready compatibility, these soundbars ensure effortless control and high-resolution playback.
Samsung’s Convertible Fit Design, with an integrated Gyro Sensor, allows the soundbar to adapt its sound profile depending on whether it is wall-mounted or placed on tabletops. This flexibility is matched by a minimalist form factor.
Supporting models across the lineup feature a compact 6.5” wireless subwoofer, 58% smaller than before, delivering bold, room-filling bass without taking up valuable space.
Google has announced the debut of Guided Learning in Gemini as a part of a new suite of learning tools in its AI platform for everyone. The company also announced that it is now offering students in the U.S. as well as Japan, Indonesia, Korea and Brazil a free one-year subscription to Google’s AI Pro plan to “help make the most of AI’s power for their studies.” The company began offering it to college students in India last month.
With Guided Learning in Gemini, users can build a deep understanding of the topic instead of just getting quick answers by acting like your personal AI learning companion. Guided Learning breaks down problems step-by-step, and adapts explanations to your needs to help you uncover the “how” and “why” behind concepts.
One can take advantage of it for creating study guides with their course files or explaining tough concepts with videos and visuals. The feature works quite similar to OpenAI’s new Study Mode in ChatGPT. Guided Learning in Gemini provides rich, multimodal responses — including images, diagrams, videos and interactive quizzes — that can help you build and test your knowledge by focusing on the process, not just the answer.
Next, Google is making the learning experience in Gemini richer and more engaging by automatically integrating high-quality images, diagrams and YouTube videos directly into responses. When you ask about complex topics like the process of photosynthesis or the parts of a cell, Gemini will proactively include visuals in its response for easier understanding of the topic.
Now, you can also ask Gemini to instantly create flashcards and study guides based on your quiz results or other class materials, providing a simple and effective way to review key concepts and reinforce your learning.
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 marks the brand’s most polished attempt yet at a truly usable foldable phone. Now in its seventh generation, the Fold 7 trims the fat—literally—with a lighter, thinner body and smarter refinements across the board. It blends cutting-edge folding tech with real-world practicality, finally pushing foldables closer to the mainstream spotlight.
Design: Sleek, Slim, and Surprisingly Practical
Samsung has put the Galaxy Z Fold 7 on a serious diet. When folded, it’s just 8.9mm thick—getting pretty close to traditional slab phones if you discount the camera bump. Unfold it, and it’s only 4.2mm thin, making it the slimmest foldable Samsung has ever produced—and one of the slimmest on the market, period.
The weight loss is noticeable too. At 215g, it’s 24g lighter than the Fold 6, which doesn’t sound like much on paper but makes a big difference in-hand. For the first time, the Fold feels truly pocketable and doesn’t feel awkward when used one-handed while closed. Typing, scrolling, or making a call? It finally feels natural.
Build quality is as solid as ever. The hinge feels durable, the frame feels premium, and when opened, the device is only slightly thicker than a USB-C port—an impressive engineering feat. However, some old quirks remain. Lay the phone flat with the camera facing down and you’ll notice a bit of wobble, just like previous models.
A notable omission this time is S Pen support. To make the Fold 7 thinner, Samsung removed the digitizer layer needed for stylus input. It’s a trade-off that some power users may not appreciate, especially those who relied on the Fold as a tablet for sketching or note-taking. Well, personally, while taking notes, I rely more on a voice recorder rather than pen and paper nowadays.
Display: Beautiful, Bright and Almost Crease-Free
Displays have always been a highlight of the Fold series, and the Fold 7 is no different. The 6.5-inch outer AMOLED Display is vivid, sharp, and buttery smooth thanks to a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s great for daily tasks and casual browsing without needing to unfold the phone.
Open it up, and you’re greeted by a stunning 8-inch OLED display—perfect for multitasking, watching content, or even editing on the go. The almost square aspect ratio makes side-by-side App usage a joy. And even the audio quality will not disappoint you.
Samsung’s also made strides in reducing the infamous crease. It’s still there, but you’ll barely notice it unless you’re looking under direct light. The fingerprint sensor, built into the power button, is faster and more accurate than ever.
One slight misstep: the outer screen has a rather chunky bezel. It doesn’t affect usability, but visually, it’s a bit of a step back from the otherwise sleek design. Maybe on the lighter side, it is like “nazar na lage the tika” (May no evil eye be upon you).
Performance and Software: Fast, Fluid, Familiar
Under the hood, the Z Fold 7 runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip, and it’s every bit the powerhouse you’d expect. Apps launch in a snap, multitasking is effortless and animations feel fluid and smooth throughout.
