Aamir Khollam, Author at Exhibit Tech

MWC Recap: Best of Mobile World Congress 2023

Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023 will go down in history as one of the busiest mobile conventions in several years. The pandemic surely took a toll on in-person events like CES and MWC in the past few years but 2023 saw a complete turnover. This year the MWC attracted over 88,500 attendees from 202 countries. GSMA Ltd’s CEO, John Hoffman revealed in an official statement that the support from partners, businesses, and policymakers exceeded their hopes and expectations. The vibrant display of mobile technology featured more than 2,400 exhibitors and over 1,00 speakers and thought leaders. With a saturation of almost every key player in the mobile industry, it was natural that the MWC brings about a slew of announcements and developments.

Be it Google, OnePlus or Motorola, MWC 2023 saw big brands making bigger splashes in the mobile arena. Granted, not all companies introduced new devices as they focused on the advancement of mobile technologies. However, these developments are worth looking out for tech enthusiasts out there. Here is Exhibit’s special recap of (almost) everything showcased at the MWC 2023 –

Xiaomi

Xiaomi brought its A-game during the MWC 2023 as it not just announced the global launch of the Xiaomi 13 smartphone series but also its Wireless AR Glass Discovery edition. Firstly, the company introduced the extensive lineup of the Xiaomi 13 smartphone series including Xiaomi 13, 13 Pro, and 13 Lite. Interestingly, only the Xiaomi 13 Pro has made its way to India at a price tag of Rs 79,999 and the rest of the lineup is yet to be announced in the country. The Xiaomi Wireless AR Glasses won’t be making it to the market anytime soon as they are a concept pair. They offer an immersive AR experience free of any wires and dongles. They feature two Micro OLED screens with a free-form light-guiding prism module that projects content in front of your eyes. The glasses are cool and futuristic, and we definitely cannot wait to see them in action.

OnePlus

OnePlus is currently basking in the glory of its recent OnePlus 11 series launch which is making waves around the world. OnePlus purists are happy at the company’s return to its roots offering flagship killer devices at competitive pricing. Adding ‘Cool’ to the fire, OnePlus introduced a new concept device which brings a closed-loop liquid cooling system to smartphones. OnePlus is calling this new cooling system ‘Active CryoFlux’ and claims the system can reduce the device temperature up to 2.1 degrees. The Active CryoFlux system is based on a ceramic piezoelectric micropump which circulates fluid through a series of tubes. The back cover of the concept phone is aesthetically pleasing as it allows users to see the tubing underneath which has been illuminated. OnePlus emphasized device cooling by introducing a 45W external liquid cooler which attaches to a smartphone and improves heat dissipation. The company claims that the external liquid cooler can reduce the phone temperature by 20 degrees. OnePlus has not announced whether it will be using the Active CryoFlux system in a production smartphone as not every concept makes it to the end consumer.

Google

Google was not expected to bring the heat with new hardware at MWC but it surely surprised everyone by announcing new Android features. Google introduced features page zoom on Chrome for Android and noise cancellation in Google Meet. Previously, if users were to pinch-to-zoom on Android, it would pinch the entire page. As of now, Chrome Beta users can pinch-to-zoom and only increase the size of the text, images, video, and more while still retaining the original page layout. Other features include freehand PDF annotations in Drive, faster pairing of earbuds on Chromebooks, Tap-to-pay animations in Wallet, new sounds and display mode for Wear OS and much more.

Motorola

Motorola had fans surprised as they unveiled their latest innovation at this year’s MWC. Motorola introduced the Moto Rizr at MWC which quickly became one of the most talked-about devices from the entire event. Moto Rizr is the world’s rollable smartphone featuring a 5-inch display that can be rolled up to a 6.5-inch display with just two taps. The device sticks to Moto’s staple pOLED display which expands vertically. The basic idea behind the device is to allow users to have a compact phone which can be extended when they need more screen space for content consumption, gaming and much more. Readers should note that the Moto Rizr will not be making its way to the market anytime soon as it is a prototype device.

TCL

Though TCL is not a big player in the Indian market, it holds a significant position on the global stage. At MWC 2023, TCL announced a bunch of budget devices exclusive to the US market and two new 11-inch tablets. The TCL 40 X brings capable specifications like Dimesnity 700, a 6.5-inch 90Hz LCD display and a 50MP primary camera at the price of $200. The company also introduced its cheapest 5G device with TCL 40 XE priced at just $170. All the new mobile devices introduced by TCL feature a waterdrop notch putting them in the budget category for the US market.

