Tech News Roundup: TikTok ban, Samsung Galaxy F14 5G launch, and more

The tech industry in India witnessed several developments this week, ranging from new product launches, regulatory issues, and business deals. Here are some of the highlights of the week:

– TikTok, the popular short video app owned by Chinese company ByteDance, faced a fresh setback in France, where it was banned from being used on smartphones of civil servants over data security concerns. The move came amid multiple bans on the app in other countries, including India, where it was blocked last year along with dozens of other Chinese apps.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said that the company was disappointed by the decision and that it was working to address the issues raised by the French authorities. He also said that the company was still hopeful of returning to India and that most of the risks associated with its operations were hypothetical and theoretical

– Samsung launched its latest 5G smartphone, the Galaxy F14 5G, in India at an introductory price of Rs 12,990 for the 4GB RAM and 128GB storage variant and Rs 15,990 for the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant[^4^][4]. The phone features a 6.6-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, a MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor, a 50MP triple rear camera setup, a 16MP selfie camera, a 5000mAh battery with 15W fast charging support, and Android 11 OS with One UI 3.1 Core. The phone will go on sale from April 5 via Flipkart and Samsung’s online store.

Apple supplier Pegatron, a Taiwanese contract manufacturer, is reportedly in talks to open a second factory in Chennai to assemble the latest iPhones for the Indian market. The company already has a plant in Tamil Nadu, where it makes older iPhone models. The new facility is expected to create over 10,000 jobs and boost Apple’s local production and market share in India. Pegatron is one of the three major iPhone assemblers globally, along with Foxconn and Wistron.

Airtel announced several prepaid plans under Rs 500 that offer unlimited 5G data along with other benefits such as voice calls, SMS, OTT subscriptions, and Airtel. Thanks rewards. The plans range from Rs 199 to Rs 499 and have different validity periods and data limits. Airtel is currently testing its 5G network in select cities and plans to roll it out commercially later this year.

Redmi unveiled its new budget smartphone, the Redmi Note 12, globally and announced that it will launch in India on March 30 along with another device, the Redmi 12C. The Redmi Note 12 features a 6.5-inch FHD+ LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate, a MediaTek Helio G88 processor, a 48MP quad rear camera setup, an 8MP selfie camera, a 5000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support, and Android 11 OS with MIUI 12.5. The phone is priced at $179 (approx Rs 13,000) for the base model with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage and $199 (approx Rs 14,500) for the higher variant with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage.