With any luck, 2021 will be a whole lot better than 2020 was, but at the very least there are loads of exciting smartphones to look forward to.

From high-profile handsets like the iPhone 13 to oddities like the LG Rollable, there should be something for everyone. Below, we’ve highlighted ten of the most interesting options that we’re expecting to see before the end of the year.

These are phones that in most cases are likely to be great, and at the very least should be interesting, unusual, or innovative.

Samsung Galaxy S21 range

The Samsung Galaxy S20 (Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy S21 and its likely siblings – the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra – are probably the most highly anticipated Android phones. There shouldn’t be long to wait for them either, as it’s rumored that the Samsung Galaxy S21 range could be announced as soon as January 14.

So what should you expect from the three phones? It almost goes without saying that they’ll have cutting-edge power, with rumors suggesting they’ll pack either the Snapdragon 888 chipset (in the US) or the Exynos 2100 (in most other places) – both of which are likely to be among the year’s most powerful.

The most exciting upgrade though might be support for the S Pen stylus on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, a rumored move that could bring the phone a lot closer to the Galaxy Note range. We’re also hearing talk of high-spec cameras, with the S21 Ultra potentially offering 10x optical zoom.

iPhone 13 range

The iPhone 12 (Image credit: TechRadar)

The iPhone 13 range is probably even more highly anticipated than the Samsung Galaxy S21 range, but there’s rather longer to wait for these phones, as they probably won’t land until September.

There could be some big upgrades for these new models, with high refresh rate screens, 1TB of storage, in-screen fingerprint scanners, and a smaller notch all rumored. There’s also talk of a periscope camera being added, which would allow for an increased optical zoom range.

With the phones being a long way off at the time of writing though, we’re not at all confident of these things yet. What you can be sure of is that they’ll be very powerful, and that Apple will probably offer the same assortment of handsets as in the iPhone 12 range – meaning an iPhone 13, an iPhone 13 mini, an iPhone 13 Pro, and an iPhone 13 Pro Max.

OnePlus 9 range

The OnePlus 8T (Image credit: TechRadar)

The OnePlus 9 range is likely to land in March or April and offer a slightly cheaper way to get the sort of cutting-edge tech we’re expecting to see in phones like the Samsung Galaxy S21.

There will probably be a OnePlus 9, a OnePlus 9 Pro, and possibly also a totally new model dubbed the OnePlus 9E.

As for what to expect, all three phones might use the top-end Snapdragon 888 chipset, and they’ll probably also have high refresh rate screens, with the Pro model likely offering at least 120Hz.

We don’t know a huge amount else about them yet, but leaks suggest the standard OnePlus 9 will have a 48MP main camera, a 48MP ultra-wide one, and an unknown third lens, as well as 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while the OnePlus 9 Pro will probably be the only one of the three to have IP68 certification for water and dust resistance.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 (Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 isn’t likely to be as mainstream as most of the phones on this list, but it could be more exciting than most of them, as foldable phones are probably the future, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is likely to be the best one yet.

Beyond having a big, foldable screen, the main Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 rumors so far suggest it might support Samsung’s S Pen stylus, have an in-screen camera, and possibly even have an RGB light strip on its hinge.

We haven’t heard much else at the time of writing, but expect more rumors to roll in ahead of release, which could be in June if leaks are to be believed - though some sources reckon it won't land until the second half of the year.

LG Rollable

An LG rollable phone patent (Image credit: LG / LetsGoDigital)

The LG Rollable is very much a wild card, not least because we’re not at all sure it even exists. But there is some evidence that LG is developing a phone with a rollable screen, and that it might be out sometime in 2021.

Based on a patent, this might be a device that lets you extend the left and right screen edges, but because it rolls rather than folds, and because the mechanism is compactly hidden within the phone, it might look much like a normal smartphone when the screen isn’t extended. According to another leak it might extend from 6.8 inches to 7.4 inches.

A trademark application for the ‘LG Rollable’ name meanwhile includes mention of “electronic touch screen pens”, so as with the Galaxy Z Fold 3, you might be able to get a stylus for it.

The LG Rollable sounds ambitious and we haven’t heard much about it yet, so there’s every chance it won’t land in 2021, and if it does it will probably be very expensive, but it certainly sounds interesting. The only release date rumor for it so far states that it could land in the first half of the year.

Oppo Find X3 range

The Oppo Find X2 Pro (Image credit: Future)

Oppo isn’t as big a name as Samsung or OnePlus, but in recent years it’s been making phones that rival their best, and the Oppo Find X3 range could be the next ones to do that.

