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<ul><li>The <keyword id="23635775" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Snapdragon-8-Elite" source="keywords">Snapdragon 8 Elite</keyword> Mobile Platform has been announced at the <keyword id="23643588" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Snapdragon-Tech-Summit" source="keywords">Snapdragon Tech Summit</keyword>.</li><li>The flagship chipset will power the next-gen flagship smartphones.</li><li>Here’s everything you need to know about the Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform.</li></ul> <keyword id="19944986" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Qualcomm" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Qualcomm" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Qualcomm">Qualcomm</keyword> today announced the Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform, the company’s latest flagship mobile chipset at the Snapdragon Tech Summit 2024. The Snapdragon 8 Elite will power the next-gen flagship Android smartphones. The Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset is the successor of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and comes with a new moniker. In addition to announcing the chipset, the American chip giant also revealed some of the devices that will be launched with the new chipset in the coming weeks. <h2>Snapdragon 8 Elite features and specifications</h2>The Snapdragon 8 Elite uses the company’s second-gen Oryon CPU with a custom eight-core structure. It offers two prime cores clocked at 4.32 GHz and six performance cores clocked at 3.53 GHz. It offers support for 5,300MHz LPDDR5X RAM. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114275922" title="Samsung Galaxy Ring is now available in India at ₹38,999" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> The new chipset is built on TSMC’s 3nm process and is claimed to offer a 45% boost in CPU performance and a 44% improvement in power efficiency. Coming to the graphics, the Snapdragon 8 Elite is equipped with a revamped Adreno GPU which is claimed to offer 40% improved performance and power efficiency. For gamers, it is claimed to offer 35% improved ray tracing performance. This will also be the first chipset to offer support for Unreal Engine 5.3. "We are so excited to bring the power of Qualcomm Oryon to our Snapdragon mobile platforms for the first time. It's a major leap forward and we expect consumers to be thrilled with the new experiences enabled by our CPU technology,” said Chris Patrick, senior vice president and general manager of mobile handsets, Qualcomm Technologies. The chipset is equipped with the new Hexagon NPU that will enable 45% boost in performance and power efficiency. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114210864" title="Pixel 9 Pro to go on sale in India from October 17 – price, specs and everything you need to know" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Qualcomm has also announced a new AI engine with Multimodal Gen AI support, which is aimed at improving interactions, understanding voice, text, images and even see content through your camera. The Snapdragon 8 Elite packs a triple ISP (Image Signal Processor), enabling cameras to capture 8K HDR video or shoot photos at over 200 MP resolution. Qualcomm’s new Spectra ISP ensures superior low-light performance, faster autofocus, and enhanced image processing. The Snapdragon 8 Elite comes with the Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF System along with the Qualcomm 5G AI Suite Gen 3. It offers download speeds of up to 10 Gbps and Wi-Fi 7 support via FastConnect 7900. <h2><keyword id="21843015" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iQOO-13" source="keywords">iQOO 13</keyword></h2>iQOO has confirmed that the iQOO 13, its flagship smartphone with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset will launch at an event in China on October 30. The company has also teased the India launch of the device and has said that the device will be available through Amazon India. <div type="image" title="iQOO 13" msid="114464075" hostid="261" sizebytes="31674" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;iQOO 13 teaser&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> It will feature a large 6,150mAh battery and offer 120W fast charging support. This will be a huge increase from the 5,000mAh battery offered with the<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/iqoo-12-review-flagship-performance-and-cameras-at-an-affordable-price/articleshow/105937154.cms"> iQOO 12</a>. The iQOO 13 will be available in four colour options – Black Racetrack, Gray, Isle of Man and White Legendary Edition. Vivo has also revealed that its upcoming X200 Ultra will be equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. <h2><keyword id="23451323" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Xiaomi-15" source="keywords">Xiaomi 15</keyword> series</h2>Xiaomi has confirmed that the upcoming Xiaomi 15 series will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, going on even claim that its devices will be the first to be launched with the new chipset. The company has said that it has revamped HyperCore and this will offer a 3-degree Celsius decline in temperatures while gaming and reduce the power consumption by up to 29.7%. <h2><keyword id="20850131" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="OnePlus-13" source="keywords">OnePlus 13</keyword></h2>The OnePlus 13 is among the most awaited smartphones in the affordable flagship segment and is set to be launched in China on October 31. While the Indian launch is still a while away, we will get to know everything about the device later this month. The company has already confirmed that the device will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. “Over the years, OPPO and Qualcomm Technologies have maintained a close collaboration to bring users numerous innovative experiences, including when it comes to on-device generative AI. We are looking forward to the launch of our flagship masterpiece, the OnePlus 13, which will adopt the Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform as OnePlus ushers in the new decade,” said Henry Duan, Senior Vice President, OPPO. <h2>Samsung</h2>Samsung has also said that its upcoming flagship devices will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. While the company has not said which devices will use the chipset, it will likely include devices from its Galaxy S25 series and the new Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip smartphones. <h2><keyword id="23642262" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Realme-GT-7-Pro" source="keywords">Realme GT 7 Pro</keyword></h2>Realme has claimed that its flagship smartphone, the Realme GT 7 Pro, which is scheduled to launch in November will be the first device to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. “At Realme, we’re committed to being the first to push boundaries and cutting-edge technology to our customers. We couldn’t be prouder to be the first brand in India to launch a smartphone featuring the Snapdragon 8 Elite Chipset,” a Realme spokesperson said. <h2><keyword id="23643587" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ROG-Phone-9" source="keywords">ROG Phone 9</keyword></h2>One of the phones that gamers look out for every year is the ROG Phone as it features powerful hardware and this year’s ROG Phone 9 will be no different. Asus has confirmed that the ROG Phone 9 will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and will be announced on November 19. The company is expected to pair the chipset with up to 24GB RAM and 1TB internal storage. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/upi-refund-scam-to-digital-arrest-scam-here-are-most-common-online-scams-in-india/articleshow/114428011.cms">UPI refund to digital arrest scam, here are some online scams you need to be aware of</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/personal-finance/news/best-credit-cards-for-online-shopping-in-india/articleshow/114354358.cms">Best credit cards for online shopping this festive season</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/best-smartphones-under-25000-in-india-in-october-2024/slidelist/114339207.cms">Best smartphones under ₹25,000 in India in October 2024</a>

Snapdragon 8 Elite announced, to power iQOO 13, OnePlus 13, Xiaomi 15 series and more

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Experts have been weighing in on why Donald Trump won the US election.</li><li>They pointed to Trump's strength on immigration and the economy and a global trend of voters punishing incumbents.</li></ul>There's been an avalanche of analysis following Donald Trump's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-wins-presidential-election-race-2024-11">victory</a> in the US presidential election on Wednesday, as experts <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/global-reaction-donald-trump-election-victory-tariffs-trade-disputes-2024-11">sought</a> to explain how the former president won a second term.They've offered a variety of reasons, ranging from a populist revolt against the elites to Vice President Kamala Harris' shortcomings as the Democratic candidate.Here is some of the best commentary we've seen.<h2 id="1dbed9eb-71c4-4a2e-b020-55984ea68b7b">Steve Hanke, Johns Hopkins University</h2>Hanke, professor of applied economics and former advisor to President Ronald Reagan, told Business Insider in an email: "The American voters have reacted negatively to the American elites who run the show in Washington, the media and so on and so forth. The election outcome was a revolt against the elites."<div type="image" title="Steve Hanke" height="2056" width="2876" msid="115028997" hostid="261" sizebytes="273344"></div><h2 id="a482e781-ed5e-4036-8353-8bd7360cc37a">Nate Cohn, chief political analyst at The New York Times</h2>"<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/06/upshot/trump-election-victory.html">Trump gained across the board</a> — including among the voters who seemed most skeptical of him eight years ago, from Hispanic voters in New York City to technology workers in San Francisco."None of this is what Democrats would have imagined a decade ago, when many of them assumed that demographic and generational change would bring a new Democratic majority. Instead, many of the voters whom Democrats viewed as the bedrock of their coalition grew so frustrated with the status quo that they decided to back Mr. Trump instead."<h2 id="7d3e8588-71be-466f-bbca-862acc528256">Tina Fordham, independent strategist and advisor</h2><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/us-electionsbeyond-market-euphoriatrump-20-policy-bingo-tina-fordham-zzd3f/">"Trump's victory</a> is the most powerful example this year of a political and economic environment that has been brutal for incumbents around the world and brought home the fact that inflation is political kryptonite."This lesson will not soon be lost on governments — growth is not enough if prices are high and wages perceived to not keep pace. The dividing lines in US politics remain bright along geographical, educational, and gender lines, with Trump's strongest support coming from working-class men. This result will leave many Americans not only angry, but fearful.:On a global level, there is no getting away from the fact that Trump's victory will be transformational for both the US and the international system, with geopolitical and economic risks heightened."<h2 id="0f48b608-bdb9-4161-81db-e972ee4a57dc">Nate Silver, founder of FiveThirtyEight and author of the Silver Bulletin newsletter</h2>Silver republished a lengthy post from late October titled "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.natesilver.net/p/24-reasons-that-trump-could-win">24 reasons that Trump won.</a>"Those reasons included inflation, negative perceptions of the economy and nostalgia for Trump's first term, sluggish wage growth, a cultural shift to the right, disillusionment among male and minority voters, and Harris' late nomination.Among Silver's other reasons were Trump's skill at convincing voters he's on their side and success in appealing to marginal voting groups; the Israel-Hamas war dividing the Democratic base; the assassination attempts on Trump boosting his favorability; and Harris' failure to explain her shift from left wing to moderate or articulate a clear vision for America.<div type="image" title="Nate Silver " height="2910" width="3978" msid="115028996" hostid="261" sizebytes="926368"></div><h2 id="cd87b061-0a72-4442-9fe7-4573c9e4074c">Matthew Yglesias, author of the Slow Boring newsletter</h2>"I think 'don't nominate women' would be the worst possible takeaway from this," Yglesias <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/mattyglesias/status/1854158785192907052">wrote on X</a>. "Lots of women overperform electorally, and since most Democrats are women if you become biased against nominating them you will cut the party off from talent. Learn from the ones who win!""Trump has made a lot of impossible and oft-contradictory promises and will have problems," Yglesias said in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/mattyglesias/status/1854058474394566939">another X post</a>. He added in a follow-up tweet: "One obvious one is that Trump managed to both reassure a healthy slice of people about abortion rights while also retaining the enthusiastic support of people who really want to ban abortion. Hard needle to thread!"<h2 id="30bc6c65-8e3c-4fee-aad3-f93e66143c0d">Dominic Sandbrook, historian, commentator and author</h2>Sandbrook told <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAyIAJCWVxA">The Rest is Politics podcast</a> that Kamala Harris failed to win sufficient support from female, Latino and Black voters, while Donald Trump had a "history of outperforming the polls … particularly in rural areas and the South and the suburbs." He argued that Harris and Hillary Clinton had similar weaknesses, with a proportion of the electorate unwilling to consider a female commander in chief.Many voters were also "suspicious" of a mixed-race woman from California who "appears to be the embodiment of, for want of a better expression, the metropolitan liberal elite," Sandbrook said.<h2 id="765cb88d-3d89-4393-acb3-cb2304fdb96c">Eric Corellessa, national political correspondent at TIME</h2>"The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://time.com/7172052/how-donald-trump-won-2024/">Democrats' hasty replacement</a> of the first-term president with Harris deprived them of a better-tested candidate who could potentially have rallied broader support. Voters took Trump's own advanced age and increasingly incoherent trail rhetoric in stride. Much of the country read Trump's legal woes as part of a larger corrupt conspiracy to deny him, and them, power. And he benefited from a global restiveness in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that has ousted incumbent leaders around the world."Whenever abortion came up, Trump insisted the issue was now up to the states, and pivoted as much as possible to the economy, immigration, and crime—issues the campaign believed triggered anxiety with well-to-do suburban women who were open to backing him."Musk also turned X, his social-media platform, into a cauldron of conspiracy theories and characterized the stakes of the race to his more than 200 million followers as existential."

