United News of Bangladesh

Imagine a world with no Firefox. That could be our future — and not because people stopped using it, but because of a major legal battle in the US. Mozilla, the non-profit behind Firefox, just dropped a bombshell: If Google is forced to break up its business, Firefox might not survive. Why? Because Google pays Mozilla to be the default search engine on Firefox — and that deal covers 85% of Mozilla’s revenue! “If we lose that funding, we’d have to make massive cuts,” said Mozilla’s CFO Eric Muhlheim. That means fewer engineers, slower updates, and possibly the end of Firefox as we know it. And it's not just about the browser — Mozilla’s open-source and climate tech projects would also take a hit. This comes as the US government tries to rein in Google’s dominance, possibly by forcing it to sell off its Chrome browser. But Mozilla warns: “You might break one monopoly, but you’ll kill the competition with it.” Apple, Firefox tools aim to thwart Facebook, Google tracking Here’s the twist: Firefox runs on its own browser engine called Gecko — the only one not controlled by a tech giant. If it disappears, the entire internet becomes even more dependent on Google and Apple. Judge Amit Mehta asked if a world with more strong search engines would help. Mozilla’s answer? Absolutely. But until that world exists, losing the Google deal could be fatal. No Google. No Firefox. No real choice online. Be aware. Big tech changes can have unexpected consequences. #SaveFirefox #TechNews #GoogleTrial #Mozilla #Firefox #OpenWeb #BigTech #Antitrust #InternetFreedom Would you like a shorter version for Instagram or a carousel format? Source: With inputs from India Today

Rockstar Games has officially announced that the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI will be released on May 26, next year. The release date marks a delay from earlier expectations, with the developer citing the need for additional time to ensure the game meets the high standards fans have come to expect from the franchise, according to Rockstar. "We are very sorry that this is later than you expected," Rockstar said in a statement released Friday. "The interest and excitement surrounding a new Grand Theft Auto has been truly humbling for our entire team." The company emphasised its commitment to quality, stating that the extra development time is necessary to deliver an experience that lives up to players’ expectations. Microsoft increases Xbox prices globally amid tariff-driven industry uncertainty "With every game we have released, the goal has always been to try and exceed your expectations, and Grand Theft Auto VI is no exception," the statement added. Rockstar thanked fans for their continued patience and support, promising to share more updates in the near future. Started in 1997, the Grand Theft Auto series almost immediately created a name for itself as a nihilistically provocative and crudely satirical pop-culture sensation, in which players took on the roles of urban criminals testing the frameworks of US society as they tried to rise up the ranks of a gangland underworld. Created by Rockstar, a games development studio based in Dundee, Scotland, the GTA games have always been a parody of US excess, with witty in-game jokes on everything from heart attack-inducing burgers to smart homes.

As trade tensions and tariff-related uncertainty continue to cloud the global economy, gamers worldwide are beginning to feel the impact through higher prices. Microsoft has increased the suggested retail prices for its Xbox consoles and accessories globally this week. In the U.S., the Xbox Series S now starts at $379.99—an $80 increase from its original $299.99 launch price in 2020. The more advanced Xbox Series X will now retail for $599.99, up $100 from its previous cost. “We recognize these changes may be difficult,” Microsoft said in a support update and a statement to the Associated Press. While the company didn’t directly cite tariffs, it attributed the increases to broader "market conditions and rising development costs." The price hikes are not limited to the U.S. — Europe, the U.K., and Australia will also see revised pricing, with additional regions to follow. Accessories such as wireless controllers and headsets are also affected, including in the U.S. and Canada. Microsoft also signaled that prices for some of its upcoming first-party games could rise to $79.99 by the holiday season. These adjustments come during a volatile period for the gaming industry, which has been rattled by new U.S. tariffs introduced by former President Donald Trump and retaliatory measures from countries like China. Economists warn these tariffs will drive up prices on a wide range of goods that depend on international supply chains, including electronics. Microsoft isn't alone. Sony recently raised PlayStation 5 prices in parts of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, citing economic pressures such as inflation and volatile exchange rates. Nintendo also delayed preorders for its upcoming Switch 2 console in April to assess the potential impact of tariffs. While the base price of $449.99 remains unchanged, the new console is significantly more expensive than the original $299 model, a hike experts partly attribute to rising import duties. Although many tech firms have already reported cautious forecasts due to tariff uncertainty, the full impact on their financial results may take time to surface. Microsoft’s price hike followed a strong quarterly earnings report: the company earned $70.07 billion in revenue and $25.8 billion in net income for the January–March period. Its personal computing division, which includes Xbox, saw a 6% revenue increase—prior to the enforcement of the latest tariffs.