Tecno

Who would have thought that Tecno will take away all the attention from legacy players in the mobile arena? With its debut appearance at the MWC, Tecno debuted all guns blazing showcasing two new smartphones including the company’s first foldable smartphone, the Phantom V. The Tecno foldable device is also the world’s first foldable device to feature a left-right foldable design boasting the powerful MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ chipset. The smartphone also sports a 5-lens camera system featuring a 50-MP primary sensor coupled with two lenses at the back and the front. It also introduced the MegaBook S1 laptop with 13th Gen Intel Core processors. Additionally, Tecno left no tables unturned unveiling TWS earbuds, a Wi-Fi security camera, and a Wi-Fi router at MWC.

OPPO

While the Find N2 Flip was OPPO’s premiere device to showcase at the MWC, it also unveiled a number of IoT devices like a Wi-Fi 6 router, Zero-Power Tag, MariSilicon Y Bluetooth audio SoC, Air Glass 2, and much more. The Find N2 Flip marks OPPO’s first-generation flip device featuring a 3.26-inch cover screen. It features a Hasselblad camera branding similar to the OnePlus flagship devices. One of the key elements of the N2 Flip is that it folds flat when closed. This ensures that nothing gets in between the screen when the device is in your pocket. The device comes with a large battery capacity and charges at 44W. While foldable devices are clearly a niche amongst tech enthusiasts, having more options never harmed anyone.

Realme

Realme launched its latest flagship device, the Realme GT3 at the MWC 2023. The GT3 comes equipped with 240W charging prowess making it one of the fastest charging devices in the world. It offers the maximum charging power possible under USB-C standards as it is equipped with three maxed-out charging chipsets which work together in achieving 240W charging power. Realme claims that the device’s 4600mAh battery can be charged up fully in just 9 minutes and 30 seconds.

Honor

Honor may have fallen in trouble in China and US legislations but that did not stop the company from bringing in the heat at the MWC. Honor took the stage to announce the global launch of its premium lineup – Magic5 Pro and Magic5. Both devices are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC and support 66W wired charging. Honor also launched its first foldable device outside China titled – Magic.

Women Safety Apps in India – Living Fearless

We’re living in the digital era which means the human experience is now deeply connected with the digital world. Be it food or clothes, all things required are now just a few clicks away making our lives easier. On the other hand, there are a plethora of applications designed to help people from every walk of life be it kindergarten rhymes or senior citizen support. The digital landscape has undoubtedly changed how people lived their lives but a few grave concerns remain the same. One such concern is that of women’s safety.

If you’re an Indian reader then I do not need to reiterate the horrors women go through in our country. Robbery, domestic violence, assaults and rapes are over the news in India at a disturbing rate which begs us to ask the question of whether women are truly safe in the country. Celebrating International Women’s Day, we wanted to get our readers acquainted with these women’s safety applications in case of an unfortunate event. Check them out now –

112 India

Perhaps the most important application when it comes to women’s safety in the country is the 112 India app. It is an all-in-one women’s safety app that can be used to issue SOS alerts with only one single tap in any situation. The application is available on both Android and iOS devices in 23 states and Union Territories across India. Users need to simply register themselves using their phone number and add the necessary information. In addition, users may also be asked to enter an emergency contact number to notify that person in case of an emergency. The app’s functionality is pretty straightforward too as it automatically sends the user’s details like name, age, emergency contact, and location to nearby volunteers and generates an automated call to 112 which is the state emergency control room.

My Safetipin: Complete Safety

In today’s age, women and men function on an equal footing. This means, more and more women are now stepping out of the house to work and provide for their families. However, the unfair threat of safety looms over women which have been effectively addressed by the My Safetipin application. This app’s goal is to make cities safer by generating safety scores for places around the country by collecting massive data. The application sports features like GPS tracking, emergency contact numbers, direction to safe locations around cities, pins and alerts for unsafe areas and also provides the safest route options for women.

