A Tesla shareholder filed a lawsuit on Thursday accusing CEO Elon Musk of insider trading when he sold over $7.5 billion of shares of the electric car maker in late 2022, saying the billionaire entrepreneur sold the shares before potentially disappointing production and delivery numbers were made public.
Shareholder Michael Perry, in the lawsuit filed in Delaware Chancery Court, said that Tesla's share price plummeted after the company's fourth-quarter numbers were made public on Jan. 2, 2023, and claimed that Musk "improperly benefited" by about $3 billion in insider profits.
"Musk exploited his position at Tesla, and he breached his fiduciary duties to Tesla," the lawsuit said, asking the court to direct Musk to return the profits made from the trades.
According to the lawsuit, Musk sold the shares on various dates in November 2022 and December 2022.
The lawsuit also accused Tesla's directors of breaching their fiduciary duty by allowing Musk to sell the shares.
Musk and Tesla did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
In the lawsuit, Perry said Musk - who in 2022 said demand for Tesla's vehicles was "excellent" - found out about the lower-than-expected numbers mid-November, with his access to real-time data, and sold his shares before the information was public.
Following news of vehicle price discounts that sparked demand concerns and the release of the numbers in January, Tesla's stock tanked.
"Had (Musk) waited to make these sales until after the release of material adverse news,... his sales would have netted him less than 55% of the amounts realized from his November and December 2022 sales," the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit is the latest legal headache for Musk.
It comes as Musk faces opposition from some Tesla shareholders who are set to vote on June 13 on whether to ratify his $56 billion pay package, which a Delaware judge voided in January because she found he improperly controlled the process.
Tesla is incorporated in Delaware.
Musk is also in the middle of a regulatory probe to determine whether he broke federal securities laws in 2022 when he bought stock in social media platform Twitter, which he later renamed X. Musk said the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission was trying to "harass" him through unwarranted investigations.
Musk and the top U.S. markets regulator have been in a years-long feud, dating back to 2018, when he tweeted that he had "funding secured" to take Tesla private.
A separate shareholder lawsuit has accused Musk of defrauding X investors by delaying disclosure of his stake in the social media company to amass shares at lower prices.
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.
After a thrilling IPL 2024 season, it is now time to witness another rollercoaster season of cricket tournament. Yes, we are talking about the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024, which starts on June 01, 2024. The annual T20 World Cup tournament will be taking place in two countries: the West Indies and the United States.
This season, we have 20 teams divided into four groups of five teams each. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super 8 stage. Here, eight teams will be divided into two groups of four teams each. The top two teams will then advance to the semi-finals, while the Final of the T20 World Cup 2024 will take place on June 29.
If you are wondering where you can watch all the action of the World Cup, then you have come to the right place. In this article, we will discuss all the details you need to know about the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024. So, without further ado, let's get started.
ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024: Today's Match Details
The opening match of ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 will begin with the USA facing Canada. The match will take place in Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Dallas. The T20 match will start at 6:00 AM IST (7:30 PM Local). Here's the complete squad of the USA and Canada for this year's World Cup:
USA Squad: Monank Patel (c), Aaron Jones, Andries Gous, Corey Anderson, Ali Khan, Harmeet Singh, JeStar Sportsy Singh, Milind Kumar, Nisarg Patel, Nitish Kumar, Noshtush Kenjige, Saurabh Nethralvakar, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Steven Taylor, Shayan Jahangir
India will have four matches in the League stage. Here's the full list of Team India matches for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024:
Match No
Fixtures
Date
Time
Venue
8
India vs Ireland
June 5
8:00 PM IST
Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York
19
India vs Pakistan
June 9
8:00 PM IST
Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York
25
USA vs India
June 12
8:00 PM IST
Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York
33
India vs Canada
June 15
8:00 PM IST
Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida
How to Watch ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 Live Stream on Mobile and TV for Free in India?
Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar currently hold the right to broadcast and stream the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 matches. This means users can watch all 55 matches on Disney+ Hotstar. Interestingly, the OTT platform has confirmed users can watch all the T20 World Cup matches for free on its mobile application. However, if you are planning to watch it on other screens like a Smart TV or laptop, you need to buy a subscription.
Disney+ Hotstar Subscription Plans
Disney+ Hotstar currently offers different subscription plans for its customers. Check them out here:
Disney+ Hotstar Mobile
This is the platform's lowest-tier subscription, costing Rs 149 per three months or Rs 499 per year. The subscription plan offers free access to all the content on Disney+ Hotstar on a mobile screen in 720p video quality.
Disney+ Hotstar Super
Next on the list is Disney+ Hotstar Super, which comes with a price tag of Rs 299 per 3 months or Rs 899 per year. The plan allows users to watch all the content on the platform on two devices at the same time at 1080p video quality.
Disney+ Hotstar Premium
Lastly, we have a top-tier subscription plan that offers everything. The Premium subscription is priced at Rs 299 per month, Rs 499 per three months, and Rs 1,499 per year. The plan allows customers to watch all the Disney+ Hotstar content on up to four devices. It also has video quality at 2160p and Dolby Vision support.
Best Recharge Plans to Watch ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 Live Streaming in India
If you are planning to watch the World Cup 2024, check out these interesting prepaid recharge plans from Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea that bring up to 3GB of data per day benefits.
Airtel
Rs 399: 3GB of data per day, unlimited voice calls, 100 SMS/day, 28 days of validity, free 28 days of Xstream Play subscription, unlimited 5G data
Rs 499: 3GB of data per day, unlimited voice calls, 100 SMS/day, 28 days of validity, Disney+ Hotstar 3-month subscription, free 28 days of Xstream Play subscription, unlimited 5G data
Rs 699: 3GB of data per day, unlimited voice calls, 100 SMS/day, 56 days of validity, an Amazon Prime subscription, free 28 days of Xstream Play subscription, unlimited 5G data.
Rs 1,499: 3GB of data per day, unlimited voice calls, 100 SMS/day, 84 days of validity, an Amazon Prime subscription, free 28 days of Xstream Play subscription, unlimited 5G data.
Reliance Jio
Rs 219: 14 days of validity, 3GB/day along with 2GB of additional data, unlimited voice calls, unlimited 5G data, 100 SMS/day, Jio app suite subscription
Rs 399: 28 days of validity, 3GB/day along with 6GB of additional data, unlimited voice calls, unlimited 5G data, 100 SMS/day, Jio app suite subscription
Rs 749: 90 days of validity, 2GB/day along with 20GB of additional data, unlimited voice calls, unlimited 5G data, 100 SMS/day, Jio app suite subscription
Rs 999: 84 days of validity, 3GB/day data, unlimited voice calls, unlimited 5G data, 100 SMS/day, Jio app suite subscription
Rs 1,499: 84 days of validity, 3GB/day along with 2GB of additional data, unlimited voice calls, unlimited 5G data, 100 SMS/day, Netflix Basic subscription, Jio app suite subscription
Rs 499: 3GB/day data, unlimited voice calls, 100 SMS/day, three months of Disney+ Hotstar subscription, 28 days validity
Rs 601: 3GB/day data + 16GB additional data, unlimited voice calls, 100 SMS/day, one year of Disney+ Hotstar subscription, 28 days validity
Rs 699: 3GB/day data, unlimited voice calls, 100 SMS/day, one year of Disney+ Hotstar subscription, 56 days validity.
