New Delhi: Pakistani authorities are monitoring more than 4 million citizens using advanced digital tools purchased from foreign private companies, such as China’s Geedge Network, according to a recent report by Amnesty International, titled “Shadow of Control: Censorship and Mass Surveillance in Pakistan”. At the core of Pakistan’s surveillance operation are two powerful systems: the Web Monitoring System (WMS 2.0), which acts as a national firewall that can block internet access, virtual private networks (VPNs), and specific websites, and the Lawful Intercept Management System (LIMS), a mass surveillance platform that allows authorities to eavesdrop on phone calls, text messages, internet activities, and even geolocation data through domestic telecommunications providers. LIMS is supported by technology primarily supplied by a German company, Utimaco, and an Emirati company, Datafusion. Utimaco’s LIMS enables authorities to analyse subscriber data from telecommunications companies, while the processed information is accessible through Datafusion’s Monitoring Centre Next Generation. The methods may have changed, but Pakistan actually began surveilling its citizens decades ago. In the 1990s, such activities resulted in the rise and fall of governments, and Pakistan’s surveillance has continued to grow over time, according to a report in The Diplomat by Osama Ahmad. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source Nighat Dad, the founder and executive director of Digital Rights Foundation, told The Diplomat: “Available research and reports suggest that Pakistan has developed significant surveillance capabilities over the past decade.” In 1997, the Supreme Court ruled that state surveillance was illegal, holding it to be a breach of Article 14 of the Constitution, which secures the right to privacy. “Despite the legal and institutional safeguards and Pakistan’s international commitments under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) to prevent arbitrary interference, the absence of a comprehensive data protection law and regulation of surveillance technologies leaves citizens vulnerable to harassment, abuse, and continuous monitoring, undermining the effectiveness of existing protections,” said Dad. Pakistani authorities defend their breach of the digital rights of citizens, citing security concerns or morality issues. However, there are increasing fears that these actions are primarily aimed at suppressing dissent. When Pakistan banned X in February 2024, and users accessed the social media site through virtual private networks (VPNs), the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority developed a plan to regulate VPNs by requiring them to be registered. The Council of Islamic Ideology declared the usage of VPNs un-Islamic. As an excuse, the government claimed that the crackdown on VPNs came as a result of their misuse by militant groups. Perhaps more relevantly, X was being used at that time to organise protests by individuals associated with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the political party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the report states. The authorities have also repeatedly turned their attention to TikTok, which they believe promotes immorality. Recently, a lawmaker in the Punjab Assembly submitted a resolution to permanently ban the app on moral grounds. Beyond blanket banning of social media platforms, Pakistan’s authorities also digitally spy on Pakistanis. Journalists, activists, and politicians are believed to be among the primary targets of mass surveillance in Pakistan, the report states. At times, private video and audio recordings of opposition politicians are leaked to weaken them and gain an advantage. This unethical tactic has long been prevalent in Pakistani politics. “Though surveillance in Pakistan is purported to be for national security concerns, it is essentially to silence dissent across the country,” Usama Khilji, director of Bolo Bhi, told The Diplomat. “Most of the victims of surveillance are political oppositions, journalists, or activists working on human rights or other critical social issues.” While the military often faces criticism for mass surveillance and similar practices, other institutions, such as the judiciary and Parliament, also share responsibility for this unchecked behaviour, as they fail to prevent the mandated authorities from carrying out such operations. “The state institutions are equally complicit in this extensive surveillance because illegal surveillance happens without the consent of the individual and without a warrant from the court,” Khilji said. While the findings of Amnesty International are alarming, they are consistent with Pakistan’s long history of digital repression. From the blockade of X (formerly Twitter) to internet disruptions, amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), and other restrictive measures, the state has repeatedly curtailed digital rights and free expression, the report added.