May 2025 is coming to stretch out a long list of smartphones. From budget-friendly to high-end, minimal to gallant, a diverse collection of smartphones will blow the minds of smartphone users. Let’s find out the top smartphones coming from reputed brands in this May.  Top 10 Most Hyped Smartphones Releasing in May 2025 . Motorola Edge 60 Pro The Motorola Edge 60 Pro was launched on April 24, 2025, in only a few selected regions worldwide. The phone will be available in the rest of the world in May. Dimensionally the phone is 6.33 inches by 2.88 inches by 0.32 inches with a weight of 186g. For display, it uses a 6.7-inch P-OLED screen that responds to touch at 120 Hz and brightens at up to 4500 nits. The phone runs on a 4nm Mediatek Dimensity 8350 Extreme chipset, accompanied by a Mali G615-MC6. The primary camera module is a triple camera set that comprises a 50MP wide, a 50MP ultrawide, and a 10MP telephoto shooter, while the front camera is a 50MP wide lens. For battery, the phone uses a 6000mAh Si/C cell with a 90W wired and a 15W wireless charging capacity. Read more: vivo V50 Lite Review: Does it offer value-for-money Samsung Galaxy S25 The Samsung Galaxy S25 is rumoured to be launched in May. Dimensionally, the phone measures 6.26 inches by 2.99 inches by 0.23 inches and weighs 163g. It features a 6.66-inch OLED display that refreshes at 120Hz and supports HDR10+, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2. Powering the device is the 3nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, paired with an Adreno 830 GPU. The rear camera system is a dual setup, comprising a 200MP wide shooter and a 12MP ultrawide lens, while the front houses a 10MP wide camera for selfies. The phone records video at up to 8K and 30 fps and supports 4K at various frame rates. For battery, the Galaxy S25 is equipped with a 3900mAh cell supporting 25W wired charging. vivo X200 Ultra The vivo X200 Ultra is expected to be released on April 29, 2025. Dimensionally, the phone measures 6.42 inches by 3.02 inches by 0.34 inches and weighs either 229g or 232g, depending on the variant. It features a 6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED display that refreshes at 120Hz, supports Dolby Vision and HDR Vivid, and reaches a peak brightness of 4500 nits. The screen is protected by an Armour Glass. Read more: Tecno Camon 40 Pro Review: Is It Worth It? At its core, the phone runs on the 3nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, paired with the Adreno 830 GPU, and ships with Android 15 topped by OriginOS 5. The rear camera system is a triple setup that includes a 50MP wide sensor with gimbal OIS, a 200MP periscope telephoto lens, and a 50MP ultrawide shooter, with optional add-on zoom lens capabilities. The front camera is a 50MP wide lens with autofocus. For battery, the vivo X200 Ultra is powered by a 6000mAh Si/C Li-Ion cell, supporting 90W wired, 40W wireless, as well as reverse wired and wireless charging. Storage options include 256GB with 12GB RAM, 512GB with 16GB RAM, and 1TB with 16GB RAM, all based on UFS 4.1 technology. iQOO Neo10 Pro+ The iQOO Neo10 Pro+ is gearing up for launch in May. Dimensionally, the Neo10 Pro+ is expected to feature a 6.82-inch display with a 2K resolution, delivering a higher pixel density compared to its predecessor. The phone will be powered by the 3nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, an upgrade over the Dimensity 9400 used in the Pro model. Read more: Infinix Note 50 Pro Plus Review: Is it a value-for-money midrange smartphone? For cameras, the Neo10 Pro+ will come equipped with a 50MP primary rear sensor accompanied by an 8MP auxiliary lens, while the front camera will be a 16MP wide shooter. Unlike the Neo10 Pro’s dual 50MP setup, the Pro+ appears to adjust the ultrawide capabilities but boosts the overall display experience. Motorola Razr Series Motorola is set to launch the Razr lineup, featuring the Razr Ultra with a 7-inch AMOLED 165 Hz screen, Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, 16 GB RAM, AI Key, and 68W charging. The Razr+ upgrades pack a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 and keep dual 50 MP cameras. The base Razr uses a Dimensity 7400X with a 50 MP primary camera. All Razr models improve hinge strength, offer colourful designs, and support AI features. Motorola will start pre-orders for the series on May 7, while their shipping will begin on May 15. Samsung Galaxy F56 The Samsung Galaxy F56, which is allegedly a rebranded Galaxy M56, is rumoured to launch in May. From design to functionalities, the phone may resemble the M56. In that case, it will