Rs 901: 3GB/day + 48GB, 70 days of validity, one year of Disney+ Hotstar subscription, unlimited voice calls, 100 SMS/day
How to Watch ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 Live Streaming in Other Countries
Here's the complete list of streaming platforms for different regions:
Region
Streaming App
Australia
Prime Video
Caribbean Islands
ESPN Play Caribbean
Sri Lanka
Disney+Hotstar
Bangladesh
Disney+Hotstar
Nepal
Disney+Hotstar
Bhutan
Disney+Hotstar
Maldives
Disney+Hotstar
MENA
StarzON StarzPlay
Netherlands
ICC.tv
New Zealand
Sky Sports Now, Sky Go
Pakistan
Myco
Pakistan
Tamasha
ROW
ICC.tv
Singapore
StarHub
Sri Lanka
ICC.tv
Sub-Saharan Africa
SuperSport DSTV
UK & Northern Ireland
Sky Sports
USA & Canada
Willow TV CricBuzz
Where to Watch ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 Live Telecast in India on TV?
Star Sports is the official broadcasting partner for the T20 World Cup 2024. This means you can watch all the live matches on the following Star Sports channels:
Star Sports 1
Star Sports 1 HD
Star Sports 2
Star Sports 2 HD
Star Sports Select 2
Star Sports Select 2 HD
Star Sports 1 Hindi
Star Sports 1 Hindi HD
Star Sports 3
Star Sports First
Star Sports 1 Tamil (HD+SD)
Star Sports 1 Telugu (SD+ HD)
Star Sports 1 Kannada
Maa Gold
Suvarana Plus SD
ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 Full Schedule
Match No
Fixtures
Date
Time
Venue
1
USA vs Canada
June 2
6:00 AM IST
Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Dallas
2
West Indies vs Papua New Guinea
June 2
8:00 PM IST
Guyana National Stadium, Guyana
3
Namibia vs Oman
June 3
6:00 AM IST
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
4
Sri Lanka vs South Africa
June 3
8:00 PM IST
Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York
5
Afghanistan vs Uganda
June 4
6:00 AM IST
Guyana National Stadium, Guyana
6
England vs Scotland
June 4
8:00 PM IST
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
7
Netherlands vs Nepal
June 4
9:00 PM IST
Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Dallas
8
India vs Ireland
June 5
8:00 PM IST
Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York
9
Papua New Guinea vs Uganda
June 6
5:00 AM IST
Guyana National Stadium, Guyana
10
Australia vs Oman
June 6
6:00 AM IST
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
11
USA vs Pakistan
June 6
9:00 PM IST
Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Dallas
12
Namibia vs Scotland
June 7
12:30 AM IST
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
13
Canada vs Ireland
June 7
8:00 PM IST
Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York
14
New Zealand vs Afghanistan
June 8
5:00 AM IST
Guyana National Stadium, Guyana
15
Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh
June 8
6:00 AM IST
Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Dallas
16
Netherlands vs South Africa
June 8
8:00 PM IST
Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York
17
Australia vs England
June 8
10:30 PM IST
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
18
West Indies vs Uganda
June 9
6:00 AM IST
Guyana National Stadium, Guyana
19
India vs Pakistan
June 9
8:00 PM IST
Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York
20
Oman vs Scotland
June 9
10:30 PM IST
Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua
21
South Africa vs Bangladesh
June 10
8:00 PM IST
Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York
22
Pakistan vs Canada
June 11
8:00 PM IST
Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York
23
Sri Lanka vs Nepal
June 12
5:00 AM IST
Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida
24
Australia vs Namibia
June 12
6:00 AM IST
Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua
25
USA vs India
June 12
8:00 PM IST
Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York
26
West Indies vs New Zealand
June 13
6:00 AM IST
Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba
27
Bangladesh vs Netherlands
June 13
8:00 PM IST
Arnos Vale Ground, Arnos Vale, St Vincent
28
England vs Oman
June 14
12:30 AM IST
Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua
29
Afghanistan vs Papua New Guinea
June 14
6:00 AM IST
Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba
30
USA vs Ireland
June 14
8:00 PM IST
Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida
31
South Africa vs Nepal
June 15
5:00 AM IST
Arnos Vale Ground, Arnos Vale, St Vincent
32
New Zealand vs Uganda
June 15
6:00 AM IST
Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba
33
India vs Canada
June 15
8:00 PM IST
Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida
34
Namibia vs England
June 15
10:30 PM IST
Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua
35
Australia vs Scotland
June 16
6:00 AM IST
Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia
36
Pakistan vs Ireland
June 16
8:00 PM IST
Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida
37
Bangladesh vs Nepal
June 17
5:00 AM IST
Arnos Vale Ground, Arnos Vale, St Vincent
38
Sri Lanka vs Netherlands
June 17
6:00 AM IST
Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia
39
New Zealand vs Papua New Guinea
June 17
8:00 PM IST
Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba
40
West Indies vs Afghanistan
June 18
6:00 AM IST
Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia
Super 8 Match 1
A2 vs D1
June 19
8:00 PM IST
Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua
Super 8 Match 2
B1 vs C2
June 20
6:00 AM IST
Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia
Super 8 Match 3
C1 vs A1
June 20
8:00 PM IST
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
Super 8 Match 4
B2 vs D2
June 21
6:00 AM IST
Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua
Super 8 Match 5
B1 vs D1
June 21
8:00 PM IST
Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia
Super 8 Match 6
A2 vs C2
June 22
6:00 AM IST
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
Super 8 Match 7
A1 vs D2
June 22
8:00 PM IST
Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua
Super 8 Match 8
C1 vs B2
June 23
6:00 AM IST
Arnos Vale Ground, Arnos Vale, St Vincent
Super 8 Match 9
A2 vs B1
June 23
8:00 PM IST
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
Super 8 Match 10
C2 vs D1
June 24
6:00 AM IST
Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua
Super 8 Match 11
B2 vs A1
June 24
8:00 PM IST
Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia
Super 8 Match 12
C1 vs D2
June 25
6:00 AM IST
Arnos Vale Ground, Arnos Vale, St Vincent
Semi Final 1
TBC vs TBC
June 27
6:00 AM IST
Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba
Semi Final 2
TBC vs TBC
June 27
8:00 PM IST
Guyana National Stadium, Guyana
Final
TBC vs TBC
June 28
8:00 PM IST
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who has the rights to stream the T20 World Cup?
In India, Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar hold the rights to broadcast and livestream all the T20 World Cup 2024 matches.
Which app is best for T20 live streaming?
Disney+ Hotstar is currently the best application available in India for watching the live streaming of the T20 World Cup.
Is the T20 World Cup free to watch?
Yes, users can watch the T20 World Cup 2024 for free on the Disney+ Hotstar mobile application.
Which TV channel is showing the T20 World Cup?
Users can watch all the T20 World Cup matches on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2, Star Sports 3, Star Sports Select 2, and more channels.