Seoul: South Korea’s top two semiconductor manufacturers Samsung Electronics Co. and SK hynix Inc. will supply OpenAI Inc., the world’s largest artificial intelligence (AI) company, with up to 900,000 wafers of DRAM per month by 2029, according to a report by Pulse, the English service of Maeil Business Newspaper Korea. OpenAI will also build a data center in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, in partnership with Samsung SDS Co., and another in South Jeolla Province with SK Telecom Co. “Samsung Electronics and SK hynix each signed an agreement with OpenAI on Wednesday, announcing their participation as core partners in global AI infrastructure project Stargate, with the duo signing a letter of intent with OpenAI to supply high-performance DRAM of up to 900,000 wafers per month. This includes high-bandwidth memory (HBM), a high-value-added AI semiconductor, which is expected to inject massive momentum into Korea’s already booming semiconductor industry,” the report said. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source Considering that the global monthly production of DRAM wafers is approximately 1.5 million, 900,000 wafers is a substantial volume. Another notable point is that OpenAI’s data centres will be built in Korea. For its part, OpenAI signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Science and ICT on Wednesday to establish AI data centers outside the Seoul metropolitan area. The report noted that based on this MOU, OpenAI entered into partnerships with Samsung SDS and SK Telecom to build dedicated AI data centers for OpenAI jointly. Citing industry experts, the report said that all this follows the announcement in June that Amazon Web Services will build a dedicated AI data center in Ulsan with SK Group, with the moves signaling that global big tech companies are recognizing Korea as a key AI hub for the Asia-Pacific region. “Korea has all the ingredients to be a global leader in AI – incredible tech talent, world-class infrastructure, strong government support, and a thriving AI ecosystem,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said during his meeting with President Lee Jae-myung at the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul. “We are excited to work with Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, and the Ministry of Science and ICT via our global Stargate initiative to support Korea’s AI ambitions.” Lee also indicated that the government may consider easing certain regulations, such as financial-industrial separation, to encourage greater investment in the AI sector. “Industry insiders noted that the suggestion implies that bold deregulation may be on the table to support the massive semiconductor investment needed by Samsung and SK, the report said.

CMF Headphone Pro India Launch: CMF, a sub-brand of Nothing, has launched its first over-the-ear headphones. The new wireless headphones come with easy-to-use tactile controls and will be available in Dark Grey, Light Grey, and Light Green. The CMF Headphones Pro are launching globally, with the India release expected before the end of 2025. The company also highlights their long battery life on a single charge and support for hi-res audio codecs. The headphones come with three main controls for a better listening experience. The Energy Slider lets you adjust bass and treble directly, while the Precision Roller makes volume control quick and precise. Adding further, there’s a customisation button that gives you extra control over sound settings, allowing you to fine-tune audio to your preference. The CMF Headphones Pro, with its stylish design, clear sound, and long battery life, could become a big hit in India’s headphone market. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source The Headphones Pro use Bluetooth 5.4 and are compatible with Android (Google Fast Pair), iOS, and Windows (Microsoft Swift Pair). Users can personalise settings through the Nothing X app. CMF Headphone Pro Features The CMF Headphones Pro mark the brand’s first over-ear headphones, featuring a unique and customisable design. They are powered by custom-tuned 40mm drivers that deliver clearer sound with less distortion, and also support LDAC and Hi-Res Audio for a premium listening experience. To enhance audio further, the headphones include adaptive active noise cancellation (ANC). A major highlight is their impressive 100-hour battery life without ANC, which reduces to around 50 hours when ANC is on. They also support USB Type-C charging directly from smartphones. For added control, users get a bass slider to adjust sound levels, quick access to spatial audio, and more customisation options through the Nothing X app. (Also Read: CMF Headphone Pro Launched With 100-Hour Battery Life; Check Features And Price In India, US, Uk And Europe) CMF Headphone Pro Price In India, US, Uk And Europe The CMF Headphones Pro are priced at $99 (around Rs 8,700) in the US, EUR 99 (around Rs 10,000) in Europe, and GBP 79 (around Rs 9,400) in the UK. However, Nothing has not yet revealed the price or launch date for India. 