In fact, they might actually be more exciting and innovative than most of the big-name flagships, as rumors suggest the Oppo Find X3 Pro will have a macro camera that could function a bit like a microscope, with 25x zoom and lights around the lens.

The phone might additionally have NFC that works on both the front and back of the handset, so you can tap the screen against payment terminals rather than the rear – a small feature perhaps but one we’ve not really seen before.

Beyond that the specs sound top-end through and through, with talk of a 3K resolution, a high refresh rate screen, fast charging, loads of camera lenses, and more. And you shouldn’t have to wait long, as we’re expecting the Oppo Find X3 range to launch early in the year.

Nokia 10

The Nokia 9 PureView (Image credit: TechRadar)

We’ve been waiting for the Nokia 10 for a long time, so much so that it’s gone through a few names since it started being rumored – originally it was thought to be launching as the Nokia 9.1, but as time went on that changed to Nokia 9.2, 9.3, and now Nokia 10.

Whether 2021 will be the year it lands remains to be seen, especially since we still don’t really know much about it yet, but rumors point to an in-screen selfie camera, a sapphire glass display, a stainless steel frame, and a top-end Snapdragon 888 chipset, so this could be a very premium phone.

There’s also talk of it having a very different camera setup to the penta-lens Nokia 9 PureView, though in what ways it will differ is unclear.

iPhone SE 3

The iPhone SE (2020) (Image credit: Future)

While the iPhone 13 range is clearly the most anticipated of Apple’s upcoming phones, the company might also launch a successor to the iPhone SE (2020) in 2021.

We’ve heard very little about the iPhone SE 3 so far and there’s every chance we won’t see it until a later year, but if it does launch in 2021 it will probably have an A14 Bionic chipset (the same as the iPhone 12 range).

There’s also talk of an iPhone SE Plus, which might end up being the iPhone SE 3 in all but name. This is thought to have a larger 5.5 or 6.1-inch screen, but to retain the general affordability of the iPhone SE range. What’s not clear is whether the iPhone SE 3 will keep the physical home button and big bezels – a design that’s becoming increasingly dated.

Samsung Galaxy Note 21 range

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri)

The biggest question about the Samsung Galaxy Note 21 range is whether it will even launch, with rumors swirling that Samsung is looking to add stylus support to the Galaxy S21 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 3 so that it can discontinue the Note range.

At this point it looks likely that the Note range’s days are numbered, but we might still get a Samsung Galaxy Note 21.

There’s not really any news on what it will offer yet, but as usual for the range you can expect an S Pen stylus, a big screen to make the most of it with, and plenty of power. If the Samsung Galaxy Note 21 does launch we’ll probably see it in or around August.

Sony Xperia 1 III Compact

The Sony Xperia 1 II (Image credit: TechRadar)

As well as the expected Sony Xperia 1 III there are rumors that the company might launch a Sony Xperia 1 III Compact, and it’s this phone that we’re more excited about, as there aren’t many high-end compact phones that days.

Rumors suggest it might have a 5.5-inch screen and an upper mid-range chipset – though we’d hope for a high-end one. We don’t know much else yet about either the Compact or the standard Sony Xperia 1 III, but with the phones possibly launching in the first half of the year we’ll hopefully learn more before long.

• Many of these will likely make our best smartphones list

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The entertainment industry was amongst a few sectors that saw growth even during a pandemic-infested 2020. And in this segment, it was the OTT platform to which the audience flocked as they were struck indoors during the Covid-19 led lockdown. 

Ever since the country went into lockdown, OTT platforms became the first choice for entertainment, a trend that was not limited only to the metro cities. Popular titles such as Sacred Games (Netflix in 2019) and Mirzapur (Amazon Prime Videos in 2020) came out with a second season, reports surfaced of upcoming seasons for some of the other titles that made waves last year. 

We at TechRadar thought it would be a best time to sneak a peak into some of the titles that are getting ready as we speak and could hit the screens in 2021. Of course, we are limiting our research only to web series and will possibly follow it up with one more where we will discuss movie titles slated for launch this year. 

Don't know about the timer here, but we're exploding with excitement 💥@BajpayeeManoj @sharibhashmi @Samanthaprabhu2 @shreya_dhan13 @SharadK7 @SrikantTFM #Priyamani #TheFamilyManOnPrime pic.twitter.com/LQYJTyxWl2December 29, 2020

On top of this list is Family Man Season 2, with Amazon Prime Video sharing a teaser claiming that they were "exploding with excitement" over the web series that takes a look at the life of a secret service agent. 

Directors: Raj Nidimoru & Krishna D.K. 

Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Priyamani, Gul Panag and Shreya Dhanwantry

Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Launch Date: February 2021

Synopsis: The first season, released in July 2019, captured our imagination as we tracked the life of special agent Srikant Tiwari (Manoj Bajpayee), whose work life is not even known to his family, comprising his academician wife (Priyamani) and two kids. The story tracked a potential nuclear attack on Delhi with the first season ending on a razor's edge. The second season was delayed due to the lockdown as shootings got cancelled. Interest in the sequel got heightened as the cast was joined by another southern superstar Samantha Akkinenni. 

Maybe it is just our expectations from the crew or could be the fact that Saif Ali Khan is the biggest Bollywood star to feature in web series (Sacred Games), but there is no denying that Tandav is amongst the most eagerly sought title on OTT in 2021. 

Directors: Ali Abbas Zafar

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Kumud Mishra, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub. 

Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Launch Date: January 2021

Synopsis: Not much is known about the plot as the production company has kept a thick veil of secrecy even in the teaser. What we do know is that it is a political thriller with a large cast that also includes Dino Morea, Sunil Grover, Gauhar Khan, Sarah Jane Dias and Sandhya Mridul among others. All that we get to hear in the teaser is "हिंदुस्तान को सिर्फ एक ही चीज़ चलती है - राजनीति। इस देश में जो प्रधान मंत्री है वो ही राजा है"

(Image credit: Netflix)

While we patiently wait for the third season of Netflix's top title Sacred Games, here is another that is garnering interest due to its director's past work. The series is titled "Bombay Begums" and it is already garnering interest around its posters. 

Directors: Alankrita Shrivastava, Bornila Chatterjee

Cast: Pooja Bhatt, Shahana Goswami, Amruta Subhash. 

Platform: Netflix

Launch Date: Not announced

Synopsis: The series tells the stories of five women from different generations as they struggle with societal ethics, their own ambitions and personal crises. Set in the modern contemporary urban India, the stories specifically define how Indian cinema was always about men with women only essaying supporting roles. This series seeks to overturn the narrative by having no men's tales synced to the women. 

The obvious talking point of this series slated to release on Zee5 is Amit Sadh, whose power-packed performance as a Special Forces officer in Sony's "Avrodh" caught our collective fancy last year. 

Directors: Vishal Mangalorkar

Cast: Amit Sadh, Amrita Puri and Sushant Singh

Platform: Zee5

Launch Date: mid-January

Synopsis: Available information suggests that Amit Sadh once again plays a Special Forces officer in this series that is based on the real-life experience of one. The makers suggest that it is based on the life of Kargil hero Major Deepender Singh Sengar, who not only fights the enemy outside but also doubt within to emerge victorious in his pursuits. 

We are making a small exception here and including "Black Widows" on Zee5, which was released on December 18. This is the eighth adaptation of the famous Finnish series with the same title which was first released in 2016 and ran for two seasons. 

Director: Birsa Dasgupta

Cast: Mona Singh, Shamita Shetty, Swastika Mukherjee, Sharad Kelkar, Raima Sen, Parambrata Chattopadhyaya

Platform: Zee5

Launch Date: Released on December 18, 2020

Synopsis: As with the original, this web series too tells the tale of story of three women who are facing marital discord and decide to end their sufferings. They fake mourn the deaths of their husbands while sharing a common secret. Into this milieu comes a cop who is keen on tracking their past lives to see what's actually wrong with their present existence. 

And a few more... 

Of course, these are our choices made on the star cast and the directors who are at the helm. There are several others lined up for release in the early part of 2021 and some of these include:

• Paurashpur featuring Milind Soman
• Nail Polish featuring Arjun Rampal and Manav Gohil
• Mumbai Diaries featuring Konkana Sen Sharma
• Apharan Second Season 
• Asur Second Season
• The Gone Game Second Season

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Sony’s long-awaited next-gen console, the PlayStation 5 has finally been unveiled. We now know almost everything about it: its specs, which games will it support, VR capabilities and how it stacks up to the new Xbox Series X on paper. The last piece of the puzzle was when it will land in India.

The new console was showcased a few weeks ago, after which retailers started confirming if they will be pre-order partners. Most western countries will get it on November 12 followed by many more on November 19 in the second wave. Oddly, Sony India had been silent on the matter, leaving fans disgruntled. 

If you’re looking to get a PS5 in India, here are all the details currently available around its pricing, timelines and if it is worth getting over the corresponding Xbox.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? The next-gen PlayStation console.
• When will it release? February 2, 2021
• What will the PS5 cost? Starting at Rs 39,990

PS5 launch date and price in India

Official Indian pricing of the PlayStation 5

PS5	Rs 49,990
PS5 Digital Edition	Rs 39,990
DualSense Controller	Rs 5,990

Check out the PlayStation 5 on Amazon.in

Rs 49,990 | Digital Edition: Rs 39,990View Deal

The PS5 will be available in India starting February 2. Pre-orders will begin on January 12 at 12 pm, at Amazon, Flipkart, Croma, Reliance Digital, Games The Shop, Vijay Sales, Sony and other retailers.