These 7 experts explain why Trump won, Harris lost — and what the election result means

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A parental monitoring software company released a report on app usage for kids and teens.</li><li>The report claims that 31% of 7- to 9-year-olds have used the X app.</li></ul>If you are in second grade and are reading this article because you saw a link to it on X, please close this link immediately and tell your parents.A company that makes parental monitoring software called Qustodio recently <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.qustodio.com/en/research/apps-through-the-ages-us/">released a report</a> about app use for kids and teens based on its analysis of anonymous data from about 180,000 of its US users. Some of the information about what young people are doing online is what you'd expect: teenagers love watching TikTok and using Snapchat; younger kids under 13 are most interested in Roblox (53%) and YouTube (52%).But there was one statistic that made my head spin: 31% of 7- to 9-year-olds use the X (Twitter) app.I'm sorry, but … I can't believe there's any way in any possible universe that's true.According to Pew, which is a reliable source of survey data using sound methodology, as of 2023, only 22% of adults in the US said they used X, and only <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/12/11/teens-social-media-and-technology-2023/">20% of teens ages 13 to 17 said the same</a>. (Pew doesn't track social media use for children under age 13.)Don't just take it from Pew. X CEO <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGUhO8VAvtg">Linda Yaccarino, while testifying before Congress</a> last winter with other social media CEOs, said that less than 1% of X users in the US were between 13 and 18. (X, like most of the platforms, doesn't allow users under 13, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-millions-underage-users-open-secret-states-say-2023-11">although obviously some children</a> sneak through.)But let's also think about this practically. Do you know any second graders? I happen to live with one. He thinks Elon Musk is very cool because if you're 7 years old and you saw a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-cybertruck-my-favorite-features-wireless-charging-speed-range-2024-6">Cybertruck,</a> you'd also think it was extremely cool. However, he and his peers have zero interest or awareness of the concept of X or Twitter. I know many 7- to 9-year-olds; I have never heard of any of them using X.Qustodio's report says that for this age range, Roblox is the most popular app, followed by YouTube. This sounds about right.But X?<h2 id="57084681-09df-4e8f-a6ee-71fd43fe8437">Parents might be the ones actually using X — and Amazon Shopping</h2>I reached out to Qustodio to ask how to interpret this bizarre number.Emily Lawrenson, Qustodio's content and communication manager, told me that it "doesn't mean that kids are actively posting on X; simply that 31% of that age group used the app across 2023. We would be inclined to merit this to pure curiosity at this age."I asked if perhaps this could be because a child was using a device that they shared with a grown-up."We considered the profile usage rather than the device itself to avoid this, as profiles on Qustodio are individual to each child," Lawrenson said."It's important to note that access does not equate to engagement; rather, it can include having the application open and scrolling it. It's important to note, too, the ease with which X can be accessed; a simple search online, which children do regularly, about a particular topic of interest can yield an X result, which, once clicked, can prompt the child to download the application and view the application," Lawrenson said.But the X app doesn't let you see tweets if you're not logged in, so it's not actually so easy to accidentally surf around. It's also rated 17+ in the App Store and Google Play, which means that if a parent has set up age limits for app downloads, it wouldn't be easy for the kid to simply get it.I have a theory: Many parents probably set up their kids' iPads using their own adult iCloud account because iPads don't allow you to switch between more than one user account, and setting up a whole new iCloud account for a kid is a lot more work. (I recommend doing it, however, as it's worth the hassle!)Apple's parental controls are robust, but require creating a new iCloud account (and creating a new email address for them), attaching it as a child under a family plan, and then fiddling around with settings on both the parent and child devices. It's quite possible that some parents would rather use a third-party solution like Qustodio than deal with the slightly confusing Apple settings.In those cases, a parent might also occasionally use the iPad, and add things like X, even though the Qustodio profile would be for the child.Another hint that this might be the case is that Qustodio found the Amazon shopping app was used by 41% of 7- to 9-year-olds, even though it, like X, was only used for a few minutes per day on average.Sharing a device might explain why these adult apps are even available to kids at all.<h2 id="31848cdf-232c-4efc-940a-3b5cabd5198f">So why does this even matter?</h2>Tech companies often put out reports with survey results or data analysis like this. It's a good way to get publicity and understand user behavior. I get PR pitches like this all the time, and sometimes, they are illuminating and interesting! A company that monitors kids' screen time would likely have some very interesting insights and data about an issue that is currently a huge conversation. (TechCrunch took Qustodio up on this report and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://techcrunch.com/2024/08/19/a-surprising-number-of-ipad-kids-are-on-x-study-finds/">wrote about it</a>.)But when a company is writing these reports with its own data and methodology, you have to be a little skeptical. Qustodio wants to sell parents screentime monitoring software — it would be in the company's interest to play up the potential dangers of screentime. And yes, the idea of nearly a third of 7- to 9-year-olds being on X is very scary!I don't think Qustodio just invented some fake numbers. But I think there might be more to the story about what is going on behind this data.It also shows that when it comes to screen time and kids, there's just a lot we don't know.

Wait, there's no way 31% of second graders are actually using X. Right?