Samsung S25 Ultra Offline Scam: In today’s fast-paced technological world, we are all careful about online scams, double-checking links and offers before buying anything. But while we focus on digital threats, many people forget that scams can happen in physical stores too, even in trusted places like Vijay Sales. These offline scams can include hidden fees, misleading promotions, or tricky sales tactics that catch shoppers by surprise. Being aware of both online and offline scams is important. By staying alert and informed, you can protect your hard-earned money and shop safely, whether online or in-store.   Vijay Sales Response  Add Zee News as a Preferred Source However, Vijay Sales has responded to the viral video and the claims made by the user. In a recent Instagram video, the buyer revealed that he revisited a Vijay Sales store to purchase a new phone. He admitted that he was scammed, as shown in the clip. Once the matter came to light, Vijay Sales provided him with an original Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, resolving the issue.    Samsung S25 Ultra Offline Scam Exposed In Video In a recent YouTube Shorts video, a person visited Vijay Sales to buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. He completed all the purchase formalities, but while unboxing the phone, he found tiles inside the box instead. Luckily, he was filming the entire incident, which helped expose the offline scam. This shocking discovery has raised many questions about the practices of offline stores and highlighted the need for customers to stay vigilant, even when shopping at trusted retail outlets like Vijay Sales. However, Zee News has not independently verified the video and does not vouch for its authenticity.   Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Specifications The phone comes with a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, offering a sharp resolution of 1,400 x 3,120 pixels, a variable refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz, and peak brightness of 2,600 nits. It is powered by Samsung’s custom Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy SoC and includes a 5,000mAh battery with 45W wired charging, 15W fast wireless charging, and Wireless PowerShare support. The phone sports a quad-camera setup with a 200MP primary camera featuring 2x in-sensor zoom and OIS, a 50MP ultrawide with 120° field of view, a 50MP 5x telephoto with OIS, and a 10MP 3x telephoto with OIS, supporting up to UHD 8K video at 30fps. For selfies, there’s a 12MP front camera. With a 40% larger vapor cooling chamber and Android 15-based One UI 7, the S25 Ultra promises seven years of major OS and security updates. (Also Read: Zoho Arattai: India’s ‘Swadeshi’ Chat App Tops App Stores—Can It Really Challenge WhatsApp? Check Features) Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Price And Colour Options The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is available in 256GB and 512GB variants, priced at Rs 1,29,999 and Rs 1,41,999, respectively. The premium smartphone is offered in Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Grey, Titanium Whitesilver, and Titanium Black finishes. The top-end 1TB version is priced at Rs 1,65,999 and is offered exclusively in the Titanium Silverblue colour. 

Google Gemini AI App: Google has rolled out Gemini AI integration to the Google Drive app on both Android and iOS. The feature allows users to generate summaries of a single file, an entire folder, or even multiple documents at once. This eliminates the need to open files individually, making it especially useful for students, professionals, and casual users alike. With this deeper Gemini AI integration across Google Workspace, interacting with PDFs, Google Forms, and other documents becomes far more seamless and efficient. How To Use Gemini AI On Mobile Device? Add Zee News as a Preferred Source Step 1: Open the Drive app and navigate to a folder — you’ll see the Gemini option at the top-right corner for folder-related queries. Step 2: Open any document in Drive — inside the document viewer, a Gemini option will appear to summarise or interact with the file. Step 3: Tap the overflow menu (three dots) while viewing a file or folder — Gemini actions like summarise, explain, or extract will be listed there. Step 4: While reading a file, look at the bottom of the screen for a “Summarise this file” button and tap to get a quick summary. Step 5: To get a combined summary, select multiple files in a folder and then use the Gemini option at the top-right to summarise them together. Google Gemini AI App: Who Can Use It? Google offers its AI features through various subscription tiers, including AI Pro and AI Ultra. These are available across Business Standard and Business Plus plans, Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus plans, as well as a dedicated Google AI Pro plan for Education. (Also Read: Viral Video: Man Goes To Vijay Sales To Buy Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Worth Rs 1.29 Lakhs; Finds Tile Inside During Unboxing) Gemini AI In Google Forms Gemini can now analyze short-answer and paragraph responses in Google Forms, delivering instant summaries that emphasize key themes. The AI takes into account the form’s title, description, and responses to uncover patterns and provide actionable insights. Adding further, Google is also improving Slides and Vids with its Nano Banana AI image editing tool. You can turn a casual photo into a professional-looking image or change a boring background to something creative, like a starry night. 