Sheroes

Sadly, social media is also not an entirely safe place for women. Receiving threats and unsolicited pictures is a common occurrence women face around the world. This is where Sheroes comes into the picture, it is a leading social media platform exclusively for women. At Sheroes, women can share their passions through posts and videos in a safe digital environment. Sheroes is not just limited to being a social media platform for women but also a helpline where women can chat anonymously and share their feelings. Community legal support and Mahila Kanoon support are also available at Sheroes.

bSafe

bSafe is a comprehensive safety app for women that boasts a wide range of features. It’s equipped with the bSafe alarm which broadcasts the exact location and an audio-video from the location for ease with your emergency contact. It also features the ‘Follow Me’ feature which allows users to virtually track GPS until their loved ones have arrived at the location. An interesting feature in the application is the fake call feature which helps people escape an unwanted situation by pretending they’re on a call with someone.

Chilla

Chilla is a unique application that serves the singular purpose of triggering an alert message. Women can be stuck in situations where they are unable to press the emergency button on their phone during an attack, in such cases, they can shout loudly and activate the SOS alert on their device.

Apple launches iPhone 14 and 14 Plus in new Yellow colour variant

It was back on September 16, 2022, when Apple introduced its iPhone 14 lineup. The release was yet another feather in Apple’s crown as the iPhone 14 series sold like hotcakes with 26.09 million units sold out in the first two months of its release. The iPhone 14 and 14 Plus were available in five colour variants at the time of launch namely midnight, starlight, (PRODUCT) RED, blue, and purple. Now, Apple has updated the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus with an all-new yellow colour variant.

iPhone 14 and 14 Plus new variant

This won’t be the first time Apple has introduced a new colour variant for its previously released iPhones. In 2022, Apple added a green variant for the iPhone 13 lineup, and purple a year before that for the iPhone 12. Readers should note that the changes are only limited to the colour and Apple has done no other specifications changes in the software or hardware experience. The new model features a bright yellow glass back panel which might remind users of the deep yellow of the iPhone XR. However, the aluminium frame of the new variant is similar to its body which is a departure from the iPhone XR design which featured a pale gold colour aluminium frame. However, unlike last year, the new colour variant will not be offered in Pro models and is strictly limited to the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus models as of now.

iPhone 14 and 14 Plus yellow variant availability and pricing

The iPhone 14 yellow variant is priced at Rs 79,990, and the 14 Plus is priced at Rs 89,990. This means the newer variants do not come at an additional cost and the prices remain unchanged. The yellow iPhone 14/14 plus is now available to buy on the official Apple store website. Check it out – HERE

OpenAI makes ChatGPT available for enterprise use

OpenAI’s chatbot ChatGPT has been making waves on the internet ever since it launched back in November 2022. The conversational AI has been the talk of the town gaining 100 million users in just two months since its release. What followed was a number of tech giants releasing ChatGPT-like services be it Microsoft’s revamped Bing search or Google’s Bard. Where other tech companies are struggling to implement AI properly in their systems, OpenAI is well ahead of the curve and will be making the ChatGPT tool available to companies to incorporate into their own apps.

ChatGPT for companies

OpenAI is swiftly moving into the next phase of the ChatGPT expansion offering paid access to businesses and developers who want to use the software’s ability to answer questions and generate texts in their own applications and products. Customer’s in near future will be able to hook their apps into ChatGPT’s programming interface. This will give them access to ChatGPT 3.5 model which OpenAI itself uses at a cost 10 times lower than the company’s existing model. Shopify, Snap, and Instacart are some of the companies that are already using ChatGPT API in their products.

While ChatGpt has undoubtedly become the best-known chatbot AI on the internet, the company needs to figure out how to accelerate its growth in revenue. Back in January 2023, OpenAI negotiated Microsoft Corp.’s investment in the company reportedly adding $10 billion. In February, OpenAI introduced a waitlist for companies and developers who want to use ChatGPT in their own applications and started selling a premium version to individuals.

Instamart, USA’s largest online grocery-delivery company will be implementing ChatGPT into its online application. Customers will be able to ask the app to suggest healthy options for kids and also provide recipes. However, one subjective concern with ChatGPT implementation for consumer apps will be its integration into customer services.

Nothing Phone (2) will be powered by Snapdragon 8 series SoC

The Mobile World Congress is underway in Barcelona right now with a number of new developments in the world of smartphones being announced left and right. It was OnePlus that unveiled its OnePlus 11 Concept device which made waves on the internet. TECNO also announced its entry into the foldable phone market with PHANTOM V Fold. While smartphone leaders around the world brought their A-game revealing hardware updates to their devices, Nothing went a different route and `used MWC as an avenue to meet with vendors and other big names in the industry.

