Arm Holdings plans to launch its roadshow for investors after Labor Day, as the chip designer prepares for its much-anticipated initial public offering (IPO) in September, according to people familiar with the matter. Arm, owned by SoftBank Group, is expected to set a price range for its offering next week, the sources said, adding the company plans to price its shares on September 13, with stock trading to start the following day.
SoftBank plans to sell about 10 percent of Arm's shares in the IPO at a valuation of $60 billion (roughly Rs. 4,96,095 crore) to $70 billion (roughly Rs. 5,80,600 crore), Reuters has previously reported. SoftBank decided to sell fewer Arm shares in the IPO after buying the 25 percent stake in Arm it did not directly own from its Vision Fund unit.
Several customers of Arm have held talks about taking a piece of the IPO including Apple, Amazon.com, Intel, Nvidia, Alphabet, Microsoft, Samsung Electronics, and TSMC, Reuters has previously reported. Arm and SoftBank have set aside 10 percent of the shares to be sold in the IPO for its clients.
A successful IPO for Arm would be a boon for SoftBank, which in August reported its third consecutive quarterly loss, hit by declines in valuations of major holdings such as Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba Group, German telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom and US wireless carrier T-Mobile US.
Goldman Sachs Group, JPMorgan Chase, Barclays, and Mizuho Financial Group are the lead underwriters for the offering. Arm's shares will be listed on the Nasdaq and traded under the ticker symbol 'ARM'.
Bloomberg reported on Arm's IPO timeline earlier on Thursday.
Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Viacom18 on Thursday created a near monopoly in Indian cricket broadcasting sphere by bagging both TV and digital rights of the national team's home series for the next five years with a cumulative bid of approximately Rs. 6000 crore, beating Star India and Sony in a three-way battle.
The BCCI had invited separate e-bids for both linear (TV) and digital for best price discovery.
"Viacom18 paid Rs. 3101 crore (approximately) for digital and Rs. 2862 crore for linear (TV). As has been the trend, digital has fetched more in Rs. 5963 crore (approximately) deal.
"With IPL digital rights being bought by Viacom for Rs. 26,000 crore plus, they now have almost all the high profile cricket properties save IPL linear (TV) and ICC events," a broadcasting industry source, tracking developments closely, told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
The rights will come into effect with India's three-match home series against Australia beginning September 22 and end on March 31, 2028.
India will be playing 88 international games across three formats including 25 Tests, 27 ODIs and 36 T20Is with per match value of the deal standing around Rs. 67.76 crore. This is nearly Rs. 7.76 crore more than last cycle's Rs. 60 crore per match value.
However, the BCCI is getting Rs. 175 crore less than Rs. 6138 crore it received during last cycle which had more games, specifically 102. If one looks at the prevailing market sentiments , it is not a bad price to fetch as the per match valuation has increased. One needs to factor in that only marquee Test matches and series versus England and Australia will fetch a decent advertisement revenue. For matches against other nations, it is only the T20 which is the cash cow.
India will play Australia in 21 games and will be pitted against England in 18 matches across three formats during the next five years.
The BCCI fell way short of the billion dollar mark (at least by Rs. 2300 crore) and one of the reasons forthat could be the declining popularity of the ODI format and there are 27 of them in the next cycle.
"One day bilateral series save World Cup year should be done away with as it doesn't bring requisite revenues. With so many T20 leagues also happening around the world, the viewers' fatigue should also be taken into account," a broadcasting industry veteran said.
He also provided an interesting take on how the potential bidders do their mathematics and arrive at a particular figure.
"In case of 25 Tests, you have 15 Tests against England and Australia at home. The kind of pitches that is being prepared for Test matches in India, the broadcaster has literally no chance on most of the occasions to commercially exploit the fifth day unless there is a flat deck.
"At times games finish during first session of fourth day. Just calculate how many potential seconds of ad revenue you can lose," he explained.
Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Samsung is reportedly planning to launch the next iteration of its flagship Galaxy S series smartphones in 2024. While there have been no official details available about the successor to the Galaxy S23 series, reports and rumours have hinted at the expected specifications and features of the Galaxy S24 lineup. A recent report has suggested that the Galaxy S24 Ultra could come with a Snapdragon chipset. Previously, the Galaxy S24 series, comprising the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra, was said to be equipped with Exynos 2400 SoC in the European market.
A new leak by Weibo user Instant Digital (translated from Chinese) says that the top-of-the-line Galaxy S24 Ultra will be equipped with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC in all markets, while the other two model, i.e., Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ could be launched with Exynos 2400 SoC under the hood in select markets. The latest leak refutes with a previous report that suggested that the Galaxy S24 series, including the top-end Galaxy S24 Ultra, will ship in Europe with the Exynos 2400 SoC.
According to the report, the Exynos 2400 SoC will come with cores clocked at a speed of 3.16GHz, 2.9GHz, 2.6GHz, and 1.95GHz on the phones. Additionally, the Galaxy S24+ is said to sport a WQHD+ screen with 3120x1440 resolution and a peak brightness of 2,500 nits.
Other than these, the Galaxy S24 Ultra's storage options have also been leaked suggesting an inbuilt storage of up to 2TB. The phone is also said to available in 12GB + 256GB and 8GB+ 128GB RAM and storage configurations.
Furthermore, an earlier report, too, claimed that the Galaxy S24+ could come with Snapdragon chips in the US. The handset was also spotted on the Geekbench website, likely equipped with Qualcomm's yet-to-be-unveiled Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC.
Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
The iQoo Z7 Pro 5G is the latest addition to the company's Z series of smartphones in India. iQoo is pushing the processor and the design as some of the phone's unique selling points. Armed with a more stylish design than the iQoo Z7 5G, should you be considering the new Z7 Pro 5G as your next mid-range purchase? Here's our initial thoughts on the new 5G smartphone.
The Z7 Pro 5G comes with the typical bundled accessories, and this includes a 66W power adapter and a transparent case. The charging brick is pretty big and has a USB Type-A port. The phone is priced at Rs. 21,999 and Rs. 22,999, for the 128GB and 256GB variants respectively.
The iQoo Z7 Pro 5G looks very stylish in this Blue Lagoon colour. It's also available in a Graphite Matte colour. It's very light at just 175g and is only 7.36mm thick, giving it a very premium look and in-hand feel. Despite this slim size, iQoo has managed to pack a 4,600mAh battery inside. The body is also IP52 rated to withstand dust and water.
The iQoo Z7 Pro 5G ships with a charger and case in the box
The other highlight is the processor. The iQoo Z7 Pro 5G features a MediaTek Dimensity 7200 SoC which is built on a 4nm fabrication process and should be very power efficient. iQoo is touting that the Z7 Pro 5G can achieve an AnTuTu (v10) score of over 700K. The phone has 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and comes in two storage configurations of 128GB and 256GB, both adhering to the UFS 2.2 standard.
The display also feels premium. The iQoo Z7 Pro 5G sports a large 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a full-HD+ resolution, curved edges on two sides, and an in-display fingerprint sensor. The display is also claimed to have a touch sampling rate of 300Hz and a boosted rate of up to 1,200Hz. It also has a 120Hz refresh rate. As for scratch protection, the display also gets Schott's Xensation Up glass.
The iQoo Z7 Pro 5G has a curved-edge AMOLED display
The iQoo Z7 Pro 5G runs Funtouch OS 13 based on Android 13, and you get many preinstalled apps. Coming to the cameras, the phone features a 64-megapixel main camera and a 2-megapixel portrait camera, but sadly, misses out on an ultra-wide camera. iQoo has provided optical stabilisation or OIS for the main camera, and the sensor in use is the Samsung GW3. The selfie camera is a 16-megapixel sensor.
Overall, the iQoo Z7 Pro 5G could potentially be decent mid-range contender if design and performance are important to you. We'll have our final verdict on the phone very soon in the full review.
Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Bitcoin stepped into Thursday trading in losses. The most expensive cryptocurrency, that incurred a loss of 0.67 percent today, is trading at the price point of $27,190 (roughly Rs. 22.4 lakh). Bitcoin finally was able to break out of its $26,000 (roughly Rs. 21.5 lakh) spell a day ago. Despite today's minor loss, Bitcoin held onto its risen value. In the last 24 hours, BTC value slipped by $306 (roughly Rs. 25,292).
Ether joined Bitcoin on the loss-registering side of the crypto price chart on Thursday. Dipping by 1.15 percent, Ether is currently trading at the price point of $1,699 (roughly Rs. 1.40 lakh). Over the last 24 hours, losses reduced Ether's price by $19 (roughly Rs. 1,570).
“BTC seems to have lost the momentum it had gained after Grayscale's historic win against the SEC. However, analysts predict a 75 percent chance that Bitcoin ETFs will get approval this year. The SEC is also expected to rule on the ETF applications submitted by other players like BlackRock, Fidelity, Invesco, and WisdomTree, this week,” Shubham Hudda, Senior Manager, CoinSwitch Markets Desk, told Gadgets 360, hinting at an optimistic future for Bitcoin in the coming days.
Most major cryptocurrencies recorded price dips on Thursday alongside BTC and ETH.
The overall crypto market cap slipped by 0.89 percent in the last 24 hours to be at $1.08 trillion (roughly Rs. 89,20,972 crore) as of August 31, showed CoinMarketCap.
Investor sentiment, however, continued to climb and jumped three points since yesterday; currently in the neutral zone with a score of 52/100.
“The crypto market has traded sideways with downward pressure in the last 24 hours. Most of the top 10 cryptos by market capitalisation were trading in the red today,” Hudda added.
Meanwhile, a small number of cryptocurrencies did see profits today.
“In other news, Robinhood, one of the largest financial brokers in the US has been gaining significant traction in its wallet app after enabling wallet support for BTC and DOGE. Even though this seems like a late development in a crowded market segment, investors seem to be welcoming the move,” Hudda noted.
Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Cryptocurrency is an unregulated digital currency, not a legal tender and subject to market risks. The information provided in the article is not intended to be and does not constitute financial advice, trading advice or any other advice or recommendation of any sort offered or endorsed by NDTV. NDTV shall not be responsible for any loss arising from any investment based on any perceived recommendation, forecast or any other information contained in the article.
Apple is testing the use of 3D printers to produce the steel chassis used by some of its upcoming smartwatches, according to people with knowledge of the matter, heralding a major change to how the company manufactures products.
The technique would obviate the need to cut large slabs of metal into the product's shape. That would reduce the time it takes to build devices while also helping the environment by using less material, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the plan is private.
The new approach has the potential to streamline Apple's supply chain and kick off a broader shift. If the work with Apple Watch models goes to plan, the tech giant will look to expand the process to more products over the next several years, the people said. A spokeswoman for the Cupertino, California-based company declined to comment.
To date, Apple has used a more conventional manufacturing approach for its stainless-steel watches, which account for about 10 percent of the product line's total units. A process called forging is used to form bricks of material into a smaller block of metal close to the size of the device. A CNC, or computer numerical control, machine is then used to cut into the metal and create the exact design and button holes.