measure 6.38 inches by 3.04 inches by 0.28 inches in dimensions. For the display, it will have a 6.74-inch AMOLED+ panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1080 x 2340 pixel resolution. Read more: vivo iQoo Neo 10R Review: What’s new? The phone will run on a 4nm Exynos 1480 processor and Android 15 operating system. In the camera module on the back, there is a 50MP wide, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 2MP macro lens, and on the front, in a punch hole, is a 12MP selfie camera. To supply power while running, a 5000 mAh battery comes with a fast 45W charging system. OnePlus Nord CE5 The next addition to the OnePlus Nord series, the OnePlus Nord CE5, is rumoured to hit the market in May. Probably a lower midrange phone, the Nord CE5 will have a 6.7-inch fluid AMOLED display, with a capacity for HDR10+ video format, a 120Hz refresh rate, and 1080 x 2412 pixels resolution. The central processing will be done by a 4nm Mediatek Dimensity 8350 chipset, and for the graphical processing, the phone will use a Mali G615-MC6. The primary camera setup will combine a 50MP wide and an 8MP ultrawide lens, while the front camera will be a 16MP lens. Motorola Edge 60 Pro The Motorola Edge 60 Pro, announced in April 2025, is set to hit the market soon. A high-end midrange phone, the Edge 60 Pro will feature a 6.7-inch P-OLED display with support for HDR10+, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a 1220 x 2712 pixel resolution. It will be powered by the 4nm Mediatek Dimensity 8350 Extreme chipset, while a Mali G615-MC6 GPU will handle the graphics. Read more: Best 10 Smartphones Releasing in April 2025 On the back, the phone will offer a triple camera setup combining a 50MP wide lens, a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP ultrawide lens. For selfies, the Edge 60 Pro will include a 50MP front-facing camera. CMF Phone 2 Pro The Nothing CMF Phone 2 Pro, announced in April 2025, is expected to launch in mid-May. Positioned as a stylish midrange option, the CMF Phone 2 Pro will feature a 6.77-inch AMOLED display with 1 billion colours, HDR10+ support, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a resolution of 1080 x 2392 pixels. Powering the device will be the 4nm Mediatek Dimensity 7300 Pro chipset, with graphics processing handled by the Mali-G615 MC2 GPU. The rear camera system will combine a 50MP wide lens, a 50MP telephoto lens offering 2x optical zoom, and an 8MP ultrawide lens. The front camera will house a 16MP wide lens for selfies and video calls. Read more: itel Power 70 Review: Another budget-friendly gem OnePlus 13T The OnePlus 13T is expected to launch soon, bringing a compact yet powerful flagship experience. Measuring 5.94 inches by 2.82 inches by 0.32 inches and weighing 185g, the phone features a 6.32-inch LTPO AMOLED display with 1 billion colours, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and a 120Hz refresh rate. It peaks at 1600 nits brightness and is protected by Crystal Shield Glass. At its core, the OnePlus 13T runs on the 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset with an Adreno 830 GPU. The rear camera setup includes a 50MP wide and a 50MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom, while the front houses a 16MP wide camera. Conclusion May 2025 is shaping up to be an exciting month for smartphone enthusiasts. From the powerful Motorola Edge 60 Pro and the stylish CMF Phone 2 Pro to the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S25 and vivo X200 Ultra, users will find a variety of options across different budget ranges and preferences. Whether it's cutting-edge camera technology, impressive processing power, or bold new designs, these most hyped smartphones promise to push the boundaries of mobile performance. If you're planning an upgrade, May 2025 might just offer the perfect device for your next big move. Read more: Samsung Galaxy A36 5G Review: A Mid-range marvel with standard features

