Top tech news this week: WhatsApp chat lock, Realme 11 Pro India launch, BGMI comeback and more

This week in tech has been quite busy with lots of information on smartphones along with updates on the most popular apps. It started with WhatsApp releasing a feature that turned out to be one highly requested by users everywhere. Realme also finally confirmed the India launch of one of its most anticipated smarthone series, the Realme 11.

This week was also a big one for exclusives starting with the first proper look at the Google Pixel 8 Pro‘s design and Realme’s new brand ambassador. Carl Pei also revealed a key detail of the Nothing Phone (2), and Krafton finally had some good news to share for BGMI fans. 

Before we wrap up the week, let’s take a detailed look at the top tech news of the week. 

Now, lock your WhatsApp chats

As the name suggests, this feature lets you lock WhatsApp chats in a secure and private folder. This way you can keep certain chats hidden and lock it with your fingerprint or password. WhatsApp also doesn’t show the contents of the messages in notifications. WhatsApp has started rolling out locked chats to all users globally and it should be available soon. 

Realme 11 Pro India launch announced

After launching the Realme 11 series in China, the company is bringing it to India. Here, the Realme 11 Pro+ and Realme 11 Pro will launch and it will take place in June. The launch date hasn’t been revealed but it’s expected to happen soon since Realme has already confirmed the smartphone’s Flipkart availability. Realme 11 Pro+ is the top-end model in the series and it comes with a 200MP primary camera. There’s no mention of the Realme 11 so only the Pro variants are expected to launch here. 

Google Pixel 8 Pro video leaked, thermometer spotted

We finally got a proper look at the Pixel 8 Pro’s design but the result wasn’t as satisfying. The Pixel 8 Pro carries the same design as last year’s Pixel 7 Pro with minor differences. One is the triple rear cameras now clubbed together in the pill-shaped module. What we also learned is that the Pixel 8 Pro will double as a thermometer to measure your body’s temperature. This is possible through a dedicated infrared thermometer sensor on the Pixel 8 Pro’s rear panel. 

BGMI is coming back to India

BGMI fans can finally rejoice as the game is finally confirmed to return in India. Krafton released an official statement saying that BGMI will be available to download in India soon. There’s also a teaser image from BGMI’s Instagram page hinting that it will launch very soon. BGMI was banned last year due to security reasons but it has finally received approval for a comeback. This will however be a temporary lift on the ban for three months during which Krafton will have to make sure there are no issues with BGMI. 

Nothing Phone (2) chipset confirmed by Carl Pei

Nothing has also been dropping bombs as a refresh in its smartphone lineup is due soon. After confirming that the Nothing Phone (2) is launching this summer, CEO Carl Pei revealed another key detail. Pei took to Twitter to announce the Phone (2) will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 SoC which is in line with past leaks and rumours. Pei also dropped some hints on the pricing by saying that the Nothing Phone (2) “remains accessible while delivering a significantly improved experience compared to Phone (1).” 

Realme’s new brand ambassador is SRK

According to an exclusive image that we got our hands on, Realme could have roped in Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan to become its new brand ambassador. The image shows what looks like the first ad shoot for Realme and we can see two chairs with Shah Rukh Khan and Realme’s names behind them. There’s no official announcement yet but it seems quite likely given the image.