Where is the T20 World Cup?
The ICC Men's T20 World Cup will be held in two countries, including the West Indies and the United States of America.
Apple Inc. is planning to overhaul its Siri virtual assistant with more advanced artificial intelligence, a move that will let users control individual app functions with their voice, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The new system will allow Siri to take command of all the features within apps for the first time, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the initiative isn't public. That change required a revamp of Siri's underlying software using large language models — a core technology behind generative AI — and will be one of the highlights of Apple's renewed push into AI, they said.
The upgrade is one piece of the company's larger AI strategy, which will be unveiled at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10. Apple is preparing several features, including voice memo transcriptions and summaries, quick recaps of websites and notifications, automated message replies, advanced photo editing, and AI-generated emojis, Bloomberg has reported.
As part of the rollout, more basic AI tasks will be processed on devices themselves, while more advanced capabilities will be handled via cloud computing. The company also has been forging a deal with OpenAI to integrate the startup's chatbot and other technology into the iOS operating system, and it remains in talks with Google parent Alphabet Inc. to use its Gemini software in the future. Apple software boss Craig Federighi has told his teams to develop as many new AI features as possible for this year's operating system updates.
Siri will be a key focus of the WWDC unveiling. The new system will allow the assistant to control and navigate an iPhone or iPad with more precision. That includes being able to open individual documents, moving a note to another folder, sending or deleting an email, opening a particular publication in Apple News, emailing a web link, or even asking the device for a summary of an article.
A representative for Cupertino, California-based Apple declined to comment.
Today, Siri is limited mostly to broader commands like playing music playlists, looking up information or controlling smart home appliances. The company also offers what are known as app intents to developers, allowing them to craft ways for Siri to tap individual features. In 2018, Apple launched Siri Shortcuts as well, letting users manually create commands for app features.
The new system will go further, using AI to analyze what people are doing on their devices and automatically enable Siri-controlled features. It will be limited to Apple's own apps at the beginning, with the company planning to support hundreds of different commands.
The feature is one of Apple's more complex AI initiatives and isn't planned for release until as soon as next year, when it will be part of a subsequent update to iOS 18, according to the people. The first version of the new operating system will launch in September, around the same time as the next iPhone models.
At the start, the new Siri will handle one command at a time, but Apple has plans to to allow users to chain commands together. For example, they could ask Siri to summarize a recorded meeting and then text it to a colleague in one request. Or an iPhone could theoretically be asked to crop a picture and then email it to a friend.
A major component of the new push is a system that will use AI to automatically determine if a function should be handled on the device or via the cloud.
That has raised some privacy questions. While on-device tasks won't share personal information, the cloud-based approach will require some user data to be transferred to remote servers. The information will be protected by the so-called Secure Enclave in the high-end Apple Mac chips powering the data centers, Bloomberg reported earlier this month.
Apple will attempt to further reassure customers that their data is private by creating an “intelligence report” that explains how the information is secured. The iPhone maker also won't build profiles of customers — something it's criticized Google and Meta Platforms Inc. for doing.
With the Siri upgrade, Apple is looking to reinvigorate a pioneering product that fell behind competitors' services. The company first launched Siri in 2011, giving it a head start in voice-based interfaces and AI. But Apple soon lost that lead to Amazon.com Inc.'s Alexa and the Google Assistant. Then it was caught flat-footed again when generative AI chatbots emerged two years ago.
Apple also is contending with a sales slowdown, and its shares have underperformed those of peers this year. The stock is down about 1% in 2024, compared with a 10% gain for the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 Stock Index. Apple was up 0.5% to $191.29 in New York on Thursday.
Apple is betting that the new AI features for the iPhone, iPad and Mac — as well as the Siri enhancements — will encourage users to upgrade their devices. Many of the on-device AI capabilities will require an iPhone 15 Pro or later to work. Macs and iPads, meanwhile, will need at least an M1 chip.
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 will be hosting its annual developer-focused event, the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), in less than two weeks. It is expected that the Cupertino-based tech giant will introduce several new artificial intelligence (AI) features to Siri, Safari browser, Photos app, and more during the event. Previously, it was reported that some of these features might be server-based, which could create privacy concerns among its user base. However, a new report now suggests that the company has developed a confidential computing technique to ensure privacy even on the cloud.
Apple said to bring Confidential Computing for AI features
According to a report by The Information, the company is working on a technology that lets it process data on the servers in a way that will be inaccessible to anyone, including Apple employees. In industry terms, it is known as confidential computing, a method of isolating data within a processing unit. Once, it is processed, the data is encrypted and sent back to the source.
Citing sources familiar with the matter, the report claimed that the tech giant has been working on such a technology for the last three years. Dubbed Apple Chips in Data Centres (ACDC) internally, the project was also reported earlier by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The secure black box processing is so adept that even if governments and courts formally request the data, Apple will be able to say that it does not have access to the data, the report highlighted mentioning the sources.
However, risks are still there. For instance, if a hacker physically breaks into a server location, they might be able to get access to the data. For most parts though, it will reportedly be able to provide relief to its user base regarding data privacy.
How Apple may use this technology
Apple's primary implementation of this technology will reportedly offer AI features to the iPhone, Macbook, and other devices over servers to minimise on-device processing. This will enable the company to provide more sophisticated and advanced AI features without worrying whether the hardware will be able to handle them. However, in the long run, Apple may also use this technology to develop lightweight wearable devices with advanced processing taking place on the server, the report claimed. If this happens, one beneficiary will be the Apple Vision Pro, which has been criticised for its bulky appearance and the requirement of carrying a large external battery.
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.
Redmi Pad Pro 5G has been introduced in China with dual-SIM support. The tablet gets a 12.1-inch display and runs Xiaomi's HyperOS out-of-the-box. It joins the 4G version of the Redmi Pad Pro, which was launched in April. The 5G variant shares similar specifications with the existing model and is available in two RAM and storage configurations. The tablet is powered by a Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 SoC and is backed by a 10,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging support.
Redmi Pad Pro 5G price
The Redmi Pad Pro 5G starts in China at CNY 1,999 (roughly Rs. 23,000) for the 6GB + 128GB option, while the 8GB + 256GB variant is priced at CNY 2,399 (roughly Rs. 27,600). The tablet is available for purchase via the Xiaomi China website in a Dark Grey colourway.
Redmi Pad Pro 5G specifications, features
Redmi Pad Pro 5G sports a 12.1-inch 2.5K (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) LCD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 180Hz touch sampling rate, and up to 600 nits peak brightness as well as Dolby Vision support. The display also gets Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection.
It is equipped with a Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 SoC, paired with up to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 2.2 onboard storage. The Redmi Pad Pro 5G ships with Android 14-based Xiaomi HyperOS.
For optics, the Redmi Pad Pro 5G carries an 8-megapixel rear camera sensor alongside an LED flash panel. It gets another 8-megapixel sensor on the front.
The Redmi Pad Pro 5G is backed by a 10,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging support. The dual-SIM tablet gets 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and USB Type-C connectivity. The tablet gets quad speakers with support for Dolby Atmos. It weighs 566g and measures 280 x 181.85 x 7.52mm in size.