<ul><li>The <keyword id="22750943" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dell-Latitude-9450" source="keywords">Dell Latitude 9450</keyword> is the company’s latest 2-in-1 <keyword id="21557905" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="business-laptop" source="keywords">business laptop</keyword> in its Latitude lineup.</li><li>The laptop comes with a sleek design and powerful hardware.</li><li>Here’s our review of the Dell Latitude 9450 that will help you decide whether you should buy the laptop.</li></ul> Dell has recently launched the Latitude 9450, the company’s premium 2-in-1 offering in India, aimed at professionals and business users. The company’s latest, aimed at C-suite executives is the successor of the Latitude 9440 2-in-1 launched last year. The Latitude 9450 2-in-1 is a minimalistic laptop with a sleek design, giving it a premium look. While it may look like a regular laptop, it is packed with the latest hardware, including the new Meteor Lake chipset from Intel. I’ve been using the Latitude 9450 2-in-1 laptop with the <keyword id="22750944" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Intel-Core-Ultra-7-165U" source="keywords">Intel Core Ultra 7 165U</keyword> processor for a few days now, and here is my detailed review of the latest business laptop from Dell. <h2>Dell Latitude 9450 price and availability</h2>The Dell Latitude 9450 starts at ₹2,60,150 for the base variant and goes up to ₹3,06,800 for the top-end variant. You can further customise it and add features such as 5G connectivity by paying more. The laptop is available from the Dell Online Store and the company’s authorised retailers across the country. <h3>In the box</h3><ul><li><keyword id="22110016" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dell-Latitude-9450-2-in-1" source="Orion">Dell Latitude 9450 2-in-1</keyword> laptop</li><li>Power adapter</li><li>USB Type-C cable</li><li>Documentation</li></ul><h3>Accessories</h3><ul><li>Stylus</li><li>Premier Rechargeable Wireless Mouse</li><li>7-in-1 Multiport Adapter</li><li>Dell Pro Wireless ANC Headset WL5024</li></ul><h2>Dell Latitude 9450 specifications</h2> <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Particulars </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Specifications </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Display </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">14-inch Quad HD+ IPS </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Refresh rate </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">60Hz </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Processor </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Intel Core Ultra 7 165U </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">GPU </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Intel Graphics </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Memory </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">16GB LPDDR5X 7467 MT/s </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Storage </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1TB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Connectivity </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">3 x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C ports, 1 x audio port </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Audio </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Quad speakers </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Battery </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">60 Wh </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Weight </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1.53 kg </td></tr></tbody></table> <h2>Dell Latitude 9450 pros and cons</h2>Pros <ul><li>Premium design</li><li>Privacy features</li></ul>Cons <ul><li>Price </li></ul><h2>Dell Latitude 9450 design</h2>Starting with the design, the Dell Latitude 9450 2-in-1 laptop features a minimalistic design, featuring a metal clam-shell design. It is made using CNC-milled aluminium and diamond-cut edges, giving it a solid build. If you have seen the Latitude 9440 2-in-1, you will realise that the Latitude 9450 2-in-1 comes with minimal changes over its predecessor. <div type="image" title="Rear design" msid="112447877" hostid="261" sizebytes="24714" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The Dell Latitude 9450&amp;#39;s rear design&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The laptop features a minimalistic Graphite coloured aluminium lid with a matte finish that prevents fingerprint smudges. It comes with the Dell logo at the back, with the rest of the back being empty. It offers an elegant yet utilitarian look, which is probably what the laptop’s target audience is looking for. <div type="image" title="Hinge" msid="112447884" hostid="261" sizebytes="40532" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Dell Latitude 9450 hinge&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The Latitude 9450 2-in-1 features a compact design but weighs 1.5 kg. The laptop comes with a 2-in-1 form factor, meaning it can also be used as a tablet. It features a sturdy hinge that allows you to comfortably convert it from a laptop to a tablet and vice versa, without worrying too much. The company says that this is the most compact business laptop in the market and it’s true. The weight is slightly on the higher side but that has been done to make it durable and sturdy. The metal edges and soft-touch matte finish give it a premium look and it feels good when you hold it. One of my gripes about a lot of laptops is that they are difficult to open with on hand. Opening the Dell Latitude 9450 may be an issue sometimes as you may not find anything on the lid to hold onto. Unlike Apple’s MacBook which can be opened easily with a single hand, I often had to use both hands to open the laptop. Once you open the laptop, you appreciate the design even more. The keyboard offers a smooth and velvety feel. The palm rest is also very soft and feels very comfortable to use. The edges however are a little sharp and you might feel it if you rest your hand on it for too long. <div type="image" title="Keyboard" msid="112447921" hostid="261" sizebytes="80342" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Dell Latitude 9450 keyboard&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The keyboard is backlit and feels good to type on. As someone who has to type a lot, I had no issues while typing on the laptop. The laptop’s keyboard now features a key for Microsoft Co-Pilot, which replaces the Ctrl key. <div type="image" title="Trackpad" msid="112447928" hostid="261" sizebytes="28724" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Dell Latitude 9450 trackpad&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The laptop comes with a large trackpad, which the company has dubbed Haptic Collaboration Touchpad. It is smooth and feels good to use. While using work-related apps like Zoom or Microsoft Teams, the trackpad lights up with shortcuts for functions that you may need regularly. <div type="image" title="Mouse" msid="112447932" hostid="261" sizebytes="23184" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Premier Rechargeable MS7421W Wireless Mouse&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> One of the accessories that the company offers for the laptop is the Premier Rechargeable MS7421W Wireless Mouse, which comes with three connectivity options. The mouse is compact in size but due to its high arch, I found it to be uncomfortable while using it for extended durations. <div type="image" title="Right ports" msid="112448035" hostid="261" sizebytes="9844" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Ports on the right side&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> In terms of ports, Dell has kept the ports to a minimum. It offers three Thunderbolt 4 Type-C ports with PowerDelivery and DisplayPort compatability. Apart from this, all you get is a headphone jack. <div type="image" title="Ports" msid="112447939" hostid="261" sizebytes="36382" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Dell Multiport adapter&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Here’s where the Dell Multiport adapter comes in. It features a built-in retractable USB Type-C cable. It comes with a total of seven connectivity options – <ul><li>DisplayPort</li><li>2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 USB Type A</li><li>USB-C 3.2 Gen 2</li><li>HDMI</li><li>VGA</li><li>DisplayPort</li><li>RJ-45</li></ul>It is a handy tool that offers a lot of connectivity options but will set you back by an additional ₹9,999. <div type="image" title="Rear vents" msid="112448049" hostid="261" sizebytes="61440" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Vents at the back&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Dell has offered a large vent at the bottom to manage the heat. It also comes with Latitude 9450 branding at the bottom. <h2>Display</h2>Coming to the display, the Dell Latitude 9450 is equipped with a 14-inch Quad HD+ IPS display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels and a 60Hz refresh rate. The display comes with a 16:10 aspect ratio and features thin bezels. <div type="image" title="Display" msid="112447954" hostid="261" sizebytes="35562" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Dell Latitude 9450 display&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The display offers a 500 nits brightness, which is quite good for a laptop and allows you to use it even when under the sun. As it is a 2-in-1 laptop, it comes with a touch screen that is very responsive. It features an anti-smudge coating so you don’t have to worry about fingerprint smudges. While you can easily navigate the touchscreen with your fingers, Dell also offers a stylus to help you make the best out of the touchscreen. While an OLED panel would have offered improved contrast and better blacks, the IPS panel on the Latitude 9450 performs well. The biggest issue with the display is that the refresh rate is limited to 60Hz. <h2>Performance</h2>The Dell Latitude 9450 is available in various configurations. I tested the variant with the Intel Core Ultra 7 165U chipset. The chipset offers which offers two performance cores and eight efficiency cores. The Intel Core Ultra is a new Meteor Lake chipset from the company and comes with Intel Arc graphics. The laptop is equipped with up to 16GB LPPDR5X RAM and 1TB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe. The new chipset from Intel is equipped with a dedicated neural processor unit that is aimed at performing AI tasks with ease. The laptop can handle machine learning and AI workloads without breaking a sweat. As the device is packed with powerful hardware, I had no issues with performance. The laptop easily handles everything that you throw at it without any issues and multi-tasking is a breeze. You can easily multitask on the device with several applications running. <div type="image" title="Privacy features" msid="112448008" hostid="261" sizebytes="33844" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Some of the privacy features offered with the Dell Latitude 9450&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The device comes with several privacy-oriented features, including a built-in privacy shutter for the camera. Other privacy features offered as part of the Presence Detection feature in the Dell Optimizer include Onlooker Detection, which prevents others from looking at your display, which is extremely useful for those who might have to access confidential information while on the go. In addition to this, it also comes with a feature that automatically locks and unlocks your device when you come near it or step away. For calls, the laptop comes with stereo speakers and sports dual-array microphones. Keeping privacy and proper audio quality in mind, the company has also offered the Dell Pro Wireless WL5024 ANC Headset with the laptop. <div type="image" title="Headphones" msid="112448018" hostid="261" sizebytes="96564" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Dell Pro Wireless WL5024 headphones&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The WL5024 is a lightweight Bluetooth headphone that comes with a retractable microphone. It offers noise cancellation support and is comfortable to use even for extended periods. The laptop is equipped with a 3-cell 60 Wh battery which offers around seven hours of usage on a single charge, which is good for a compact device like the Latitude 9450. <h2>Verdict</h2>The Dell Latitude 9450 2-in-1 is a feature-packed laptop that is aimed at executives looking for a powerful laptop with a compact form factor. The laptop offers a premium design, powerful hardware, and a comfortable experience and comes with various accessories aimed at making your life easier. If you are someone who is looking for a premium laptop for multi-tasking and does not mind paying a premium, the Latitude 9450 is an excellent choice for you. Disclaimer: The content on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a purchasing guide or recommendation. We advise readers to do additional research, including hands-on usage of the device at a retail outlet, before making a decision. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/samsung-galaxy-book4-pro-review/articleshow/112267544.cms">Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro review – a power packed laptop with a sleek design</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/gigabyte-gs27q-review/articleshow/112269791.cms">Gigabyte GS27Q review – a value-for-money gaming monitor</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/viewsonic-x2-4k-review/articleshow/111834671.cms">ViewSonic X2-4K gaming projector review – premium projector for console gamers</a>

Dell Latitude 9450 2-in-1 review – a premium business laptop with a compact design