As for pricing, the PS5 will retail for Rs 49,990 while the Digital Edition will be available at Rs 39,990. All the accessories and games will also be available in India at launch.

In comparison, the Xbox Series X is priced at Rs 49,990 and the Series S is priced at Rs 34,990. It is already available for pre-ordering on Amazon, Reliance Digital and other retailers. 

• PlayStation 5 price in India officially confirmed; no release date yet though
• Xbox Series S and Series X price in India and availability announced

Specs and features

(Image credit: Sony)

The new PlayStation 5 will be powered by an octa-core AMD Zen 2-based CPU clocked at up to 3.5GHz. Similarly, a custom AMD RDNA 2 will take care of the graphics, capable of 10.28 TFLOPs of throughout. We’re looking at 16GB of GDDR6 memory. As for storage, Sony has opted for a custom 825GB SSD solution. Third-party drives can also be added, but they will need to have a speed of at least 5.5GBps for optimal results. A 4K UHD Blu-ray drive will also be present on the standard variant. 8K and 120fps gaming will also be supported.

The cheaper PS5 Digital Edition will be slightly slimmer and cheaper. Players will have to rely on digital downloads for their games. In case you planning on using your existing PS4 titles or exchanging games with friends, you should opt for the standard edition. 

The new gamepad is called the PS5 DualSense controller and brings a fresh design with a black and white aesthetic. The L2 and R2 shoulder buttons also have adaptive haptic feedback. A microphone will also be built in to allow gamers to communicate without the need of a headset. We might also see new PSVR motion controllers later.

As for games, some of the big names include Horizon Forbidden West, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Demon’s Soul, Resident Evil 8: Village, along with a new Ratchet and Clank game, a new Oddworld title, and a new Gran Turismo title. Most recently, Final Fantasy XVI (a console exclusive to PlayStation), Hogwarts Legacy (a Harry Potter RPG), Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition, Five Nights at Freddy's, and God of War: Ragnarok (coming in 2021) have all been confirmed for PS5.

2021 is already off to a great start #PlayStation5 https://t.co/xVOfzhFmPPJanuary 1, 2021

• PS5 vs Xbox Series X: which console should you pick?
• PS5 games list: every PlayStation 5 exclusive and cross-gen game announced so far

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The PlayStation 5 launch date in India is finally out after a tedious wait. Sony is set to launch it’s newest console in the country on February 2 with pre-bookings going live at 12 PM on January 12. 

This comes in a statement directly from Sony India which confirmed that the PS5 consoles will be available on Amazon, Flipkart, Croma, Reliance Digital, Games The Shop, Shop at Sony Center, Vijay Sales and other authorized retailers. The company says that pre-orders will be available until stocks last at these retailers. 

This announcement comes after dramatic events that saw the PlayStation fanbase in India hound Sony India for information on the launch of the PS5. But Sony India has been sporadic and non-responsive at best to all queries up until now. 

Buy PS5 in India

Rs 49,990 | Rs 39,990 (Digital Edition)View Deal

• PS5 price in India, release date and pre-orders
• Sony PS5 units bought from the grey market will not get warranty cover
• PS5 review

Road to the PS5 India launch announcement

(Image credit: Future)

When the Sony PS5 was announced for release on November 19 globally, it was expected that India release would be in line. But it turned out that it was far from so. The Sony India website, controlled by the EMEA team that is based out of Europe, had updated the website on November 19 being the launch date three times. Only that it was even quicker to remove the listings as Sony India stated that there was no concrete date on when the launch will take place.

Initially, it was assumed that a trademark-related issue that sprung up in India could have been the cause for the delay. The issue came to fore when a resident of Delhi, Hitesh Aswani had filed for a trademark on the PS5 name, back on October 29. On its part, Sony had filed the trademark on February 6 this year. 

However, Sony India managed to close the case after Aswani reportedly withdrew his application for the PS5 trademark after Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc opposed it. 

The next issue came to fore when pre-orders of PS5 units were announced by some retailers. However, the company immediately advised against these though some new rumours have taken flight on the web claiming that now the console would be available in January 2021. 

Once again, these rumours have been addressed by Sony India, using words that were monotonously similar to the earlier instances. 

To a query by The Mako Reactor, the company said, "Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has not yet announced a launch date for PS5 in India,” a Sony spokesperson confirmed to us over email. “We will share an update on launch date for India as soon as more information becomes available; meanwhile please continue to monitor the official PlayStation channels."

Apparently, some retailers sourced informal information from its sources that had indicated a January 2021 launch of the console. Which now seems to have been close to the mark. 

Sony PlayStation 5: India price

The Sony PlayStation 5 will be priced at Rs 49,990 for the disc variant while the Digital Edition has been priced at Rs 39,990. Sony will be launching different accessories with the PS5, primary among which is the new DualSense Controller that has been priced at Rs 5,990.

• OnePlus Band price in India, launch date and features
• Year in review: The biggest tech news of 2020

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Sony said on Friday that it will launch the PlayStation 5 in India on February 2, suggesting improvements in the supply chain network that has been severely throttled by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Japanese firm said it will begin taking pre-order requests for the new gaming console in India, the world’s second largest internet market, on January 12. The console will be available for pre-order from a number of retailers including Amazon India, Flipkart, Croma, Reliance Digital, Games the Shop, Sony Center, and Vijay Sales, the company said.

The PlayStation 5 is priced at Indian rupees 49,990 ($685), while the digital edition of the console will sell at Indian rupees 39,990 ($550). Xbox Series X is priced at $685 in India, and Xbox Series S sells at $480. Like elsewhere in the world, Microsoft has been struggling to meet the demand for the new Xbox consoles in India. The Xbox Series X is facing so much shortage in the country that it’s not even easy to locate its page on Amazon India.

The announcement today should allay concerns of loyal PlayStation fans, some of whom — including, of course, yours truly — secured a unit from the gray market at a premium in recent months after India was not included in the first wave of nations for the PS5. Fans have also been frustrated at Sony and its affiliated partners for not offering clarification or providing conflicting accounts about the probable launch of the new gaming console in recent months.

In November, Sony suggested that it had delayed the launch of the PS5 in India due to local import regulations. Game news site The Mako Reactor reported earlier this week that Sony is unlikely to offer warranty and after-sales support for PlayStation 5 accessories in India — as has been the case for several previous generations.

India is not yet a big market for full-fledged gaming consoles yet. According to industry estimates, Sony and Microsoft sold only a few hundred thousand units of their previous generation consoles in the country. Thanks to the proliferation of affordable Android smartphones and world’s cheapest mobile data tariffs, tens of millions of Indians have embraced mobile gaming in recent years.

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The upcoming OnePlus Watch was supposed to mark the company’s entry into the wearable segment. A new development suggests that we will see a budget fitness tracker launch before the smartwatch, in the form of the OnePlus Band.

In 2020, OnePlus expanded to many new product categories such as mid-range smartphones, affordable smart TVs, true wireless earphones and more. Reports from Android Central state that the connected device ecosystem will continue to grow in 2021. Budget fitness trackers have seen a lot of interest in recent months, and it looks like OnePlus wants a piece of the pie.

Some other OnePlus Band specs and features were leaked by Mukul Sharma in a video, which once again suggests that OnePlus is going after the segment that the Xiaomi Mi Band series pioneered in India. It remains to be seen if it will be a region-exclusive product or not. 

Cut to the chase

• What is it? OnePlus’s first fitness tracker
• When is it out? Early 2021
• How much will it cost? Likely under Rs 3,000/$40

OnePlus Band price in India

(Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri)

According to the source, the OnePlus Band will be available only in India at launch, but could be available in other countries later. This is similar to the strategy it adopted for its affordable TVs and TWS as well, so it isn’t particularly surprising.

With a suggested price of around $40, it is likely to cost under Rs 3,000 in India. For context, the Mi Band 5 is priced at Rs 2,499. Other notable competitors include the Redmi Smart Band, the Realme Band as well as some offerings from Honor and Samsung. OnePlus must be betting on the segment to explode in 2021.

OnePlus Band launch date

(Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri)

Based on the multiple reports, we know that OnePlus has quite a few product launches lined up for the first quarter of 2021, with the flagship OnePlus 9 series, an upgraded OnePlus Nord and most interestingly, the OnePlus smartwatch that will run full-fledged Wear OS. However, all of these are slated for a March unveiling.

The OnePlus Band, on the other hand, looks more likely to have its separate smaller event much earlier. Perhaps we will hear more about it at CES 2021, which is scheduled to kick off on January 11 in an online format. 

Specs and features

(Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri)

Information is a little scarce around this point, but just like other affordable fitness trackers, the OnePlus Band is tipped to sport a small rectangular AMOLED touchscreen, proper water resistance with IP rating and multiple days of battery life.

