Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mark Zuckerberg is angry with Apple, Dell kills XPS, OnePlus 13 launches in India and other tech news from this week

In tech this week, Meta sparked controversy by ending its fact-checking program on Facebook, Instagram and Threads, replacing it with a community system. In the meantime, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and announced a $3 billion investment in India to strengthen AI and cloud infrastructure. At CES 2025, AI-powered gadgets stole the show, while Dell shocked fans by removing his iconic XPS and the Inspiron brands. On the smartphone side, OnePlus, Littleand Oppo launched new devices in India, and Xiaomi introduced the Pad 7 tablet. In the fast-moving food delivery space, Blinkit launched Bistro, a 10-minute meal delivery app, while Swiggy rolled out Snacc for quick snacks and drinks. Here's a roundup of this week's top tech news.

Mark Zuckerberg says Apple is making them pay for iPhone sales failures

Mark Zuckerberg has criticized Apple for its lack of innovation, saying the company is building on the 20-year-old success of the iPhone while overcharging developers with its 30% App Store fees. Speaking on Joe Rogan's podcast, the Meta CEO accused Apple of blocking competition, citing AirPods' closed connectivity and dismissing Meta's attempts to integrate Ray-Ban smart glasses into iPhones under the guise of software issues. security. He also dismissed Apple's $3,500 Vision Pro VR headset as inferior to Meta's cheaper alternatives, predicting Apple's decline unless they regain their innovation edge.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss technology, innovation and AI, highlighting Microsoft's ambitious plans for India. Nadella announced an investment of $3 billion over the next two years to strengthen the country's cloud and AI infrastructure, as well as a commitment to train 10 million Indians in AI skills by 2030, thereby further supporting India’s digital growth.

Meta ends fact-checking on Facebook, Instagram and Threads; introduces community notes

Meta is changing its moderation policies and practices as CEO Zuckerberg says the decision is influenced by the changing political and social landscape and the desire for free speech. Ending its fact-checking program with trusted partners, Meta will replace it with a community-based system. like the Xs community notes. The changes will affect Facebook, Instagram and Threads. Zuckerberg emphasized that the company is focused on reducing errors, simplifying policies and restoring free speech.

CES 2025 ends this week in Las Vegas

The biggest tech show of the year wrapped up this week, with companies showcasing their latest and greatest technologies. Lenovo had a rollable display laptop on display, which will also go on sale this year. Asus also announced its lightest Copilot+ AI PC ever. Then, Nvidia announced the new RTX 50 series GPUs. AI, as usual, dominated the show, with plenty of AI-powered gadgets on display, promising to do the mundane tasks for you. There was also an electric spoon that could add salty taste to food.

Dell kills the XPS, Inspiron and Latitude brands

Dell is retiring its iconic XPS, Inspiron, Latitude and other product lines, replacing them with a simplified naming system with three tiers: Dell, Dell Pro and Dell Pro Max, with subcategories such as Base, Plus and Premium.
This change, announced at CES 2025, aligns with the tech industry's trend of overusing terms like “Pro” and “Max,” risking confusion as current models like the like Dell 13 Premium. Although Dell promises a smoother experience once fully adopted, the changes are drawing criticism because they dilute the brand's identity and clarity.

Swiggy this week introduced Snacc, a 10-15 minute delivery app for snacks, drinks and tiffin meals. Meanwhile, Blinkit also launched Bistro, a standalone app promising to deliver preservative-free canteen-style meals in 10 minutes, currently being tested in select Gurugram locations. Both apps aim to reshape quick-service food delivery, with Bistro focusing on fresh, unprocessed meals and Snacc targeting convenience with a diverse menu.

OnePlus 13, OnePlus 13R launched in India

OnePlus has launched its latest flagship series in India with the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R. The top-end OnePlus 13 features a 6.82-inch 2K+ 120Hz LTPO OLED display and runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. What sets it apart is its IP69 rating for superior dust and water resistance. The OnePlus 13 starts at Rs 69,999 in India.
The OnePlus 13R features a 6.78-inch 1.5K LTPO OLED display with a peak brightness of 4,500 nits and is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, offering up to 16GB. RAM. It comes with a triple camera setup including a 50 MP primary sensor with Sony LYT-700, an 8 MP ultra-wide, and a 50 MP 2x telephoto lens. The device packs a 6,000mAh battery with 80W fast charging and starts at Rs 42,999.

Poco X7 series debuts in India

Poco presented its first smartphones of 2025 in India: the Poco X7 Pro and the Poco X7. The Poco The camera setup includes a 50 MP primary sensor with OIS (Sony IMX882), an 8 MP ultra-wide lens, and a 20 MP front camera. It packs a 6,550mAh carbon-silicon battery with 90W fast charging. The phone runs HyperOS 2 based on Android 15 and has IP68 protection. The X7 Pro starts at Rs. 9,999. 27,999 for the 8GB/256GB variant.
The standard Poco 8 MP and 2 MP macro. The device houses a 5,110mAh battery with 45W charging and is available in configurations up to 12GB RAM and 512GB storage. The Poco X7 is priced starting at Rs. 9,999. 21,999 for the 8GB/128GB variant.

Oppo launches Reno13 Pro, Reno 13 in India

Oppo has launched the Reno13 and Reno13 Pro smartphones in India. The Reno13 features a 6.59-inch 1.5K flat OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, while the Pro model sports a larger 6.83-inch curved display. Both phones are powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 processor. The Reno13 comes with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage, while the Pro variant offers 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. For cameras, both phones feature a 50MP main sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, and a 50MP front-facing camera, with the Pro model adding a 50MP 3.5X periscope telephoto lens . The Reno13 packs a 5,600mAh battery while the Pro has a 5,800mAh battery, both supporting 80W fast charging. Both devices run Android 15 with ColorOS 15 and feature IP66 ratings /68/69. The Reno13 starts at Rs. 9,999. 37,999 for the 8GB + 128GB variant, while the Reno13 Pro starts at Rs. 9,999. 49,999 for the 12GB + 256GB model.

Xiaomi Pad 7 with Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 launched in India

Xiaomi has launched the Xiaomi Pad 7 tablet in India with an 11.2-inch 3.2K LCD display featuring a 144Hz refresh rate and Nano Texture display option for anti-glare and anti-glare properties. The tablet is powered by the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 processor and comes with up to 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage. It has a 13 MP rear camera and an 8 MP front camera. The device runs on Xiaomi HyperOS 2 based on Android 15 and packs an 8,850mAh battery with 45W fast charging support. It also comes with quad speakers, IP52 rating, and support of accessories like a floating keyboard and a Xiaomi Focus stylus with 8192 pressure levels.
The Xiaomi Pad 7 starts at Rs. 9,999. 27,999 for the 8GB + 128GB variant, with the top Nano Texture Display 12GB + 256GB edition priced at Rs. 32,999. The tablet will be available from January 13 across Amazon.in, mi.com and Xiaomi retail stores.