Apple announces changes coming to iPhone; layoffs at Microsoft, Flipkart, and others; India gets its first AI unicorn, and other top tech news of the week

Apple is updating the App Store and iOS for EU compliance. Microsoft is laying off 1,900 employees from their gaming unit. Indian tech companies like Swiggy and Flipkart have also experienced layoffs. However, Bhavish Aggarwal's AI startup Krutrim has become India's first AI unicorn with a valuation of $1 billion.

Apple has made some significant changes to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act. As a result, users can now sideload apps, but these apps must be approved by Apple and meet certain security and malware protection standards. Additionally, the iOS 17.4 update allows users to choose their preferred browser and provides new APIs for NFC technology. Read more to know the five biggest changes Apple is making in the European Union.

Apple has introduced the option to use third-party billing for in-app purchases. There will be a fee structure in place once DMA goes into effect, which offers a reduced commission rate of up to 17%, but an extra 3% fee will be charged for using Apple's payment system. Moreover, a Core Technology Fee of €0.50 per annual app install is added for highly popular apps. Read more about the changes Apple is making for the 27-nation bloc.

Microsoft is laying off 1,900 employees, which is about 9% of the gaming unit's staff. The move aims to reduce "areas of overlap" after Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Mike Ybarra, former Blizzard President, is leaving, as well as Allen Adham, Blizzard's design chief. Blizzard is also stopping the development of its upcoming survival game. Read more about the layoffs at Microsoft’s gaming unit.

Krutrim, an AI startup founded by Ola's Bhavish Aggarwal, has recently raised $50 million in a funding round that was led by Matrix Partners India. Aggarwal stated that the funding was at a valuation of over $1 billion, making it potentially India's first unicorn in the pure AI space. Read more about Ola founder’s AI startup.

Microsoft's stock market value surpassed $3 trillion for the first time on January 24, making it the world's second most valuable company after Apple.

OnePlus launched two of its new phones – OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R – earlier this week in India. The OnePlus 12 is top-end flagship, with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, Hasselblad cameras and 1.5K 120Hz AMOLED display, starting at Rs 64,999. The OnePlus 12R is a rather affordable option, with a similar design language but has last-gen Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2 chipset, starting at Rs 39,999, in India.

Siggi's Dairy is offering a program for those who are willing to give up their smartphones for 30 days. This program aims to help people detox digitally. Interested participants must submit an essay explaining why they need a digital detox. The program will select 10 winners, who will receive $10,000, a smartphone lockbox, a flip phone, a one-month prepaid SIM card, and three months' worth of Siggi's yoghurt.

Walmart-owned Flipkart is set to lay off approximately 1,000 employees, which equates to around 5% of its overall workforce. The move is part of the company's annual performance review process. Currently, the Bengaluru-based company employs around 22,000 people, not including staff from its e-commerce fashion portal Myntra.

Swiggy, a Bengaluru-based food tech giant, is planning to lay off 400 employees in a restructuring move. This is the second round of layoffs after the company had let go of 380 employees earlier this year. The latest cost-cutting drive will impact around 7% of Swiggy's workforce of 6,000 employees, with the tech, call centre, and corporate teams expected to be hit hardest.

eBay will lay off 1,000 full-time employees, about 9% of its workforce, as the tech industry downsizes. CEO Jamie Iannone said the company will also reduce its number of contracts in the alternate workforce. The cuts are necessary because eBay's expenses and headcount have exceeded business growth. eBay's stock rose over 3% in extended trading after the announcement.

Google has introduced generative AI to Chrome, bringing three new AI features to the browser - a tab organiser, a writing assistant, and a theme creator. The Tab Organiser suggests and creates tab groups based on open tabs, while Help me Write generates text based on prompts. The new AI-powered theming option allows users to generate custom themes based on subject, mood, visual style, and colour.

Netflix's ad-supported subscription has seen strong growth for two quarters in a row. They aim to encourage more customers to watch ads by retiring the no-ads Basic plan in some countries where it has introduced the ad tier. Read more about Netflix's plan.

Oppo and Nokia have ended their patent dispute through a cross-licensing agreement. The global patent cross-licensing agreement between Oppo and Nokia covers standard-essential patents (SEPs) in 5G and other cellular technologies. Under the agreement, Oppo will make royalty and catch-up payments. The deal will allow Oppo to resume its sales of devices that were previously halted in some European markets.

American watchmaker Fossil Group is ending its production of smartwatches. The group says it is redirecting resources to its core strengths and will no longer produce smartwatches under its sub-brands like Michael Kors, Skagen, and Diesel. However, the company will continue to provide support for existing models for a few more years.

Apple made iOS 17.3 available to the public, which is more than a month after the release of iOS 17.2. This latest update includes some new features such as Stolen Device Protection, along with bug fixes that are designed to improve the performance of your iPhone. Here’s how you can turn on Stolen Device Protection on your iPhone.