Nothing Phone (2) with Snapdragon 8 series SoC

Nothing’s Carl Pei announced at the Mobile World Congress that the Nothing Phone (2) will sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 series processor. This will mark the company’s first device to feature the flagship-level SoC as the Nothing Phone (1) rocked the midrange Snapdragon 778+ chipset. During the same announcement, Nothing CEO Carl Pei also revealed that the company would be launching a new product next month. Given Nothing’s track record, we won’t be surprised if it’s a new TWS.

Along with a better chipset, the Nothing Phone (2) will be getting a proper release in the US this time around, something that was not done for its predecessor. Carl shared that the US market was the company’s top priority going forward. The Nothing Phone (2) should arrive sometime late in 2023. During his conversation at the MWC, the Nothing CEO also talked about the OnePlus 11 Concept phone mentioning the device’s illuminated cooling liquid. Carl Pei also acknowledged a small company named UniHertz that has developed a ‘carbon copy’ of the Nothing Phone (1) stating he is interested in checking that device out. However, when it comes to the upcoming Nothing Phone (2), I am convinced it won’t feature the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 as the company would have chosen to reveal that right away. I believe the company will go for the 8+ Gen 1 platform or lower to keep the prices competitive.

Sony Walkman NW-A306 Review: Nostalgia Bait?

It was back in 1979 when Sony introduced the portable audio player which revolutionized how we consume music with the Walkman. The first Walkman, TPS-L2, was a cassette tape player which quickly became a cultural phenomenon having sold millions of units since its inception. Over the years, the Walkman evolved and adapted to newer technologies like CDs, MP3 file formats and much more. The Walkman brand eventually expanded to include mobile phones and other portable devices, however, the peak 1980s OG and iconic Walkman series remains the golden standard. Cut to 2023, where smartphones and music streaming have pretty much become synonymous with one another, Sony has launched a new iteration of the Walkman which costs Rs 25, 990. This begs us to ask the question of whether this new Walkman is actually worth shelling out the price for or is it just nostalgia bait? Find out below –

Design and Features

The Sony Walkman NW-A306 is a high-quality digital audio player that brings back memories from an era bygone. It’s a compact and lightweight device featuring a 3.6-inch TFT display coupled with button controls on the side for ease of accessibility. While the Walkman is thicker than an average smartphone, it weighs lighter at just 113 grams. It has an eye catchy design that demands attention with its rippled wave design that covers the back of the device. The port selection consists of a 3.5mm Single-Enabled headphone output, coupled with a USB Type-C and an SD Card slot. The onboard storage is limited to 32GB with just 18GB out of it available for users to store offline music and load apps. It runs on Android 12 with connectivity options such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0.

The Walkman supports playback of Hi-Res audio files up to 24-bit/192kHz which translates to the user enjoying their music with the utmost clarity and detail. The device also comes equipped with Sony’s proprietary Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE Ultimate) technology which is capable of upscaling compressed audio files to enhance their sound quality. As it runs on Android 12, all your favourite streaming apps can be downloaded on the NW-A306 and used seamlessly. Overall, Sony has built a compact and complete package for the audio geek.

Performance

At the first glance, the Sony Walkman NW-A306 comes off as an unnecessary device meant only for the truly indulgent among us. However, once you get to use the device and compare its audio quality to the standard smartphones we use to stream music nowadays is when you’ll realize its actual prowess. The device is designed to play/stream music and it does so flawlessly. Its audio output is incomparable when it comes to smartphones as they don’t flaunt the hardware features present in the Walkman. It features wireless HI-Res Audio with Sony’s premium wireless codec titled LDAC. On paper, LDAC technology allows 3X the bitrate of standard Bluetooth and provides a better listening experience. During my testing of the device, the experience through Bluetooth headsets and wired earphones was both unmatchable to any other device. However, the crispest audio quality from the Walkman can be achieved through FLAC files in the offline mode. I listened to the entirety of Adele’s studio album ‘30’ on the FLAC file format and it felt like she was singing right in front of me (no exaggeration) Standard 128Kbps and 320Kbps sound formats can be upscaled using the DSEE Ultimate feature present and the difference in sound quality after turning it on was always notable. Other features in the audio tuning section include Vinyl Processor, ClearAudio+, and DC Phase Linearizer along with a standard Equalizer. It comes with an auto power-off feature which always came in handy to preserve battery during a trek. The sound output here can be dialled up to 120 and no sound distortion or noise was witnessed at higher volumes. To sum it all up, the Sony Walkman NW-A306 is truly a treat for the audiophile. While some eyebrows are sure to rise when it comes to the NW-A306’s pricing, it is definitely justified for the premium performance you get for it.

