Here are our top five news stories of the week.
As another week draws to a close, we take a look at how the tech space fared. Clearly, with the week kicking off with WWDC 2017, the Apple event was the highlight. However, the week was not only about Apple. After a slew of launches we have been witnessing, the newer devices took a backseat to let the company announcements shine through this first week of June.
Apple announced iOS 11 and all that would entail with the latest version of the OS. There are multiple new features on iOS 11, starting with a smarter Siri, with translation features; Apple Maps with indoor mapping feature letting users navigate inside a shopping mall, AR support for developers to create AR apps and a customizable dock. Additionally, the new OS also debuted ‘Files’ which is a new file management system for Apple users, one that has long been in the offing.
Coming to the second biggest announcement from WWDC 2017, Apple announced the much leaked HomePod, it’s very own home assistant speaker. Though Apple rather call it a ‘musicologist’ it is really a home assistant and will perform all the tasks associated with one. HomePod takes on Google Home and Amazon Echo. The design is clean and minimal with no buttons but instead, thee’s a LED display on top with touch options to play/pause tracks or control volume. The device comes with six microphones and has Siri integration. The HomePod is designed in a way to help the device understand the room dimensions as well as changes to tweak audio output accordingly.
After the biggest news from Apple, Nokia made Indians ecstatic with their announcement of Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 coming to India on June 13. The phones are on schedule as HMD Global had announced the arrival of Nokia devices in India mid-June. Nokia 6 is expected to be the most expensive of the lot with Nokia 5 being the mid-ranger and Nokia 3 being the budget device.
Reliance Jio is in news once again for improving the LTE connectivity in the country. Jio has helped India reach the number 15 spot in global 4G rating. As per OpenSignal’s “State of LTE” report, India’s 4G availability shot up to 81.6 percent in the first quarter of 2017 from 71.6 percent in the third quarter of 2016. Reliance Jio saw millions of Indians subscribe to and activate 4G connections in the country, a number which has only marginally reduced since the brand started charging for their 4G speeds. While the number of 4G users in the country increased, the 4G speeds in the country are still way behind others.
Samsung launched the Galaxy J3 (2017), Galaxy J5 (2017), Galaxy J7 (2017). The phones are upgraded versions of similar editions launched previously. All the three devices come with features and specifications of the J series of Galaxy phones. Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) is the most advanced of the lot whereas Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) comes at a budget price.
Clearly, for the upcoming week, Nokia launches will be the highlight. Let us take a look at the week gone by in brief:
Apple iOS 11
- Apple iOS 11: Release date, device compatibility, key features and everything else you need to know
- WWDC 2017: Here are the top features of iOS 11
- Apple iOS 11 walkthrough video details top new features along with tips and tricks
- Apple iOS 11’s screen capture feature could be nightmare for Snapchat users
- Apple’s iOS 11 finally gets rid of the superimposing volume indicator on videos
- Apple iPhone 8 spotted running iOS 11; no rear fingerprint sensor seen
- iOS 11 ‘Smart Invert Colors’ feature changes your iPhone, iPad theme to dark mode
- iOS 11: Top 11 features that Apple didn’t tell you about
- iOS 11 allows you to instantly share Wi-Fi between devices without entering password; here’s how it works
- Apple’s iOS 11 update will render your favorite apps and old iPhones, iPads obsolete
- Apple iOS 11 lets you play FLAC audio files; here’s how it works
Apple HomePod
- Apple HomePod vs Amazon Echo vs Google Home: Which one is coming to your home?
- Apple HomePod first impressions roundup
- Samsung reportedly working on smart home speaker to take on Apple HomePod, Amazon Echo
- Apple HomePod first impressions roundup
- WWDC 2017: Apple launches HomePod home speaker
- WWDC 2017: Social media reacts to iOS 11, Apple HomePod and more
- WWDC 2017: Here’s what you need to know about the new Apple HomePod
- Siri-powered HomePod lags way behind Amazon Echo, Google Home, says an ex-Apple employee
Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 coming to India on June 13
- Nokia 6, Nokia 3, Nokia 5 set to launch in India on June 13: Here’s everything you need to know
- Nokia 9 with 6GB RAM spotted on latest GeekBench listing
Reliance Jio
- Reliance Jio tops chart in 4G download speed in April: TRAI
- Reliance Jio fastest 4G network in April, fourth month in a row: TRAI report
- Reliance Jio helps India rank 15th in LTE availability; but average 4G speeds are terrible
- Reliance Jio helped India reach 15th spot in 4G availability: Survey
- KM Birla blames Reliance Jio for ‘unprecedented disruption’ in Indian telecom space
Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017), Galaxy J5 (2017), Galaxy J7 (2017)
- Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017), Galaxy J5 (2017), Galaxy J7 (2017) launched: Price, specifications, features
- Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) on sale online ahead of official launch