Vivo V60e India Launch: Vivo is set to launch a new smartphone, the Vivo V60e 5G, in the Indian market. The much-anticipated device will join the existing Vivo V60 series in the country. It is confirmed to debut an India-exclusive photography feature called AI Festival Portrait. According to a microsite on Vivo India’s website, the phone will be available in two color options: Elite Purple and Noble Gold. Vivo has also confirmed that the V60e will receive three Android OS upgrades and five years of security updates. The phone will run on Android 15-based Funtouch OS 15 and is expected to feature a quad-curved display with minimal bezels and a hole-punch selfie camera. The chipset details have not been revealed yet. The Vivo V60e is confirmed to include several AI features, including AI Captions, which can transcribe, translate, and summarize meetings in real time. The phone will also support Gemini. Adding further, it may introduce AI Festival Portrait, adding warmth, glow, and festive lights to photos. Like the Vivo V60, the upcoming handset is confirmed to come with AI Four Season Portrait and Image Expander features. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source Vivo V60e Specifications (Expected) The smartphone is expected to be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset, paired with up to 12GB of RAM. It may pack a 6500mAh battery with 90W wired charging and feature an OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth performance and long-lasting usage. On the photography front, the phone is rumored to have a dual rear setup with a 200MP primary camera with OIS and 30x zoom, alongside an 8MP ultra-wide lens. The smartphone may come with IP68 and IP69 dust and water resistance ratings and Diamond Shield Glass for extra protection. For selfies, the device is expected to sport a 50MP front camera with a 92-degree field of view. Vivo V60e Price In India And Launch Date (Leaked) According to some media reports, the screenshots from Flipkart suggest three storage options for the device: 8GB RAM + 128GB, 8GB RAM + 256GB, and 12GB RAM + 256GB. The leaked prices are Rs 28,749, Rs 30,749, and Rs 32,749, respectively. While these seem reasonable for a mid-range phone, official pricing will be confirmed once the company makes an announcement. Adding further, the Vivo V60e 5G may debut in India on 7 October 2025.  

Online eSIM Activation In India: BSNL has joined private telecom companies like Airtel, Jio, and Vi by offering eSIM services in some areas. An eSIM works like a regular SIM card but gives better network connectivity on devices like iPhones, Google Pixels, and Samsung Galaxy S series. In India, more people are switching from physical SIM cards to eSIMs, and major providers—Airtel, Jio, Vi, and BSNL are now offering this service in select regions. eSIM Benefits Unlike traditional physical SIM cards, eSIMs are built into devices, so they cannot wear out, get lost, or be physically damaged. They allow users to store multiple mobile numbers on a single device, making it easier to manage personal and work contacts without using several SIM cards. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source Adding further, the eSIMs also make it simple to switch networks, as new plans can be activated digitally. However, users need to be careful because deleting an eSIM by mistake will immediately disconnect the network. It is important to handle eSIM settings carefully to avoid losing connectivity. How To Apply For An eSIM With BSNL, Airtel, Vi And Jio The process to request an eSIM differs slightly depending on your service provider. For Jio users, you can request an eSIM either through the MyJio app or by visiting the nearest Jio store. Airtel and Vi users can apply using their respective official apps, or alternatively, by sending an SMS to 121 or 199 (depending on your carrier) with the text “eSIM.” (Also Read: BSNL Rolls Out Low-Cost Plan Offering 330 Days of Validity With Unlimited Calling And 495 GB Data; Check Other Affordable Prepaid Plans) BSNL users, however, need to visit the nearest customer service center to apply and complete the KYC process, which requires presenting your Aadhaar card. How To Activate Your eSIM Step 1: Ensure your eSIM request has been successfully submitted through your carrier. Step 2: Check your registered email to receive the eSIM QR code from your service provider. Step 3: On your phone, go to Settings and navigate to Mobile Networks, Cellular, or SIM Services. Step 4: Select the option Add eSIM or Download eSIM to start the activation process. Step 5: Choose Use QR Code and scan the QR code received via email. Step 6: Complete the process by responding to the IVR call from your carrier to confirm and activate your eSIM. What Happens After eSIM Activation It is important to note that once your eSIM is successfully activated, your physical SIM will be automatically deactivated, and all network services will transfer to the eSIM. In accordance with TRAI regulations, SMS services will be temporarily unavailable for the first 24 hours to prevent SIM-swap fraud. This measure safeguards your mobile number and personal information.