Even under heavy load—like gaming or editing videos—the phone stays impressively cool. Samsung seems to have nailed the thermal performance this time.
Software-wise, however, things feel a bit too familiar. Most new features are slight upgrades or carryovers from the Galaxy S25 series. Tools like smart image editing and drag-and-drop between apps are useful, especially with the big screen real estate, but they don’t feel particularly groundbreaking.
Well, there is one interesting addition as well – Samsung’s Secure Folder. It is a protected, encrypted space on your device where you can safely store apps, photos, files, and other data, completely separate from the rest of your phone. It’s locked behind a PIN, password, pattern, or biometric authentication, acting like a private “second phone” to keep your sensitive information secure and out of sight.
That said, One UI remains one of the best Android experiences out there, especially for foldables. Everything just works, and the user experience remains intuitive and fluid.
If we talk about the call quality, it is loud and crisp. And if the cellular network is playing hide and seek with you, WiFi calling will be handy.
Camera: No More Compromises
At long last, Samsung has brought its foldable camera setup up to flagship standards. The Fold 7’s 200MP main sensor captures sharp, vibrant images with strong dynamic range, even in tough lighting.
Backing it up is a 12MP ultra-wide lens and a 10MP 3x telephoto. The ultra-wide does a solid job with landscapes and close-up detail, while the telephoto lens is decent for portraits, though it doesn’t quite reach the clarity of phones with 5x zoom lenses.
Selfie duties are handled by a pair of 10MP front-facing cameras—one on each screen. But if you want the best results, using the main rear cameras with the outer screen as a viewfinder is still the way to go.
The camera app is well-designed and packed with features. From photo modes to video tools, there’s something here for all levels of users.
Battery: Still Playing Catch-Up
Battery life is one area where the Fold 7 hasn’t moved forward. With the same 4,400mAh battery as last year’s model, runtime is just okay. Most users will get through a full day with around 6.5 hours of screen-on time, ending the day with about 40% left under moderate use.
If you’re pushing it hard—say, with gaming or heavy editing—you’ll see the battery drop faster. And unfortunately, Samsung’s charging speeds continue to lag behind the competition. In an era of super-fast charging, the Fold 7 still takes its sweet time.
Power users might find the battery to be a bit of a bottleneck, especially considering the phone’s productivity potential.
Samsung Galaxy A17 5G has been announced globally with a super AMOLED display along with an Exynos chip. The device comes with a triple camera setup on the back along with a 5000mAh battery as well. Here are all the details of the newly announced Galaxy A-series smartphone.
Samsung Galaxy A17 5G: Price
The Galaxy A17 5G is priced at EUR 239 (approx Rs 24,000) for the 4GB + 128GB version in Europe. It is also expected to be offered in other configurations with up to 8GB RAM and up to 256GB storage when it launches in other markets. It comes in Black, Gray, and Blue shades.
Samsung Galaxy A17 5G: Specifications
The Galaxy A17 5G has a 6.7-inch full-HD+ (2,340 x 1,080 pixels) Super AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 90Hz. An octa-core Exynos 1330 SoC powers the phone. It comes with a built-in storage of 128GB, which can be expanded to 1TB with a microSD card. There’s support for 4GB of RAM.
The phone comes with One UI 7.0 pre-loaded, which is based on Android 15. The device is set to receive six years of Android OS updates along with 6 years of security patches as well.
The triple camera setup on the back comprises of a 50-megapixel f/1.8 primary sensor with 10x magnification, a 5-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide angle lens, and a 2-megapixel f/2.4 camera with a macro sensor. The front camera has a 13-megapixel sensor.
The A17 5G includes a 5,000mAh battery that supports 25W wired fast charging. It further gets a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for security. Connectivity options on the device includes Bluetooth v5.3, Wi-Fi 5, GPS, NFC, and a USB-C port for charging. The handset is also IP54 rated as well.
Instagram has added the ability to repost Public reels on its platform so a user can share what they are watching with their friends. Alongside, the company also introduced Instagram Map where you can choose to share your location with friends on the platform. Here are all the details of the new features on the social media platform.
Repost Public Reels on Instagram
With reposts, you can repost public reels and feed posts, making it easier for you to share your interests with your friends. Reposts will be recommended to your friends’ and followers’ feeds, and they’ll also be in a separate tab on your profile, so you can always go back to revisit your reposts.
