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WhatsApp Is Available For iPad And Instagram Could Be Next To Launch This Year

WhatsApp Is Available For iPad And Instagram Could Be Next To Launch This Year

News182 days ago

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Instagram for iPad has never launched but with the WhatsApp version introduced we could see Meta add more platforms for its products.
WhatsApp for iPad has been pipedream for years which Meta finally made it happen by launching the messaging app for the Apple device. You will find it hard to believe but iPad made its debut back in 2010 and for 15 years, and we never got a full-fledged iPad app for Instagram.
That history has been written in 2025 and it seems Meta has got another major development coming through later this year. Instagram is likely to be the next Meta app to make its way on iPad and reports suggest that could happen in the coming months.
The employees at Meta are internally testing the app and it seems the official roll out is not far away unless they notice some major issues with the platform for the iPad.
About Time
It is not like Meta does not value the iPad as a popular device. You've had Facebook (before Meta was formed) since 2011 and since then Apple has sold millions of iPads, making it one of the most popular products in its segment.
So, why has WhatsApp and Instagram missed out on being on this device? Over the years, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri has been quizzed about their puzzling absence from the iPad, and most of his reasons have never made any sense. In an interview earlier, Mosseri pointed out that the iPad community (of users) is not big enough for the company to make it a priority to work on a dedicated iPad app.
First Published:
June 03, 2025, 11:42 IST

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Nintendo's Switch 2 goes on sale as the hybrid game console looks at a blockbuster opening
Nintendo's Switch 2 goes on sale as the hybrid game console looks at a blockbuster opening

Indian Express

time41 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

Nintendo's Switch 2 goes on sale as the hybrid game console looks at a blockbuster opening

Nintendo aims to recreate what Apple was once known for — long lines at retail stores on launch day for the iPhone. While that kind of momentum hasn't been seen for a tech product in years, the Switch 2 could take its place as it goes on sale worldwide Thursday. However, there's no guarantee that consumers will walk away with a Switch 2 in hand, Nintendo's first new console in eight years — and the successor to the smash hit Switch — which remains in tight supply amid strong pre-orders in the company's biggest markets, including the US. 'Consumers should be aware that availability will be extremely limited worldwide, at least over the next few weeks or even months. If you can find a Switch, buy it immediately, as prices might go up in the future due to the volatile situation with US tariffs,' Serkan Toto, CEO of Tokyo-based consultancy Kantan Games, told The Switch 2 debuts at a critical time for Nintendo, as its next-generation game console is vital to both the company's business and the overall health of the video game console market. The video game industry experienced a boom during the COVID-19 pandemic, with people stuck at home and companies like Nintendo seeing dizzying success with the original Switch. But now, as life returns to normal, there's pressure on Nintendo to make its new console a hit with consumers. What may be Nintendo's biggest advantage is the loyal fan base it has built over the past few years, especially in the US, thanks to the unprecedented success of the Switch, which has sold 150 million units worldwide since its launch in 2017. That success has made the Kyoto-based company cash-rich, with the Switch alone generating $100 billion in sales for one of the world's oldest and most respected video game companies. During the Switch era, Nintendo also expanded into new business areas, including theme parks, movies, and subscription-based services, transforming itself into an entertainment empire. This strategic shift moves the company beyond the traditional gaming segment, and into territory more commonly associated with Disney. Nintendo is launching the Switch 2 in the middle of the year, rather than during the fall season when most major tech launches typically occur. The company chose a summer release to capitalise on the time when kids are out of school. This underscores the importance of kids and families to a product like the Switch 2. Nintendo has traditionally marketed its games to appeal to a broad user base, especially casual gamers. That formula has worked well, setting Nintendo apart from its biggest competitors, Sony and Microsoft, which cater more heavily to core and hardcore gaming audiences. As Nintendo enters a new generation with the Switch 2, it has made bold decisions that could shape the company's future. The Switch 2 doesn't look dramatically different from its predecessor — it's still a hybrid system with a built-in screen and a TV dock, allowing players to 'switch' between handheld and home console modes. This continuity is notable, given Nintendo's history of experimenting with radically different console designs each generation. In that sense, the Switch 2 marks a departure from the company's traditional approach to hardware innovation. The Switch 2 is also more powerful, featuring a modern custom processor developed by Nvidia that supports AI processing. The device sports an 8-inch screen and delivers a sharper 1080p resolution, while the dock supports up to 4K output on compatible TVs. The detachable Joy-Con controllers return, now with changes in both size and functionality. A standout feature is the built-in optical sensor, which allows the controller to function like a computer mouse when placed on a table or lap — ideal for games like Fortnite and Metroid. For investors, the success of the Switch has benefited Nintendo, not only by strengthening its cash reserves, but also by proving the company's ability to deliver a hit product that resonates with the masses. The Switch has generated a steady stream of income through game sales and services. In many ways, it functions more as a platform, much like the iPhone does for Apple. This may be one reason why Nintendo has taken a more cautious approach with the Switch 2. This strategy is evident in Mario Kart World, a launch title for the Switch 2, where Nintendo is clearly betting on the success of a proven franchise. The previous instalment, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, sold over 68 million copies on the original Switch. 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What next for Apple's AI, OpenAI's funding impetus, and an impressive Noise Tag 1
What next for Apple's AI, OpenAI's funding impetus, and an impressive Noise Tag 1