Meta Playbook Festive Season: As India enters the peak festive shopping season, Meta has launched ‘The 2025 Meta Digital Utsav’, a Festive Playbook designed to guide brands and marketers with strategies to build campaigns that connect with consumers and deliver business impact. Drawing insights from a new Meta-commissioned study by IPSOS, the Playbook explores how consumer behaviour is evolving during the biggest shopping moment of the year, as it brings together culture, commerce, and community at scale. Revealing how Indian consumers are turning to AI-powered tools, short-form video, and trusted creators to guide their purchase decisions, the playbook provides insights that empower brands and marketers to capture this opportunity. The Playbook also highlights that the Indian festive season is long – starting in July-August and concluding with New Year’s Eve. This implies that brands have multiple opportunities to connect with their consumers beyond Diwali. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source As online and offline channels continue to converge, the study highlights that Meta’s influence on purchases has been higher than traditional mediums, with its platforms driving 65% of festive season shopping engagement across discovery (49%), evaluation (44%), and purchase (39%). The study also shows that personalized content is a game-changer for festival shoppers—77% say a personalised ad on Meta platforms inspired their purchase. Reels and Creators Lead the Way This festive season, Reels and creators aren’t just shaping shopping habits – they’re redefining how consumers discover, evaluate, and choose what to buy. For brands, partnering with trusted creators and leveraging engaging formats like Reels is now essential to connect with today’s festive shoppers. A new wave of festive shopping is here, powered by the dynamic influence of Reels and creators on Meta platforms. Reels: The Go-To for Fashion and Festive Finds: Shoppers are turning to Reels as their top choice for discovering the latest trends, exclusive offers, and gift ideas. In categories such as apparel and fashion, Reels have emerged as the most engaging and influential format, making it easier for consumers to stay updated and make informed purchases. Creators: The New Standard for Trust and Influence: The role of creators has never been more pivotal. Nearly half of festive shoppers now follow influencers or creators, and two-thirds say brands that collaborate with credible creators earn their trust. Creator-driven content is helping shoppers uncover the best deals, with over 30% relying on creator reviews and buying guides to make confident decisions. New Trends Driving Festive Shopping India’s festive shopping landscape is undergoing a dramatic transformation, driven by cutting-edge technology and evolving consumer preferences. From AI-powered inspiration to instant messaging and rapid delivery, festive shopping is smarter, faster, and more interactive than ever. Generative AI Takes Center Stage: Over 80% of Indian festive shoppers harnessed Generative AI to spark gift ideas and discover inspiration, making AI a game-changer in how people plan and shop for the season. Smartphones, the Ubiquitous Shopping Companion: With 9 out of 10 consumers using smartphones for purchases, mobile devices have become the backbone of the festive shopping journey. The Influencer of Fashion and Festive Choices: Reels have emerged as the most influential format, especially in apparel and fashion, captivating shoppers with engaging content and driving purchase decisions. The Heart of Festive Conversations: Convenience and personal interaction are key, with 78% of festive shopping conversations happening on Meta platforms, particularly WhatsApp, highlighting the growing demand for direct, real-time engagement. Quick Commerce Transforming Shopping Landscape: Timely delivery and product quality remain top priorities, with 45% of shoppers turning to Quick Commerce apps for their festival purchases. Usage peaks among the 25-34 age group, where 56% rely on these platforms for a seamless shopping experience. Spotlight on Key Shopper Segments The playbook highlights distinct patterns among certain consumer groups, each bringing unique behaviours and preferences that are shaping how brands must think about engagement this year. Gen Z Shops Smart, Hunting for Deals: Young shoppers (18-24 years) leaned on Meta apps during the festive season, showing higher price sensitivity and placing greater value on discounts, offers, and promo codes. Tier 2/3 Cities Blend Habits: While still favouring in-person shopping and physical payments, 63% of festive shoppers from Tier 2/3 cities used local e-commerce platforms, underscoring the hybrid nature of their shopping journey. Mothers Lead on Mobile and Messaging: 44% of respondents who are mothers made festive purchases on Meta’s platforms. They were also more likely than average to message businesses and shop via mobile. (Also Read: Apple iPhone 17 Air And 17 Models See Strong Sales In India As Consumer Demand Surges) What Does This Mean for Brands? The data underscores that India’s festive season is no longer defined by shopping alone; it has transformed into a time of connected, personalised, and tech-enabled experiences. For brands, this translates into: Driving high-impact festive offers by showcasing percentage-off sales, exclusive bundles, flash deals, and even partner-led benefits like bank/EMI offers to strengthen perceived value. Maximizing digital discovery and engagement with dynamic product catalogs, shoppable ads, and curated showcases such as online lookbooks or guides that make product exploration seamless. Amplifying brand storytelling in ads by using authentic, narrative-led content whether highlighting craftsmanship, values, or festive sentiment, to build trust and loyalty.  Building deeper festive connections by combining interactive formats such as Reels, Stories, and Live shopping with traditional festive aesthetics, colour palettes, and seasonal sound design.