Is the Xiaomi Pad 6 the best Android tablet you can buy under Rs. 30,000 in India? We discuss the company's latest mid-range tablet 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's WWDC 2024 event is set to kick off in a few days and the company has now shared additional details about its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, including the keynote event time as well as the full schedule for the event. This year, Apple is expected to announce its next generation of software updates for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, HomePod, AirPods, Apple Vision Pro, and Mac computers. While the company isn't expected to unveil new hardware, this year's event is expected to focus on artificial intelligence (AI) features, an area where Apple is playing catch-up with its rivals.
WWDC 2024 Keynote Event Time, How to Watch Livestream
WWDC 2024 will kick off with an in-person keynote event for select developers at Apple Park in California that will also be streamed live globally via the company's YouTube channel, the Apple website, Apple Developer app, and the Apple TV app. The keynote is scheduled to begin at 10am PDT (10:30pm IST).
Apple will also stream its Platforms State of the Union via the Apple Developer app and the Apple Developer website at 1pm PDT (1:30am IST on Tuesday), allowing enthusiasts and developers to see details of new features coming to its next wave of operating system updates.
WWDC 2024 Full Schedule
After the WWDC 2024 keynote and Platforms State of the Union, Apple's developer conference will continue with more than 100 technical sessions — with Apple designers, engineers, and other experts — scheduled to be released over the next few days on YouTube and the Apple Developer website and app.
The company will host 50 Distinguished Winners of the annual Swift Student Challenge for three days at Apple Park. These winners will be part of special activities during the week of WWDC 2024, according to the firm.
Apple is also expected to reveal the winners of is annual Apple Design Awards at WWDC 2024. This year's finalists have been announced on the Apple Developer website and app, and Apple says it will announce the winners soon.
WWDC 2024 What to Expect
At WWDC 2024, Apple is expected to announce details of its upcoming operating system updates — iOS 18, iPadOS 18. macOS 15, watchOS 11, tvOS 18, and visionOS 2. Recent reports suggest that Apple is working on several improvements to its operating system including the iOS user interface, in terms of customisation.
The company is also expected to introduce new AI features on its operating systems, while Siri might be updated with new capabilities. According to reports. the company was in in talks with OpenAI and Google to integrate chatbot features on iOS 18, which is said to offer both on-device and cloud-based AI functionality.
There's currently no word on plans to launch new hardware at WWDC 2024, and the company recently launched new iPad Pro and iPad Air models earlier this month, alongside the new Apple Pencil Pro. However, given Apple's tendency to keep its plans under wraps until they are announced at its events, we'll have to wait until the keynote event to find out.
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.
Poco F6 5G will go on sale in India for the first time today (May 29) via Flipkart. The Poco F series smartphone was launched in the country last week with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC. It comes in three RAM and storage configurations and two finishes. The Poco F6 5G features an OLED display with 1.5K resolution and flaunts a 50-megapixel dual rear camera setup. It houses a 5,000mAh battery with support for 90W wired fast charging.
Poco F6 5G price in india, sale offers
The Poco F6 5G price in India starts at Rs. 29,999 for the base 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant. Meanwhile, the 12GB RAM + 256GB and 12GB + 512GB options are priced at Rs. 31,999, and 33,999, respectively. It is available in Black and Titanium colourways. The handset will go on sale on Flipkart at 12pm IST today.
Flipkart is offering 5 percent cashback on Flipkart Axis bank cards. HDFC, ICICI, and SBI card users can avail Rs. 2,000 off on transactions. This will bring down the starting price to Rs. 25,999. The 12GB + 256GB and 12GB + 512GB RAM and storage versions can be purchased for Rs. 27,999 and Rs. 29,999, respectively. No-cost EMI options start at Rs. 2,500 per month.
Poco F6 5G specifications
The Poco F6 5G runs on an Android 14-based HyperOS interface and sports a 6.67-inch 1.5K (1,220x2,712 pixels) resolution AMOLED display with up to 120Hz refresh rate and 446 ppi pixel density. It is confirmed to receive three major Android updates and four years of security patches. The phone runs on an octa-core 4nm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC with up to 12GB LPPDDR5x RAM.
For optics, the Poco F6 5G has a dual rear camera unit, comprising a 50-megapixel 1/1.9-inch Sony IMX882 sensor and an 8-megapixel Sony IMX355 ultra-wide angle camera. For selfies and video chats, there is a 20-megapixel OV20B front camera. It carries up to 512GB UFS 4.0 storage.
Connectivity options on the Poco F6 5G include 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, GPS/AGPS, Galileo, GLONASS, Beidou, and a USB Type-C port. Sensors on board include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, e-compass, gyroscope, IR blaster, and proximity sensor. It is IP64-rated for dust and splash resistance. It features an in-display fingerprint sensor and supports face unlock.
Poco F6 5G comes with a 5,000mAh battery with support for 90W fast charging. It comes with a 120W adapter in the box.
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.
Just around the time expansive open-world games had decidedly started showing signs of fatigue, Ghost of Tsushima arrived like a summer breeze. Sucker Punch's Japan-set action-adventure game didn't reinvent the wheel by any means, but it reshaped player interaction with familiar open-world tropes in inventive ways to deliver a memorable samurai story. Ghost of Tsushima and its resounding success on PlayStation consoles showed that the open-world playbook — largely written by Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed and Far Cry series of games — had gotten so stale that small but clever new ideas were enough to engender a meaningful experience.
Through its pared back quest design, its diegetic approach to map markers, and its evocative visuals and music, Ghost of Tsushima set the bar for what a modern open-world action-adventure title should be. Now, the game arrives on PC in a package that amplifies what it already did well on PS4 and PS5. Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut, first released on PlayStation consoles in 2021 and now available on PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, comes with the Iki Island expansion, a graphical facelift, and better framerates, among other improvements. But can a four-year-old game still hold up to fast-changing modern video game standards?
The answer to that question might vary depending upon your open-world mileage. If you've had your fill of running around a seemingly interminable map, chasing down repetitious objectives without any true payoff, then Ghost of Tsushima may feel a tedious prospect, especially if you've tried out the game on consoles. But, if you're new to the experience, then Sucker Punch's tale of stirring vengeance and samurai honor, ported expertly to PC by Nixxes Software, is definitely worth your attention. I platinumed Ghost of Tsushima on the PS4, played the Director's Cut version and its included Iki Island expansion on the PS5, and still found myself willfully and gladly sinking time in the Steam release of the game.
Ghost of Tsushima tells the story of Jin Sakai, a samurai thrown on to the path of revenge when a ferocious Mongol army, led by Kotun Khan, invades his home, the Japanese island of Tsushima. Khan and his unsparing warriors stamp out the samurai resistance, raze down villages, and capture Lord Shimura, Jin's uncle and the jito of Tsushima. Jin, a young samurai who grew up as a ward of Lord Shimura after his father was killed at an early age, barely survives the battle, but is driven to find his uncle and save Tsushima. Battered and bound by the samurai code of honor, Jin eventually, with the help of his allies, takes up guerilla tactics to gain an advantage over a brutal enemy. After all, the samurai tradition of taking your foes head on in righteous combat can only go so far against a Mongol army that has no qualms about employing every dirty trick in the book to seize control.
