Hi friends, welcome to TechPP Daily Brief, where we publish top tech news from the last 24 hours. Today, we have news about OpenAI, once again updating its GPT 5.5 Instant model and announcing its own AI chip, a new voice model from OpenAI is also hopefully coming this Thursday.

TechPP Daily Brief

Google has announced computer use for its Gemini 3.5 Flash, we also have the official pricing and pre-order benefits for the GTA 6, Figma held its Config 2026, where all announcements were related to AI, but were very useful for designers. And finally, the Samsung Watch Ultra 2 has leaked in its full glory.

As a reminder, we publish TechPP daily briefs. To stay updated with the latest tech trends, you can bookmark our TechPP daily briefs page. With that in mind, now let’s get started with today’s top tech news.

The Daily Brief: June 25, 2026

AI News

OpenAI Updates GPT-5.5 Instant Model Once Again

OpenAI once again updated its GPT 5.5 instant model. Now, OpenAI says it is better at understanding the question and adapts its response accordingly. Currently, it is rolling out to the paid users now and for free users later today.

The Big Picture:
OpenAI was initially expected to release its flagship GPT 5.6 model this Thursday. However, according to the latest report, this has been delayed, and instead, we are getting a new advanced voice model.

The new voice model is the best that I have ever seen from an AI agent. We have already shown how good this new voice mode experience is on ChatGPT and previews of this voice mode on our previous tech brief.

For those who are not familiar with it, the new voice mode is just like a human. It is better at handling pauses and interruptions, and it can also translate your voice in real time as you speak. You should look at the demos to understand how powerful it is. I am also attaching the preview of the new voice mode below.

OpenAI Revealed Its First Custom AI Chip, Called Jalapeno

OpenAI New chip

OpenAI announced its first custom AI chip called Jalapeno, which was built in partnership with Broadcom. The new AI chip is based on ASIC infrastructure, and it is specifically built for AI interface.

The Big Picture:
OpenAI says the chip is designed to run current and future large language models, including OpenAI products like ChatGPT, Codex, and API, as well as future agentic products.

OpenAI announced this deal nine months ago with Broadcom, where it aims to build its own AI infrastructure instead of relying on NVIDIA, Google, and all other outside GPU suppliers.

This is very big news, considering it only took nine months for OpenAI to announce and bring the product to reality. Broadcom’s CEO says the new Jalapeño performance is on par with NVIDIA Blackwell and also Google TPUs. OpenAI also reveals that it delivers much better performance per watt than the current state-of-the-art systems. OpenAI says they can start using this new Jalapeño-based AI infrastructure at the end of 2026.

This is big news, considering that developing their own AI infrastructure allows OpenAI to run AI models more cheaply than running them on other GPUs. Alongside the models, OpenAI is also slowly building its own infrastructure at an unprecedented pace for good. If this comes into effect, running OpenAI models in the future can be cheaper and can benefit end users.

Google’s Gemini 3.5 Flash Now Supports Computer Use Mode

Google rolls out computer use mode for its latest Gemini 3.5 Flash, which is better at taking actions on your behalf, especially those involving browser and agentic tasks. As per the benchmark shared by Google, it is on par with the flagship models from OpenAI and Claude.

The Big Picture:
While OpenAI and Claude are releasing their flagship models, Google is still sticking to its Gemini 3.5 Flash. At Google I/O, Google officially announced that its flagship Gemini 3.5 Pro will be available next month (this June), but currently, there is no sign of this model yet. This definitely creates an impression that Google is falling behind.

There have been no major model launch announcements from Google for the past few months, whereas OpenAI and Anthropic have announced their flagship models. Google’s Gemini 3.5 Flash is available through the Gemini API and also the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform for developers.

It Seems Like ChatGPT Finance Is Rolling Out to Plus Users

I got access to ChatGPT Finance today on my ChatGPT Plus account here in India. However, currently it doesn’t allow me to add an Indian phone number or even support an Indian bank when I tested it. For those who are unaware, ChatGPT announced a finance feature that allows you to directly connect your bank, credit card, and other financial accounts to ChatGPT and analyze your real financial data.

