Tech this Week: Meta announces paid verification, new launches from Garmin, Poco, Lenovo, and more 

Meta has joined Twitter by announcing a new paid verification feature for its two social media platforms — Facebook and Instagram. Much like Twitter’s paid verification checkmark Twitter Blue, Meta’s new verification feature will include a blue badge to show authentication.

Among other tech news across the past week, companies like Poco, Garmin, Lenovo and Vivo announced new launches while OnePlus opened the pre-order window in India for one of its latest smartphones. Here is all you need to know about tech news from the past week.

New Apple Watch rumours 

Rumours about the latest Apple products always remain in demand. Now, the latest reports suggest that Apple is trying to bring features like no-prick blood glucose tracking and colour-changing bands to its lineup of Apple Watches. Though, it’s not certain when these features will be ready to ship, if they ever are.

Nothing rolls out Android 13 for Phone (1)

Nothing has announced that it will be rolling out Android 13-based Nothing OS 1.5 for its smartphones. Calling it the “most significant upgrade yet”, the new OS has improvements like better loading speed, improved customisation and a new camera interface. read more.

Poco C55 launched in India 

Poco launched its latest smartphone, Poco C55 starting at a price of Rs 9,499. Available in Cool Blue, Power Black and Forest Green colours, the smartphone comes with a 50 MP main sensor. Poco C55 has a 6.71-inch HD+ display and is powered by the Mediatek Helio G85 chipset. read more.

Lenovo launches dual-screen ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 

Global electronics major Lenovo launched its new laptop, ThinkBook Plus Gen 3, at a price of Rs 1,94,990 in India. Coming equipped with an industry-first 17.3-inch ultra-wide 21:10 aspect ratio primary display along with an 8-inch secondary touch-enabled display, the laptop comes available with a bundled digital pen. read more.

OnePlus 11R 5G available for pre-orders in India

OnePlus opened the pre-order window for its mid-range premium smartphone OnePlus 11R 5G on February 21. The sale begins on February 28 for the device. The mid-range phone will start at Rs 39,999 for the 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant. The 16 GB RAM and 256 GB storage variant will retail for Rs 44,999. read more.

Vivo announces launch of V27 Pro

Vivo has announced the launch of its latest smartphone series, the V27 series, on March 1 at noon. The lineup will include Vivo V27, Vivo V27 Pro, and the Vivo V27e. The Vivo V27 Pro is expected to be the most expensive of the bunch and may debut at a price of just under Rs 40,000. read more.

Meta announces 'Meta Verified' paid subscription

Facebook and Instagram owner, Meta announced its plans to roll out Meta Verified for creators. Meta Verified is a subscription service that lets creators verify their accounts with a government ID, and get a blue badge. The company said that this will allow users to be better protected against impersonation. read more.

OPPO announces the Find N2 Flip

OPPO announced that its latest foldable smartphone, the Find N2 Flip is coming to India soon. Available in two colours, Moonlit Purple and Astral Black, the company has not hinted at the price for the upcoming smartphone. read more.