European Union privacy watchdogs fined TikTok 530 million euros ($600 million) on Friday after a four-year investigation found that the video sharing app's data transfers to China breached strict data privacy rules in the EU. Ireland's Data Protection Commission also sanctioned TikTok for not being transparent with users about where their personal data was being sent and it ordered the company to comply with the rules within six months, AP reports. The Irish national watchdog serves as TikTok's lead data privacy regulator in the 27-nation EU because the company's European headquarters is based in Dublin. “TikTok failed to verify, guarantee and demonstrate that the personal data of (European) users, remotely accessed by staff in China, was afforded a level of protection essentially equivalent to that guaranteed within the EU,” Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle said in a statement. TikTok said it disagreed with the decision and plans to appeal. The company said in a blog post that the decision focuses on a “select period” ending in May 2023, before it embarked on a data localization project called Project Clover that involved building three data centres in Europe. Microsoft and Meta Platforms lead Wall Street higher “The facts are that Project Clover has some of the most stringent data protections anywhere in the industry, including unprecedented independent oversight by NCC Group, a leading European cybersecurity firm," said Christine Grahn, TikTok's European head of public policy and government relations. “The decision fails to fully consider these considerable data security measures.” TikTok, whose parent company ByteDance is based in China, has been under scrutiny in Europe over how it handles personal information of its users amid concerns from Western officials that it poses a security risk over user data sent to China. In 2023, the Irish watchdog also fined the company hundreds of millions of euros in a separate child privacy investigation. The Irish watchdog said its investigation found that TikTok failed to address “potential access by Chinese authorities” to European users' personal data under Chinese laws on anti-terrorism, counter-espionage, cybersecurity and national intelligence that were identified as "materially diverging" from EU standards. Grahn said TikTok has “has never received a request for European user data from the Chinese authorities, and has never provided European user data to them.” Under the EU rules, known as the General Data Protection Regulation, European user data can only be transferred outside of the bloc if there are safeguards in place to ensure the same level of protection.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said Thursday that the majority of iPhones sold in the U.S. in the current fiscal quarter will be sourced from India, while iPads and other devices will come from Vietnam as the company works to avoid the impact of President Trump's tariffs on its business. Apple's earnings for the first three months of the year topped Wall Street's expectations thanks to high demand for its iPhones, and the company said tariffs had a limited effect on the fiscal second quarter's results. Cook added that for the current quarter, assuming things don't change, Apple expects to see $900 million added to its costs as a result of the tariffs, but Cook said the company remains “confident” in this business. The Cupertino, California-based company earned $24.78 billion, or $1.65 per share, in the first three months of the year, up 4.8% from $23.64 billion, or $1.53 per share, in the same period a year earlier. Revenue rose 5.1% to $95.36 billion from $90.75 billion. Analysts, on average, were expecting earnings of $1.62 per share on revenue of $94.19 billion, according to a poll by FactSet. The numbers for the January-March period provide a snapshot of how Apple was faring before President Trump's unveiling of sweeping tariffs in April that rattled the financial markets amid fears a trade war would reignite inflation and shove the U.S. economy into a recession. “While it is likely that some of the sales growth was driven by consumers accelerating purchases ahead of expected tariff increases, margins remained healthy on the other side of the balance sheet,” said Thomas Monteiro, an analyst at Investing.com. He added that the company “still has room for maneuver” regardless of the economic backdrop and will “likely not need to significantly deplete cash reserves to keep moving the needle.” Court sides with Fortnite maker Epic as Apple sanctioned for defying order in App Store case Apple’s reliance on Chinese factories to make its iPhones and other devices thrust the technology trendsetter into the crosshairs of Trump’s trade war. The exposure caused Apple’s stock price to plunge 23% shortly after the president announced the severity of the reciprocal tariffs, temporarily erasing $773 billion in shareholder wealth in the process. Most of those losses have since been recovered after Trump temporarily exempted iPhones and other electronics from the reciprocal tariffs, but Apple’s stock remains down by nearly 5% since the April fusillade of tariffs. Besides the trade war, Apple has been hurt by its inability to live up to its own hype surrounding artificial intelligence features on the