The new technique uses a type of 3D printing called binder jetting to create the device's general outline at close to its actual size, or what is known in manufacturing as the “near net shape.” The print is made with a powdered substance, which afterward goes through a process called sintering. That uses heat and pressure to squeeze the material into what feels like traditional steel. The exact design and cutouts are then milled like in the previous process.
The news gave a boost to 3D printing companies such as 3D Systems Corp. and Stratasys Ltd. The shares of 3D Systems soared as much as 10 percent, while Stratasys jumped 6.9 percent. The stocks later pared those gains. Apple was up 1.8 percent to $187.46 (roughly Rs. 15,492) as of 2:48pm in New York.
Apple and its suppliers have been quietly developing the technique for at least three years. Over the past several months, they've been testing the process with steel cases destined for the Apple Watch Series 9, which is set to be unveiled on September 12. The smartwatch will get a performance increase and new case colours, though its look will largely stay the same, Bloomberg has reported.
There's no guarantee the first consumer shipments of the new steel Apple Watches will be built with the revamped manufacturing technique, but the test run suggests the company is serious about the approach. Apple also plans to apply the process to its titanium Ultra watch, but such a shift isn't planned until 2024.
The approach benefits the environment because it only uses the approximate amount of metal necessary to create the device enclosures. In another move toward sustainability, Apple is planning to use new materials to replace leather in some of its new iPhone cases and other accessories, other people with knowledge of the matter said.
The 3D printing work is being led by Apple's manufacturing design team, which is overseen by Rob York, a company vice president, and reports up to operations head Sabih Khan. The move to 3D-printed watch cases has been an expensive endeavour for Apple and its suppliers, but it should prove to simplify production and potentially lower costs over time. For now, the cost per watch case with the new process is in line with that of the prior method.
The work is still nascent and, for the time being, will be reserved for lower-volume products. Most Apple Watch casings are aluminium, not stainless steel. The company hasn't made headway on mass-producing 3D-printed enclosures with that material, which is also used for Macs and iPads, as well as lower-end iPhones. But the company is discussing bringing materials that can be 3D-printed, like steel and titanium, to more devices.
The initiative is one of the first cases of using binder jetting to mass-produce a high-volume metal part. Making the Apple Watch a test case for new technology is part of a pattern for the company. For instance, Apple added steel frames to the iPhone two years after they appeared on the original Apple Watch. And this year's high-end iPhone models will use titanium a year after the material debuted on the Apple Watch Ultra.
Apple launched the iPad Pro (2022) and the iPad (2022) alongside the new Apple TV this week. We discuss the company's latest products, along with our review of the iPhone 14 Pro on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Baldur's Gate 3's second patch is right around the corner, with Larian Studios suggesting that it's a ‘chonky' one. In a community update post on Steam, the developer revealed that the patch will be focused on improving performance issues, specifically in Act 3, where players have reported laggy cutscenes and stutters when the camera pans around. In addition to fixing bugs that halted quest progression, our companion, the cheerful Tiefling Karlach, will be getting a new optional ending — a closure that is described as ‘fiery' and ‘poignant'. The lengthy blog post also touches upon some cut content that was discovered recently by data miners, some of which have now been revealed as a consequence of bugs.
One such case is the ruthless drow Minthara's reactivity in the game, whose dialogue was seemingly heavily cut down and felt inconsequential. Larian has now isolated the ‘very, very stupid' bug, which prevented about 1,500 lines of content from triggering when necessary and will soon release a fix. “The game is super reactive and there were a couple of bugs that caused some of the companions to not react as they should. And so that felt like the content was not showing up,” Larian CEO Swen Vincke told IGN, adding that her dialogue triggered in previous versions — early access, I'm assuming — and further development caused it to drown out.
The amount of new information data miners extracted caused some to believe that she was supposed to have an origin quest — similar to companions like Astarion or Shadowheart. Vincke assured in the interview that Minthara was just a side character, though once she's fixed, they might consider doing ‘something extra' with her. It also appears as if the team is looking into expanding Baldur's Gate 3's epilogue, which felt brief and abrupt to most players. As per Larian, the epilogue was heavily trimmed out of fear that the ending cinematics would've played out for way too long. The game already has cutscenes that run for over 174 hours. However, due to popular demand, the team will now expand on it, and we'll get to see its first results starting with patch #2, which introduces a new ending for Karlach that doesn't end in misery.
Larian Studios is also adding a new ‘Withers' Wardrobe of Wayward Friends' feature, which lets you get rid of co-op party members who join your campaign. The developer dropped a funny advertisement for it, which details that you can place any unwanted party members in our NPC skeletal friend's closet and they'll be gone. As for whether Baldur's Gate 3 will feature a physical wardrobe at our camp or if it's generated when you speak to Withers, only time will tell. Besides that, Larian is also cooking up the option to customise our character's appearance midway through the campaign, though there's no release window for it, yet. With each new hotfix and update, third-party mods have had trouble keeping up. So, support for customisation will be added ‘at some point.'
Baldur's Gate 3 is out now on PC. The PS5 version releases on September 6, while the Xbox Series S/X version is slated for release sometime this year.
What are the most exciting titles that gamers can look forward to in 2023? We discuss some of our favourites on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Samsung will reportedly launch the successor to the Galaxy S23 series early next year. While the smartphones are still months away from their debut, several rumours and leaks have revealed expected specifications and features of the purported Galaxy S24 series. The Galaxy S24 series will likely comprise a Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and a Galaxy S24 Ultra. Now, details of the phones' processor and their storage options has been leaked online. The phones are tipped to get an Exynos processor in Europe.