Verdict

The Sony Walkman NW-A306 builds upon the legacy of the Walkman brand with flying colours. It rewrites the boundaries of personal audio consumption by offering high-quality premium sound features in a compact package.

Rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐

OnePlus unveils OnePlus 11 concept phone at MWC

OnePlus has been in an interesting spot lately with the launch of its OnePlus 11 series. The company seems to be getting its footing back after at least two turbulent years. The launch of the OnePlus 11 and 11R saw the return of the company to its original form offering flagship devices at competitive pricing. Sure, the launch of the OnePlus 11R pits the company against its very own flagship OnePlus 11 but that is something tech enthusiasts are not complaining about. besides, having a tablet and a foldable mobile device under its kitty for a near future launch, the brand is surely gearing up to make a full comeback in its best form. Building upon the momentum, OnePlus today unveiled its OnePlus 11 Concept device at MWC Barcelona.

OnePlus 11 Concept device

This won’t be the first time OnePlus dived into the concept phones arena as it previously developed the ‘OnePlus Concept One’ device which featured a disappearing camera. With the introduction of the OnePlus 11 Concept, the company aims to redefine industry standards when it comes to device cooling. The company has introduced a new cooling system titled – Active CryoFlux and the entire emphasis seems to be on this technology this time around. In simple terms, the Active CryoFlux technology brings PC-like liquid cooling to mobile devices, which is ‘cool’ to say the least. OnePlus has managed to fit two micropumps around the device’s camera region which suck the heat generated from its chipset. The heat is then dissipated via icy-cold liquid flowing through visible pipelines at the back of the device.

Picture Credit: Phone Arena

The company claims this new cooling tech allows the device to game efficiently with temperatures decreasing up to 2.1 degrees Celcius allowing the frame rate to increase by 3-4 FPS. On the other hand, the cooling tech has also been integrated during device charging where the temperature of the device is brought down by up to 1.6 degrees. As it is a concept device, the OnePlus 11 Concept will not be up for sale.

AI Race: Meta announces new AI language model

Large Language Models (LLMs) have taken over the tech industry by a wave in the last few years. These language models have been trained on a vast amount of data capable of performing various tasks. These tasks range from summarizing text and writing essays or poems to generating AI art prompts. One prime example of such LLMs is OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which has overtaken the literary world. To the unversed, ChatGPT is a dialogue-based AI chatbot that can have conversations with users, answer questions, solve mathematical queries and much more. The AI race is gearing up quickly in the form of chatbots with various chatbot AIs popping up on the internet.

Interesting Fact: Right now a chatbot AI named ‘Gita GPT‘ is making waves in India where users can ask the AI questions and receive answers in the context of the Holy Bhagwad Geeta.

As the AI war heats up a key player in the tech industry i.e. Meta has stepped in and released a large language model for researchers.

Meta steps in the AI race

Meta Platforms Inc recently revealed that it’s releasing a new large language model to researchers. The model, titled ‘LLaMA’ is intended to help scientists and engineers explore the application of AI such as answering questions and summarizing documents. The new model has been developed by Meta’s Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) team which was established nearly a decade back in September 2013.

LLaMA is not ChatGPT or Bing Search alternative, which means it is not a system that users can hop on and have conversations with. Rather, it is a research tool which Meta believes will democratize access to AI in a fast-changing field. In simple terms, LLaMA has been made public to help experts dish out problems with AI language models in general. In recent times, there have been reports about Microsoft’s Bing search AI giving passive-aggressive and factually incorrect responses. LLaMA has been publicised to help solve issues like those.

Meta announced its new language model in a blog post writing – “We believe the entire AI community — academic researchers, civil society, policymakers, and industry — must work together to develop clear guidelines around responsible AI in general and responsible large language models in particular, given their centrality in many downstream language applications. A much broader segment of the AI community needs access to these models in order to conduct reproducible research and collectively drive the field forward.”