The design is likely to be pretty minimalistic with a user-replaceable strap without being too bulky. Along with the heart-rate sensor, there are also rumours of the OnePlus Band sporting an SpO2 sensor for measuring blood oxygen saturation levels, making it one of the cheapest wearables to do so. 

As for features, there should be quite a few fitness tracking modes, along with the usual slew of notification mirroring, call alerts and music playback control. A companion app will help in the initial setup process and also act as a hub for all the tracked data. Like its other IoT products, we could also see some Oxygen OS-specific features on the wearable.

• Everything we know about the OnePlus Watch
• The best budget fitness trackers under Rs 5,000 in India
• Xiaomi Mi Band 5 review

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T-Mobile has revealed that it suffered a data breach in which customers' proprietary network information (CPNI), including their phone numbers and call records, was exposed online.

Earlier this week, the US telecom began informing its customers via text message that a security incident had occurred that may have impacted some of their account information. 

However, T-Mobile provided further details in a notice of security incident on its website and explained that its security team recently discovered “malicious, unauthorized access” to its systems.

• We've put together a list of the best ransomware protection software
• Keep your devices virus free with the best malware removal software
• Also check out our roundup of the best patch management software

Following this discovery, an investigation was launched with assistance from leading cybersecurity forensic experts to determine what happened and exactly what customer information was exposed.

Customer proprietary network information

According to T-Mobile, the CPNI accessed by hackers may have included customers' phone numbers, the number of lines on their accounts and in some cases, call-related information.

Thankfully though, the data accessed did not include customers' names, addresses, email addresses, financial data, credit card information, social security numbers, tax IDs, passwords or PINs.

Affected customers have already received text messages from T-Mobile informing them of the situation but they should remain on the lookout for any suspicious texts claiming to be from the company or messages containing links to third-party websites as cybercriminals often use the news of a data breach or security incident to launch phishing attacks to try and steal user credentials.

Although T-Mobile has suffered another data breach, this attack appears to be less severe than the one that occurred in March in which hackers were able to gain access to both customer and employee data.

• We've also highlighted the best antivirus software

Via BleepingComputer

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As 2020 comes to a long-awaited end, a series of filings indicate that venture capitalists are ending the year with fresh money. According to SEC paperwork, Learn Capital and USV have filed paperwork that shows the firms have raised new, multimillion-dollar funds.

If you’ve been paying attention to news this past year, it’s clear that much of venture capital isn’t just surviving 2020 – it’s flourishing through it. Zoom investing, it seems, is working just fine for cash-rich firms looking to double down on bets in categories from edtech to climate.

First up, New York-based USV submitted a pair of filings on late Thursday. The first filing shows that the firm has closed $151 million for USV Climate 2021, which one can assume is focused on climate-tech investments. As my colleague Jonathan Shieber has pointed out, climate tech.

The other, more nebulous filing, is the firm’s $22.4 million investment vehicle titled USV Bundled. It’s unclear what this is focused on, but a recent blog post suggests that the firm will continue to double down on its education investments.

Speaking of edtech, Learn Capital, an education-focused venture capital fund, filed paperwork indicating that it has closed $132 million in capital. It plans to raise a total of $250 million for this fund, which will be the firm’s fourth investment vehicle to date. The edtech category has obviously been booming with interest, which also fueled Owl Ventures to close $585 million in new capital in September.

Finally, I’ll give an honorable mention to Lattice CEO Jack Altman’s New Years Eve filing, which shows that the executive plans to raise $20 million for a new fund. It’s unclear if this filing indicates Apollo’s next step, a venture fund started by the Altman brothers. The trio, beyond Jack, includes Max and Sam, the former president of Y Combinator who currently serves as the CEO of OpenAI.

I reached out for comment to all three entities, but (unsurprisingly) haven’t heard back. It’s New Year’s Eve after all. So for now, back to the Champagne. See you all in the New Year.

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The year 2020 certainly felt like the longest year ever. In between the 12 months which took forever to come to an end there were many ups and downs across the globe due to Covid-19 pandemic and it changed the lifestyle and rewrote some of the rules. Most importantly, the world became more dependent on technology than ever.

In the world of technology, there was big news across smartphones, software, gaming, EVs, and more. In this article, we have curated the list of top tech news that amazed us in 2020. It includes Apple’s new M1 chipset to Tesla finally announcing its arrival in India. So, here is the top tech news of the year 2020. 

Apple started the transition to its own chipsets

(Image credit: Apple)

After years of rumour, Apple finally unveiled its own ARM-based chipset for its laptops. The latest Apple MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are now powered by Apple M1 chipset. The M1 M1-based MacBook devices were revolutionary and exciting devices in 2020. The M1 chip is very commendable and performed remarkably well on both the new laptops. The fact that MacBooks can now run thousands of iOS apps and games pretty much flawlessly is a huge win as well.

