From the much-hyped Musk vs Zuck fight finally getting called off to the much-awaited iPhone 15 production kicking off in Tamil Nadu — the world of tech was dominated by these headlines over the past week. Take a look.
Musk Vs Zuck Falls Flat
Following an extended period of speculation and heated exchanges on social media platforms, it seems that the widely discussed and arguably futile showdown is destined to remain a mere concept. The respective leaders of Twitter (now known as X) and Meta, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, had been in discussions regarding a possible face-off in the realm of mixed martial arts (MMA), a confrontation that was initially fueled by the personal animosity between these billionaire titans, further exacerbated by the launch of Twitter's rival platform, Threads.
On August 14, Zuckerberg posted on Threads that “Elon isn’t serious” and that “it’s time to move on”. The Meta CEO went on to say that he did suggest a date for the fight — August 26 — and that he agreed to Musk’s proposal to live stream the fight to raise money for charity.
“If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me. Otherwise, time to move on. I'm going to focus on competing with people who take the sport seriously,” added Zuckerberg. In his signature style, Musk responded, "Zuck is a chicken."
In case you were wondering how the two tech billionaires reached this point, check out our complete lowdown.
iPhone 15 Production Begins In Tamil Nadu
In a strategic move aimed at lessening its dependence on China and broadening its manufacturing horizon, Apple has initiated the production phase of its much-anticipated iPhone 15 in the state of Tamil Nadu. Bloomberg reports that Apple's partnership with Foxconn Technology Group represents a substantial stride towards achieving a more balanced manufacturing distribution across countries. Citing sources, the report unveils that Foxconn's production facility located in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, is preparing to commence the dispatch of the latest iPhone 15 models shortly after their initial release from Chinese manufacturing hubs.
This tactical progression is a significant facet of a broader endeavour to expedite iPhone production within India, as per media reports.
The impetus behind Apple's strategic redirection away from China is rooted in concerns about the susceptibility of its supply chain. The persistent trade tensions between Washington and Beijing have emphasised the necessity of decentralising the production of critical products, thereby elevating the significance of this diversification initiative.
Click here to read our full report
WhatsApp Finally Supports HD Photos
WhatsApp, owned by Meta, has unveiled a new feature that allows users to send images in HD format, as announced on Thursday. This innovation marks a shift toward preserving the visual integrity of images shared through the platform, reducing compression effects.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared the news of this enhancement, revealing that WhatsApp users now have the capability to transmit photos in HD quality. This functionality is being progressively introduced to WhatsApp users worldwide and is anticipated to become accessible to you in the forthcoming days.
With this update, images can be shared in a higher resolution, albeit with some degree of compression from their original size. This improvement applies not only to Android and iOS devices but also extends to the web client. It's important to note that although images benefit from this enhancement, videos on WhatsApp are not yet included in this update. However, Meta has confirmed that support for HD videos is also on the horizon, promising to provide this feature in the near future.
Click here to read the full story
Global Phone Shipments Take A Hit
The year 2023 is shaping up to mark a significant downturn in global smartphone shipments, reaching the lowest point in a span of ten years. This decline is chiefly attributed to challenges arising from the Asian market while lingering economic uncertainties continue to cast a shadow over China's prospects. According to the recent 'Global Smartphone Shipment Forecast' released by Counterpoint Research, it is projected that worldwide smartphone shipments will undergo a 6 per cent contraction, amounting to 1.15 billion units throughout the year.
In contrast, the realm of premium and ultra-premium smartphones paints a more optimistic picture, experiencing growth on a global scale. This favourable trend works to the advantage of companies such as Apple, whose product lineup is heavily skewed towards the higher market segments.
Jeff Fieldhack, Research Director for North America at Counterpoint Research, commented on this divergence: "A noticeable divergence has emerged between the prevailing economic conditions and consumer behaviour in terms of smartphone purchases. The ongoing year has witnessed a historic low in upgrades across all telecom carriers."
Click here to check out our full report
And finally, in the latest edition of Digital Disconnect, we try to find a solution to the much-debated conundrum — where do artistes draw the line when it comes to AI?
Read here: Digital Disconnect: Where Should Artistes Draw The AI Line?
That’s it from the world of tech headlines this week. Stay tuned to this space for more top stories next week.
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