Apple challenges 'unreasonable' EU order to open up to rivals
HighlightsApple has filed a legal challenge against the European Union's order to open its closed ecosystem to competitors, claiming the demands are unreasonable and could hinder innovation. The European Commission's Digital Markets Act requires Apple to provide rival manufacturers access to its technology and mobile operating system for interoperability with devices like iPhones and iPads. Apple argues that the interoperability requirements pose significant privacy and security risks for European users by potentially exposing sensitive data to competing companies.
Apple
has submitted a legal challenge to an EU order to open up its closed ecosystem to rivals such as Meta and Alphabet's Google, saying the demands are unreasonable and hamper innovation.
The European Commission had in March detailed how Apple must comply with the Digital Markets Act, which aims to rein in the power of Big Tech.
Apple said the EU's
interoperability requirements
create "a process that is unreasonable, costly, and stifles innovation".
"These requirements will also hand data-hungry companies sensitive information, which poses massive privacy and security risks to our EU users," it said in a statement.
"These deeply flawed rules that only target Apple - and no other company - will severely limit our ability to deliver innovative products and features to Europe, leading to an inferior user experience for our European customers."
Meta, Google, Spotify and Garmin are among companies that have requested
access to Apple users' data
.
The legal fight will likely take years to play out in court. Until then, Apple will have to comply with the EU order.
The Commission ordered Apple to give rival makers of smartphones, headphones and virtual reality headsets access to its technology and mobile operating system so they can connect with Apple's iPhones and iPad tablets.
It also set out a detailed process and timeline for Apple to respond to interoperability requests from app developers.
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Indian Express
35 minutes ago
- Indian Express
OnePlus 13s review: A compact flagship for modern times
'What is a compact phone?' I have been asking everyone, at least within my tech circle, for the past three to four years. I haven't received a single consistent answer, as different people have different ways of defining what a compact smartphone is. In fact, as phones have grown larger over time, the definition of a compact phone has evolved. A 6.3-inch smartphone, which was once considered quite large, is now seen as compact in a time when phones featuring 6.9-inch screens have become the norm. However, one common answer was that compact phones tend to have limited battery life and compromised specs. So when I first heard that OnePlus was launching the 13s — its first compact phone — it made me both nervous and excited. The brand, known for its high-performance smartphones, is venturing into a segment that isn't clearly defined. There are 'small' phones on the market, but there's no benchmark device that truly redefined the category. Apple did try to make compact phones and even introduced a 'Mini' line, but that's now discontinued. This leaves OnePlus among a handful of players offering a flagship-grade compact phone. While some may say a 6.3-inch smartphone doesn't fit in the category of 'small' phone, I get that. A 6.32-inch OnePlus 13s is smaller compared to the OnePlus 13 and 13R, with 6.8-inch screens. It also has a 5850 mAH battery, perhaps the biggest battery size I have seen on a mainstream ''small'' phone. I will leave it to you to decide whether the OnePlus 13s qualifies as a compact smartphone, but I do believe it might start a new conversation around compact flagships — a category still searching for its hero device. I have had the OnePlus 13s for a few days now, and here's what I liked about it, and what I didn't. What: OnePlus 13s | Price: TBA I recently switched from a 6.9-inch smartphone to the OnePlus 13s, and there's a stark difference in how the two phones feel in the hand. Whenever I pick up the OnePlus 13s, there's a joy in using a smaller phone. Maybe it's because I used the iPhone 13 mini for the longest time, and I am familiar with the comfort that comes with compact devices. The physical dimensions of the OnePlus 13s — 8.15 mm thin and 185 gram — make it easy to use one-handed and slip into any pocket, even my tightly fitted Levi's jeans. Made of aluminum, the phone is lightweight, which not only makes one-handed use easier but also makes it convenient to carry in light clothing, like shorts, during my morning walks. The phone that comes closest to the OnePlus 13s in size is the iPhone 16 Pro, but that device feels heavier at 199 gram. I won't say the OnePlus 13s is as small and light as the iPhone 13 mini (which had a 5.4-inch screen), but I really like its size and fit. The phone has a rounded design, and while it initially felt a bit chunky to me, that feeling went away once I started using it. It has a premium build, a glass back, and feels great in the hand. I can reach almost