Apple also made a sweet tool called Rosetta 2 which allows all the usual macOS apps run as smooth as Intel-based MacBooks. The CPU is an 8-core chip with a big little configuration, with four high-performance cores, and four power-efficient cores. There is also an octa-core GPU in the SoC, which should be more powerful than the Intel Iris graphics found on lower-end MacBooks. Going forward in 2021, we are also expecting the Apple M1 successor to bring significant improvements in terms of performance to the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021). 

India's measures to reduce dependence on China

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With China posing a threat to India’s sovereignty and security, In June, the Indian government decided to ban  59 mobile applications in India including some of the popular apps like Tik Tok, Likee, Helo, Cam Scanner, Xender, Parallel Space, ES File Explorer, Mi Video Call, Mi Community, UC Browser and more. The government also said that some of these apps were also stealing and illegally storing user data on servers located outside India. Taking privacy into consideration, the government banned these apps. 

Following the first wave of the ban, the second set of apps including PUBG Mobile game were proscribed and taken out of play store in India in September. In the second wave, a total of 118 mobile apps were banned. With the ban implication, Chinese firm Tencent had to bear the brunt with three of its major investments - WeChat, TikTok, and  PUBG being in the list. 

Apple enters the premium headphones market

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Apple’s product lineup has always been priced in the premium segment but, in the audio segment with Apple AirPods, the pricing was similar to the competition like Sony and Sennheiser. With the launch of AirPods Max headphones, Apple took a leap ahead in terms of pricing (Rs 59,900). The AirPods Max are the first over-ear headphones from Apple and they’re one of the most high-spec headphones ever released. The launch happened silently via a press release but made a lot of noise right after the launch. 

One of the most discussed topics around the AirPods Max apart fro its ridiculous price tag was the design and the carry case. In our review, we found the case to be ineffective. However, as headphones, the sound and performance were top notch and it offers great noise cancellation. As always, its best for iOS users as features are limited to iOS users. 

OnePlus returns to the mid-range smartphone segment

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With flagship phones creeping up the price ladder from the past couple of years, OnePlus had to return to its roots and the new Nord series was the OnePlus’s answer. Launched in July, the OnePlus Nord was one of the most popular phones of the year and also the best in the segment. Powerful hardware blended with good software experience was always key to OnePlus’s success and with the OnePlus Nord, the company was able to pull it off with half of the price of what their flagship phones cost. 

Later in the year, the brand launched a couple more Nord series devices - N10 and N100. These are even more affordable than the OnePlus Nord however, they are not available in India. Going forward in 2021, OnePlus is expected to launch more affordable phones and also enter the wearable segment with a smartwatch and a fitness tracker. 

And lastly, on the same lines, OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei left the company in October and will launch his new audio venture soon. 

India loves truly wireless earphones

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One of the segments which really exploded in 2020 was the truly wireless earbuds. While this was not necessarily a segment that was new in 2020, the demand for truly wireless earbuds grew tremendously in India as smartphones started to say goodbye to our beloved 3.5mm headphone jack. With an estimated 700% growth over last year, TWS went from cool to have to essential real quick. Of all the TWS in India, the most shipped was, of course, the budget TWS from BoAt which was then followed by Xiaomi, Realme, JBL, and Apple. 

Every brand, especially smartphone makers, launched its own TWS in India. This furious competition also brought many nifty features to the budget segment such as gesture controls, hi-res playback, noise cancellation and more. There was also some premium offers from brands like Sennheiser and Sony as well. Overall, the best TWS for 2020 was the one from Sennheiser while the budget Lypertek Levi was our second choice. 

Jio raises a load of money

(Image credit: Jio Platforms)

Jio was already huge at the start of 2020 but as the days passed, it grew at a tremendous pace. In the middle of the year, especially Q2 and Q3, Reliance Jio received so much investment from multiple big brands that we had trouble keeping track of it(but we did). Every other day, there used to be a press release saying x company invested x crores in Reliance Jio. In 2020, Reliance Industry became a $200 billion company making it Asia’s 10th largest firm in terms of market cap. 

Jio received investment from big giants like Google and Facebook. First FaceBook picked up 9.9% stake with Jio Platforms for a whopping  $5.3 billion (Rs 43,574 crore). At AGM 2020, Google signed an agreement to invest $4.5 billion (Rs 33,737 cr) in Jio Platforms for 7.73% stake in the company. In July, Qualcomm invested $97 million 0.15% equity stake and is expected to play a major role in bringing 5G to India. Intel also invested $253.5 million in Jio. 