Reposts are credited to the original poster. If you’re a creator, this means that if your content is reposted by someone else, it may be recommended to that person’s followers, even if those people don’t follow you. “This gives creators an opportunity to reach even more people,” said the company.
To repost a reel or post, tap the repost icon. You can also add a note to your repost by typing into the thought bubble that appears on screen and pressing save.
Instagram Map: How Does it Work?
With Instagram Map, you can opt in to sharing your last active location with friends you choose, and you can turn it off anytime. You can also open the map to see content your friends and favorite creators are posting from interesting or fun locations. Instagram notes that location sharing is off unless you opt in. If you do share your location with friends, you have controls to customize this experience:
You choose who you share your location with: friends (followers you follow back), Close Friends, Only selected friends, or no one.
You can choose to not share location in specific places or with specific people.
If you use location sharing, your location is updated whenever you open the app or return to the app if it’s been running in the background. You can turn off location sharing at any time.
If you’re a parent with supervision set up for your teen, you have control over their location sharing experience on the map. You will receive a notification if your teen starts sharing their location, giving you the opportunity to have important conversations about how to safely share with friends. You can decide whether your teen has access to location sharing on the map and see who your teen is sharing their location with.
Regardless of whether you choose to share your location, you can use the map to explore location-based content. Any content with a location tagged can show up on the map including:
Reels, posts, and stories from people you follow, available for 24 hours after it’s posted
Notes from people you mutually follow, available for 24 hours
You can find the Instagram map at the top of your DM inbox. This feature is rolling out to the US today, with more global availability soon.
Friends Tab in Reels
A new Friends tab in Reels is being added where you can see public content your friends have interacted with, or recommendations from Blends you’ve started, and easily start conversations about them. Friends will help you see which reels the people you care about most are creating and engaging with. The platform started rolling Friends out earlier this year, and are now excited to launch it globally.
To access your Friends tab, tap the “Friends” tab at the top of Reels. To return to your usual Reels feed, tap the “Reels” tab. Instagram is also rolling out controls for what’s shown in the Friends tab, including the ability to hide your own likes and comments on reels, and to mute activity bubbles from specific people you follow.
The mid-range smartphone market in India has been flooding lately with new options and out of the sea of options available, here is a comparison of two smartphones from key players in the segment, including the OnePlus Nord CE 5 and Vivo Y400 Pro 5G.
Display
The OnePlus Nord CE 5 sports a 6.77-inch AMOLED Display with a full-HD+ Resolution (2392 x 1080 pixels), 120Hz refresh rate, 1430 nits peak brightness, 100% DCI-P3, PWM Dimming, 387 ppi, and up to 300Hz touch sampling rate.
The Vivo Y400 Pro 5G sports a 6.77-inch AMOLED Display with a full-HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2392 pixels, 387 ppi, 120Hz refresh rate, and up to 4500 nits of peak brightness. It also supports P3 wide colour gamut.
While both their displays look identical, the Vivo Y400 Pro 5G has the better panel due to the higher brightness values it supports. This means it will be more visible outdoors.
Performance & Software
The MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Apex Edition SoC powers the OnePlus device with up to 12GB of LPDDR5x RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage.
The Vivo handset is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC, paired with 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage.
Between the OnePlus Nord CE 5 and Vivo Y400 Pro 5G, the former not only has the more powerful Chipset but also gets faster and more RAM as well that will result in better day-to-day performance. It will also help gamers to some extent as the Dimensity 7300 can run casual games at best. While more demanding titles would still work on Vivo’s phone, they’d run smoother and look better on the Nord CE 5.
Software-wise, both of them are running on Android 15-based skins but we feel the OnePlus’ software is far superior than FunTouch OS, in terms of features, smoothness, as well as visuals. Furthermore, OnePlus promises 4 major OS updates and 6 years of security patches for the Nord CE 5, while Vivo Y400 Pro’s software update policy includes 3 major OS updates and 4 years of security patches, both of which are inferior compared to OnePlus.
The Nord CE 5 is backed by a 7100mAh battery that supports 80W SuperVOOC wired charging. The Vivo handset is backed by a 5500mAh battery with 90W fast wired charging support. Again, the Nord CE 5 is the clear winner in this department also, due to the much larger cell under the hood.
The OnePlus Nord CE 5 has a dual camera setup at the rear including a 50MP f/1.8 Sony LYT-600 primary sensor with OIS and an 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle camera. On the front, there is a 16MP f/2.4 Sony IMX480 sensor for selfies and video calls.