<ul><li>Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra starts at ₹1,29,999</li><li>The smartphone offers Galaxy AI features including circle for search</li><li>It sports a titanium build which makes the device considerably lighter</li></ul>The year has gotten off to a bumper start with Samsung dropping their latest devices in the Galaxy Unpacked event in January. Earlier than usual, the event saw the introduction of the new line-up series devices – the S24, S24 Plus and S24 Ultra. While there are changes across the board, it’s the S24 Ultra that has seen the most amount of interest, after all it is the flagship device. While the ultra device every year is focused around cameras, this year we saw a shift with Samsung dedicating a better part of their launch to their new AI features. Dubbed Galaxy AI these are native AI features in the devices which aim to improve the user experience. I have taken my time to write this review only because of the said features and put forward my real time experience here. Rest on paper the device packs in what you would expect from a flagship in 2024 including a solid camera set-up. The market is hot right now and the buyers are more than interested to invest a hefty amount in flagship devices. So is the S24 Ultra the flagship for you? I tell you in my long term review. Price &amp; Availability The Galaxy S24 Ultra is available in the following variants - <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">12GB RAM + 256GB Storage </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1,29,999 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">12GB RAM + 512GB Storage </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1,39,999 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">12GB RAM + 1TB Storage </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1,59,999 </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table> You can buy the smartphone from all online portables including Samsung’s online store. The device is also available across all major offline chains. Design &amp; Build <div type="image" title="The titanium build makes it much lighter." msid="107845846" hostid="261" sizebytes="16100" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The titanium build makes it much lighter.&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra might look similar to last year's Ultra device however the moment you pick it up the difference is admirable. Starting with the reduced weight itself, thanks to the Titanium build. The difference is significant and makes the device easier to hold. This can also be attributed to the curved edges now which provide an added grip giving more confidence. These are important changes considering this is a big device and any upgrade making the mobility better is welcome. Titanium build also means new colours, like my favourite the titanium grey. There is something about the natural state of this material which appeals to me. There are of course more colour options available like the titanium black. And if you want quirky colours then there are also blue, violet and green colours available. <div type="image" title="S24 Ultra sports a flat display" msid="107845895" hostid="261" sizebytes="19936" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;S24 Ultra sports a flat display&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Carrying forward the legacy of an ultra device, the S24 ultra also comes with an IP68 rating making dust and water resistant. The new titanium build combined with the IP rating make it the toughest S series device ever built and it shows. The smartphone has a noticeable exterior that gains attention in every set-up. Perhaps if you want a device with solid bragging rights S24 Ultra can be a top contender in that category. However here is a suggestion, do apply a case on this one. There have been numerous instances where the S24 Ultra has slipped from my hands. And while I have been fortunate that the device didn’t take any damage, I feel my luck might run out. The back which by the way is Gorilla Glass protecting it against minor scratches and drops is indeed slippery. <div type="image" title="The design for camera module is similar to last year" msid="107845913" hostid="261" sizebytes="13356" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The design for camera module is similar to last year&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Apart from the flat display which we will talk about in the next section, the design remains fairly unchanged. You have a familiar looking camera module on the back, volume rockers on the right edge and a Type-C port at the bottom. Right next to the charging port you have the SIM card slot that can hold up to 2 nano SIMs. <div type="image" title="S-pen is housed at the bottom making it convenient for access" msid="107845969" hostid="261" sizebytes="15484" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;S-pen is housed at the bottom making it convenient for access&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Of course the S-pen is placed at the bottom in a favourable position and easily accessible. We will talk about the S-pen and its integration in the display section as well. Display <div type="image" title="The flat display on the S24 Ultra is better in every way." msid="107846056" hostid="261" sizebytes="27806" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The flat display on the S24 Ultra is better in every way.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Samsung displays are world class and you wouldn’t expect anything but the best from the S24 Ultra. The device features a 6.7-inch dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display with a max refresh rate of 120Hz. And a peak brightness of 2700 nits. This time, Samsung has tried to make the experience even better with a flat display. The edges are gone, the end of an era if you ask me. And while it has implications from an aesthetics standpoint, where it has brought the most change for me is typing. A flatter display generally means no miss touches. Considering all of us use our smartphones to text all day via email or messaging this is massive for me. S24 Ultra is like a giant canvas which makes it so much fun to type on. I have been answering my emails, text messages and social media on this device and the infamous Samsung keyboard. It works well, however I am still not a fan of the Samsung emojis. But it’s not just your fingers that you can put to use here it is also the S-pen. The good old S-pen retains its favourable features like taking notes, clicking screenshots and even using it to click images. With the smart select you can also crop the subject in images which also comes in handy for Galaxy AI gallery features. More on this in the next section. It also comes with an adaptive refresh rate that goes up to 120Hz. The standard refresh rate limits it up to 60Hz which is also uber smooth. But if you prefer to let the device choose the perfect frame rate for you then you are in for a treat. The device hardly ever misses and generally projects the perfect output for the content. Be it a web page or gaming I have no complaints in this section. Moving to the viewing experience on the S24 Ultra, it is indeed top notch. The device supports HDR10 &amp; HDR10+ which makes viewing content a delight. I have been watching shows across platforms and from colours to the black levels everything is favourable. Unfortunately there is no Dolby vision here which is a bit disappointing purely from a specifications point of view. But if you ask in real time you will not notice any difference. Another example of this is how you get Super HDR in your gallery which shows the extra bright highlights in your photos. This is visible in Google photos as well. Combined with the display is a dual speaker set-up which matches up to the calibre here. It is loud and is able to put out an audio quality which surprisingly retains the detail as well. Software And now coming to the highlight of this year's S series - software experience. I say this because Samsung’s keynote this year focused majorly on Galaxy AI. There are plenty of features that Galaxy AI introduces to the S series devices. You can check them out <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2O-9SerMSA/">here.</a> In my review I am focusing on the ones that have improved my experience as a user. Starting with the circle to search. This one is heavily advertised and was the first one in the keynote to be talked about. This is essentially a better and improved Google lens. You can now hold your home button or the navigation bar to access the circle to search. And then as the name suggests you draw a circle around any subject on the screen. This has helped on multiple occasions, from looking up products in snapshots to reading about any sign board in the background. And the best part is that it is not limited to just generic information; you can also look up the location of that particular subject by eventually going to Google maps. Then is transcription in audio notes. As someone who produces content everyday, and add subtitles as well this is a god send. I don’t have to rely on Youtube self-generated subtitles because I get a transcript from the S24 Ultra itself. I wish it could make it into an .srt file but I think that is a stretch. Maybe in the future. Where it goes a step ahead for now is formatting these transcripts or notes in general. It puts all the data in perspective and creates bullets as well. This is a standard protocol across AI tools, but having it natively built comes in handy. Language is another crucial aspect of the Galaxy AI, with live call translation feature. The translation also works in notes. As of now it is supporting 18 languages, I have tested it out in English to Hindi and the results have been uber smooth. It doesn’t translate the voice in real time but does take a split second to give results. I am fine with it as long as the results are favourable. Then we have a feature which I think is way better than it is supposed to be, generative AI in the gallery. Now when you are about to edit a picture, you see three stars on the bottom left, tap it and you enter a new zone of AI editing. I have so far removed objects and even changed their positions. This does it takes it sweet time, but the results are surprisingly pleasing much better than third party apps. It also occasionally changes the hairstyle of the primary subject while removing the objects in the background. Once the image is edited you can see the 3 stars logo at the bottom left suggesting that it has been AI generated. However, you can crop it out later. Overall the Galaxy AI features are way beyond the hype train now. These are as real as it can be with real world applications. And I am excited to see where it goes from here. I just hope to see more changes in the native video editor. I find it sloppy at times since when you trim a video not only does it lose the audio it also takes some time to process it. Before closing this one it's important to highlight the software upgrades here. Samsung is promising 7 years of OS and security updates on the S24 series. This is at par with Google's Pixel line-up. And considering it comes with Android 14 out of the box you can expect these devices to have serious longevity. Performance Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is running on Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 which here is tuned for Galaxy. It is also the only device from the line-up in India to carry the Qualcomm SoC, for which Samsung is receiving mixed criticism. The regular S24 and S24 Plus are powered by Exynos 2400 processor. I am also testing the regular S24, and for now I can say the criticism is not fair. I will talk about it in detail in my review. Coming back to the S24 Ultra, this device is a beast in every sense of a word. I have the 16GB RAM and 256GB storage variant and so far I have not faced a single issue. From background apps to booting up games everything is snappy. I also ran a Geekbench 6 performance test on this and the numbers were matching the output. The single-core score is 1606 and the multi-core score is 5505. It also translates to battery life. After a heavy day of usage I have been averaging out with a screen on time of 6 and a half hours. This includes non stop social media, video calls, shooting and streaming content. My only gripe with the S24 Ultra is its charging speed of 45W. This when compared to the competition is a major trade off. OnePlus 12 with 100W superVOOC charging goes from 0-100% in 25 minutes. While the S24 Ultra takes about an hour. So here is a heads up if you are someone who doesn’t plan their charge cycle. Fortunately the device supports wireless charging and I generally keep it on my study table which has a plugged in wireless charger. This keeps me unbothered about the juice, however I would suggest charging it overnight so you are ready for the day. Camera S24 Ultra’s camera set-up has a little bit of new while retaining the existing set-up. Now we have a 5X telephoto sensor, replacing the 10X telephoto sensor. The specifications now come up to 200 MP primary camera, 12MP Telephoto sensor, Another 50MP Telephoto sensor and a 12MP ultra wide sensor. A major highlight is how Instagram now supports native camera settings for images. So if you have complained in the past about image quality on the Android for uploading stories, you should be happy. The primary camera of the S24 Ultra produces impressive photos, as anticipated. The level of detail is outstanding, presented in a relatively natural manner. This balance could be considered optimal, as some individuals find the S24s to be overly soft for their liking. In addition to the shift in detail rendition I also observed less saturation. The reds are not striking out of a picture now as I observed in previous generations. I found the vibrancy to be optimal. Disregarding the 200MP shots, the 50MP mode takes the cream. While not ideal for everyday photos, it could be occasionally useful. The first telephoto camera on the S24 Ultra maintains its reliable performance, with noticeable generational shifts, including a subdued saturation across the board. Introducing the novel addition to the camera lineup this time – the 50MP 5x zoom telephoto, replacing the 10MP 10x from the previous three generations. With this configuration, the new model is expected to produce significantly enhanced 5x shots while retaining comparable image quality to the S23 Ultra at 10x. I particularly appreciate the 5x zoom shots. They exhibit excellent detail with minimal noise at low ISOs. The dynamic range is also excellent. Ultrawide camera remains unchanged from the previous generation, and the results are largely comparable. However this has autofocus so when you open up the frame there is less hassle to capture the crisp shots you desire. Night mode introduces alterations, which are favourable. Tonal extremes show marginal improvement, benefiting only the most contrasted scenes with an undramatic difference. More noticeable, although not overwhelmingly so, is the shift in noise and detail rendition. The overall effect is a slight smoothing out, sacrificing both noise and detail. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra supports 8K30 video recording with its main and 5x telephoto cameras. Additionally, the main back camera can achieve 4K120 in slow-motion mode. Video stabilisation is available across all modes for all cameras. The S24 Ultra's video quality is generally impressive. In well-lit conditions, all rear cameras provide consistent colour, suitable for serious projects. Exposures are well-balanced, and dynamic range and contrast are excellent. The ultrawide camera may slightly lag in highlight rendition. Detail is commendable on all three rear modules at their native zoom levels. The front camera here just like last year is a 12MP shooter, which delivers crisp selfies. Moreover it also supports 4K videos at 60fps which makes it a solid choice for content creators. Especially vloggers. Audio from the in-built microphone is favourable and retains quality. Verdict The Galaxy S24 Ultra can be dubbed the best of Android and for good reason. It comes with incremental changes which have a larger impact, with an improved screen and native AI features. The newer set of cameras, flagship processor also make it appealing for a larger set of audience. If you swear by Android and have the budget then this is the ultimate device. However, if there are budget constraints and you can do without the cameras and AI features then there are options for you. Especially the iQOO 12 and the OnePlus 12. Both of which come with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, big batteries and performance focused UI.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review - AI and beyond