iPhone 16 lineup that came out last fall. The technology wasn’t ready when the iPhone 16 went on sale. Some AI features have rolled out in parts of the world as part of software updates, but Apple still hasn’t been able to live up to its original promise to make Siri smarter and more versatile. The missteps prompted Apple to pull advertising campaigns promoting AI breakthroughs on the iPhone, although the company still intends to release more features powered by the technology at some point. Apple had been counting on its late entry into the AI craze to revive demand for the iPhone after last year’s sales dipped 2% from 2023’s levels. Apple said Wednesday that its phone sales climbed 1.9% to $46.84 billion for the first three months of the year. Wall Street had expected iPhone sales of $45.62 billion. But the company continues to see its China business decline, with revenue from the Greater China region down 2.3% to $16 billion for the quarter. Other regions, including the Americas, Europe and the rest of Asia, saw sales increases. When Trump initially indicated his 145% tariffs on Chinese-made goods would apply to the iPhone, U.S. consumers rushed to stores to buy new devices rather than risk prices spiking higher after the duties began driving up costs. But the flurry of panic buying won't show up until Apple reports its results for the April-June quarter this summer. EU fines Apple 500 million euros, Meta 200 million in digital cases Trump's trade war has ramped up the pressure on Cook to work the same diplomatic sleight of hand that enabled the iPhone to avoid being stung by the China tariffs that the president imposed during his first administration. Cook signaled his intention remain on good terms with Trump by arranging private meetings with him and personally donating $1 million to the president's second inauguration ceremony before sitting on the dais when Trump was sworn into office on January 20. Apple subsequently announced plans to invest $500 billion in the U.S. while hiring 20,000 workers during the next four years. Trump's trade war also is prompting a push to Apple to shift all the production of the iPhones that it sells in the U.S. from China to India, where the company has been building up its supply chain for the past seven years, according to a recent story in the Financial Times. But the complicated logistics of making such a huge move likely couldn't be completed until next year, at the earliest, leaving Apple vulnerable to the vagaries of Trump's trade war. Apple's stock fell $5.81, or 2.7%, to $207.51 in after-hours trading.

Microsoft and Meta Platforms are driving Wall Street higher on Thursday after profits for the Big Tech companies at the start of the year turned out to be even bigger than analysts expected. The S&P 500 was up 1% and heading for an eighth straight gain, which would be its longest winning streak since August, AP reports. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 248 points, or 0.6%, as of 10:20 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 1.8% higher. Microsoft jumped 9% after the software giant said strength in its cloud computing and artificial intelligence businesses drove its overall revenue up 13% from a year earlier. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, also topped analysts’ targets for revenue and profit in the latest quarter. It said artificial intelligence tools helped boost its advertising revenue, and its stock climbed 5.3%. CVS Health, Carrier Global and a bevy of other companies also joined the stream of better-than-expected profit reports that have helped steady Wall Street over the last week. The S&P 500 is back to within 8.5% of its record set earlier this year, after briefly dropping nearly 20% below the mark. Court sides with Fortnite maker Epic as Apple sanctioned for defying order in App Store case Still, plenty of uncertainty remains about whether President Donald Trump’s trade war will force the economy into a recession. A couple mixed reports on the U.S. economy Thursday followed up on several recent updates that have suggested it's weaker than expected. One of Thursday's reports said more US workers filed for unemployment benefits last week than economists had forecast, setting the stage for a more comprehensive report on the job market arriving Friday. A separate update said US manufacturing activity was better last month than economists expected, though it still contracted again. And even though companies have been reporting better profits for the first three months of the year than analysts expected, many CEOs are remaining cautious about the rest of the year.

