FILE PHOTO: Anthropic said it has acquired Bun, which helps developers run and manage codes more effectively, as the Claude maker looks to boost the speed and stability of its coding agent.
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Wilson Sonsini and Anthropic did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for a comment [File]
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Nothing to launch Phone 3a Lite Community Edition on December 9
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Xiaomi launches Redmi 15C 5G for budget buyers in India
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Inside a fully packed conference centre in Las Vegas, Amazon Web Services (AWS) CEO Matt Garman’s message was simple and strategic: agents are not a flashy consumer gimmick; they are the next utility that enterprise workflows will depend on, and AWS intends to sell them with enterprise-grade guardrails through governance, regionalised control, and cost predictability.

A year earlier, Mr. Garman had laid out a practical, infrastructure-first roadmap for bringing generative AI into enterprise production. In that keynote—his first as AWS’s chief—he emphasised investments in custom chips, expanded instance families, and tightened integration between model-building tools, like SageMaker, and model-consumption platforms, like Bedrock, as companies sought to move from experiments to sustained, cost-efficient production.

At re:Invent 2025, Mr. Garman echoed that infrastructure-first thesis and sharpened it around “agentic” capabilities. He showed how a combination of custom silicon, new foundation models, managed model-training platforms, and orchestration tooling can be composed into agents that automate multistep business workflows. The announcements this year emphasised an integrated path with Forge and other developer-facing platforms for custom model training, expanded Bedrock offerings for enterprises wanting vetted models with governance, and production-ready agent frameworks for tasks spanning code generation, security orchestration, and operational automation.

The long game

Google and Microsoft have both staked large, visible claims on agentic AI, but they play different hands. Google pairs Gemini, its family of models and agent tooling, with deep product integration across Search and Workspace; its strengths are model innovation, multimodal reasoning, and product-level ubiquity that can surface agents inside everyday apps.

Microsoft marries its extensive enterprise footprint across Office, Teams and Dynamics with its longstanding OpenAI partnership to create agent experiences embedded into productivity software and IT operations, leaning heavily on Copilot branding and the idea of agents as productivity extensions.

Both hyperscalers are moving faster in visible product experiences because they can immediately surface models inside mass-market applications used daily by millions.

AWS, by contrast, plays the long game. It sells reliability and the ability to scale agents into mission-critical back-office systems: not just a Copilot in Word. Where Google’s approach is to put agents into end-user surfaces and Microsoft’s is to weave agents into office productivity and developer tooling, AWS is betting that enterprises will pay for predictable, governable agent fleets that run where their regulated data lives and that operators can monitor and control.

A race in multiple lanes

While Google and Microsoft may win the battle for faster product stories, AWS’s narrative sells well to CIOs and platform teams. But the critical question is whether enterprise buyers reward production-readiness and governance more than the sleekness of the demo.

Early signs suggest there is a market for the “plumbing-first” argument, but this is a race with multiple lanes. Model capability, developer experience, data governance and commercial terms will all determine who wins where. AWS is wagering that enterprises will prefer agent fleets that are governed, observable and sited close to their data—in clouds offering granular controls, regional sovereignty and predictable economics.

Commercial success, however, is not guaranteed. Companies will weigh the friction of integrating agentic systems into complex workflows and the cost of running them at scale. A recent report by McKinsey warns that value capture requires redesigning workflows and investing in human skills; if those investments do not materialise, agent deployments may underdeliver. AWS must therefore translate its infrastructural advantage into an equally compelling developer and operator experience. If agent authoring and observability remain too complex, customers may prefer the turnkey convenience of Google or Microsoft products.

Organisations will also assess reputational risk. They will look not only for capability, but for transparent safety practices and independent verification. The winning hyperscaler will be the one that combines model performance with governance, observability and a credible story around energy and compliance.

Workflow-centric vs task-centric

For CIOs watching these three hyperscalers, the roadmap is becoming clearer. They should prioritise pilot programmes that are workflow-centric rather than task-centric, redesign processes, invest in complementary human skills and build governance before scaling.

They should identify which vendor’s trade-offs align with their organisation’s constraints: rapid embedding into user interfaces and productivity apps may favour Google or Microsoft, while strict data locality, complex system integration and long-term cost predictability may make AWS’s infrastructure-first playbook more attractive.

And they must treat agents as products requiring lifecycle management, with telemetry, retraining pipelines and human oversight as non-negotiable components.