Ghost of Tsushima begins with the Mongol army invading the island Photo Credit: Sucker Punch/ Screenshot - Manas Mitul
Jin begrudgingly abandons his code, drilled into him by his uncle, to become the Ghost, a warrior who takes on the art of deception, distraction, and stealth to push back against the Mongol invasion and free his uncle. His unconventional methods are aided by unconventional friends — common folk far removed from the constraints of straight-jacket samurai morality. Jin, who lived all his life in black and white, walks the grey path for his higher cause. Ghost of Tsushima's story, just like its systems, treads familiar grounds. We've all seen and read the revenge tale where the protagonist is confronted with the rigidity of their values and forced to think in ways unnatural to them. But the game's polished presentation of its ideas triumphs over its reliance on tried and tested tropes.
Visual presentation
Ghost of Tsushima's biggest promise on PC is its graphical fidelity. The action-adventure title remains one of the best-looking games on PlayStation. With the new PC port, the game's visual presentation shines in ways not possible on consoles. If you have the right system, Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut can go toe-to-toe with the most graphically striking games on PC. While its character models and facial animations look a bit dated in 2024, its lush and diverse environments are still some of the best in the medium.
Ghost of Tsushima features some of the most striking environments in video games Photo Credit: Sucker Punch/ Screenshot - Manas Mitul
Animation quality in general, however, maintains a high bar. Jin controls smoothly, whether you're riding his trusted horse or scaling tall cliffs and towers with the help of his grappling hook. Combat animations are perhaps some of the best seen in third-person action-adventure titles. Each sword stance comes with unique animations and move sets that add distinction to your playing style. Jin's moves with the Katana, animated with the help of actual Japanese sword experts, flow like a river of deadly slashes and stabs, all the while retaining the weight and impact of a high stakes duel.
On PC, Tsushima Island comes alive on higher graphical settings. Contrary to other open-world games, where persistent markers and HUD elements actively break your immersion, Ghost of Tsushima encourages you to interact with its natural environment to uncover interesting items and treasures. Running after foxes or chasing golden birds across quiet meadows and rolling grasslands becomes a meditative experience, especially since it all looks so good. The game's evocative visuals are helped by its vibrant art style that finds a sweet spot somewhere between the natural realism of Red Dead Redemption 2 and saturated fantasy of Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Ghost of Tsushima never tries to look real, opting instead for poetic romanticism for its visual identity.
Your horse is the best way to get around Tsushima Photo Credit: Sucker Punch/ Screenshot - Manas Mitul
PC features
Nixxes have also prioritised performance across a wide spectrum of hardware capabilities, from high-end PCs to handheld gaming devices like the Steam Deck. The game comes with unlocked framerates and a deep suite of graphics options on PC that can be tweaked to get to your desired performance and image quality. You also get the option to boost the game's performance with support for upscaling and frame generation technologies like Nvidia DLSS 3, AMD FSR 3, and Intel XeSS. Unfortunately, Ghost of Tsushima doesn't come with any ray-tracing support. Including ray-traced reflections could have thrown up technical challenges and affected the performance of the game, but the feature should be expected in a modern PC title that boasts striking visuals.
The game does support ultra-wide monitor setups and the PS5 DualSense controller on PC. Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is also the first Sony title that comes with the new PlayStation Overlay on PC. At any point in the game, you hit Shift + F1 on the keyboard to bring up a windowed overlay that shows your PlayStation account, friend list and trophies. Do keep in mind, however, that you'll be required to connect to your PlayStation Network account within the game to access the feature.
Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is the first Sony title on PC that comes with the new PlayStation Overlay Photo Credit: Sucker Punch/ Screenshot - Manas Mitul
PC performance
I played Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut on an HP Omen 16-xf0060AX, provided by HP for the purpose of this review. So, while I was limited to 1080p resolution, I got consistent performance even at Very High settings. According to the game's system requirements published ahead of release, you'd need an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 or an AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT GPU to reach 60fps at 4K resolution. I was able to get stable framerates above 100fps at 1080p resolution on an Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, with DLSS frame generation on. I experienced very little stutter across different graphical settings during my gameplay.
Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut reviewed on HP Omen 16
With DLSS upscaling set to Quality and graphical options set to Very High, the average framerate stood at an excellent 114.5fps, with 1 percent and 0.1 percent low averages also hovering well above 70fps. Lowering the graphical settings to High resulted in minor visual downgrades and bumped the average framerate to 146.8fps. Adjusting the DLSS upscaling option to Performance yielded even better results, with average framerate for Very High and High settings recorded at 128.7fps and 159.8fps, respectively. Of course, running the game at steady high framerates in 4K resolution would require a higher-end system. But, just as Nixxes promised, Ghost of Tsushima has been optimised to run smoothly on a variety of hardware.
Ghost of Tsushima uses a variety of vivid colour palettes Photo Credit: Sucker Punch/ Screenshot - Manas Mitul
Verdict
Sony has been following a delayed release strategy for PC ports of its first-party PlayStation titles. The success of its PC releases, be God of War or Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered, proves the strength of its exclusive single-player games, that continue to generate interest years after their initial launch. Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut perhaps underlines that phenomenon better than most other releases. The game is now PlayStation's biggest single-player launch on Steam, surpassing the all-time peak player numbers of God of War on Valve's platform. This, despite the PlayStation Network account linking controversy, that led to pre-order cancellations and the game being delisted from Steam in over 170 non-PSN countries.
PC players had clearly been waiting for a port of Ghost of Tsushima, and Nixxes Software has delivered a finely tuned package that looks more gorgeous than ever, plays more smoothly than ever and brings a few nifty PC-exclusive features that enhance the experience. The game itself, of course, arrives unchanged, which means its flaws are present on PC, too. Its open-world ideas chose to recycle rather than reinvent existing tropes and your core gameplay loop isn't too dissimilar from an Assassin's Creed title. But, when it comes to presenting those familiar ideas in evocative ways, Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is a cut above the rest.
Pros
Excellent visuals
Consistent PC performance
Detailed graphics settings
Cons
Formulaic open-world
Lack of ray-tracing support
Rating (out of 10): 8
Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut released May 16 on PC. The game was tested on an HP Omen 16-xf0060AX laptop provided by HP.
Apple's iPad could be redesigned with a small cosmetic change that affects the appearance of the rear panel of the company's upcoming tablet models. A product designer at the Cupertino company recently told a publication that the company was considering switching its logo on the rear panel to a horizontal orientation, due to the increasing usage of the iPad in landscape mode. Recent versions of iPadOS also show the company's logo in portrait and landscape mode when starting the device, depending on its orientation.
Apple Considering Landscape-oriented Logo
Numerama recently interviewed Apple product designer Molly Anderson, who said (translated from French) that the Apple logo — currently shown as upright in portrait mode — could eventually be rotated so that it appears upright when the tablet is used in landscape mode.
"We are thinking about it. The iPad has long been a product that can be used in portrait mode, but we are increasingly using it in landscape mode. We can't say that it's set in stone," Anderson told the publication (translated from French) during the interview.