New Delhi: India’s approach to adopting AI in financial services aligns with the broader goal of leveraging technology for inclusive economic development, and the country’s unique digital public infrastructure lays a foundation for AI integration, aiming to democratise financial access at an unprecedented scale, according to the Finance Ministry’s monthly review released on Friday. The RBI’s FREE-AI Framework is designed to foster innovation while ensuring robust risk management, highlighting that these two elements are complementary forces that should be pursued together. The framework also supports the India AI Mission, enhancing national AI capabilities, and aligns with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, ensuring consistency in data governance, the review states. Based on detailed surveys, the RBI found that AI adoption in Indian finance is still in its early stages, with only 21 per cent of surveyed banks and financial institutions implementing or developing AI solutions. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source Adoption is concentrated among larger banks, while smaller urban cooperative banks and many NBFCs face resource constraints, including inadequate data infrastructure, limited skilled talent, and insufficient IT budgets, which hinder AI deployment. Additionally, even among early adopters, the use of AI applications remains basic, often focused on improving process efficiency, customer interactions (like simple chatbots), lead generation, and internal decision support rather than engaging in complex autonomous decision-making. Guided by these principles, the RBI’s FREE AI outlines six strategic pillars for implementing its vision effectively. Under the Innovation Enablement Framework, the focus is on infrastructure, policy, and capacity building. This includes developing shared data and technology infrastructure to democratise AI access (for example, data lakes or plug-and-play ‘landing zones’ platforms that smaller firms can leverage), crafting agile policies and establishing regulatory sandboxes for safe and controlled experimentation, along with addressing the AI skill gap. The Risk Mitigation Framework focuses on governance, protection, and assurance to create transparent governance structures (like board oversight and ethics committees), implement robust protective measures for privacy and security, and mandate ongoing monitoring and validation of AI systems to ensure reliability, the review added.