NoiseFit Halo Smartwatch Review: The Perfect Blend

Similar to the smartphone market, the smartwatch market has also seen a saturation point in the past few years. Where at one end there are key tech players like Apple and Samsung offering premium smartwatches at a higher price point, at the other end we’ve got smaller brands bringing their A-game with their offerings. One such brand is Noise which has managed to carve a niche for itself in the smartwatch section with devices that are bang for your buck. Noise has now launched its latest smartwatch – NoiseFit Halo at an affordable price of Rs 3,999. With devices priced in the budget section, scepticism around their performance is inevitable to arise. I got my hands on the NoiseFit Halo with a similar scepticism but was taken aback by surprise at its performance and premium look.

Design & Display

The prominent design aspect of the NoiseFit Halo smartwatch has to be its metallic build. This round dial watch features a metallic build that is barely present at this price point and gives a premium look and feel. The metallic dial is further complimented by multiple strap options ranging from leather to standard silicone. The variant I used was the ‘Forest Green’ version which was aesthetically pleasing, to say the least. Other options include Vintage Brown, Statement Black, Jet Black, Fiery Orange, and Classic Black respectively. The NoiseFit Halo flaunts a 1.43-inch AMOLED circular display with 466x466p resolution. It has the Always On Display support that did not drain the battery too much during my extensive testing of the device. The display is vibrant and gets pretty bright making it fit even for comfortable outdoor usage. The display supports gestures like Tap to Wake and Hold with Palm to turn off the screen. Overall experience with the display was top-notch. The watch comes with an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.

Performance

All the expected health features such as heart rate monitor, Sp02 sensor, sleep tracker, step tracker, and more are present here. The health features work seamlessly and I did not face any issues or lags while using them. The watch can be paired with the NoiseFit app which has an array of features to explore. There are over 100 watch faces to choose from here along with the ability to add custom watch faces. The device supports Bluetooth calling with Tru Sync feature which allows the smartwatch to pair quickly with your mobile device and provide faster connectivity. The Bluetooth calling experience was hassle-free during my testing of the NoiseFit Halo. The brand promises 7-day battery life without extensive Bluetooth calling for the smartwatch. However, I experienced the device losing 50% of its battery in two-day usage with BT calling turned on for hours.

Verdict

The NoiseFit Halo is the perfect blend of premium looks and budget pricing. The metallic build makes it stand out from the competition at the Rs 3,999 price point.

Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐

YouTube starts testing ‘1080p Premium’ streaming bitrate on mobile app

YouTube has once again hit the experimental phase where it is trying out something new. Gone are the days when social media and video platforms’ best performance was experienced by all users. Now, a big chunk of features gets blocked by a paywall where users have to shell out a monthly or a yearly fee to get the best features from their favourite platforms. It was the much-talked-about Twitter Blue subscription back in 2022 and 2023 started with Meta announcing its very own paid verification service that brings a higher set of features. Now, YouTube has decided to reserve a higher bitrate 1080p resolution for its paying users only.

YouTube tests higher bitrate for premium users

One YouTube user recently posted a screenshot on Reddit which shows the ‘1080p Premium’ option sitting right over the ‘standard’ 1080p option for video resolution. The option is currently available for a small group of YouTube Premium subscribers according to the company’s spokesperson Paul Pennington. As reported by The Verge, the 1080p Premium is an enhanced bitrate version of 1080p that provides more information per pixel which results in a higher-quality viewing experience. According to Pennington, there are no changes in the existing quality offerings for the 1080p resolution on YouTube. In the past, there have been reports that YouTube may be locking 1080p 60fps videos behind the Premium paywall which was a concern for many.

It was not long ago when YouTube’s CEO Susan Wojcicki resigned from her position thus a change in the company’s strategy in the near future is inevitable. YouTube Premium currently costs Rs 129 per month through a subscription plan and Rs 139 per month as an individual plan. The years plan for the Premium YouTube experience is currently Rs 1,290. The benefits of YouTube Premium include ad-free videos, background playback, and offline video downloading, along with YouTube Music Premium. As of now, YouTube Premium and Premium reportedly have over 80 million paid subscribers. YouTube currently has over 2 billion users with 42.9% of global Internet users accessing it monthly.