Piotech

Apple prepares next-gen iPhone 18 Pro launch

Apple is gearing up to launch the next-generation of the iPhone soon with the iPhone 18 Pro series. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are likely to launch later this year, along with a foldable iPhone. In the past few weeks, rumours have been surfacing online, giving us some idea of what the new iPhones may come with. Apple recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, having been founded on April 1, 1976. Apple brought a big design change with the iPhone 17 Pro models last year, with a large camera plateau. Reports indicate that the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will swap the dual-tone design of their predecessors for a single-tone look — for the aluminium unibody and the glass backplate. It is likely that iPhone 18 Pro models will get a new deep red or burgundy shade instead of the Cosmic Orange we saw last year. According to tipster Instant Digital, Apple is not planning to launch a black variant once again. On the front, however, you could see some big changes with the iPhone 18 Pro models. As per reports, Apple will shrink the Dynamic Island on the two devices by as much as 35 per cent compared to last year. This is possible due to the relocation of one Face ID component, the flood illuminator, beneath the screen, allowing for a more compact cutout while keeping front camera visibility in the top-left corner. Though the displays themselves will likely be unchanged from last year — a 6.3-inch OLED unit for the iPhone 18 Pro and a 6.9-inch OLED panel for the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Both devices are expected to get ProMotion, that is, a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz.

Valura.ai builds INR 3,000 crore AUM pipeline pre-launch

Valura.ai, an AI-native global investment platform, on Monday announced the onboarding of over 1,000 wealth advisors across India ahead of its official launch, with a collective AUM pipeline exceeding INR 3,000 crore over the next 12-18 months. The platform provides access to over one lakh global securities with client assets held in local custody within the IFSC at GIFT City under IFSCA regulation, rather than being routed through offshore brokers. The on-boarded network includes Independent Financial Advisors (IFAs), Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs), mutual fund distributors, and chartered accountants. “Valura combines AI-driven research and portfolio construction with seamless execution, compliance automation, and local custody,” Priyesh Ranjan, CEO at Valura.ai, said.

Layoffs shift to structural reset, says Neeti Sharma

Layoffs are shifting from cyclical triggers to a structural reset, as AI yields productivity gains with leaner teams, reshapes hiring, and pushes companies toward high-skill workforce models, according to TeamLease Digital CEO Neeti Sharma. Repeated layoffs are increasing job insecurity, with over 60 per cent of tech workers reporting anxiety about stability, Sharma said. For companies layoffs are less about a financial squeeze and more about shifting to technology-driven scalability from labour-intensive models. The comments come against the backdrop of instances of brutal downsizing in the technology industry over the past months, with some prominent tech giants including Oracle, Google and Meta slashing roles. First-hand, emotional accounts of a cold, impersonal approach to retrenchments with ‘6 am email’ culture — the dreaded, automated termination notice sent in the pre-dawn hours that deactivates employee badges before they can even log in, have sent shockwaves across the industry, fuelling anxiety among the tech workforce globally, and in India. Data from tracking site Layoffs.fyi shows that more than 70 tech companies have shed a staggering 40,480 jobs globally, just this year. “Layoffs are still largely cyclical, driven by post-pandemic over-hiring and slower global tech spending growth (about 5–6 per cent). However, AI is emerging as a structural factor,” Sharma said. Productivity gains to the extent of between 10–30 per cent have started becoming visible in tasks like coding and support, enabling leaner teams. While AI isn’t the primary driver just yet, it is accelerating a shift toward efficiency-led operating models, reducing the need for large, execution-heavy workforces, as per the TeamLease Digital top executive. That said, AI is delivering measurable gains at a task level, just not yet at enterprise scale. “Industry trends are showing 14–15 per cent productivity improvement in customer support and up to 40 per cent in select coding and writing tasks. However, most firms are still in early adoption stages, with limited evidence of revenue impact,” Sharma noted. AI-driven productivity gains (10–40 per cent in select tasks) are reducing routine roles while accelerating demand for specialised talent. Job insecurity is rising due to repeated layoffs, with over 60 per cent of tech workers reporting anxiety about stability. “This is happening alongside a deeper structural shift — legacy IT roles stagnating while digital roles surge, creating uneven opportunities,” she said. The result is heightened stress, especially among mid-skill workers facing obsolescence. Earlier this year, fintech giant Block, which is led by storied entrepreneur and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, announced layoffs of more than 4,000 employees, or nearly 40 per cent of its headcount. In a recently published essay coauthored with Sequoia partner Roelof Botha, Dorsey suggested that in the coming years, the role of the middle manager could be rendered obsolete. Companies like Pinterest, CrowdStrike, and Chegg too have announced job cuts blaming AI adoption for broader organisational reset.