While this isn't an official confirmation from Apple on plans to change the position or orientation of its logo on upcoming iPad models, it is rare to see an Apple employee make a statement like this, considering all responses are vetted by the company.
Other Signs that Apple is Prioritising Landscape Mode
It's also worth noting that all of Apple's current generation tablets — except for the iPad Mini — now have the front-facing camera located on the longer edge of the device so that it is in line with a user's face when in landscape mode. In addition to taking video calls, users could also attach their iPad to one of the company's keyboards (or third-party options) that would also place the tablet in landscape mode.
MacRumors also points out that Apple began checking an iPad's orientation before displaying the company's logo in landscape mode or portrait mode when it is booted, with iPadOS 14.5, back in 2021. the iPad Mini and standard iPad models are up for a refresh, and it remains to be seen whether the company also modifies the orientation of its logo on its upcoming tablets.
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.
Honor 200 and Honor 200 Pro were unveiled in China on May 27, Monday. The smartphones ship with Android 14-based MagicOS 8.0. The get an AI-backed portrait feature that has been trained on the French Studio Harcourt portrait datasets. The handsets carry 50-megapixel triple rear camera units as well as 50-megapixel selfie cameras each. The Pro model features an additional 3D depth camera alongside the selfie shooter. The Honor 200 series will launch globally on June 12.
Honor 200, Honor 200 Pro price, availability
The base Honor 200 carries a starting price of CNY 2,699 (roughly Rs. 31,000) for the 12GB + 256GB option, the 12GB + 512GB and the 16GB + 256GB variants are priced at CNY 2,999 (roughly Rs. 34,400), and the 16GB + 512GB option is listed at CNY 3,199 (roughly Rs. 36,700).
Meanwhile, the Honor 200 Pro is priced at CNY 3,499 (roughly Rs. 40,200) and CNY 3,799 (roughly Rs. 43,600) for the 12GB + 256GB and the 12GB + 512GB variants. The higher-end 16GB + 512GB and the 16GB + 1TB options are marked at CNY 3,999 (roughly Rs. 45,000) and CNY 4,499 (roughly Rs. 51,600), respectively.
The handsets are currently available for pre-order via the Honor China website and will go on sale in the country starting May 31. The phones are offered in four colour options - Coral Pink, Moon Shadow White, Sky Blue, and Velvet Black (translated from Chinese.)
Honor 200, Honor 200 Pro specifications, features
The vanilla Honor 200 sports a 6.7-inch full-HD+ (2,664 x 1,200 pixels) OLED curved display, with a 120Hz refresh rate, up to 4,000 nits peak brightness, and up to 3,840Hz PWM dimming rate. It is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 SoC paired with an Adreno 720 GPU, up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and up to 512GB onboard storage.
Honor 200 Pro, on the other hand, comes with a 6.78-inch display with specifications similar to those of the base variant. It is equipped by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset paired with an Adreno 735 GPU, up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and up to 1TB of inbuilt storage. Both base and Pro versions ship with Android 14-based MagicOS 8.0.
For optics, the Honor 200 carries a 50-megapixel 1/1.56-inch Sony IMX906 primary sensor with optical image stabilisation (OIS) alongside a 12-megapixel ultra-wide angle shot, and a 50-megapixel Sony IMX856 sensor. The Pro variant is also equipped with a 50-megapixel triple rear camera unit but uses a 50-megapixel 1/1.3-inch OmniVision OV50H main sensor. Both phones feature 50-megapixel Sony IMX906 sensors on the front for selfies, but the Pro version has an additional 3D depth camera alongside it.
Honor has packed 5,200mAh batteries in the Honor 200 handset with 100W SuperCharge fast charging support. They offer 5G, dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, NFC, and USB Type-C connectivity. For security, the phones are equipped with in-display fingerprint sensors. The Honor 200 Pro weighs 199g and measures 163.3 x 75.2 x 8.2mm, while the vanilla variant weighs 187g and measures 161.5 x 74.6 x 7.7mm.
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.
Activision has confirmed that the next Call of Duty will be Black Ops 6. After several leaks and teasers, the publisher announced Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 last week. “A dark new chapter of the Black Ops franchise begins,” the official Call of Duty handle on X posted May 23, alongside a short video revealing the title. Additionally, Activision has confirmed that Black Ops 6 will be fully revealed in Direct presentation immediately following the Xbox Games Showcase on June 9.
The Call of Duty maker had begun its marketing push for the next title in its popular shooter franchise last week, revealing a teaser website for the game with “The Truth Lies” branding. The next instalment in the Black Ops series follows Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, which was released in 2020.
Activision and Microsoft have also confirmed that the Direct presentation at Xbox Games Showcase slated for next month will be dedicated to Black Ops 6. Microsoft's initial announcement of the showcase included a redacted image that teased the next Call of Duty. Leaks, however, claimed at the time that the Direct showcase would feature the next entry in the COD franchise.
The full Black Ops 6 reveal will take place right after the Xbox Games Showcase on June 9, 10am PT (10:30pm IST). While Activision has not divulged any further details, the Direct presentation will likely debut the game's first trailer and reveal the release date.
While Activision has not revealed any details about Black Ops 6 beyond cryptic teasers, CharlieIntel, an X account that posts Call of Duty updates, has spotted details in the teasers that hint the game being set during the Gulf War. Additionally, the leaker also posted an image on X, citing reddit user u/Oufp4, that reportedly reveals GameStop pre-order listings for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. According to the listing, Black Ops 6 will also be available on PS4, suggesting the game will be released on previous-gen consoles.
NEW: GameStop has listings for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 preorders, and it mentions a PS4 version
Microsoft, which completed its acquisition of Call of Duty maker Activision last year, is also reportedly planning to bring the next entry in the shooter franchise to its Game Pass subscription service.
Motorola Razr 50 and Motorola Razr 50 Ultra are said to be in the works and are expected to launch in select markets including US and Canada as Razr (2024) and Razr+ (2024). Ahead of any official announcement, an alleged TENAA listing for the Motorola Razr 50 with a live photo and some specifications has surfaced online. The listing suggests a 3.6-inch cover display and a 6.9-inch inner screen on the Razr 50. It is likely to run on a MediaTek Dimensity 7300X SoC.
Motorola Razr 50 specifications (expected)
TENAA has listed a new Motorola phone with the model number XT2453-2. This model, which could be the Motorola Razr 50, is shown with a 3.6-inch OLED cover display with a 1,066x1056pixel pixels resolution and a 6.9-inch OLED full-HD+ (1,080x2,640 pixels) inner screen with 120Hz refresh rate. Also, it is listed to come with 8GB, 12GB, and 16GB RAM options along with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB inbuilt storage. It is shown to pack an octa-core chipset with a 2.5GHz peak frequency. This could be the unannounced MediaTek Dimensity 7300X SoC.
Photos from TENAA show the purple model of the Motorola Razr 50. It is listed with a dual camera setup, comprising a 50-megapixel primary shooter and a 13-megapixel secondary camera. It seems to have a 32-megapixel selfie sensor on the folding display. It could get a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The listing suggests a 3,950mAh battery as well. The handset could measure 171.3x73.9x7.2mm and weigh 188 grams.