A new leak by tipster Ice Universe (@UniverseIce) revealed that the Galaxy S24 series will ship in Europe with the Exynos 2400 SoC with cores clocked at a speed of 3.16GHz, 2.9GHz, 2.6GHz, and 1.95GHz. Additionally, the tipster went on to reveal some more details about the purported smartphones. The Galaxy S24+ is said to come with a WQHD+ screen with 3120x1440 resolution whereas all three models will offer a peak brightness of 2,500 nits.
The tipster has also teased the renders of the S24+, which suggest a centrally positioned hole-punch cutout at the top of the display. The handset's bezel and middle frame could together be 2.5mm thick, with the bezel said to be 1.5mm thick. Furthermore, the phone is said to weigh 195g and measure 7.7mm in thickness.
Other than these, the Galaxy S24 Ultra's storage options have also been leaked on X by tipster Revegnus (@Tech_Reve). The phone is likely to ship with 2TB of storage alongside 12GB + 256GB and 8GB+ 128GB RAM and storage configurations.
Previously, a report suggested that the Galaxy S24 series of smartphones could come with Snapdragon chips in the US. The smartphone was spotted on Geekbench listing with Qualcomm's current-generation Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 flagship SoC.
Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Apple on Tuesday confirmed that it would host its next launch event, titled 'Wonderlust' on September 12. The company's rumoured iPhone 15 series of smartphones is expected to make its debut at the event. Apple is tipped to bring noteworthy hardware upgrades to the iPhone lineup this year such as a periscope camera to the Pro series and a new programmable 'Action' button. The Cupertino company could also launch the Apple Watch Series 9 and a second-generation Apple Watch Ultra, as well as a version of the second-generation AirPods Pro with a USB Type-C port, according to recent reports.
From Apple's announcement of its next launch event to the products expected to debut in the coming weeks, here's everything you need to know about the upcoming 'Wonderlust' event that will take place on September 12.
Apple 'Wonderlust' event and expected software updates
The next Apple event is titled 'Wonderlust' and will take place on September 12 at 10am PT (10:30pm IST). Earlier this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman predicted the same launch date for the company's next smartphone series, which is expected to comprise of the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Like previous Apple events, you should be able to stream the 'Wonderlust' event live via the company's website, the Apple TV+ app, and YouTube.
We already know that Apple is going to update its smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, Mac computers, and Apple TV models with new operating system versions, thanks to the developer and public betas that have been rolling out to users. The company is expected to release iOS 17, iPadOS 17, watchOS 10, tvOS 17, and macOS Sonoma a few days after the launch event.
iPhone 15 series
Apple is expected to launch four new smartphones this year as the successors to its iPhone 14 lineup, but the new models will reportedly feature notable hardware upgrades. Every model is expected to be equipped with a USB Type-C port with the possibility of Thunderbolt/ USB 4 support and faster charging at up to 35W, according to recent reports. All four models are also tipped to sport the Dynamic Island that arrived with last year's Pro models. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus is said to get an upgrade to the A16 Bionic chip, while the Pro models could be switched to a 3nm A17 Bionic processor.
Images of the purported cases for the iPhone 15 Pro with an Action button cutout Photo Credit: Weibo/ Uncle Pan
Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are tipped to feature a new Action button in place of the mute switch. This button could be programmable and may allow you launch apps, perform tasks, toggle on device and accessibility features, or even launch Shortcuts, according to a report. Meanwhile, the top-of-the-line model is expected to feature a periscope camera that is said to deliver improved optical zoom performance. Both models are tipped to arrive in a titanium chassis with new colour options.
Apple Watch Ultra (2nd Gen) and Apple Watch Series 9
Unlike the iPhone 15 series, details on Apple's plans to launch new smartwatch models are not readily available. According to previous reports, the second-generation Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Series 9 could be equipped with a new S9 chip which is the first major upgrade to the processor on the watch since the Series 6 model that was unveiled in 2020 — in terms of performance and battery efficiency.
If you're expecting major hardware upgrades, you might have to wait until Apple announces these rumoured products at the upcoming launch event. Even if these end up being iterative upgrades, Apple is reportedly working on a major Apple Watch X model for 2024 that could arrive in time for the 10th anniversary of the smartwatch next year.
AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) refresh
Last year, Apple unveiled the AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) alongside the iPhone 14 series of smartphones and the Apple Watch Series 8 and the Apple Watch Ultra. The second-generation AirPods Pro model offers improved battery life, better active noise cancellation, and support for tracking the case just like an AirTag. At its upcoming 'Wonderlust' event, Apple is tipped to launch the AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) with a USB Type-C port.
This isn't the first time that the company has refreshed an existing accessory — Apple launched an upgraded AirPods Pro (1st Gen) model with a MagSafe-compatible charging case. The previous report that claimed the company's flagship truly wireless stereo (TWS) earphones would support the modern charging port does not mention any plans to refresh other recent models such as the AirPods (3rd Gen) and the AirPods Max.
Stay tuned for more updates right here as we head closer to the event date.
Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
What are the biggest movies releasing in September 2023? Shah Rukh Khan headlines the biggest treat in Indian cinema this month with Jawan, an action-thriller which sees him in the role of an emotional vigilante, on a mission to rectify the wrongs in society. Marking the first Hindi-language film for director Atlee, it drops September 7 in cinemas. A bit before that, prime yourself for a warm tale of brotherhood, as a pair of bickering siblings unite to attend a secret party, while their mother is out of town. Starring Babil Khan - the son of the late Irrfan Khan - in the lead, Friday Night Plan releases September 1 on Netflix.
