Tech Roundup: iPhone 15 Prices Revealed, ISRO Shares Aditya-L1 Photo, YouTube Gaming, and More
Today’s tech briefing was filled with exciting developments in the world of technology. A recent online leak has provided potential pricing information for the iPhone 15 series, suggesting that the Pro models may experience a price increase. Additionally, the official X account of ISRO shared a selfie captured by the camera aboard the Aditya-L1 solar mission, currently en route to the Lagrange 1 (L1) point between the Sun and Earth. This milestone allowed the space agency to successfully test the spacecraft’s cameras. Stay tuned for more updates in today’s tech briefing.
iPhone 15 series price leaked
Over the past few weeks, leaks have suggested that the iPhone 15 Pro models could receive a price increase of $100 and $200. This may happen because the Pro versions have several new upgrades that can significantly increase manufacturing costs. Some of them include titanium frame, screen with thinner bezels, action button and more.
According to a Tom’s Guide report, the price of the iPhone 15 could start at $799 and the price of the iPhone 15 Plus could start at $899. If this turns out to be true, the standard models will not see any price increase. However, this is not set in stone. The iPhone 15 and Plus base models are also getting big updates, and it remains to be seen if the price increase can happen.
However, the prices of the iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to rise. The iPhone 15 Pro can cost around $1099, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max can cost $1199 or even $1299. The iPhone 15 Pro Max might even get a $200 price hike thanks to a new periscope zoom lens. Dig deeper.
Aditya-L1 shares a selfie
Five days into its journey, Aditya-L1, India’s maiden solar mission, has taken a selfie of itself, the Earth and the Moon for the first time. ISRO has now shared these pictures on its official X account and said, “Aditya-L1 Mission: Onlooker! Aditya-L1, destined for the Sun-Earth L1 point, takes selfie and pictures of Earth and Moon.
A selfie with the camera attached to the Aditya-L1 shows the VELC (Visible Emission Line Coronagraph) and SUIT (Solar Ultraviolet Imager) instruments. The spacecraft took the images on September 4, just two days after launch. Dig deeper.
YouTube is testing a new gaming feature
YouTube is expanding its gaming segment with a new feature called Playables, according to a TechCrunch report. The platform already serves gamers and has a separate section for game videos and streaming. But this new feature takes you from being a spectator and making you a player. Playable games are games that you can play directly on YouTube, whether you’re on a computer or a mobile device. Google is testing this feature with a select group. These games have their own section on YouTube’s main page and can be played on both computers and phones. It is not yet known if these games will be released to a larger audience. Dig deeper.
Slack is getting an AI feature
Slack users will soon get a new AI feature that will allow them to quickly summarize countless messages in groups and channels. Users can also ask AI questions during these conversations. The feature, called AI Conversation Summary, will be rolled out soon in a limited capacity.
According to the Axios report, the reason for using AI in this feature was two-fold. Rob Seaman, Slack’s product director, spoke with Axios and explained that the company felt there was a need for such a feature and understood that this is where generative AI could come in handy. Dig deeper.
Android 14 release date delayed
Google Android 14 was previously believed to be released this month, but some reports claim that it has been delayed. It is now expected to launch alongside Google’s Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro launch event, which is scheduled for October 4, 2023.
According to journalist Mishaal Rahman’s X-post, the delay in the release date happened at the last minute. Rahman said: “I am now hearing that the Android 14 source code release has been pushed back to next month. This decision seems to have been made very late as even the OEMs were expecting the release to happen today. Dig deeper.