Motorola Razr 50 is tipped to retail for $699 (roughly Rs. 58,000) in the US. It could go official in June alongside the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra. It is speculated to debut in select countries as the Motorola Razr 2024.
The Motorola Razr 50 will succeed last year's Motorola Razr 40. The latter features a 6.9-inch full-HD+ (1,080x2,640 pixels) foldable pOLED display, a 1.5-inch secondary screen, and a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 SoC with 12GB of RAM. It carries a dual rear camera unit led by a 64-megapixel primary rear sensor and a 32-megapixel selfie camera. The phone houses a 4,200mAh battery unit with support for 30W wired and 8W wireless charging.
Nothing has come a long way from its early Ear 1 days. In a very short time, the company has churned out some decent products, starting with TWS and moving on to phones and more wireless audio products. 2024 for Nothing is already looking exciting, and I recently got our hands on the all-new set of TWS from Carl Pei's London-based venture - Nothing Ear and Nothing Ear (a). Notably, the third-generation TWS from Nothing have launched, dropping any signs of iteration, which is both confusing and interesting. It's confusing because, for someone like me who has been closely following Nothing from the early days, the naming convention was always not great. But, by the second generation, I, along with other users, almost got the hang of it, only to see the company dropping it altogether for third-generation. Nothing Ear is a successor to the Ear 2 launched last year. What's a bonus here is Nothing Ear (a) - the new affordable TWS offering from the company sporting the signature transparent design packed with features.
For pricing, the Nothing Ear is Rs. 11,999, while the Ear (a) is the new sub-Rs. 10K product in the company's TWS line-up and comes at Rs. 7,999. I have been using both products for our calls, meetings, streaming, and music to see if they are worth the money.
Nothing Ear and Ear (a) Design and Features
Both Ear and Ear (a) come with Nothing's signature transparent design, which is still striking after all these years. The best part is that Ear is still eye-catching thanks to the see-through design, and a case in point is the multiple queries from the people around me during the review asking about the design. However, one of our biggest confusions was differentiating Ear and Ear 2 (Review) when kept on a table. Yes, they are identical unless you look very closely. Much like what you expect from Carl Pei's venture, there's a decent amount of attention to detail on small things, from printed branding to other elements on the Ear.
While the company claims that the Ear has a pressure-resistant and scratch-resistant case, our review unit picked up some scratches during daily use. Scratches are the biggest Achilles Heel of transparent design on Nothing audio products. The Ear comes in White and Black colour options.
Like previous-gen TWS, the Ear also supports gesture controls, such as a single pinch to play or pause the song or answer or hang up calls, a double pinch to skip forward and reject calls, and a triple pinch to skip back. There's also pinch and hold, which helps you switch between ANC and transparency mode. The best part about Ear is that you can tweak gesture controls to your liking via the companion app. At under 52 grams, the Ear case is lightweight, and each earbud weighs under 5 grams.
The Ear's impressive list of high-quality Bluetooth codec support includes AAC, SBC, LHDC 5.0, and LDAC. However, this also meant that I had to test Ear with an Android smartphone, as iPhones (and some Android devices) still support AAC (and SBC) codecs, which would have made it impossible to take advantage of higher bitrate streaming. For the uninitiated, LHDC offers the best streaming quality at up to 1Mbps 24 bit/ 192KHz, while LDAC offers a lower data rate of up to 990 kbps (24 bit/ 96KHz). But for most Android devices, you will find LDAC support.
Talking about upgrades on the Nothing Ear, it has an IP54 rating, while the case is now IP55 rated for water and dust resistance. Other features include in-ear detection, Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair, dual connection, Clear Voice Technology with three mics per bud, LED charging status, and support for Low Lag Mode.
On the other hand, the Nothing Ear (a), the all-new sub-Rs. 10,000 TWS that sports the same eye-catching signature transparent design. The Ear (a) comes in three colours—the regular Black and White along with Yellow—making it the first audio product from Nothing in a colour other than black or white. The company shipped the Yellow colour model for review, and is definitely a head-turner. As I mentioned above, the Ear (a) is the bumblebee of TWS products. During my review, I got more enquiries for the Ear (a) because of its unique colour choice compared to the Ear.
The yellow colour perfectly complements Ear (a) 's transparent design, which is slimmer and more compact than all Ear products launched thus far. Compared to the Ear, the Ear (a) has a better, more evident orientation, making it easier to identify the opening of the case. As with other Nothing products, Ear (a) also pays great attention to detail, like the metal hinge on the Ear, which can be seen through the plastic transparent case.
The Ear (a) charging case seems less sturdy than Nothing Ear, which isn't surprising. However, the yellow colour is better at hiding scratches, but that doesn't mean the transparent top case cover isn't prone to scratches.
The Ear (a) feature set remains the same, including up to 45dB active noise cancellation. There's also an adaptive ANC algorithm, IP54 water and dust resistance rating for buds, and IPX2 for the charging case. It supports AAC, SBC, and LDAC Bluetooth codecs. The company has chosen to drop support for LHDC audio codec to offer it in the costlier Ear, which isn't a wrong decision considering the Ear (a) pricing.
There's also support for pinch controls to skip tracks, switch between noise cancellation modes, and adjust volume. The best thing is that all of this can be customised in the Nothing X app.
Nothing's companion app for audio products, X, is one of the best I have used with TWS I have reviewed in recent years. It offers a plethora of features and puts you in the driver's seat when deciding your exact taste of music experience. The feature set includes Advanced EQ with profile sharing, Bass Enhance, Customise controls, Find My Earbuds, Personal Sound Profile, and Ear Tips Fit Test.
Nothing Ear Specifications
Driver: 11 mm dynamic driver
Diaphragm: Ceramic
Supported Codecs: AAC, SBC, LHDC 5.0, LDAC
ANC: Up to 45dB and Transparency Mode
Weight: 4.62 grams (each Bud) and 51.9 grams (case)
Battery: 46mAh (Bud) and 500mAh (case)
Fast charging: Yes (Claimed 10 mins for 10 hours with ANC off)
Companion app: Nothing X
Bluetooth: Version 5.3
Water and dust resistance: IP54 buds and IP55 case water and dust resistance
Gesture controls: Yes
Nothing Ear (a) Specifications
Driver: 11 mm dynamic driver
Diaphragm: PMI + TPU
Supported Codecs: AAC, SBC, and LDAC
ANC: Up to 45dB and Transparency Mode
Weight: 4.8 grams (each Bud) and 39.6 grams (case)
Battery: 46mAh (Bud) and 500mAh (case)
Fast charging: Yes (Claimed 10 mins for 10 hours with ANC off)
Companion app: Nothing X
Bluetooth: Version 5.3
Water and dust resistance: IP54 buds and IPX2 case water and dust resistance
Gesture controls: Yes
Nothing Ear and Ear (a) Performance and Battery Life
Much like the Ear design, most features have been carried over from its predecessor, Ear (2), which is alright. Starting with gesture controls, the Ear supports a bunch of pinch controls that work flawlessly. However, I faced some delay in switching between ANC and transparency mode by pinch and hold gesture. Then, the Nothing X is almost the same as I have seen it since Nothing Ear. What this means is Nothing hasn't tweaked anything in the app interface for Nothing Ear.
