Global Smartphone Shipments Set To Hit Decade Low
This year is on track to be the worst year for global smartphone shipments in a decade as Asia stands as one of the major hurdles to positive growth and economic uncertainties continue in China. Worldwide smartphone shipments in 2023 are forecast to decline 6 per cent to 1.15 billion units, the lowest in 10 years, says Counterpoint Research’s latest 'Global Smartphone Shipment Forecast'. However, premium and ultra-premium smartphones are in a good spot as the segment is witnessing growth globally and that favours companies like Apple which have models heavily weighted in the higher segments.
iPhone 15 Production Cut Ahead Of September Launch
Apple is said to have cut the production of iPhone 15 ahead of the expected launch in September. According to leaks and rumours, the tech giant is facing some issues with the mass production of certain components, which may have led to the company cutting the production of the devices. Everything points to the iPhone 15 lineup being officially launched in September, but analyst Jeff Pu has predicted that the Cupertino-based tech giant is already cutting production of the new models, says a report by 9To5Mac.
'Made In India' Galaxy Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5 Become Available
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5, 'Made in India’ foldable smartphones went on sale in the country starting today (August 18). Both the newly-launched foldables have witnessed strong demand in India, with 100,000 consumers pre-booking the devices in the first 28 hours. The price of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 price starts at Rs 99,999 while the starting price of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 has been set at Rs 1,54,999.
Homegrown Boult Expands Its Smartwatches Portfolio
Homegrown company Boult has expanded its smartwatches portfolio with the launch of Crown R and Drift 2 models. The Boult Drift 2 comes with a 1.85-inch HD display, Bluetooth calling, and other features. The Boult Crown R, on the other hand, features a 1.52-inch bezel-less HD display with 600 nits of brightness. This model also supports Bluetooth calling. The Boult Crown R has been unveiled in Bullet Silver and Coal Black colours and the Boult Drift 2 comes in Pink, Blue, and Black colour variants.
'Digital Personal Data Protection Act Will Make Firms Handle Indians' Data Under Legal Obligation'
Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday said the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act) passed by Parliament recently will make digital companies handle the data of Indian citizens under absolute legal obligation. Calling the law an important milestone in the cyber law framework, Chandrasekhar said there will be punitive consequences of high penalty and even blocking them from operating in India.
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Jack Dorsey Quits Instagram
Twitter's co-founder Jack Dorsey has quit Instagram and made the announcement in a post on decentralised social media Nostr. He also "criticised" Instagram's parent firm Meta. His first-name handle @jack on Instagram is now up for grabs as the likes of these handles sell for thousands of dollars on the secondary market. As per Dorsey, he deactivated his Instagram account after years of non-use. His Instagram account was one of the first 10 accounts. Dorsey also took a swipe at Instagram Threads that was touted as the new Twitter rival and it a "Twitter clone".
Hackers Targeting LinkedIn In Widespread Hijacking Campaign
Hackers a reportedly targeting several LinkedIn accounts. This is causing multiple accounts to be locked out for security reasons or getting hijacked by attackers. According to a report by Cyberint, several LinkedIn users have complained about account takeovers or lockouts. The report also notes that these users were unable to resolve the problems through LinkedIn support.