On the Hollywood side, Denzel Washington is back to serve heavy-handed justice on behalf of the needy in The Equalizer 3, as he tests his odds against the Italian mafia. The final chapter co-stars Dakota Fanning, who reunites with the celebrated actor nearly 20 years after the 2004 film Man on Fire when she was a child. The film is out September 1 in theatres worldwide. You'd expect movie studios to schedule their upcoming horror movies for the Halloween season in October, but Warner Bros. is taking a head start by dropping The Nun II on September 8. The premise is a bit similar to the first film, in the sense that Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) is once again faced with the haunting of the demonic entity Valak (Bonnie Aarons). Considering these films are all part of the larger Conjuring universe, I'd expect some ties to other films as well.
This month is a bit dry in terms of major releases, which is why we've also included a short film in the list. Don't worry though, as it's not some random arthouse flick with grey colour grading, but rather Wes Anderson's next pastel-themed project, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. Yes, it's another adaptation of a Roald Dahl story, and it will be available to stream September 27 on Netflix. For your convenience, we have curated the biggest September 2023 releases coming to theatres, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix, which you can check out below. Also, feel free to browse our Entertainment hub to keep track of any other releases that might interest you.
The Equalizer 3
When: September 1
Where: Theatres
Having given up on his former life as a government assassin, ex-special agent Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) finds a strange homeliness in Southern Italy, where he's well-acquainted with its people and sees them as family. But upon realising his newfound friends have gotten into trouble with the local mafia, he must put his game face back on and hunt them down, piling up dead bodies at a Sicilian farm, despite the odd predicament he's in. Tied to a chair with a gun pointed at his head, McCall stays cool and collected as ever, offering the thugs nine seconds to let him loose, or else they get killed.
He doesn't seem to be out of practice either, slipping right back to his violent roots when the moment calls for it and maintaining a charming smile in the public eye to avoid suspicion. On his path of vengeance, he runs into Emma Collins (Dakota Fanning), who suspects him of being responsible for the murders. For now, it's unclear what her intentions are, but it's cool to see them reunite in the lead roles after nearly two decades — almost as if this is a spiritual sequel to Man on Fire (2004). Antoine Fuqua returns to direct The Equalizer 3, which also stars Gaia Scodellaro (Promises), David Denman (Brightburn), and Remo Girone (Ford v Ferrari).
Friday Night Plan
When: September 1
Where: Netflix
For the longest time, Siddharth (Babil Khan) was an unpopular, nerdy kid at school, spending time in the library and privately singing songs when showering. All that changed when he scored the winning goal at one of his football tournaments, instantly transforming his image among his peers, who invite him to a party during the weekend. Only one problem though - Siddharth has a mischievous younger brother (Amrith Jayan), who overhears those plans and wants in, hoping to hit it off with one of the girls from the senior batch. Opportunity comes knocking when their mom (Juhi Chawla) decides to leave on a business trip — meaning there's no need to ask for permission and everything will be fine, as long as they're back home before she returns.
Or so they think. Being siblings translates to a lot of unnecessary quarrels, and mixing it with alcohol is an unhealthy recipe for disaster. From getting their car towed to hurling eggs at poor strangers, their inconsiderate adventures put them in trouble with the local cops, during which they realise the value of brotherhood the moment they began falling apart, and embrace each other's flaws. The aptly titled Friday Night Plan is helmed by Vatsal Neelakantan (Dahaad), and it also features Aadhya Anand (Bombay Begums) as Sid's crush and Ninad Kamat (Scoop) as the police officer Suhad Pingale.
Jawan
When: September 7
Where: Theatres
After ruling the Indian box office with Pathaan earlier this year, Shah Rukh Khan returns as Vikram, a volatile commando looking to correct the wrongs in society, with some help from a group of women, well-trained in arms. In it, he'll be pitted against an outlaw, presumably his lookalike son Azaad — played by SRK himself — who's apparently hurt countless innocents in his path. Both Jawan's stars and its director Atlee are tight-lipped about the plot, but judging by the teaser, it appears that Vikram will cross paths with a hard-nosed lady officer (Nayanthara), and Vijay Sethupathi in an undisclosed role.
Remember the funny French guy from 2018's The Nun, who got possessed by the end of the film? Yeah, Maurice (Jonas Bloquet) and Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) are now in France — two years after the incident at the Romanian abbey where they faced the demon nun Valak. The odd death of a priest sets forth a chain of haunting events at the new church, with several students getting attacked late at night. And so, Sister Irene is once again pitted against the demonic entity, who is now revealed to be a former angel rejected by God. That probably explains why it's angry and hangs about in holy places — so it can somehow reclaim its lost power.
I hope The Nun II delves deeper into the origin of Valak, so we know how it ties to the larger Conjuring universe, before eventually showing up at paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren's desk in the form of a possessed Maurice, years later. Michael Chaves (The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It) returns to direct the latest instalment of the James Wan-helmed horror franchise, which is poised to bring the films back to full circle. The sequel also features some new faces, starting with Storm Reid (Euphoria) as a young Nun-in-training, Anna Popplewell as a schoolteacher Marcells, and Katelyn Rose Downey as Sophie, one of the first students who detects the awful presence.