everything on-screen, which makes it a joy to use, especially when I'm standing in crowded places like the Delhi Metro. I also liked the new camera design on the back of the OnePlus 13s. It's no longer circular, and now features a squircle-shaped camera housing positioned asymmetrically. There are three colours to choose from, and OnePlus sent me the green variant (marketed as Green Silk) to try, which is exclusive to India. I have been using the OnePlus 13s for several days now, and the phone has a distinct OnePlus look, noticeably different from the OnePlus 13. The display, as you know by now, features a 6.32-inch screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1600 nits. The screen doesn't feel cramped, and I was able to do most of the things I normally do on any other smartphone, including writing a quick copy using Google Docs. While the 6.32-inch screen may seem compact to some, it's fairly bright and sharp. However, it's not quite on the same level as the OnePlus 13, which has a QHD+ display, whereas the OnePlus 13s uses an FHD+ screen. The phone also has stereo speakers, which are loud and clear, and both facial recognition and fingerprint biometric security work well. One of the things I love about OnePlus devices is that they come with zero bloatware on the version of Android 15 that the 13s runs. There are no third-party pre-installed apps that nobody uses, no cluttered pages of unnecessary software, and no faff as a result. This makes the OnePlus 13s one of the few devices that offer a near-pure Android experience, arguably the closest you can get outside of a Google Pixel. In terms of performance, the OnePlus 13s is essentially a OnePlus 13 in a smaller body. It features the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 'Elite' chip, along with fast 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB/512GB of UFS 4.0 storage. In other words, it's one of the most powerful compact phones on the market. In real-world use, you won't necessarily notice that the OnePlus 13s is any different from other flagships using the same chipset, but it feels perfectly smooth and speedy. All that power should help it stay that way for years to come. The OnePlus 13s is a reminder that bigger battery cells can be fitted into compact smartphones. With a 5850m Ah battery capacity (and support for 80W wired charging), it is very impressive and represents a significant upgrade for anyone moving from an older smartphone. In my testing, the battery lasted one and a half days even after heavy usage. This leads me to believe that the OnePlus 13's battery is as good as those found in large-screen smartphones. I have been feeling overwhelmed by the sheer flood of AI features on smartphones lately. Honestly, there's just too much of it, and not every AI feature stands out. The OnePlus AI is no exception. There's far too much to cover here, but I did find some of it genuinely useful. One feature I liked is Plus Mind, which essentially allows users to easily save information to a dedicated 'Mind Space' instead of manually logging important dates or appointments. Schedules, reservations, event details, and other data can be extracted from images or text and then automatically added to your calendar. Later, you can retrieve this information quickly using OnePlus' AI-powered search feature. Perhaps the most intriguing — and the AI feature I used most often — was during grocery shopping. I am not great at recognising the names of certain items, and usually rely on a handwritten list. Now, I just open the OnePlus 13s' camera, tap the dedicated button on the left side of the device (which, by the way, is fully customisable), and let the AI analyse the photo I have taken, say, of a pack of fresh cherries. The system recognises the item and provides a quick summary of what it is. The OnePlus 13s has two lenses on the back: a 50-megapixel wide-angle camera and a 50-megapixel telephoto camera with 2x zoom. While having only two rear lenses isn't very many for a modern smartphone, especially one at this price point, both cameras perform exceptionally well. The results from the primary and telephoto cameras are sharp and colourful, and there's not much to complain about. However, the main camera tends to oversaturate pictures when they are very bright, like in the sample below, where I photographed a colleague's bright, fluorescent green sneakers. The addition of 2x zoom is a nice touch, but image quality deteriorates quite quickly at higher zoom levels. Speaking of video, that can be recorded at up to 4K 60fps, and there's a 32-megapixel selfie camera that does a good job on the front too. The OnePlus 13s is an interesting smartphone, not because it's radically different or trying to upend the market, but because it's a meaningful device that truly makes a difference. The compact design is thoughtful, and the battery life is amazing. Of course, there are plenty of choices if you want a premium flagship smartphone. I recommend anyone with an older iPhone or Android device to consider the OnePlus 13s, especially if you are looking for a compact phone. It could be a great option.