Google, Microsoft and AWS are not pursuing identical plays, and that diversity matters. Each hyperscaler will win in different lanes. The more interesting question is whether any one of them can combine model-level excellence with enterprise-grade governance and operational simplicity.

AWS’s re:Invent narrative is designed to answer “yes” to that question, but much of the answer will be written not in keynote demos, but in enterprise service-level agreements, carrier-grade telemetry dashboards and the quiet spreadsheets that quantify cost of ownership over years rather than the applause on demo day.

The industry’s next phase will be judged by who can turn agentic promise into predictable outcomes.

Published – December 03, 2025 02:05 pm IST

Spotify Wrapped, the best known annual “wrap,” paints a picture of a listener’s personal habits [File]
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia speaks in Lok Sabha during Parliament Winter Session on December 3, 2025. Picture: Screenshot from YouTube/@SansadTV

It’s remarkable to see how Vivo has transformed its narrative over the past decade, especially when it comes to cameras. And if you’ve seen the X200 series, you’ll know exactly what I mean. With every generation, Vivo has pushed the boundaries of what mobile photography can be, and with the X300, the company takes an even more confident leap. Positioned squarely in the ₹70,000–₹80,000 flagship segment, it arrives to challenge the OnePlus 15, Realme GT 8 Pro, and iQOO 15 head-on. It’s a crowded space, but if one thing is clear from the outset: the Vivo X300 is here with intent. The question is obvious, does it have what it takes to stand tall?

Design

The compactness of the Vivo X300 is the first thing that strikes you. It feels refreshing in a world where flagships keep getting larger. The 6.31-inch footprint makes it incredibly easy to handle, and the slim 7.99mm profile paired with a 190g weight ensures effortless usability throughout the day. Vivo’s Coral Velvet Glass technique elevates the tactile experience, understated, silky, resistant to fingerprints, and refined in a way that feels polished but never flashy. I particularly liked the Mist Blue variant; under bright light, it often appears white, shifting beautifully with changing reflections, adding a subtle sense of luxury.

In the hand, the phone feels wonderfully balanced because of its unibody 3D glass design. There are no abrupt transitions anywhere, everything melts into the frame as if the camera module naturally grows out of the body. Buttons have a solid, clicky feel, and the ports are laid out with precision. What stands out most is how clean the front looks. The symmetrical, ultra-thin bezels create an open, immersive view without distractions.

Durability has also received meaningful upgrades. The phone features Diamond Armor Glass for improved drop resistance and the complete suite of IP68 and IP69 ratings, making it capable of withstanding dust, submersion, and even high-pressure, high-temperature water jets. This places it directly in line with the OnePlus 15 in terms of ruggedness while feeling more compact and easier to wield.

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Display

Vivo has equipped the X300 with a top-tier display both in hardware and tuning. The 6.31-inch flat panel features 8T LTPO technology, an adaptive refresh rate, and a peak brightness that reaches up to 4,500 nits in local areas. Even its global peak brightness of 2,000 nits ensure excellent outdoor visibility, comfortably surpassing the OnePlus 15’s 1,800 nits and competing closely with the ultra-bright Realme GT 8 Pro. Content looks stunning on this screen, rich, full, and accurate, thanks to Vivo’s improved HDR tuning and Immersive Dual-Engine technology, which maintains saturation even under harsh sunlight.

The second highlight is the refinement in motion handling. UltraMotion elevates fluidity across the UI, lifting refresh rates to 90 Hz or 120 Hz even in apps traditionally locked to lower rates. Whether browsing, reading, or watching HDR content, the X300’s screen is a pleasure, and the attention to eye care with 1-nit minimum brightness and a suite of anti-fatigue features adds long-term comfort. For users, this simply means crisp visuals, excellent sunlight readability, and a display that feels both lively and soothing at the same time.

OS and AI

Running on OriginOS 6 built over Android 16, the X300 delivers a polished, delightful software experience. The redesigned visuals add texture and depth, each transition feels intentional. Flip Cards bring an entirely new gyroscope-based wallpaper interaction that creates personality without adding clutter. The control center has been revamped for better one-handed accessibility, and the improved iconography gives the OS a mature, contemporary identity. Compared to OxygenOS 16 on the OnePlus 15, OriginOS feels more animated, while staying less experimental than Realme UI 7.0.