A federal judge has strongly rebuked Apple, finding that the iPhone maker willfully violated a court injunction in an antitrust case filed by Fortnite maker Epic Games. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers had ordered Apple to lower the barriers protecting its previously exclusive payment system for in-app digital transactions and allow developers to display links to alternative options. On Wednesday she found that Apple violated a 2021 injunction that, she wrote, sought to “restrain and prohibit the iPhone maker’s anticompetitive conduct” and pricing. “Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated,” Gonzalez Rogers said in the ruling, which held Apple in contempt. She ordered that Apple “no longer impede developers’ ability to communicate with users nor will they levy or impose a new commission on off-app purchases.” Epic CEO and founder Tim Sweeney said on X the company will return Fortnite to Apple's U.S. App Store next week. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Meta launches AI app, Zuckerberg chats with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella at developer conference Epic first filed an antitrust lawsuit in 2020 alleging that Apple had built an illegal monopoly around its popular App Store that makes billions of dollars annually from a then-exclusive payment system collecting commissions ranging from 15% to 30% on in-app commerce. Although Gonzalez Rogers had rejected the monopoly claims, she ordered Apple to lower the barriers protecting its previously exclusive payment system for in-app digital transactions and allow developers to display links to alternative options. The Supreme Court rejected Apple's appeal in the case in January 2024. “In stark contrast to Apple’s initial in-court testimony, contemporaneous business documents reveal that Apple knew exactly what it was doing and at every turn chose the most anticompetitive option,” the judge wrote Wednesday. She accused the company's Alex Roman, vice-president for finance, of “outright” lying under oath. “Internally, (longtime Apple executive) Phillip Schiller had advocated that Apple comply with the injunction, but (CEO) Tim Cook ignored Schiller and instead allowed Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri and his finance team to convince him otherwise. Cook chose poorly,” Gonzalez Rogers wrote. Amazon launches its first internet satellites to compete against SpaceX's Starlinks The judge referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California to investigate whether criminal contempt proceedings are appropriate.

The Chinese smartphone company vivo has unveiled the vivo V50 Lite in Bangladesh. The phone officially became available for sale on April 24, 2025, in Bangladesh. Offering a few robust features at a budget-friendly to lower midrange price, the phone has created hype among smartphone lovers. Here is a detailed review that highlights the key features, competitive value, pros, cons, and pricing of the vivo V50 Lite.  Key Features of vivo V50 Lite In its price segment, the vivo V50 Lite confronts several phones like the Xiaomi Poco X7, vivo iQOO Z10, and TECNO CAMON 40 Pro. Let’s find out how the V50 Lite plays out among its competitors. Design The vivo V50 Lite looks sleek and stylish and has a height of 6.45 inches, a width of 3 inches, and a depth of 0.31 inches. Its mainframe is plastic-made with a glossy finish around the edges and a frosted texture on the back panel. Users expecting a metal body may feel disheartened, but it’s common for most brands to use a plastic body for their mid-range models. Devices like the TECNO CAMON 40, Xiaomi Poco X7, and vivo iQOO Z10 serve as clear examples of this industry trend. Weighing 197g, the vivo V50 Lite appears a bit heavier than the Tecno Camon 40 Pro (179g) and the Xiaomi POCO X7 (up to 190g).  