The e-commerce market in India is projected to increase significantly to over USD 300 billion by 2030 as the country's <keyword id="20107419" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-economy" source="keywords">digital economy</keyword> is set to reach a whopping USD 1 billion by the same year. According to <keyword id="19918506" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Invest-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Invest India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Invest India">Invest India</keyword>, India's online shopper base will be the 2nd largest globally by 2030, with nearly 500-600 Mn shoppers. Even now, India has the 2nd largest Internet user-base globally with 881 million users. India is moving towards becoming a dominant force in global e-commerce by 2030, driven by a growing digital economy and an expanding internet user base. The data from the investment promotion and facilitation agency Invest India from shows India taking the lead in <keyword id="19957108" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="online-shopping" source="keywords">online shopping</keyword>, the e-commerce sector in India is valued at USD 70 billion at present. This makes up for just around 7 percent of the total retail market in the country. However, several factors are likely to contribute a bright future outlook for the sector. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Growing internet penetration and digital economy" comment="subhead" text="Growing internet penetration and digital economy">Growing <keyword id="20707509" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="internet-penetration" source="keywords">internet penetration</keyword> and digital economy</cmsannotation> Internet penetration across has seen substantial growth, with over 60% of the Indian population (918 million) using the internet by September 2023. Further, an estimated 87 percent of Indian households are projected to have internet access as early as 2025. The time spent accessing the internet via mobile devices has also increased by 21 percent compared to 2019. The affordability of data prices in India is a key factor, with one gigabyte of data priced at around USD 0.17 (Rs 13.5), encouraging a large portion of the population to go online. <keyword id="21457667" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mobile-data-traffic" source="keywords">Mobile data traffic</keyword> has tripled from 2018 to 2023, demonstrating the growing dependence on <keyword id="19979951" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-platforms" source="keywords">digital platforms</keyword> for diverse requirements. It is projected that by 2026, 1.18 billion people across the country will have access to smartphones, over 80% of India's population. The increasing number of smartphone users along with higher average data consumption per user, boosts the digital economy. The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has become a major player in digital payments, handling transactions worth USD 1.5 trillion in 2022. There has been a significant increase in the availability of local language and mobile-first content, with about 73 percent of India's internet users utilizing Indian languages. As a result, there is an estimated regional language user base of 540 million, creating a market worth USD 53 billion. Digital infrastructure like UPI, eKYC, and Aadhaar has cut down the consumer onboarding time by 80 percent, enhancing the digital experience. The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is another notable initiative by the Government of India, launched in 2022. It aims to provide equal opportunities to MSMEs to thrive in digital commerce and democratize e-commerce. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="A transition along with growth" comment="subhead" text="A transition along with growth">A transition along with growth</cmsannotation> In FY 2022-23, Government e-marketplace (GeM) registered its highest ever Gross Merchandise Value of $2011 Bn, shows data from Invest India. The projected growth in online shoppers in India is substantial, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22 percent to 88 million in rural India and 15 percent to 263 million in urban India from 2019 to 2026. There is a notable transition towards rural-focused value e-commerce, with more than 60 percent of demand anticipated to come from tier 2-4 towns and rural India by 2026. Government programs such as the National Logistics Policy are designed to streamline deliveries to remote areas, improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of logistics. The quick commerce market in India's hyperlocal mobility sector is also projected to grow exponentially to achieve a market size of USD 5.5 billion by 2025. Leading companies like Swiggy and Zomato are at the forefront of the market, while startups like Zepto are also gaining substantial market share. <keyword id="20873923" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="social-commerce" source="keywords">Social commerce</keyword>, a new trend that uses social networks and digital media to connect buyers and sellers, is also projected to achieve a market size of USD 70 billion by 2030, with small video applications gaining significant popularity. Significant mergers and acquisitions have been observed in the e-commerce sector, with companies such as Zomato and PhonePe making strategic decisions to enhance their positions. Government schemes like Jan Dhan Yojana, BharatNet Project, and the implementation of Goods &amp; Service Tax (GST) have been instrumental in shaping India's digital economy. (With inputs from ANI)

India's e-commerce market set to skyrocket as the country's digital economy surges to USD 1 Trillion by 2030

<ul><li>The <keyword id="15190168" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WD-Black-SN850X" source="Orion">WD Black SN850X</keyword> internal <keyword id="20521043" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ssd" source="keywords">SSD</keyword> has been launched by Western Digital.</li><li>The WD Black SN850X is available in three capacities – 1TB, 2TB and 4TB.</li><li>Here is my review of the WD Black SN850X 2TB SSD with heatsink.</li></ul>Western Digital is one of the most popular companies when it comes to storage solutions, be it hard disks or solid-state drives (SSDs). The company recently launched the WD Black SN850X internal SSD in India. For those unaware, the WD Black series is the company’s gaming-oriented SSD lineup, which offers faster speeds and performance compared to the WD Blue series. The WD Black SN850X is the updated version of the company’s WD SN850 SSD. I have been using the WD Black SN850X 2TB version for a few weeks now and here is my review of the latest gaming SSD from Western Digital. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="WD Black SN850X price in India" comment="subhead" text="WD Black SN850X price in India"><keyword id="20521045" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WD-Black-SN850X-price" source="Orion">WD Black SN850X price</keyword> in India</cmsannotation> The WD Black is available in three storage capacities, with and without heatsink. The SSD is priced starting at ₹8,789 and goes up to ₹36,329. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Capacity </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Heatsink </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Price </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1TB </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">No </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹8,789 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1TB </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Yes </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹11,539 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2TB </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">No </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹17,049 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2TB </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Yes </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹18,359 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">4TB </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">No </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹36,329 </td></tr></tbody></table> The WD Black SN850X SSD is available from the Western Digital online store, authorised online retailers and offline retailers across the country. It comes with a 5-year limited warranty. In the box <ul><li>WD Black SN850X SSD with heatsink </li><li>Documentation </li></ul>WD Black SN850X specifications <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Particulars </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Specifications </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Capacity </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2TB </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Heatsink </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Yes </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Form factor </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">M.2 2280 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Interface </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">PCIe Gen4 x4 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Read performance </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7300MB/s </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Write performance </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">6600MB/s </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TBW rating </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1200 TBW </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Weight </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">24 grams </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Warranty </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">5 years </td></tr></tbody></table> Pros and cons Pros <ul><li>Impressive performance </li><li>Heatsink keeps the temperature down </li></ul>Cons <ul><li>Expensive </li></ul><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Design" comment="subhead" text="Design">Design</cmsannotation> Starting with the design, the WD Black SN850X is available with or without the heatsink for the 1TB and 2TB variants, while the 4TB variant is only available without a heatsink. As expected, the heat sink adds up a considerable amount of size and weight to the SSD. While the 2TB SSD without the heatsink measures 80mm x 22mm x 2.38mm and weighs 7.5 grams, the heatsink variant measures 80mm x 23.4mm x 8.8mm and weighs 24 grams. I tested the 2TB variant with a heatsink, which is quite bulky and the circuit board has been encased in metal. The heatsink comes with holes on the sides, allowing air to circulate between them and thereby increasing the surface area. This offers improved cooling, which comes in handy during gaming. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Software and performance" comment="subhead" text="Software and performance">Software and performance</cmsannotation> The WD Black SN850X can be updated and optimised with the company’s Dashboard management software that can be downloaded from its website. In addition to displaying the SSD’s information and health, the tool also offers an option to update the firmware and control the SSD. Western Digital has also offered the Game Mode 2.0 with the SN850X. This offers adaptive thermal management, predictive loading and overhead balancing. The application is easy to use and while there is not much to meddle with, it’s good to have the application. Coming to performance, the WD Black SN850X SSD comes with a NAND upgrade, which enables higher sequential-read speeds and an increased sequential-write speed. The SSD’s TLC flash memory chips have been upgraded to 112-layer chips, an upgrade from the SN850’s 96-layer TLC chips. The sequential-read speed has been upgraded from 7,000MB/s to 7,300MB/s and the sequential-write speed has been upgraded from 5,300MB/s to 6,300MB/s. During my testing, it offered a sequential read speed of 7363.74 MB/s and a sequential-write speed of 6690.06 MB/s on the CrystalDiskMark. Thermal management has also received a boost with the SN850X and during extensive gaming, the SSD hovers around 53-55 degrees, which is good. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Verdict" comment="subhead" text="Verdict">Verdict</cmsannotation> The WD Black SN850X 2TB SSD is an excellent option for those looking for a premium gaming SSD. You can pick between the heatsink and non-heatsink version depending on your motherboard. At the same time, this is an expensive product, which may be too expensive for some. If you are willing to splurge a bit, you will not go wrong with the SN850X. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/sony-inzone-buds-review/articleshow/107491862.cms">Sony INZONE Buds review – Premium wireless gaming headphones with good battery life</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/dell-xps-17-9730-review/articleshow/107330203.cms">Dell XPS 17 9730 review – Feature-packed laptop but at a premium</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-open-review/articleshow/106961567.cms">OnePlus Open review – Feature-packed foldable in a premium design</a>