Jaane Jaan
When: September 21
Where: Netflix
Kareena Kapoor Khan makes her OTT debut in this latest Sujoy Ghosh (Lust Stories 2) project, portraying a single mother in Kalimpong, West Bengal, who tries to cover up the murder of her abusive ex-husband. If this premise seems familiar to you, it's because Jaane Jaan is an Indian adaptation of Keigo Higashino's renowned Japanese novel ‘The Devotion of Suspect X.' There isn't much to gather from the brief announcement trailer, but we can conclude that Jaideep Ahlawat (Paatal Lok) plays the local maths teacher who's in love with Khan's character and helps her cover up the crime, whereas Vijay Varma (Darlings) is the police detective hell-bent on solving the murder.
Expend4ables
When: September 22
Where: Theatres
As with every other entry in this action franchise, Expend4bles is quite light-handed on the plot side of things, posing the threat of World War III, thanks to a group of terrorists who have stolen some nuclear missiles. Our returning mercenary Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) is looking to part from the group, passing the baton to the knife expert Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), who will now lead the team with some new and familiar friends. First up is Easy Day (Curtis ‘50 Cent' Jackson) who is extremely wary of not wanting to get shot in the face, followed by Gina (Megan Fox), Christmas's ex-girlfriend who's gotten hold of some confidential government documents regarding the mission. Then there's Levy Tran (The Haunting of Hill House) as the aptly-named Lash, adept at chocking people to death with chains.
As for returning faces, the ensemble lineup brings back Dolph Lundgren as the seasoned sniper Gunner Jensen, and Randy Couture as the demolitions expert Toll Road. The full-stacked crew will go head-to-head against Rahmat, played by Iko Uwais (The Raid: Redemption), whose reputation as a real-life expert martial artist bleeds through in Expend4bles' high-octane combat sequences. Expect loads of vehicular combat and explosions, as our heroes prepare to bid an emotional farewell to their longtime leader Ross. As overtly daft as these movies are, I must admit it'll be hard to keep up with them without Stallone's involvement in the future.
Sylvester Stallone in a still from Expend4bles Photo Credit: Lionsgate
Cassandro
When: September 22
Where: Amazon Prime Video
When being a masked luchador always cast him to the side as a runt of a wrestler, the openly gay Saúl Armendáriz decided to put on some makeup and slip into the spandex of an Exótico. Gael GarcÃa Bernal (Babel) now prepares to steal hearts in this biopic from Oscar-winning filmmaker Roger Ross Williams, flaunting his acrobatic yet feminine moves under the ring name ‘Cassandro' and slowly climbing the ranks of fame to evolve and upend the ultra-masculine world of wrestling. But with stardom, he starts to lose sight of what's important, causing his mother Yocasta (Perla De La Rosa) to worry about him, while his lover Gerardo (Raúl Castillo) tries hammering into his head that he's ‘pushing things too far' with his character's sassiness.
Not everyone is accepting of his sexuality, which is bound to form the inner conflict for Cassandro, as he navigates his new life of celebrity interviews, exotic parties, and loads of money. Guiding him on the path to success is Felipe (Bad Bunny) who discovers Saúl at a local bar, and Sabrina (Roberta Colindrez), the professional trainer and friend who helps him create his new in-ring persona. Cassandro also seems to have been filmed in a tighter aspect ratio with bars on either side, which I'm assuming is an artistic choice to best replicate the TV broadcasts from the 1990s.
Sukhee
When: September 22
Where: Theatres
Fed up with her mundane life of doing household chores and running after her husband, 38-year-old Punjabi Sukhpreet Kalra (Shilpa Shetty) decides to travel to Delhi to attend her school reunion. In doing so, she's hit with a wave of nostalgia, as she relives a younger version of herself and undergoes an enlightening transformation, that reinvigorates her identity as a woman which had been repressed for so long. Plot-wise, there isn't much to chew on for now, considering T-Series hasn't dropped a trailer, but we know Sukhee being helmed by Sonal Joshi, who previously worked on the Emraan Hashmi-led Bard of Blood. It also ropes in Smit Sadh (Breathe: Into the Shadows) and Kusha Kapila (Selfiee) in the lead roles.
Following Fantastic Mr. Fox, Wes Anderson is taking a stab at Roald Dahl once again in his latest short film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. Running at just 37 minutes, it follows the titular wealthy gambler Henry (Benedict Cumberbatch), who learns about a strange guru who possesses the ability to see through thin objects without opening his eyes. What follows next is an almost spiritual journey, where he decides to master the skill through meditation and uses it to cheat and win big at casinos, before eventually losing interest in it because the thrill of winning is lost.
Besides Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel) as the narrator Dahl, there are a bunch of newbies in this short film, namely Dev Patel (The Green Knight) as Dr. Chatterjee, Ben Kingsley (Gandhi) as Imdad Khan, Richard Ayoade (The Double) as Dr. Marshall, and Rupert Friend (Homeland). If it was up to Anderson, this short would've been released in theatres, marking his second project this year — the first being Asteroid City — though by the time he was ready to make the short, Netflix acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company. “Suddenly, in essence, there was nowhere else you could do it since they own it,” Anderson said in an interview while adding that the small runtime makes it the perfect place to show it, as well.
It is also rumoured that the filmmaker will be adapting other Dahl short stories such as ‘The Swan,' ‘Poison,' and ‘The Ratcatcher,' serving as an anthology that collectively runs for roughly 100 minutes.
Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, and Richard Ayoade in a still from The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar Photo Credit: Netflix
The Creator
When: September 29
Where: Theatres
Bash Rogue One: A Star Wars Story's writing all you want, but we can all agree that it was a well-directed film. Sure, a chunk of it can be credited to Greig Fraser's stunning cinematography, but it's director Gareth Edwards' choice of pacing that keeps its otherwise messy events pass by exhilaratingly. He's now back in the sci-fi business with The Creator, which is set in a fictional 2070, where the human race and AI are in a neverending war after the latter dropped a nuclear bomb onto Los Angeles years prior. In it, we largely follow an ex-special forces agent Joshua (John David Washington), who is summoned to hunt down the titular Creator, the elusive architect of the AI who has created a weapon of mass destruction.