Read more: Tecno Camon 40 Pro Review: Is It Worth It? The linear camera panel, placed in the rear panel’s top left corner, resembles an exclamation mark. The panel is made of three vertically placed cutouts allotted for a primary camera, a depth sensor, and a flashlight. On the front, the display has a punch-hole camera cutout on its top and an in-display fingerprint sensor on the bottom area. The flat display spreads across the front, leaving little room for the bezels and chin. Around the sides of the vivo V50 Lite, keeping a symmetrical balance in their positions, sit a microphone, active noise cancellation systems, volume rockers, and a SIM tray. Marking the second disappointment, the phone doesn’t offer an audio jack. For a phone coming at a budget-friendly to lower midrange price, the vivo V50 Lite has nothing unusual about its design. Its camera panel caters to users who love a vertically placed camera module, while phones like the vivo iQOO Z10 and Xiaomi Poco X7 offer circular panels. The V50 Lite provides IP65 dust and water resistance and is compliant with MIL-STD-810H. That means it can survive mild water jets and occasional hand drops.  Read more: Infinix Note 50 Pro Plus Review: Is it a value-for-money midrange smartphone? Display The phone’s display is a 6.77-inch AMOLED screen with a Full HD+ resolution. Featuring a 120Hz refresh rate and a brightness range of 1300 nits to 1800 nits, the display responds fast to the touch and remains visible in direct sunlight. With a 1080 x 2392 pixel distribution and 388 ppi density, it can render vivid and colour-accurate graphics. Among vivo V50’s competitors, none offer a better display, but the vivo iQOO Z10 has the highest brightness level of 5000 nits, the Xiaomi Poco X7 stands out with the highest resolution of 1220 x 2712 pixels, and the Tecno Camon 40 Pro responds the fastest at a 144Hz refresh rate. Cameras The vivo V50 Lite’s photography features consist of two rear cameras and one front camera, keeping it simple yet not insufficient. The vertical rear camera module houses a 50MP (f/1.8) wide lens and a 2MP (f/2.2) depth sensor. It lacks an ultrawide lens, most expected at this budget, damaging the phone’s overall customer acceptance. The front camera is a 32MP (f/2.5) wide lens. Read more: vivo iQoo Neo 10R Review: What’s new? All the cameras work fine at capturing photos, regardless of the time of day. All the rivals at its price, including the vivo iQOO Z10, Xiaomi Poco X7, and the Tecno Camon 40 Pro, come with 50MP primary lenses, which makes the V50 Lite’s camera performance on par with the mass expectations. However, the Xiaomi Poco X7 and Tecno Camon 40 Pro outplay the V50 Lite by offering 8MP ultrawide lenses. vivo V50 Lite has no 4K video recording capacity, which is offered by similarly priced rivals like the vivo IQOO Z10, Tecno Camon 40 Pro, and POCO X7. Hardware, Software and Performance The vivo V50 Lite runs on Funtouch OS 15, based on Android 15, offering a smooth and intuitive experience with updated animations, improved privacy controls, and lightweight UI enhancements. Under the hood, it’s equipped with the Snapdragon 685 chipset fabricated on a 6 nm node. The octa-core processor is configured as 4 × 2.8 GHz and 4 × 1.9 GHz, providing consistent performance for everyday use, though it’s not built for heavy-duty tasks or intensive gaming. Read more: Best 10 Smartphones Releasing in April 2025 The phone pairs 8 GB of RAM with 256 GB of UFS 2.2 storage. Extended RAM supports memory expansion up to 8 GB, though storage expansion is not supported. Among rivals, the vivo iQOO Z10 leads in raw performance with its Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, offering faster CPU cores and the Adreno 710 GPU. The Xiaomi Poco X7 and Tecno Camon 40 Pro also push ahead with more powerful chipsets—the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Ultra and Dimensity 7300, respectively, both featuring Cortex-A78 cores and Mali-G615 MC2 GPUs for better gaming and multitasking performance. The iQOO Z10 also provides more configuration options, scaling up to 12 GB of RAM for users needing extra power. Battery and Charger The vivo V50 Lite comes equipped with a 6500 mAh silicon-carbon Li-ion battery, offering extended endurance for all-day use and beyond. It supports 90W wired charging, capable of reaching 50% in just 23 minutes and a full charge in 52 minutes. The device also features 6W reverse-wired charging, allowing it to power up other gadgets in a pinch. Read more: itel