Top tech news this week: iPhone 15, Google Pixel 8 launch dates, WhatsApp HD videos and more

This week was one busy with seven new smartphones launching in India and China, collectively. Announcements for two major smartphone launches were also made so there’s lots to look forward to in the coming weeks. Reliance also held its Annual General Meeting where it finally revealed the launch date of the Jio AirFiber. WhatsApp also launched a new feature this week.

So let’s unpack all the important tech news of this week. 

iPhone 15 launch date

Apple earlier this week sent out invites for its ‘Wonderlust’ event that will take place on September 12th. This is where Apple will most likely launch the new iPhone 15 series. The launch invite has the Apple logo in blue and gray colours hinting at the new colour options for the iPhone 15 series. We’re expecting at least four new iPhones including the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Google Pixel 8 series launch date

Google also decided to reveal the launch date for its Pixel phones. The ‘Made by Google’ event is scheduled to take place on October 4th where the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are expected to debut. Google is also expected to launch the Pixel Watch 2 at this event. The launch announcement came shortly after Google ‘accidentally’ revealed the Pixel 8 Pro on its website.

Jio AirFiber launch date in India announced

Reliance launched the Jio AirFiber 5G device at last year’s AGM. It however, did not reveal the availability or price details of the AirFiber. It has finally revealed that the Jio AirFiber will be available to purchase on September 19th. But it still hasn’t disclosed the price yet. Jio AirFiber is a 5G hotspot device that can give fiber-like broadband speeds. It’s portable so you can simply plug it in and get internet connectivity. 

WhatsApp HD quality videos

After launching HD photos, WhatsApp also rolled out the ability to send HD videos on the app. You can now select the HD option to increase the video quality on WhatsApp. If you choose HD, the video resolution will be 720p. By default the video quality will be SD, which is 480p. This doesn’t give you the original quality but it’s going to be close, and much better than SD.

iQOO Z7 Pro India launch, Realme GT 5 in China and more

As mentioned above, there were a total of seven smartphone launches this week. The week started with Vivo V29e launching in India on August 28th, and the Realme GT 5 in China. The next day, on August 29th, OPPO launched its foldable phone, the Find N3 Flip in China. The following day, iQOO Z7 Pro launched in India, while the iQOO Z8 and Z8x debuted in China. Infinix Zero 30 5G also made its global debut yesterday, and the Moto G84 5G launched in India.