As the week comes to a close, here’s a recap of the hottest tech news of the week. The news that hogged maximum limelight during the week.Samsung launches Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ flagship smartphones Samsung finally took the wraps off its latest flagship smartphones – Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, this past week. Both smartphones come with the company’s home-brewed Bixby digital assistant, which will compete against the likes of Siri, Cortana and Google Assistant. There’s a dedicated button for Bixby on the new Samsung smartphones. Both Galaxy S8 and S8+ run Google’s latest Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box and are powered by Qualcomm’s newest Snapdragon 835 SoC, paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. They have a 12MP rear camera and 5MP front-facing shooter.
Micromax Dual 5 smartphone launched
Domestic consumer electronics company Micromax also launched its new flagship smartphone this week. Dubbed Dual 5, the handset is priced at Rs 24,999 and is the company’s most-expensive smartphone so far. Micromax Dual 5 sports a metal unibody with narrow bezels. The highlight of the smartphone is its dual rear camera setup with two 13MP modules and LED flash. There’s a 13MP selfie-shooter included as well. Micromax Dual 5 has a 5.5-inch Full HD AMOLED display and is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor, paired with 4GB of RAM. There’s 128GB of internal storage, with support for microSD cards. Running Android 6.0 Marshmallow out-of-the-box, the Dual 5 packs a 3,220mAh battery with fast charging support.
Nokia 150 launched in India
HMD global launched a new Nokia-branded feature phone in India this week. Dubbed Nokia 150, the device was unveiled in December last year. Priced at Rs 2,059, the Nokia 150 is available in single-SIM and dual-SIM variants. It has a polycarbonate body, which the company claims “keeps its colour even when scratched”. Running Series 30+ OS, the phone sports a 2.4-inch QVGA display. Backed by a 1,020mAh BL-5C battery, the phone is available in White and Black colour variants.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos world’s second richest person
World’s richest ranking has a new No. 2. Jeff Bezos, founder of e-commerce giant Amazon.com, beat Amancio Ortega and Warren Buffett to become the world’s second-richest person, according to a report by Bloomberg website. Bezos added $1.5 billion to his fortune as Amazon.com’s share price rose to $18.32. The jump came just a day after the company announced its plans to buy Souq.com, the Middle East’s largest online retailer.
Reliance Jio free offer to end on March 31
Reliance Jio’s free offer will be finally ending this week. Jio launched its 4G services back in September last year, offering unlimited calling and data. The free offer will end on March 31 and the company has introduced a new plan called Jio Prime, which existing subscribers can register for by paying Rs 99.
Recently, a company official also revealed that Reliance Jio is closing in on 50 million paid users. The official further added that out of 100 million-plus free subscribers, nearly 50 million have signed up for its ‘Prime’ membership by paying a one-time charge of Rs 99 and buying data packs.
Google Play Store to offer one free app per week
Here is some good news for Android users. Google will be offering a paid app for free every week. The app will show up in the recently introduced ‘Free App of the Week’ section in the Google Play Store. Right now, the paid app that is available to download for free is action/adventure game ‘Card Wars – Adventure Time’ by Cartoon Network. The app costs Rs 200, but can be downloaded for free as part of the promotion.