Already grieving from the mysterious disappearance of his wife Maya (Gemma Chan), Joshua and his team of soldiers make their way into enemy territory, only to learn that the world-ending weapon he was ordered to destroy is an AI in the form of a child (Madeleine Yuna Voyles). Not knowing what to do, the pair decide to team up and journey across militia checkpoints and villages under attack, to find a way to stop the weapon — presumably, while keeping the kid alive. Despite breaking scientific themes, the film often seems to touch upon religious aspects as well — specifically, the notion of going to heaven, which is impossible for Joshua because of his terrible past, and the child because she isn't human.
The film features an ensemble cast lineup ranging from Ken Watanabe (Detective Pikachu), Allison Janney (Bombshell), Ralph Ineson (The Witch), and Sturgill Simpson (The Hunt). Funnily though, the working title for the film was True Love, which sounds like a romcom — I'm glad they changed it. It might also have been smart for Edwards to base The Creator in the year 2024, given how conflicted we are with the use of artificial intelligence these days. It's a decision that he himself regrets, as revealed in a recent interview.
The Chromecast with Google TV that runs on Android TV is here. When will Google learn how to name products? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Starfield is just days away from launch and ahead of that the Bethesda RPG has seen several leaks. Copies of the game are currently in the hands of select reviewers and even some players who obtained it illegally, before sharing a plethora of screenshots and gameplay videos online. One such clip that's now causing concern for fans about Starfield's scope was first leaked on a Chinese forum, over the weekend, which suggested that a player could run non-stop in one direction for 40 minutes, before being met with a ‘Boundary Reached' message. The videos have since been removed, though players are now questioning the legitimacy of developer Bethesda's claims.
Bethesda's Head of Publishing Pete Hines, who's apparently played Starfield for a minimum of 130 hours, responded to a fan's tweet asking if players would be able to explore entire planets. He responded with, “Yup, if you want. Walk on, brave explorer.” As the aforementioned leak came pouring in, the comment was met with numerous fans accusing the studio of lying about the game's depth in exploration. While many have been defending the game by saying that the Boundary Reached message is from the tutorial segment of the game, some game journalists who've been reviewing it have also begun vaguely pushing back against complainers. “This is actually not entirely accurate,” Windows Central's Jez Corden said on X (formerly, Twitter). “Just wait for the reviews. The half-truths being spread are being done in bad faith sometimes.”
You guys probably already saw this screenshot flying around & people saying "You cant explore planets, bethesda lied!". Guys, There is nothing stopping you from exploring the planet. It just may be a loading screen or you may have to land at the next spot (a short loading or… pic.twitter.com/Qq161IZ9Dl
It certainly doesn't help that during June's Starfield Direct presentation, game director Todd Howard claimed that players could select any spot on an unknown planet and land there, causing many to believe that exploration would be seamless — akin to No Man's Sky, where planetary beings, vegetation, and conditions are procedurally generated. However, in Starfield's case, this could mean that planets are seamlessly explorable in chunks. Even if we consider that the leaked clip/ image wasn't from the tutorial segment and look at the ‘Boundary Reached' menu that pops up on the screen, we're presented with three options. You can fast-travel back to your ship, press cancel and walk around until an invisible wall halts you, or you can ‘Open Planet Map' to explore another region on the map.
This indicates that exploration on the planet isn't necessarily over and that you could certainly land at any given point of the map and explore, before eventually hitting that roadblock — where I'm assuming the game is unable to continue loading the area in real-time. A lot of this discourse will surely be cleared once the reviews are out on August 31, which will undoubtedly touch upon the exploration mechanic since that's been one of Bethesda's key selling points. Expectations for Starfield are extremely high, with the developer continuously touting its massive size, in addition to new information about a Jail system and the debate about it being locked to 30fps on consoles.
Starfield is out September 6 on PC and Xbox Series S/X. Those who pre-ordered the Premium Edition are granted a five-day early access, starting September 1.
What are the most exciting titles that gamers can look forward to in 2023? We discuss some of our favourites on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Huawei Mate 60 Pro has been silently launched in China. The successor to last year's Huawei Mate 50 Pro, brings several major upgrades including satellite calling support and an LTPO AMOLED display. The handset sports a 6.82-inch AMOLED display with an adaptive refresh rate that ranges between 1Hz and 120Hz and a 300Hz touch sampling rate. Available in three storage variants, the new handset from the Chinese manufacturer has three hole-punch cutouts at the top of the display housing a selfie camera and the 3D time of flight (ToF) sensor.
Huawei Mate 60 Pro price, availability
Huawei Mate 60 Pro price is set at CNY 6,999 (roughly Rs. 79,400) for the 12GB + 512GB. Pricing for the 256GB and 1TB storage variants are yet to be announced. It will be sold in Akawa Sei, Southern Waxy Purple, White Sand Silver, and Yadan Black (translated from Chinese) colour options.
The handset is currently listed for pre-sale via Vmall online store. There's no word from the company on whether these phones will be available in other markets.