Power 70 Review: Another budget-friendly gem Among competitors, the vivo iQOO Z10 leads in capacity with a massive 7300 mAh battery and matches the V50 Lite’s 90W wired charging, though without officially stated charge times. The Tecno Camon 40 Pro offers a smaller 5200 mAh capacity. Meanwhile, the Xiaomi Poco X7, with a 5110 mAh battery, lags behind with 45W charging. Pros and Cons of vivo V50 Lite Pros - 120Hz AMOLED display- Android 15 with Funtouch 15- 6500 mAh battery, 90W charging- Under-display fingerprint scanner- IP65 and MIL-STD-810H compliant- Stereo speakers Read more: realme P3 5G Review: Is it a value-for-money smartphone Cons - No optical zoom- No wireless charging- No microSDXC slot- No 4K video recording- No 512GB or 1 TB internal storage options- No Gyro-EIS- No Gorilla Glass- No audio jack Read more: ZTE Nubia Red Magic 10 Pro Golden Saga Special Edition Review Price of vivo V50 Lite in Bangladesh The Vivo V50 Lite is available in two variants. The one with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage options is priced at BDT 29,999, while the other with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage options is priced at BDT 32,999. Conclusion The vivo V50 Lite stands out with its vibrant 120Hz AMOLED display, massive 6500 mAh battery with 90W fast charging, and clean Android 15 experience. Though it lacks features like ultrawide cameras, 4K video recording capacity, 512 GB and 1 TB storage options, and wireless charging, its performance, design, and endurance make it a compelling choice for everyday use within 30000 to 32000 TK price ranges. Read more: Samsung Galaxy A36 5G Review: A Mid-range marvel with standard features

Working to differentiate itself in the crowded field of artificial intelligence, Meta Platforms has launched a standalone AI app — with a social media component — to compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT. The Meta AI app, built with the company’s Llama 4 AI system. It includes a “discover” feed that lets users see how others are interacting with AI. It also has a voice mode for interacting with the AI. “It’s smart for Meta to differentiate its ChatGPT competitor by drawing from the company’s social media roots. The app’s Discover feed is like a version of the OG Facebook Feed but only focused on AI use cases," said Forrester research director Mike Proulx. By letting users link their Facebook and Instagram accounts, the Meta AI app “gets a leg up on instantly personalizing its user experience with social media context.” Meta has taken a different approach to AI than many of its rivals, releasing it for free as an open-source product. The company says more than a billion people use its AI products each month. At the Menlo Park, California-based tech giant's inaugural conference, LlamaCon, on Tuesday Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg chatted with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in a technical discussion around the speed of AI development and how the technology is shifting both their companies — where AI is already writing code — as well as the world. EU fines Apple 500 million euros, Meta 200 million in digital cases Acknowledging there is a lot of "hype” around AI, Zuckerberg said “if this is going to lead to massive increases in productivity, that needs to be reflected in major increases in GDP.” “This is going take some multiple years, many years, to play out,” Zuckerberg said. “I’m curious how you think, what’s your current outlook on what we should be looking for to understand the progress that this is making?” Nadella brought up the advent of electricity, saying that “AI has the promise, but you now have to sort of really have it deliver the real change in productivity — and that requires software and also management change, right? Because in some sense, people have to work with it differently.” He said it took 50 years before people figured out to change how factories operated with electricity. Zuckerberg replied “well we’re all investing as if it’s not going to take 50 years, so I hope it doesn’t take 50 years.” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wraps up testimony in antitrust case