Government blocks China-linked apps, JioMeet launched, OnePlus enters budget TV segment and other top tech news of the week

In the biggest news of the week, the government blocked 59 China-linked apps. The week also saw some launches from Vivo, Panasonic, OnePlus, Logitech and Fossil. Reliance Jio launched its video-conferencing app JioMeet. All this and other top tech news of the week.

The government of India blocked 59 apps, including TikTok, SHAREit and UC Browser. As per the official government order, these apps have been blocked as they “are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.” Read the complete story here.

Mukesh Ambani-owned telecom company Reliance Jio has launched a video conferencing service, called JioMeet. The video-conferencing service is available across platforms including Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and web. Other than the host, 97 participants can chat simultaneously on JioMeet for up to maximum of 100 hours. Read the complete story here.

Facebook-owned WhatsApp has announced several new features that will be added to the app in the coming days. These include dark mode WhatsApp Web, support for QR codes and more. Read the complete story here.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip has received a price cut of Rs 7,000. There’s also an upgrade bonus of Rs 8,000 if buyers upgrade to Galaxy Z Flip from select smartphones. Read the complete story here.

Social media giant Facebook has launched Avatars for its users in India. Facebook Avatars enabling them to create cartoon-like Avatars of themselves. Users can choose from a variety of faces, hairstyles and outfits that the social network claims have been specially customised for its users in India. Read the complete story here.

Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus has launched a new smart-TV lineup in India. The budget range of TVs start at Rs 12,999. OnePlus TVs is available on Amazon India, OnePlus e-store and retail stores. Read the complete story here.

Vivo has launched Vivo Y30 phone, priced at Rs 14,990. The smartphone comes with a 5000mAh battery, punch-hole display and quad-camera setup. It comes only in single storage variant -- 4GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. Read the complete story here.

Xiaomi has increased the price of its budget smartphone Redmi 8 in India. It now costs Rs 9,799. Read the complete story here.

The prices of both Realme 5i and Realme 6 have increased by Rs 1,000. The former is now available at a starting price of Rs 10,999, whereas the latter is now selling at a starting price of Rs 13,999. Read the complete story here.

Oppo’s mid-range smartphone, Oppo Reno 3 Pro has got a price cut of 2,000. It is now priced at Rs 29,990. Read the complete story here.

Expanding its product portfolio in India, Fossil has launched a solar-powered watch called the Solar Watch. It is available at a starting price of Rs 9,995. The watch, once fully charged, can last up to 4 months as per the company. Read the complete story here.

Panasonic has announced the expansion of its rugged laptop portfolio in India with the launch of Toughbook CF-SV8. Available at a starting price of Rs 1,50,000, they are already available for sale in India. Read the complete story here.

Accessories brand Logitech launched a wireless variant of Logitech G502 gaming mouse in India. Dubbed as the Logitech G502 Lightspeed, this wireless gaming mouse is priced at Rs 14,995. Read the complete story here.

French consumer brand Thomson has expanded its smart TV lineup in India with the launch of Oath Pro series. The price of the Thomson Oath Pro series starts at Rs 24,999 for the smallest screen size variant of 43-inch. Read the complete story here.

Taiwan-based chipmaker MediaTek has expanded its lineup with the launch of two new G-series chipsets — MediaTek Helio G25 and G35. These chipsets are aimed at making budget smartphones more capable for extensive gaming. Read the complete story here.