WD Black SN850X SSD review – a reliable gaming solid-state drive

<ul><li>In our last feature from the series where we crystal-gazed into 2022 and brought to you some key trends that will impact the industry, we speak to experts from the Indian <keyword id="6357332" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gaming" source="Orion">gaming</keyword> industry.</li><li>They share their thoughts of a few big trends that will dominate the industry in 2022.</li></ul>As we enter 2022, we can only look back and wonder at the meteoric rise online gaming has seen in India in the past two years. While gaming had been witnessing growth, albeit a relatively slow one, before the lockdown, it was during the locked-at-home phase that many across the country not only discovered the joys of gaming, but also realised they could make a healthy living out of it. If most reports coming out in the last one year are to be believed, India will see an even faster growth for the industry in the next few years, and now Bharat is joining in this growth. A recent report by <keyword id="7087972" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mobile-premier-league" source="Orion">Mobile Premier League</keyword> (MPL), an <keyword id="2440542" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="esports" source="Orion">esports</keyword> and skill gaming platform revealed that India’s tier-III cities and towns have witnessed a significant rise in the number of online gamers in 2021. The top 30 of them reported up to 170% more gamers compared to 2020. Some of the small towns have more than 100% to up to 200% growth in online gamers. Another report by Sequoia India and BCG said that while the gaming industry in India is currently smaller than that of the US and China and is 1% of the global gaming market, it is generating $1.5B revenue and is expected to triple to over $5 billion by 2025 on the back of the ‘mobile first’ phenomenon. This massive growth has also led to a new breed of influencers who are being followed by hundreds of thousands of engaged audiences. YouTube’s recently released list of top Indian creators on its platform featured 5 gamers. And things are just about starting to get heated. To understand where this highly dynamic industry is headed in this next year, we reached out to a few prominent voices from the industry and this is what they had to say: Lokesh Suji, Director, Esports Federation of India &amp; Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF) India was a sleeping giant till Covid-19 happened, and now we have established ourselves as a market that cannot be ignored; Stakeholders like the brands, investors, authorities and so on, were just sitting on the fence and observing. But with a market of at least 450 million online gamers, the potential of video games and esports cannot be ignored. The year 2021, has been the inflection point for video games in India. While esports evolves itself into various business models, Non-fungible token (NFT) will be one big trend to watch out for in 2022. Video Games is the best use case for NFTs, customization of the skins, virtual avatars, in-game items/rewards etc. all this already exists in video games (so-called metaverse) and is now starting to be converted into NFTs. One of the key drivers for the meteoric growth of Video Games has been live streaming and esports, and such content creators and/IP holders will eventually look at converting the best of gameplays/streaks/moments into NFTs, which not only help increase monetization for content creators, video game developers etc. but also be a catalyst in terms of retention of fans and users respectively. Anirudh Pandita, Founder, <keyword id="820765" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Loco" source="Orion">Loco</keyword> Gaming has now arrived as a truly mainstream entertainment experience and has become the primary source of entertainment for India’s young generation. 2021 saw the rise of esports and game streaming, and 2022 will see this multiply. In 2021, we saw the arrival of BGMI which all Indian fans were waiting for and in 2022, we will see multiple big publishers release games for India. In 2021, we saw esports go to new heights and we will see continued growth in the sector in the next year as prize money as well as number of games will increase. Game streaming saw the entry of hundreds of thousands of new streamers and millions of viewers, and this trend should accelerate in 2022, with individual streams rivaling those of major traditional sports. Lastly, with blockchain providing interesting use cases, we expect to see interesting new use cases come out to help creators and consumers. We, at Loco, have always aimed at paving the way for gaming to go from a niche hobby to a mainstream national interest- which the year 2021 has helped realize. We are confident that with this, India will cement its place on the global gaming map in 2022. Abhishek Aggarwal, Co-Founder &amp; CEO, <keyword id="12415204" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="trinity-gaming" source="Orion">Trinity Gaming</keyword> The gaming industry is progressing, taking complete advantage of the latest developments in technology, software, better internet services, gadgets, cloud technology and more. In the Indian scenario, there is an explosive growth of gamers in this booming industry with creative and engaging content being an important aspect of the system. With more games introduced and with more people joining the pool, more brands are shifting their focus on marketing their brands through these young creators who have an enormous fan following across the age group of 15-30 which is the most targeted audience in advertising terms for both endemic and non-endemic brands. Gaming content has begun to penetrate the Tier II, Tier III locations, and beyond, giving vernacular content creators a chance to grow. With Hindi &amp; Tamil being the two most popular languages in streaming in India, it will surely gain more prominence in the coming time. More people will watch game streaming. Audiences tend to admire their creators and feel more connected to them due to their high level of engagement. The future of gaming beholds a lot and a stronger and classified gaming ecosystem is on the rise. Tarun Gupta, Founder, <keyword id="10820861" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ultimate-battle" source="Orion">Ultimate Battle</keyword> Games and gaming content are highly engaging and we're seeing a huge spike in average and concurrent viewership for gaming content. The consumers are very dynamic and their attention span size has decreased noticeably in GenZ. We see short gaming video content to witness a never seen before hype in the gaming community. The mobile gaming market is expanding in tier 2 and tier 3 cities and we'll witness a rise in engagement in games, viewership, and content creation. Young gamers will play engaging games, consume fast-paced engaging content, and want to socialize with gamers often simultaneously. This will lead to more virtual world socialization among the young generation and higher consumption of gaming content. As such, 2022 will usher higher inclination by brands into the gaming industry to target the young age group of 18 to 25. With many startups and organizations focusing on gaming and esports, we'll see a spike in Esports events and team IPs being created. This will boost the gaming ecosystem in India and open multiple opportunities in careers for gamers and IT professionals. Roland Landers, CEO, <keyword id="3634002" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="All-India-Gaming-Federation" source="Orion">All India Gaming Federation</keyword> The Indian gaming industry along with the M&amp;E segment has now become one of the fastest growing sectors in India with around 7.3 Bn downloads in recent years. It has emerged as an important avenue due to a multitude of favorable factors such as young and tech-savvy population, affordable availability of feature-packed smartphones, better internet connectivity, and an overall technological development. The move has also accelerated the growth of multi gaming format in the online gaming space. The Indian gaming industry is expected to reach 3 billion by 2025 and is now projected to grow faster than the global online gaming segment. The industry currently employs 40,000 people in direct jobs and by 2024 the online skill gaming industry is expected to employ around 2 lakh people. This growth will further lead to revenue generation for the country, driven by ease of payment, better security and instant withdrawal of winnings etc. As the regulatory landscape is also evolving and positive judgments are expected from many states, we as an industry leader look forward to an exciting year for this sunrise sector. With its exponential growth, the gaming industry will also attract international investors to invest in the Indian market. Sameer Barde, CEO - E Gaming Federation <div type="image" title="IMG-20220110-WA0005" msid="88826278" hostid="261"></div> Online gaming will become increasingly mainstream and find acceptance as a source of entertainment in 2022. This year, we anticipate a growth rate of over 35 % for the sector as a whole. However, for this to happen, we hope to see government stakeholders accepting the need for regulation to protect the player and industry interests. Increasing monetization and adoption of new-age technology including blockchain and NFTs in the gaming ecosystem will be seen. We expect a larger number of players moving from free-to-play to paying-to-play, in-game purchases, and skill gaming. Industry players will develop new and exciting games for users based on traditional games and Indian themes, keeping the PM’s vision in mind. Additionally, e-Sports being a medal sport in the forthcoming Asian Games in September will result in a significant increase both in terms of acceptance and interest. All in all, we at EGF are excited and believe that this will be a bellwether year for the entire industry. Bhavin Pandya, CEO and Co-Founder, <keyword id="8913431" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Games24x7" source="Orion">Games24x7</keyword> The Indian online skill gaming industry is poised for tremendous growth. With the right support particularly in the form of progressive policy structures, gaming can spur a second software revolution in India. As of today, this industry offers direct employment to almost 50,000 people. It is also a major source of taxation for the exchequer. In addition, the sector has multiplier benefits for several other domains including fintech, banking, semiconductors, animation, and other aspects of Information Technology. The sector has witnessed significant investments from marquee international investors and accounts of several Unicorns. With the right encouragement and support, India can emerge as a global pioneer in gaming technology. Ankur Singh, CEO and Founder, Witzeal We believe that the gaming sector will continue to expand with the high end adoption of AI and data science to understand and provide users experiences they wish for. Future of gaming will likely be based upon newer technologies like Blockchain and its active usage would prove fruitful in the years to come. Another key trend to look forward to is the penetration of gaming in rural areas because the penetration of internet and smartphones is on a gradual rise. Yashash Agarwal, Co-Founder and CEO, <keyword id="3212361" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gamezop" source="Orion">Gamezop</keyword> <div type="image" title="RIC_8498" msid="88758667" hostid="261"></div> Blockchain gaming is shaping up to be a very interesting space. We are already seeing very interesting games emerge with blockchain and NFTs at the heart of all the action. Games like Axie Infinity have popularized the Play to Earn mechanic and they have been able to scale engagement as well as monetization to huge numbers. Take it one step further and we see that decentralization is fundamentally changing how companies operate: all the way from raising money, to day-to-day governance. This is most notable in DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organisations), which follow a bottom-up, community-driven management style. We are excited to see the blockchain gaming projects that emerge from India! Vaibhav Odhekar, COO &amp; Co-Founder, <keyword id="2734866" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="POKKT" source="Orion">POKKT</keyword> The gaming industry is constantly evolving, and its popularity will continue to rise. In the last three years, the sector has welcomed 500 million new gamers globally. New technological breakthroughs such as virtual reality have provided another dimension towards entertainment in this domain. For many young folks, the industry has also become a viable career option. Talking about the trends- The audience will continue to diversify in the coming years. So, instead of a male/female audience bias, we'll have a nearly 50-50 gender split, with a lot more older people joining the online gaming space. India is expected to create more global content. Although the percentage is extremely low right now, as more high-quality content is created in India, the trend will improve. Also, e-Sports as a category will grow in popularity. In 2022, there will be a significant increase in the number of movies released worldwide. So, the biggest trend we anticipate to see is a lot more games based on movie franchises. Gaming has its own history of adapting films and gamers are enthralled by such games. Video games are a vast medium that covers a wide variety of genres and experiences that can only be experienced in games, along with contributions from a population from all over the world. Even while many modern games are inspired by movies, they are nevertheless unique in their own way and we expect them to expand in the coming years.