Huawei Mate 60 Pro specifications, features
The dual-SIM (Nano) handset runs on HarmonyOS 4.0, according to the company. The smartphone features a 6.82-inch Full HD+ (1,260 x 2,720 pixels) AMOLED display with LTPO technology. It offers an adaptive refresh rate that ranges between 1Hz and 120Hz. It also offers a 300Hz touch sampling rate and supports 1440Hz high-frequency PWM dimming.
The handset has three hole-punch cutouts at the top of the display housing a selfie camera and a 3D ToF sensor. It is protected by Huawei's second-generation Kunlun glass, according to the company.
The company hasn't revealed the processor powering the smartphone. The newly launched Huawei Mate 60 Pro packs up to 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of inbuilt storage.
For optics, the smartphone is equipped with a triple rear camera setup with an LED flash housed in a circular camera island. The camera setup includes a 50-megapixel sensor with OIS support, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 48-megapixel telephoto sensor with OIS support and 3.5x optical zoom. For selfies and video calls, the handset houses a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle front camera and a 3D depth camera.
Additionally, the phone comes with support for satellite calling enabling users to make calls even without cellular network connectivity. The Huawei Mate 60 Pro packs a 5,000mAh battery with support for up to 88W of fast charging, 50W of wireless fast charging, and 20W reverse wireless charging.
Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Bitcoin, after weeks of trading at a stagnated price point of around $26,000 (roughly Rs. 21.5 lakh), finally has managed to break out of its resistance point. On Wednesday, Bitcoin reflected a substantial gain of 5.30 percent to trade at $27,496 (roughly Rs. 22.7 lakh). In the last 24 hours, the most expensive cryptocurrency jumped by $1,409 (roughly Rs. 1.16 lakh). As per experts, this price action for BTC has resulted from the liquidation of around $75 million (roughly Rs. 620 crore) across exchanges in short positions.
Ether price also rose notably by 3.81 percent stepping into Wednesday. At the time of writing, ETH was trading at $1,718 (roughly Rs. 1.41 lakh). The value of ETH rose by $65 (roughly Rs. 5,370) over the last day.
"This tremendous positive growth could be attributed to the US Court ruling with Grayscale in a lawsuit against the Securities and Exchange Commission about the company's application to convert the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust to an ETF. This development in the industry has resulted in positive sentiment among the market participants, driving the prices. With this ruling, we could likely see more giant companies applying for Bitcoin spot ETF licenses in the coming months," Edul Patel, CEO, Muder, told Gadgets 360.
Profits raining over both top cryptocurrencies, BTC and ETH, often bring gains back to the crypto price chart.
The overall crypto market valuation spiked by four percent in the last 24 hours to sit on the mark of $1.09 trillion (roughly Rs. 90,07,269 crore), showed CoinMarketCap.
The fear and greed index has jumped 10 points and has entered the neutral zone with the current score of 49/100.
"The crypto market has seen a positive price action in the last 24 hours. As per CoinGecko, global crypto market capitalisation added approx. $50 billion (roughly Rs. 4,13,758 crore)," Shubham Hudda, Senior Manager, CoinSwitch Markets Desk, told Gadgets 360.
Meanwhile, only a pinch of altcoins recorded losses today. These include Binance USD and Braintrust.
Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Cryptocurrency is an unregulated digital currency, not a legal tender and subject to market risks. The information provided in the article is not intended to be and does not constitute financial advice, trading advice or any other advice or recommendation of any sort offered or endorsed by NDTV. NDTV shall not be responsible for any loss arising from any investment based on any perceived recommendation, forecast or any other information contained in the article.
The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope instrument onboard 'Pragyan' rover of Chandrayaan-3 has unambiguously confirmed the presence of sulphur on the lunar surface near south pole, through first-ever in-situ measurements, ISRO said on Tuesday.
It also said the instrument also detected aluminium, calcium, iron, chromium, titanium, manganese, silicon and oxygen, as expected.
"The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument onboard Chandrayaan-3 Rover has made the first-ever in-situ measurements on the elemental composition of the lunar surface near the south pole. These in-situ measurements confirm the presence of Sulphur (S) in the region unambiguously, something that was not feasible by the instruments onboard the orbiters," the space agency said in a statement.
According to ISRO, LIBS is a scientific technique that analyses the composition of materials by exposing them to intense laser pulses.
"A high-energy laser pulse is focused onto the surface of a material, such as a rock or soil. The laser pulse generates an extremely hot and localised plasma. The collected plasma light is spectrally resolved and detected by detectors such as Charge Coupled Devices. Since each element emits a characteristic set of wavelengths of light when it's in a plasma state, the elemental composition of the material is determined," it said.
Preliminary analyses have unveiled the presence of Aluminum (Al), Sulphur (S), Calcium (Ca), Iron (Fe), Chromium (Cr), and Titanium (Ti) on the lunar surface. Further measurements have revealed the presence of manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), and oxygen (O), it said.
"Thorough investigation regarding the presence of Hydrogen is underway," ISRO said.
LIBS instrument is developed at the Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems at Peenya Industrial Estate, Bengaluru where the first India satellite was fabricated in 1975.
India on August 23 scripted history as ISRO's ambitious third Moon mission Chandrayaan-3's Lander Module (LM) touched down on the lunar surface, making it only the fourth country to accomplish the feat, and first to reach the uncharted south pole of Earth's only natural satellite.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced the decision to name the spot where Chandrayaan-3 Vikram lander made soft landing as 'Shiv Shakti Point' and the site where the Chandrayaan-2 lander crash-landed on the Moon's surface in 2019 would be known as "Tiranga Point".
Also, August 23, the day the Chandrayaan-3 lander touched down on the lunar surface, would be celebrated as ‘National Space Day', Modi had said.
Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
