With a whirlwind of events flooding the news cycle every week, staying updated is no easy task. To help you out, we’ve rounded up the most talked-about technology developments in our Weekly Tech Recap.
Top Tech News of the Week:
iPhone 16 Launch Date Leaked
Earlier this week, social media was abuzz with an iPhone 16 launch poster shared by tipster Majin Bu. It claimed that the new iPhone models would be released on September 10. However, the poster turned out to be a fun creation by a regular user.
But wait, there’s more. A fresh report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, a trusted insider, suggests that Apple is indeed planning its major hardware event of the year for Tuesday, September 10. If true, the new iPhones could hit the shelves by September 20.
iPhone 16 Leak & Google Ditching Search Button?
Google May Remove Dedicated Search Button on Android Devices
Big changes could be coming to your Android device. Google might remove the familiar bottom search bar from its app in favor of new features powered by Gemini AI.
The update was first noticed by tipster Assembly Debug (via Android Headline) in the Google beta app for Android version 15.32.37.28.arm64. According to reports, Google is experimenting with different layouts, none of which include the bottom search bar.
Poco Pad 5G Launched in India
The Poco Pad 5G is here, and it boasts a 12.1-inch 2K display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels. The screen offers a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and a 16:10 aspect ratio, providing a super smooth visual experience. It also supports a peak brightness of 600 nits and comes protected with Corning Gorilla Glass, along with TÜV Rheinland triple certification.
Under the hood, you’ll find a Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 SoC paired with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 2.2 internal storage, which can be expanded to 1.5TB via a microSD card. The tablet runs on HyperOS, based on Android 14.
When it comes to capturing moments, the 8MP rear camera and another 8MP front camera on the right bezel are perfectly positioned for video calls. Additional features include an IP52 rating for dust and splash resistance, a quad-speaker setup, dual microphones, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and Dolby Atmos support. The display also supports Dolby Vision.
WhatsApp Reportedly Adding New Instagram-Like Features
WhatsApp is rumored to be testing a customizable chat theme feature similar to Instagram. This new update aims to offer users more control over their chat interface, letting them choose their favorite colors for chat bubbles.
The feature was initially spotted by WABetainfo in WhatsApp beta for iOS 24.11.10.70 and Android 2.24.17.19. According to the shared screenshots, WhatsApp may introduce a new section where users can select their preferred chat theme. Although the feature is still under development and not yet available for preview, reports suggest that at least 10 chat themes will be available at launch.
Moto G45 5G Launched in India
The Moto G45 5G is now available in India, featuring a 6.45-inch HD+ display with a resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels. The display supports up to 120Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 500 nits, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3.
The phone runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 chip, built on a 6nm process, and comes with Adreno 619GPU for handling graphics-intensive tasks. It supports up to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage, expandable up to 1TB through a microSD card slot.
Powering the Moto G45 5G is a 5,000 mAh battery with 18W fast charging support. The phone comes with Android 14 out of the box, topped with Motorola’s UX skin. Motorola has promised one year of OS updates and three years of security patches for this device.