Gaming: What to expect from the Indian gaming and e-sports industry in 2022

With <keyword id="19899402" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital" source="keywords">digital</keyword> adoption fast gaining currency, <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> is likely to see <keyword id="19992513" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail" source="keywords">retail</keyword> <keyword id="19989657" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-payments" source="keywords">digital payments</keyword> double to USD 7 trillion by 2030 from current levels, a study by Kearney and <keyword id="19942875" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Pay" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon Pay" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Amazon Pay">Amazon Pay</keyword> said. In the report 'How Urban India Pays', Kearney-Amazon Pay said strong adoption of digital payments in <keyword id="21056201" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="online-purchases" source="keywords">online purchases</keyword> has potentially led to a permanent shift in consumer behaviours, fuelling offline adoption as well. While 90 per cent of the respondents of the survey preferred digital payments when making online purchases, affluent consumers lead the way with the highest Degree of Digital Payment Usage (DDPU), tending to use various modes of digital payment for 80 per cent of their transactions. "<keyword id="19955338" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="millennials" source="keywords">Millennials</keyword> and Gen X are leading in the adoption of all types of digital payment instruments," it said. "Men and women both use digital payments in about 72 per cent of their transactions, indicating gender parity." The research was based on an online survey of over 6,000 consumers along with more than 1,000 merchants through offline and online methods across 120 cities with representation from various regions, income groups, city categories, age brackets and genders. India has seen a surge in <keyword id="19990771" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="e-commerce" source="keywords">e-commerce</keyword>, with the market valued at USD 75 billion to USD 80 billion in 2022 and expected to grow at a 21 per cent CAGR until 2030. "In line with India's digital journey, retail digital payments have grown dramatically over the past five years - from USD 300 billion in FY18 to USD 3.6 trillion in FY24. By FY30, they are likely to double to USD 7 trillion," the report said. The Unified Payments Interface (<keyword id="19900911" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="UPI" source="keywords">UPI</keyword>) has been a key driver of this growth, demonstrating a CAGR of 138 per cent in its volumes during FY18-24. Other instruments such as cards and digital wallets are also gaining in popularity, contributing 10 per cent of digital transaction value today. "With such dynamic developments, it is no wonder that India is a global frontrunner in the digital payment landscape, accounting for a stellar 46 per cent of the global digital transaction volumes in 2022," it said. Digital payments have penetrated small towns, with respondents in these areas highlighting that 65 per cent of their transactions are digital, while respondents in larger cities cited this ratio to be 75 per cent. "There is a strong correlation between a city's average DDPU and its retail potential, as measured by the Kearney India Retail Index, with the top six metros displaying both high DDPU and high retail potential," the report said. DDPU surpasses retail potential in some cities such as Lucknow, Patna, Bhopal, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar, Indore, Ahmedabad and Pune, which have a high DDPU nearly matching that of larger metropolitan cities despite having a lower retail potential than the top six metros. The report said co-branded credit cards are gaining momentum. "Emerging methods such as buy now, pay later (BNPL), wearable payments and voice assistant-based payments are also starting to make inroads." Digital modes of payment constitute around 69 per cent of the total transaction volumes for the Indian merchants that were surveyed. Even street vendors such as paan shops, fruit and flower sellers, food stalls, and kirana stores are joining the digital payment brigade. "Challenges for merchant adoption mirror consumer concerns, emphasizing issues of financial fraud, limited connectivity and trust," it said. The report said the next wave of growth in digital payments will be fueled by increasing penetration in segments with lower DDPU, such as consumers in lower-income groups and smaller towns, along with enhancing the value of spending via digital modes of payment in the higher DDPU segments by addressing their concerns. "All key stakeholders across the digital payments' ecosystem, including payment providers, the government, and value-added services players, will need to play a part in expanding digital payment adoption," it said. The focus areas should be empowering communities with financial education by launching target programmes to boost awareness of digital payments and new methods such as UPI Lite and UPI Lite X, especially for aspiring consumer segments, women in small towns, and street commerce merchants, to encourage higher adoption. Also, there is a need to create user-friendly consumer journeys by streamlining documentation and know-your-customer (<keyword id="19910870" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kyc" source="keywords">KYC</keyword>) processes, optimising user interfaces, and establishing responsive customer complaint resolution mechanisms, it said adding also there is a need to enhance digital infrastructure by addressing systems and network issues and exploring innovations such as UPI Lite X for areas with limited internet. Also, the risk of fraud has to be minimised and access to credit-based payment methods expanded by using alternate data for underwriting risk, developing innovative credit products and promoting credit education for financial health. "These areas can help India overcome challenges in the digital payment ecosystem by fostering a more inclusive, secure, and user-friendly environment, thereby enhancing the adoption of digital payments among consumers and merchants in India," it added.