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Business Standard
36 minutes ago
- Business Standard
OnePlus 13s review: Compact flagship phone with smart AI, standout battery
OnePlus has expanded its flagship lineup with the OnePlus 13s, a compact yet powerful smartphone designed to offer much of the same performance and features found in its higher-end sibling, the OnePlus 13. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite and equipped with the company's second-generation AI features, the OnePlus 13s blends premium specifications with a form factor that's easier to handle one-handed. With a few smart hardware decisions and meaningful software upgrades, the device aims to stand out in a crowded premium segment. But does it manage to hit all the right notes? I have been using it as my primary phone, and here's how it stacks up. OnePlus 13s: Design As the most compact model in the OnePlus 13 series, the OnePlus 13s feels comfortably handy. It's neither the lightest nor the thinnest device in its class, but its well-balanced weight distribution ensures your hand doesn't tire out during extended use. Its relatively small footprint also makes it ideal for one-handed operation. Despite the flat-frame design, the slightly rounded edges prevent it from digging into your palm, making it comfortable to hold. The overall form factor is in line with what we've seen from standard models in flagship series by Apple, Google, and Samsung. However, the rear camera module stands out with a distinct design that bears some resemblance to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Like most smartphones with a camera module placed toward one side, the OnePlus 13s tends to wobble when used on a flat surface. That aside, there's little to complain about in terms of the 13s's design and ergonomics. Button placement feels intuitive, and even the new 'Plus Key'—which replaces the iconic Alert Slider—becomes second nature fairly quickly. The only gripe is the position of the under-display fingerprint sensor. It sits too low on the screen, requiring your thumb to stretch more than it ideally should. OnePlus 13s: Display The OnePlus 13s features a 6.32-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2640 x 1216 (fullHD+). Despite the compact size, the screen offers generous viewing space, thanks to its sleek and uniform bezels. The display holds up well across different lighting conditions, delivering up to 800 nits of typical brightness and peaking at 1600 nits in High Brightness Mode (HBM). While it lacks any dedicated anti-reflective coating, viewing angles are excellent, and glare—even under direct light—rarely becomes a hindrance. The 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and a snappy overall UI experience. OxygenOS 15 further enhances this by allowing app-specific refresh rate settings, even letting you push some apps beyond their default limits. Colour reproduction is another strong suit—the screen delivers punchy tones, deep blacks, and vibrant visuals. As with other OnePlus 13 series phones, the 13s includes features like Image Sharpener and Video Color Boost in the settings menu. These enhancements work on select apps and offer noticeable improvements primarily when dealing with low-quality visuals. For content consumption, the display supports Widevine L1 certification, allowing high-definition streaming on platforms like Prime Video. It also includes support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, though these HDR formats do not appear to be supported on Netflix as of now. HDR playback, however, is available on compatible YouTube content. OnePlus 13s: Camera The OnePlus 13s features a dual-camera setup on the back, headlined by a 50MP primary sensor with a 24mm equivalent focal length. Powered by the Sony LYT-700 sensor, the main camera captures detailed, vibrant images in daylight. While the colours lean towards being punchy rather than natural, the tuning strikes a good balance—adding just enough vibrancy without appearing overly saturated. However, this tuning doesn't carry over as well in low-light conditions, where processing tends to boost highlights excessively, often smudging brighter areas and leading to only passable results. The secondary 50MP telephoto camera, which operates at a 49mm equivalent focal length (2x zoom), delivers similar image quality in daylight. It can be pushed up to 4x zoom (approximately 101mm equivalent) and still produce usable results, though low-light performance dips noticeably, with loss of detail and contrast. One thoughtful addition here is the integration of macro capabilities into the telephoto lens—allowing for sharp close-up shots without needing to physically move in too close to the subject. Portrait mode uses the telephoto camera by default, but offers no option to switch focal lengths, which may feel restrictive depending on the framing you want. Edge detection is generally accurate, and the background blur looks natural, though focus occasionally wavers and may require manual correction. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BSTech (@bstechofficial) In terms of video, both rear cameras can record at up to 4K resolution at 60fps, while the front-facing camera supports 4K at 30fps. OnePlus also includes its Ultra Steady stabilisation mode, which works at maximum settings for both rear cameras. However, when using this mode on the front camera, resolution is capped at 1080p. OnePlus 13s: Performance and gaming The OnePlus 13s is powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite found in the flagship OnePlus 13, though it comes capped at 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage. Marketed as a performance-focused device, the OnePlus 13s delivers on that promise. It breezes through everyday tasks like web browsing, multitasking, and media consumption. What's more impressive is its gaming prowess—outperforming most other compact flagships I've used. In demanding titles like Genshin Impact, the 13s maintained smooth and consistent gameplay even on the highest graphics settings, with no visible lag or stutter. Thermal