Gen Z Smartphone In India: Smartphones today are much more than just tools for calling or texting. They work like personal assistants, entertainment devices, and even mini studios for creating photos and videos. For India’s Gen Z, smartphones play a crucial role in daily life. Features like AI-powered cameras that make every picture look better and smart batteries that adjust to gaming or streaming habits are designed to match their fast and busy lifestyle. Gen Z wants modern features but at affordable prices, so brands are working hard to provide both quality and value. Companies are also adding stronger security, stylish designs, and better displays. With tough competition in the market, smartphone makers are focusing on building devices that are not only useful but also smart partners in everyday life.   In the email interaction, Arijeet Talapatra, CEO of TECNO India, shares his insights on how brands are combining premium features with fair pricing for Gen Z, keeping designs trendy, and using AI to make smartphones smarter and more engaging. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source AI In Core Smartphone Features AI today isn’t just an add-on—it’s the invisible engine making smartphones smarter. For cameras, it adjusts lighting, colors, and even skin tones in real time so that young users can simply click and share without worrying about edits. On the battery side, AI learns daily habits—like when you game, stream, or multitask—and allocates power accordingly. This means longer usage without compromising performance. AI also strengthens phone security by making face and fingerprint recognition harder to trick and by adding smart features like spam call detection and automatic data masking. For a generation that values both self-expression and privacy, these features make smartphones more reliable and secure. In short, AI is helping phones become smarter, enabling cameras to think, batteries to learn, and security to work quietly in the background. Balancing Pricing With Premium Features Gen Z wants premium, but they also want value. Brands can achieve this by forming strong partnerships with chipset and camera makers, using local manufacturing to bring down costs, and tailoring product lines to specific needs—be it gaming, photography, or productivity. In fact, Gen Z contributed to about 44% of India’s smartphone sales in 2024, making them a decisive force in shaping the market. They are aspirational, tech-savvy, but also highly cost-conscious. For them, the challenge for brands is clear: deliver premium experiences at accessible prices. This balance can be achieved through three levers: Building strong partnerships with chipset makers, camera sensor firms, and AI pioneers to unlock access to next-gen technology at scale. Leveraging local manufacturing and efficient scaling to reduce duties and logistics expenses. Diversifying product lines to tailor models to specific requirements, such as gaming, photography, or AI productivity tools. At its core, the key is finding the right balance between efficiency and focus—forming strong partnerships, scaling smartly, and designing with intention to deliver innovation to a generation seeking more value for their money. AI-Powered Smartphone Cameras Most young Indians are into creating videos and content daily, and AI cameras now do the heavy lifting—adjusting light, color, and skin tones in real time so photos are instantly social-ready. Video stabilization, portrait modes, and night shots feel professional without extra effort. With 89% of Indian buyers ranking camera quality as a top priority, expectations have grown beyond basic functionality. Even budget smartphone users now look for advanced features like night mode, portrait effects, and AI-powered enhancements. (Also Read: Perplexity Rolls Out Comet AI Browser And Email Assistant In India For Windows and Mac Users- Details) To meet these evolving needs, AI-powered cameras now include real-time scene detection, lighting and color optimization, skin tone enhancement, and automatic exposure adjustments. Features like backdrop removal, generative expansion, and voice-guided filters allow creators to fine-tune content before sharing. Real-time video stabilization and night composite mode deliver results comparable to professional setups. In essence, AI supports the fast-paced, content-driven lifestyles of Gen Z by enabling instant capture, edit, and upload workflows. AI-Driven Advancements In Battery Efficiency Battery life is now as crucial as performance, especially for gamers and content creators who push their devices to the limit. In India, users spend an average of five hours a day on smartphones, nearly 70% of which goes to social media, gaming, and video streaming. AI-powered systems automatically allocate power based on usage patterns, reducing background energy consumption while maintaining peak performance for demanding tasks like video editing or gaming. Adaptive refresh rates, powered by AI, shift between low Hz for simple tasks and higher Hz for smoother gameplay—saving power without sacrificing experience. Similarly, AI-driven “smart charging” algorithms avoid overcharging and heat buildup, gradually improving battery lifespan. Together, these advancements ensure that even heavy users can enjoy uninterrupted experiences without constantly reaching for a charger. Smartphone Security and Privacy The smartphone industry is making major improvements to address privacy concerns, especially for younger users. Companies are adding advanced biometric authentication methods, such as AI-enhanced facial recognition and in-display fingerprint sensors, to make access both easy and secure. Machine learning now detects spoofing attempts, ensuring that systems distinguish real users from unauthorized ones. Data security is also evolving—organizations increasingly process information on-device, storing biometric data in secure hardware enclaves to minimize breach risks. Privacy-by-design approaches empower users to control their own data. On top of this, AI-driven threat detection systems spot and mitigate risks in real time, boosting user confidence. Together, these advancements show the industry’s commitment to balancing security with seamless usability. Balancing Design, Display, and Functionality Smartphone makers are now blending sleek, aesthetic design with high-performance features to meet Gen Z’s expectations. Beyond premium materials and bold colors, slim and curved builds improve both style and comfort. High refresh rate displays (120Hz–144Hz) are becoming standard, offering smoother scrolling and better responsiveness. To maintain energy efficiency, manufacturers are integrating adaptive brightness and LTPO AMOLED panels, which dynamically adjust refresh rates from as low as 1Hz