Handy features like in-ear detection, low lag mode, high-quality audio, personal sound profiles, dual connection, ear tip fit test, find my earbuds and firmware update options are hidden under device settings. I hope Nothing finds a way to put at least a sound profile where it can be accessed via one tap. The personal sound profile is unavailable when LDAC mode is turned on. This defeats the purpose of creating a custom profile on the TWS.
I have been seeing the same Nothing X app since Ear (1) days and have not seen much change with Ear (Stick) and Ear (2). It's the same story for Nothing Ear, which is technically the fourth-generation TWS product from the house of the London-headquartered company. This time, however, the Bass Enhance feature has been added, which dynamically improves the impressions of low frequencies in real time. You can choose the level depending on your preference. For me, Level 3 in Bass Enhance was optimum for all kinds of music. Then, there are other customisation options that we saw earlier in Ear (2).
When it comes to real-world audio performance, Nothing Ear mostly nails it or, to simplify, improves upon the already decent Nothing Ear (2). When listening to The Wilderness album - Explosions in the Sky, I could notice the balance Ear TWS offers. The tracks in the album cover plenty of frequency range to get a fair idea of how well TWS sounds. Moving forward, the Oblivion by Grimes track offers enough dynamic range to see how small and large-scale dynamics are handled by Nothing Ear, and I was not disappointed. Then, I moved to a gritty electronic track, and what better option than Pray for Me from Marvel's Black Panther soundtrack? It has perfect bass, high frequencies, dual vocals, and an excellent treble tone to test how well your TWS can handle all of this. Interestingly, Nothing Ear could handle all of this comfortably.
The company upgraded the 11mm dynamic driver and used a ceramic diaphragm. Compared with Ear (2), there are improvements in highs and mids, along with a deeper base. Within a few hours of using the Ear, one thing was clear - the new TWS is ideal for bass heads. However, the bass-heavy default setting wasn't suitable for me, so I had a good time after personalising it to my liking. The ANC is another minor improvement over the Ear (2).
The AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) is still the benchmark for ANC. However, a point worth mentioning is that you also pay almost double the amount for AirPods Pro (2nd Gen).
One slight issue I faced was sound quality changing with different ANC modes. The company defines its three modes of noise cancellation according to real-life scenarios - High refers to "Subway/Airplane". In contrast, Medium refers to "Street/Cafe", and Low refers to "Office/Indoor." Nothing Ear sounds excellent on calls for both caller and receiver. Then, there is also the Ear Tip Fit Test, which tries to see the amount of audio leakage detected and recommends the best-fitting size.
The battery department is another one that has seen improvements. Ear offers decent up to five hours of continuous music playback with ANC on, while this goes up slightly to up to six hours with ANC off. The charging case improved the battery figures by adding a little over four hours. Compared to the claimed battery life with the charging case and ANC of up to 24 hours, I got a decent 20 hours, which is impressive. There's also wireless charging support with up to 2.5W support - a bonus. The TWS also supports fast charging.
Ear (a) is just a little behind Ear when it comes to performance credentials. It offers decent sound output for its price. Much like other Nothing audio products, the Ear (a) is a bit more bassy out of the box, and you can further take advantage of the new bass enhance feature, which dynamically improves the impression of low frequencies in real-time. You can play around with sound settings in the Nothing X app. From Imagine Dragons to AR Rahman songs, Ear (a) comfortably handles everything with ease. The ANC is excellent and dampens the ambient while commuting in the metro and walking on busy streets. The best thing about Ear (a) is the comfortable fit, and you won't feel any fatigue while wearing them for long hours. I managed to use Ear (a) at the airport and in-flight, where the overall commute was over six hours and at no point did I feel annoyed using TWS.
Another department where Ear (a) shines is call quality. Thanks to Nothing's Clear Voice Technology, the sound on calls is crisp and clear. The TWS gains some brownie points for features like dual connection and Low Lag Mode that make gaming sessions fun. I wish Nothing had added LHDC codec support on this one to make it more versatile. There's also no wireless charging and personal sound profile, which I was not surprised to see missing, considering the price tag.
The company claims up to 5.5 hours of battery life with buds only and up to 24.5 hours with the case—both with ANC turned on. In our review, we used the buds for four hours straight, and there was still 30 percent battery left. Of course, using the charging case will enhance the overall output. Additionally, there's fast charging support that promises 10 minutes of charge and can offer up to 10 hours of battery life.
ChatGPT integration on Nothing Ear and Ear (a)
OpenAI's ChatGPT doesn't need any introduction, and Nothing's announcement of an integration to which all of its audio products will have access is a masterstroke. Fortunately, we got access to the ChatGPT integration while writing this review. We can only say that ChatGPT has finally gone wireless thanks to this integration. We could test the integration on Nothing Ear and Ear (a). However, one big limitation is that you need a Nothing Phone. Once your Nothing Phone and X app are on the latest firmware, you can install the ChatGPT app and sign in. Once all of this is done, open the Nothing X app, and you should see a prompt to activate ChatGPT integration.
To start using ChatGPT wirelessly with your Nothing TWS, pinch and hold the stem, and you can ask ChatGPT whatever you have in mind. It's worth noting that ChatGPT doesn't have location access, so queries like "guide me home" or "suggest a good place to eat" will return no result until you add your location to the voice prompt. For example, you'll need to say, "Suggest me a restaurant for lunch around CP New Delhi, " which will offer numerous results. Compared to Google Assistant, ChatGPT is still not up to date, so questions like "What are the constituencies voting today in the 2024 General Elections?" offered very generic responses. Of course, lots of work is required. Compared to a host of rivals, Nothing's new TWS options provide something new to experience, which, for me, is a great attempt to offer a unique proposition. However, it's very early to compare ChatGPT and Google Assistant on a TWS.
Nothing Ear and Ear (a) Verdict
Nothing is doing a great job with its TWS portfolio, and Ear is, without a doubt, the best product yet from the company. What Nothing is trying now, Apple has been doing for years - be it for their phones or AirPods range - practically the same design but upgrades inside. For Nothing Ear, the eye-catching transparent signature design works. There are plenty of improvements (compared to Ear 2) under the hood in terms of ANC, sound, battery life, and more. At its price, the Nothing Ear ticks all the right boxes, and ChatGPT integration makes it ready for the future.
Coming to Ear (a), the new affordable TWS from the house of Nothing is a surprise package. The signature transparent design is still rare in the market and scores more than other TWS options in the same price range. The audio quality is excellent for the price, and the call quality is great. The battery life is decent as well. There are a few misses, too, like glossy charging being prone to scratches, lack of LHDC support, and lack of wireless charging. If you're in the market for a TWS that's a perfect package, then Nothing Ear (a) can offer great value at its price.
If you're looking at options around Rs. 10,000, the Sony WF-C700N (Review) is a decent option alongside the Galaxy Buds FE. There's also the OnePlus Buds 3 (Review) in this price segment.