Hindustan Times

time2 hours ago

  • Hindustan Times

What next for Apple's AI, OpenAI's funding impetus, and an impressive Noise Tag 1

The annual Apple WWDC keynote is next week. You may have heard the rumours about significant redesign and naming scheme changes for iOS, iPadOS and so on. My hunch goes beyond the clickbait and 140 character attention spans. Apple, trying to overcome a deficit that's still increasing every week (the upgraded Siri remains delayed), will reconfigure its Apple Intelligence plans. As consumers, you and I may only see the changes on the interface layer, but my belief is, there's more to that story. I don't foresee any AI company acquisitions, but more on the lines of exclusivity driven core partnerships. There are three names that, I feel, might play a big role. Perplexity, which already has deals in place with Samsung and Motorola to integrate their AI in upcoming phones, could have something to offer Apple as well. It will certainly be more than just a search plug-in, if that partnership has to fructify. Could that means Perplexity's agentic browser plans, intersect with Safari, for instance? Very much a chance of that happening. Case in point, Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of services saying during the Google antitrust trial that, 'We've been pretty impressed with what Perplexity has done, so we've started some discussions with them about what they're doing.' Secondly, Google itself stands to lose a little if Samsung (being by far the largest Android phone OEM) reduces reliance on Gemini which itself has received significant updates recently, with the Perplexity partnership. The ideal recourse would be to find a way to give Gemini a home on the iPhone, beyond the app. Not to be forgotten, is Apple and Google's search partnership. And to that point, it has been noted in the recent antitrust trial that traditional searches are reducing, for the first time, via Safari. 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The Apple AirTag has, irrespective of whatever competition may claim, has remained the most accurate tracker for all things easy to forget and for tracking luggage during your travels. The universal applicability is such, you've to really hide this in your luggage, because thieves know what to search for, and throw it into the nearest bin (or canal). Many have made an Apple AirTag rival in recent years, but none have had the sort of accuracy or consistency. Noise, a company that I've often noted is on a premiumisation trajectory, recently sent something called the Tag 1 Smart Tracker. Priced at ₹1,499 at this time, it's available in Charcoal, Midnight and Ivory colours. It is compatible with Apple Find My network on the iPhone and the Android Find My Device service for Android devices. I was able to seamlessly set up both. In the Find My app on an iPhone, for instance, the Noise Tag 1 shows up just as an AirTag would. 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Apple loses bid to pause app store reform order in Epic Games case
Apple loses bid to pause app store reform order in Epic Games case

Hindustan Times

time4 hours ago

  • Hindustan Times

Apple loses bid to pause app store reform order in Epic Games case

Apple has failed to persuade a US appeals court to pause key parts of a federal judge's order requiring the iPhone maker to immediately open its lucrative App Store to more competition. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday rejected Apple's request to put the provisions on hold as the tech company appeals the judge's order, which came in a long-running antitrust lawsuit brought by 'Fortnite' maker Epic Games. US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in April found Apple in contempt of an earlier injunction order she issued in the Epic Games case. Apple in a statement said it was "disappointed with the decision not to stay the district court's order, and we'll continue to argue our case during the appeals process." Epic did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The judge on April 30 ordered Apple to end several practices that she said were designed to circumvent the injunction, including a new 27% fee Apple imposed on app developers when its customers complete an app purchase outside the App Store. The court also prohibited Apple from restricting where developers place links to make purchases outside of an app. In its emergency appeal, Apple said the ruling blocked the company from "exercising control over core aspects of its business operations" and forced it to give free access to its services. Epic Games countered that Apple was trying to continue evading competition and collecting fees that the judge had barred. Apple has faced a "surge of genuine competition" since Gonzalez Rogers issued her April injunction, as developers updated apps with "better payment methods, better deals, and better consumer choice," Epic said. Epic Games sued Apple in 2020 to loosen its control over transactions in applications that use its iOS operating system and how apps are distributed to consumers. Apple mostly won the case, but Gonzalez Rogers in 2021 said Apple must allow developers to more easily steer consumers to potentially cheaper non-Apple payment options. Apple defied that court order to maintain a revenue stream worth billions of dollars, Gonzalez Rogers wrote in April. She also said Apple had misled the court about its efforts to comply with her injunction and referred the company and one of its executives to federal prosecutors for a possible criminal contempt investigation.

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