AI enhancements take center stage too. Origin Island brings smart, context-aware suggestions for navigation, meetings, and media. You can drag-and-drop content between apps instantly, extract text, or share images with seamless intent detection. The Office Kit further lets you mirror your phone to a PC, handoff tasks, and sync notes with better integration than most competitors. It’s a thoughtful blend of smart utility and everyday convenience.

Performance

Powering the Vivo X300 is the MediaTek Dimensity 9500, a 3nm powerhouse built on the new ARM V9.3 architecture. Paired with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB storage on the review unit, the performance remains consistently smooth. The all-big-core design and upgraded GPU bring massive IPC gains, ensuring the phone feels fast regardless of what you throw at it. In benchmarks, the Vivo X300 scored 3,379 in single-core and 10,127 in multi-core on Geekbench, placing it slightly below the Realme GT 8 Pro and iQOO 15 but still competitive. The AnTuTu score of 3,252,362 trails the OnePlus 15 and Realme GT 8 Pro, but in daily usage, the difference is negligible.

GPU performance at 23,745 matches closely with the iQOO 15’s 23,484, showing that the Dimensity chip holds its own in graphics-heavy tasks. Games like COD Mobile, BGMI, and F1 Clash ran smoothly at high settings with stable frame rates. The Glacier Cooling System’s new ice-vein design ensures temperatures remain under control during extended sessions, and the cool-touch frame makes holding the device more comfortable. Overall, the phone delivers stable, fluid performance with excellent thermal management, making it a reliable daily driver and a capable gaming machine.

Camera

This is where the Vivo X300 doesn’t just shine; it dominates. The 200 MP ZEISS main camera with HPB hardware customization is a powerhouse. The detailing and clarity are unmatched among this year’s flagships. Even when zoomed in, images retain impressive sharpness without unnatural oversharpening or noise. The multi-frame fusion ensures that each 200MP image is more than just a high-resolution shot; it’s a composition of multiple layers of clarity, tone, and dynamic range. Against the OnePlus 15’s DetailMax engine, Realme GT 8 Pro’s Ricoh-inspired photography, and iQOO 15’s natural color calibration, the X300 simply pulls ahead.

Low-light photography benefits from enhanced SNR10 performance and superb ultra-low-reflection ZEISS T* coating. Colours remain accurate; highlights stay controlled, and shadows have real depth. Portraits are stunning; ZEISS Natural Portrait avoids artificial editing and delivers lifelike skin tones with natural texture. Whether it’s makeup preservation, hair detail, or lighting transitions, the phone gets everything right without looking processed.

Vivo X300 camera sample
| Photo Credit:
Haider Ali Khan

The telephoto camera, featuring the LYT-602 sensor with 100x HyperZoom, brings class-leading clarity. Thanks to NICE 3.0 and Magic 2.0, text, patterns, and buildings retain sharpness even at long zoom ranges. The front 50MP ZEISS wide-angle camera is equally impressive with autofocus, a rarity, and captures selfies with remarkable detail and natural rendering. The X300’s imaging pipeline, powered by the V3+ chip, ensures your photos remain true to what your eyes saw, not what an algorithm decided.

Vivo X300 camera sample
| Photo Credit:
Haider Ali Khan

Battery

The 6,040 mAh battery isn’t the biggest in this segment, especially compared to the massive 7,300 mAh on the OnePlus 15 or the 7,000 mAh cells in the Realme GT 8 Pro and iQOO 15. However, Vivo’s optimisation with silicon-anode technology and a lightweight system architecture ensures all-day battery life comfortably. In real usage, the phone lasts a full day with moderate to heavy use without anxiety.

Charging is handled via 90W FlashCharge and 40W wireless charging, fast, though not as speedy as the Realme GT 8 Pro. Bypass charging and Battery Life Extender help reduce heat and preserve long-term battery health, making it reliable even under heavy camera or gaming workloads.

Verdict

The flagship race has never been this heated, and Vivo enters the arena with confidence. The Vivo X300 covers every essential; front, premium design, a compact form factor, smooth performance with the latest chipset, polished software, and a gorgeous display. But its unmatched strength lies in the camera. If imaging is your top priority, there’s no question, the Vivo X300 stands miles ahead of the OnePlus 15, Realme GT 8 Pro, and iQOO 15.

With its price positioned within the ₹75,999 segment, the Vivo X300 emerges as a well-rounded contender. For users seeking a refined flagship experience with industry-leading photography, the X300 is undeniably one of the best choices of the year.