Jio also focused on bringing affordable 4G and 5G devices, Jio Glass(AR), Jio HealthHub, OTT platform(JioTV+), and they even announced Jio Mart across 200 cities. 

India could get its first taste of 5G next year

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In the year 2020, we saw brands launching 5G enabled devices in India although there was no 5G network available anywhere in the county for consumers. One of the most discussed topics was “when is 5G coming to India?” Well, Jio answered that question. Reliance’s Chairman and Managing Director, Mukesh Ambani said that Jio plans to pioneer 5G revolution in India in the second half of 2021. 

The announcement was made at the  India Mobile Congress 2020 in November 2020. Back in July, to focus on 5G, Jio has received $97 million(Rs 730 crore) investment from Qualcomm. Qualcomm is the world’s leading wireless technology innovator and the driving force behind the development, launch and expansion of 5G. Apart from the 5G network, Jio is also said to be working on 5G phones. 

With 5G network on the cards for 2021, Jio is all set to revolutionize the 5G space in India just like how they did with 4G a few years ago. 

The next-gen gaming consoles from Microsoft and Sony are here… almost

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When it comes to gaming consoles, Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony’s PlayStation are the ones to look out for. These gaming consoles launch once in four or five years. Luckily in 2020, we witnessed the launch of new iterations of the two - Xbox series X & S and also the Play Station 5.

Currently, the X Box series X and series S are available in India while PS 5 might take few more weeks to arrive in India. As for the pricing, the PS5 will retail for Rs 49,990 while the Digital Edition will be available at Rs 39,990. The Xbox series S is priced at Rs 34,990 and the series X is priced at Rs 49,990. Both Xbox and PS5 are powered by AMD chipset and come with a dedicated GPU. The new Xbox series S is the most compact out of all. 

Check out our PS5 review | Xbox Series X review | Xbox Series S review

India defies odds to show strong growth in the smartphone market

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India is one of the top consumers of smartphones globally. Things were slowed down in Q2 due to the lockdown and restrictions. But, once the lockdown was relaxed across the nation, the demand for smartphones grew tremendously and fast forward Q3/Q4 2020, India registered its all-time highest shipment. In September 2020, 23 million smartphones were shipped while in October 21 million smartphones were shipped. 

The major factor here is the online sales and offers that e-commerce giants like Amazon and Flipkart hosted. Also, the fact that we had an extended run of festive season sale on both online and offline platforms. Online channels contributed 51% of the market, a 53% YoY growth. Offline channels, especially in smaller towns & cities, also saw a healthy 33% YoY growth. The top 5 smartphone makers remain unchanged with Xiaomi leading and Samsung at second spot followed by Vivo, Realme, and Oppo. 

Growth of e-commerce in India

(Image credit: Internet)

The Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown also made people stay in their houses which also meant more dependent on online shopping. The e-commerce shopping was not only limited to Amazon and Flipkart in India but also many businesses which were offline only had to adapt to the new age and go digital. 

A report from August stated that e-commerce segment saw a 17% rise in order volume. Indian e-commerce space is estimated to grow to a $1.3 trillion market by 2025. The festive season sale on Amazon and Flipkart in Q3 and Q4 of 2020, at least 40% of the sale was driven by them. The e-commerce giants also onboarded local Kirana store to further expand its reach. Jio also entered the space with JioMart serving across 200 cities. 

Due to the pandemic, the battle between Amazon, Flipkart, and Reliance’s Jio Mart got intense. While Jio received huge investments from multiple big ventures, Tata industry is in the line to enter the space with BigBasket. Lastly, e-commerce companies also started selling more self-branded products such as Flipkart selling MarQ branded smart TVs, streaming devices and more. There is also MarQ branded smartphone on the cards for 2021. 

Tesla Motors confirmed to enter India soon

(Image credit: Tesla Motors)

In the last week of 2020, Tesla confirmed to commence sales in India in 2021. Union Minister, Nitin Gadkari has confirmed that Tesla will start operations in India in early 2021. In case you have forgotten, Tesla has opened Tesla Model 3 pre-orders for India as well back in 2016. . The order configurator for India is also yet to go live, so this could just be that for those who already pre-ordered. 

The arrival of Tesla will also kickstart the electric vehicles revolution in India which is, for now, that popular for 4 wheelers in India. A report in September also stated that Tesla is in talks to set up a research facility in India which could possibly be at Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka. Elon Musk himself confirmed on Twitter that Tesla is coming to India, “Next year for sure.” 

• Ten smartphone trends we want to see in 2021
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