For optics, Vivo Y400 Pro 5G gets a dual camera system on the back, including a 50MP f/1.79 Sony IMX882 main sensor with PDAF and a 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor. On the front, it gets a 32MP f/2.4 selfie sensor.
Both the OnePlus Nord CE 5 and Vivo Y400 Pro 5G feature solid main Sensors on paper. However, when it comes to the secondary camera, OnePlus takes a more practical approach by opting for an ultra-wide-angle lens instead of a depth sensor. This choice offers more real-world utility for users, giving the OnePlus Nord CE 5 the EDGE in this category as well. However, note that real-world usage may showcase different results where Vivo might do better. As we haven’t tested the devices side-by-side, we can’t comment on which one of them performs better in real world scenarios.
Additional Features
There are a few features, however, where the Vivo Y400 Pro 5G stands out, including an IP65 rating and a set of stereo speakers, both of which the Nord CE 5 lacks. Both of them have an IR blaster and both the devices lack NFC.
Verdict
The OnePlus Nord CE 5 comes in Black Infinity, Marble Mist and Nexus Blue colours. It is priced at Rs 24,999 for the 8GB + 128GB model, Rs 26,999 for the 8GB + 256GB model and Rs 28,999 for the top-end 12GB + 256GB trim.
Vivo Y400 Pro 5G is priced at Rs 24,999 for the 8GB + 128GB variant and Rs 26,999 for the 8GB + 256GB variant.
Between the OnePlus Nord CE 5 and Vivo Y400 Pro 5G, we think the former offers much higher value for the same price tag as Vivo’s phone. While Vivo’s device does have an edge in terms of display brightness, IP rating, and stereo speakers, we don’t think these features are justifiable enough to recommend it over the OnePlus Nord CE 5.
Apple Music 5.0 Beta on Android has been released by the company where it has added a few new features that were earlier limited to Apple Music on iOS 26. However, the update does not bring any sort of liquid glass-inspired redesign which we saw for Apple Music on iOS 26.
The update, available now via Play Store, introduces a major new feature where you can now PIN content to your Library. Users can now pin their most-played songs, albums, playlists, or artists for quick access at the top of the Library tab. This option appears in overflow menus across the app and syncs across Apple devices.
Pinned items offer additional customization: long-pressing in the Library tab allows users to unpin or adjust the tap behavior—choosing between going to the album, playing, or shuffling. You can also enable automatic downloads for pinned content, with the option to turn it off in Settings.
Then, there are subtle design changes and not a Liquid Glass redesign as one would expect, including pill-shaped buttons that replace the previous rounded rectangles throughout the app. Key interface elements like Shuffle, Repeat, and Autoplay at the top of the queue now feature this new design, as do the Play and Shuffle buttons within albums.
Additional updates included in Apple Music 5.0 Beta on Android:
Replay in the App: View detailed listening stats, including monthly breakdowns and year-end summaries, now directly accessible within the app.
Lyrics Translation and Pronunciation: Understand and sing along to tracks in other languages with translated and phonetically guided lyrics.
Google had announced a new feature where you can now create personalised illustrated storybooks in Gemini app. Through this feature, you can simply describe any story you can imagine, and Gemini generates a unique 10-page book with custom art as well as audio. It’s a great way to engage your children in fun reading activities through these storybooks.
For a personalised touch, “you can ask Gemini to draw inspiration from your own photos and files. Bring your vision to life in any style imaginable: from Pixel art and comics to claymation, crochet, and even colouring books, in more than 45 languages,” said Google in a blog post. Google also shared a few example prompts for using storybooks in Gemini app, such as:
“Help your child understand a complex topic: Create a story that explains the solar system to my 5 year old.
Teach a lesson through storytelling: Teach a 7-year-old boy about the importance of being kind to his little brother. My son loves elephants so let’s make the main character an elephant.
Bring personal artwork to life: Upload an image of a kid’s drawing and modify this example prompt for your use case: “This is my kid’s drawing. He’s 7 years old. Write a creative storybook that brings his drawing to life.”
Turn memories into magical stories: Upload photos from your family trip to Paris and create a personalized adventure.”
Storybooks in Gemini is available globally on desktop and mobile, in all languages Gemini is available.
Meanwhile, earlier in July, the company debuted the Gemini 2.5 Pro model and Deep Search in AI Mode. Gemini 2.5 Pro excels at advanced reasoning, math and coding questions, helping you with your complex queries with links to learn more. Subscribers can select the 2.5 Pro model from a drop-down menu in the AI Mode tab. Further, the default model in AI Mode will continue to be helpful for fast, all-around assistance on most questions.