performance is also commendable. Despite extended gaming sessions, the device stayed within a comfortable temperature range, which is notable given its relatively compact size. Beyond raw performance, OnePlus enhances the gaming experience with several thoughtful additions. Features like bypass charging, in-game performance boosts, and a floating Game Control Center provide deeper control. The latter includes advanced GPU tuning options, such as toggling the maximum number of MSAA (Multisample Anti-Aliasing) samples, adjusting Anisotropic Filtering levels, and more—making it a genuinely capable tool for mobile gamers. OnePlus 13s: Software and AI The OnePlus 13s runs on Android 15-based OxygenOS 15, offering a clean and responsive user experience with minimal bloatware or intrusive notifications—just like its siblings in the OnePlus 13 series. The standout feature, however, is the new OnePlus AI suite, which introduces several smart, productivity-oriented tools. A key highlight is AI Plus Mind, which integrates with the new customisable Plus Key. Long-pressing the Plus Key brings up a glowing interface that scans on-screen content and delivers AI-generated summaries, along with actionable suggestions like creating reminders or calendar events. Most of the time, the feature works reliably, saving the content into a dedicated AI Mind Space app as visual notes, and automatically setting up events. While you can edit reminders, the ability to add manual notes to saved content would further enhance its utility. Another standout is the AI Call Assistant, which I found genuinely useful. Integrated into the calling interface, it offers real-time translation (in both text and audio) and call summaries, which are saved into Notes along with the full transcript. Impressively, the feature supports Hindi and works with high accuracy. These capabilities extend to third-party calling apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, though the assistant is labelled AI VoiceScribe in those instances. Additional features include AI Search, which allows natural language queries to find stored files, settings, or notes; a consolidated Translate app offering visual, text, and live voice translation; and an AI Reframe tool in the photo editor. The latter suggests alternative compositions and aspect ratios for images—similar to Google Pixel's Auto Frame. While it works well in most cases, the suggestions can occasionally feel off-target. OnePlus 13s: Battery and charging Battery life is one of the standout features of the OnePlus 13s. Despite its relatively compact form factor, the phone houses a sizable 5,850mAh battery—slightly smaller than what's found on the OnePlus 13, but still impressive given the size. In day-to-day use, the phone comfortably lasts a day and a half with moderate activity that includes social media browsing, web surfing, casual gaming, and occasional video streaming. With more conservative use, it can even stretch to two full days on a single charge. Charging is equally efficient. The OnePlus 13s supports 80W wired charging, and the included charger brings the phone to full power in just over 40 minutes. However, the lack of wireless charging may be a drawback for users who expect it at this price point. Verdict Priced at Rs 59,999 for the 512GB storage variant, the OnePlus 13s stands out as a compact flagship that doesn't compromise on power, endurance, or user experience. It delivers reliable performance courtesy of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen Elite chip, excellent thermal management, and smooth gaming—even rivalling larger premium phones in this regard. The addition of thoughtful AI features like AI Call Assistant make the software feel genuinely helpful rather than gimmicky. Its clean design, vibrant AMOLED display, and strong battery life round out the package nicely. While the absence of wireless charging and a few quirks in the camera's low-light and portrait performance may leave room for refinement, these don't overshadow the phone's overall appeal. If you are looking for a performance-focused, compact flagship with intelligent software features and solid all-round capabilities, the OnePlus 13s makes a compelling case. OnePlus 13s: Watch unboxing
Business Standard
36 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Union Commerce Minister to Lead Indian Business Delegation at India-Italy Growth Forum
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal is on his official visit to Italy. The two-day visit is scheduled for June 4-5, 2025, following the conclusion of his engagements in France focused on advancing India-France economic cooperation. The Italy leg of the visit reaffirms India's commitment to enhancing strategic and economic ties with key European partners and deepening bilateral trade and investment collaboration with Italy. During the visit, the Minister will co-chair the 22nd Session of the India-Italy Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation (JCEC) with H.E. Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy. This engagement takes place in the context of a defining phase in India-Italy bilateral relations, following the launch of the India-Italy Joint Strategic Action Plan (JSAP) 2025-2029. The JSAP is built on ten thematic pillars, with economic cooperation as a core area of focus. The 22nd JCEC session will offer both sides an opportunity to assess progress and identify new avenues for collaboration in high-impact areas such as Industry 4.0, agritech, digitalization, energy transition, sustainable mobility, and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). These deliberations are expected to further strengthen bilateral economic connectivity and foster strategic industrial partnerships. Goyal will also lead a high-level Indian business delegation to the India-Italy Growth Forum in Brescia, a major industrial hub. The Forum will bring together key enterprises and stakeholders from both countries to promote investment, build business-to-business linkages, and explore synergies in sectors aligned with innovation and sustainability.