India to see retail digital payments to double to USD 7 tn by 2030: Report

<ul class="summary-list"><li>We've lived in Dubai for three years and have seen first-time visitors make a lot of mistakes. </li><li>If you're <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mistakes-visiting-dubai-for-first-time-with-family-kids-2024-7">going to Dubai for the first time</a>, keep your boarding pass and get your free SIM card.</li></ul>Little can prepare anyone for what's in store when they land in Dubai.We <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/surprising-things-about-moving-to-new-york-from-london-2023-3">moved here from London</a> three years ago and fell in love with the city's year-round sunshine, tax-free lifestyle, and futuristic appearance.The skyline is crammed with towers that twist and turn in intricate shapes that seem to defy physics. At night, the city looks straight out of a sci-fi movie with a haze illuminated by the tips of skyscrapers.You may spend so much time staring upward that you get a sore neck — but if you keep your feet on the ground, you can avoid these mistakes we see first-time visitors make often.<h2 id="5fe73946-ab37-4583-9c7e-7551e7159804">Don't forget to ask immigration for your free SIM card</h2>Dubai is part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which isn't covered by many cellphone roaming packages unless you pay extra.Fortunately, visitors at Dubai International Airport or Al Maktoum International Airport can get free SIM cards at the airport. Just ask passport-control staff. Cards come with a local number and a gigabyte of data that can be used for 24 hours. Once that data runs out, it can be recharged or upgraded with tourist packages at an extra cost.<h2 id="1a40777a-e365-4eb3-87d1-0f35f65ef7bc">If you fly Emirates, keep your boarding pass to use for discounts </h2><div type="image" title="Fountain show in Dubai " height="1731" width="3151" msid="112199638" hostid="261" sizebytes="570992"></div>If you fly into Dubai on the national carrier <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/upgrading-emirates-premium-economy-long-flight-worth-it-2024-7">Emirates</a> before the end of September, your boarding pass will unlock deals at shops, restaurants, and attractions across the city.The discounts aren't to be sniffed at and include 20% off tickets to Aquaventure, the world's largest water park, and 30% off "La Perle by Dragone," a Vegas-style show from one of the leading lights behind Cirque du Soleil.If you're using a mobile boarding pass, take a screenshot in case it disappears from your account after your flight.<h2 id="440ea005-194b-4cf2-a34f-24726b1162d9">There's no need to bring a phrase book</h2>Fluent English is spoken across Dubai, and many signs are in English. After all, it's a very international city. Nearly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moved-to-dubai-russia-ukraine-invasion-cost-of-living-2023-10">90% of Dubai residents are ex-pats</a>, including many English speakers from the US and the UK. Since we moved here, we've asked people for directions and advice countless times, and not once have we found someone who couldn't speak English.<h2 id="b6503e27-11ec-4b05-81bf-a259efd2eea7">Don't think you need to be a millionaire to visit Dubai</h2><div type="image" title="Marriott LAPITA" height="1725" width="3219" msid="112199641" hostid="261" sizebytes="750822"></div>One of the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dubai-what-to-know-before-visiting-first-time-from-america-2022-8">biggest misconceptions about Dubai</a> is that you need to be rich to visit. But you can stay like a king for a low rate in places like the palatial Palazzo Versace hotel, where rates start at just 609 dirhams (about $165) a night throughout August. How about the luxurious Marriott Lapita, which is inspired by a Polynesian beach resort? Book for only 423 dirhams a night in August. Plus, that rate includes tickets to the local theme parks with lands based on Dreamworks hits like Shrek and Kung Fu Panda. (If you visit, don't pay extra for line-cutting passes. We've been many times, and they rarely get crowded.) <h2 id="25379954-989e-43f6-b5de-e9ba40b83027">No need to ball out to see the sights — Dubai has amazing free attractions</h2><div type="image" title="IMAGINE laser show in Dubai " height="1960" width="4032" msid="112199645" hostid="261" sizebytes="417572"></div>On a related note, there are a lot of great <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-things-to-do-dubai-according-to-local-2021-6">things to do in Dubai for free</a>. "Imagine," an epic show that rivals anything at Disney's parks, plays at Festival City Mall several times a night for free. It features flamethrowers, multicolored fountains, and lasers synchronized to scenes beamed onto a 36-story hotel and screens formed from fountains that fan out into a fine mist.On the outskirts of Dubai, see the world's biggest 360-degree projection show in Expo City for free. It features dizzying scenes that swirl around the dome as you stand in the middle of it. Think <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cool-things-about-las-vegas-sphere-experiece-2023-10">The Sphere in Las Vegas</a> but the show is all around you.<h2 id="368c1b49-cbd1-4fd8-90c6-ebdf5776a88a">It's easy to get tired in the Dubai Mall if you don't book any free ride services </h2><div type="image" title="Inside of Dubai Mall" height="1960" width="4032" msid="112199648" hostid="261" sizebytes="786540"></div>The Dubai Mall is one of the biggest in the world, with more than 1,200 stores spread over millions of square feet. It's so big that it even has a full-size ice rink, a Kidzania theme park, an amusement park, and one of the world's biggest aquariums. A well-worn pair of shoes is essential, but if you still can't bear the thought of walking around it, book the mall's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://thedubaimall.com/en/services">free chauffeur service</a> for rides around the complex.If you've got young kids in tow, you can also rent a stroller at no cost.<h2 id="3ed13c72-de51-4504-84a2-369839acaa22">Don't worry much about pickpockets here — but be aware of strict local laws </h2>The <a target="_blank" class="" href="http://www.numbeo.com/crime/rankings_by_country.jsp">UAE</a> regularly <a target="_blank" class="" href="http://gfmag.com/data/safest-countries-world/">ranks second</a> on lists of the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dubai-uae-wont-return-travel-advice-2023-11">world's safest countries</a>. You only have to spend a few hours in Dubai to see why.When we first moved here, we were astounded to see people leaving their phones charging in sockets outside shops as they went inside to browse. It's also common for people to leave their handbags on tables in busy food courts to hold their seats while they order. Open-top supercars worth millions are regularly left parked on the streets at night.That said, the country has a zero-tolerance policy on crime and <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dubai-tax-safety-security-top-cities-workation-2023-10">strict laws</a>, which are also important to be aware of before you travel to Dubai. For example, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cost-of-traveling-gay-passing-as-straight-travel-lgbtq-dangers-2024-6">homosexuality is illegal in the UAE,</a> and swearing or displaying affection in public can be punishable by law.

We live in Dubai. Here are the 7 common mistakes we see first-time visitors make. 

India's diversified entity <keyword id="19896958" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ITC" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="ITC" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="ITC">ITC</keyword> plans to open more hotels overseas with neighbouring countries and the Middle East as primary target markets after opening of its first international property here, company Chairman and Managing Director <keyword id="20049280" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sanjiv-Puri" source="keywords">Sanjiv Puri</keyword> said on Thursday. The company's arm <keyword id="20032522" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ITC-Hotels" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="ITC Hotels" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="ITC Hotels">ITC Hotels</keyword>, which had opened 22 new properties in the last 24 months, plans to add another 70 hotels in the next five years in India as part of expansion plans in the <keyword id="20402233" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hospitality-sector" source="keywords">hospitality sector</keyword>. Besides the hotels business, the company will look for opportunities to expand the presence of <keyword id="19931572" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="FMCG" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="FMCG" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="FMCG">FMCG</keyword> and other verticals in new overseas markets as well. "We are open to exploring opportunities that come about. I think we have strong credentials in hospitality which we can take outside India now. Very clearly at the moment the focus is on proximal markets, be it for hospitality, be it for FMCG...," Puri said here at a press conference after the opening of the 352-room luxury property, <keyword id="20911944" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="itc-ratnadipa" source="keywords">ITC Ratnadipa</keyword> here. He said as the company explores and understands a place for a particular business, it may look at it as a market for other verticals as well. Citing the example of Nepal, Puri said,"We started with other businesses and are now looking at hospitality (there). Here (in Sri Lanka) we have started with hospitality...as we explore and understand the place, we will look at possibilities in some of our other sectors as well." On overseas expansion of the hospitality business, while the company's focus is more on 'proximal markets', he said,"We are open to it if there are some interesting opportunities beyond it. We will certainly be interested in pursuing that." When asked if ITC is looking at the Middle East as a market for the hospitality business, he said it is a vibrant economy right now with terrific growth plans and "if opportunity comes our way then we will certainly explore that". Puri also said the company will look to expand in more destinations in Sri Lanka going forward. "This (opening of ITC Ratnadipa) is the starting point and yes, we want to expand and grow the economy and contribute to the development of tourism in Sri Lanka," he said. When asked about ITC's overall expansion plans in the hospitality sector, he said,"We have a very healthy pipeline of 70 hotels in five years." All these 70 hotels are for the Indian domestic market and most of them will be the upscale segments. He, however, said "(For) overseas we're just starting our journey. So we have not yet got to the stage to start putting a number right here." On investments planned for the overall expansion, he did not share a specific number but said "between renovation and new properties will spend somewhere between Rs 700 crore to Rs 1,000 crore a year". When asked about the progress of the demerger of ITC Hotels and its planned public listing, Puri said it is happening in line with the indicated timelines and is expected "before the second half of this year or the end of this year". At its new property here, the company had invested about USD 500 million. It was inaugurated on Thursday by Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The ITC Ratnadipa or 'Island of Gems' has 352 guest rooms, suites and service apartments, each with private balconies with waterfront views. Earlier in the day, speaking at the opening of the new hotel, Puri said,"It is very natural for us to specifically focus on markets in proximal areas, encouraged also by our Prime Minister's (Narendra Modi) vision of neighbourhood first where Sri Lanka has a very special position. ITC is deeply committed to growing our presence and contributing to hospitality in the region." SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/jiocinema-introduces-new-ad-free-premium-plans-starting-at-29/articleshow/109581033.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/jiocinema-introduces-new-ad-free-premium-plans-starting-at-29/articleshow/109581033.cms" target="_blank">An Ambani disruption in OTT: At just ₹1 per day, you can now enjoy ad-free content on JioCinema</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/realme-narzo-70-narzo-70x-5g-smartphones-launched-in-india-starting-at-11999/articleshow/109557895.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/realme-narzo-70-narzo-70x-5g-smartphones-launched-in-india-starting-at-11999/articleshow/109557895.cms" target="_blank">Realme Narzo 70, Narzo 70X 5G smartphones launched in India starting at ₹11,999</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apple-let-loose-event-scheduled-for-may-7-ipads-expected-to-be-launched/articleshow/109553148.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apple-let-loose-event-scheduled-for-may-7-ipads-expected-to-be-launched/articleshow/109553148.cms" target="_blank">Apple Let Loose event scheduled for May 7 – New iPad models expected to be launched</a>

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