Initially, it is available only for Pro users in the US on the web and iOS. However, it appears to be rolling out to Plus users and in other countries as well. Currently, there is no official announcement from OpenAI. Even the support page still mentions that it is only available for the Pro users in the US.

I’m assuming that it is a part of a test. It appeared for me this morning as a pop-up to get started with finances. When I selected ‘Get Started,’ it took me to the chat interface with a prompt that says, “Help me connect my bank account so you can see my balances and transactions.”

OpenAI new finance

It then prompted me to connect my bank accounts. It appears ChatGPT is using Plaid as a third-party service to link financial accounts. However, when I tapped ‘Connect,’ it asked for a phone number, and I couldn’t find an option to add an Indian phone number.

However, there is an option to skip that step entirely; the second page asks to connect bank accounts, and it currently only supports Indian banks. When I searched for ICICI Bank, it was not available.

Gaming News

Here Is How Much GTA 6 Is Going to Cost

GTA 6

We finally have the official pricing of GTA 6. It comes in two variants: the Standard and the Ultimate Edition.

  • The Standard version starts at $79 (5,999/- rupees)
  • The Ultimate Edition starts at $99 (7500/- rupees)

You can pre-order the game starting today. Users who pre-order before the release date on the 20th will receive a vintage Vice City pack. Both digital and physical editions are up for pre-order. This time, the physical copy will just contain the digital code of the game. The game will be initially available for PS5 and Xbox Series X and S, and you can pre-order the game in the respective console game stores.

Apps and Software

Developers Will Be Able to Offer Alternative Billing Systems in the Google Play Store

Google Play Store- New third-party billing details

Google is opening the Google Play Store to more outside payment options. In a blog post, the company announced that developers can now offer alternative billing methods and links to their own websites for app purchases.

The Big Picture:
Previously, both Google and Apple only offered their own payment methods for developers, which also had hefty charges. With the new method, the old standard 30% fee is being replaced with lower and separate charges for service and billing fees.

Slowly, the monopoly is ending. Recently, Apple opened its App Store in Brazil for third-party app stores, and now Google has announced third-party payment methods in the Google Play Store.

This service will first come into effect on June 30, 2026, starting in the US, UK, and European countries. For developers, Google previously charged a 30% Play Store billing fee. However, with this new method, Google will charge a service fee of 10%, which also applies to the auto-renewal subscriptions.

Google Play Store new third-party billing charges details

However, for apps with more than $1M in annual earnings, Google will charge 20% for in-app purchases and 10% for subscriptions. If the developer uses Google Play Store billing, Google will also charge an extra 5% billing fee in the U.S., U.K., and European countries. If the developer uses alternative billing methods or an external web link, the billing fee does not apply.

If you are a developer and want full details, you can check out the official Google developer post on how your apps can be distributed on the new payment services and the charges.

Figma Is Adding Even More AI Tools for Its Products

Figma Config 2026

Figma, in its annual event Config 2026, has announced plenty of new features coming to its products, including Design, Code, and AI agents.

First, Figma announced Figma Motion (which is currently in beta), which now allows you to create animations by just describing what you want in a natural prompt. Figma also announced custom shader effects and fills (currently in beta), which allow you to create advanced visual effects in Design, Draw, and Figma Motion.

Plus, Figma also announced new tools that are now coming to Figma Design, which can help users run repeated AI image tasks such as replacing backgrounds, adding logos, and hanging image aspect ratios easily. The new Figma agent is also getting a huge upgrade. It can now support Custom skills (such as MCP connectors), file attachments, and generator plugins, where a user can ask the agent to create a reusable plugin for a specific task, and it can do it for you.

Plus, Figma is also getting the code update now, allowing you to integrate your existing code directly into the Figma canvas without relying on third-party tools.

Overall, as expected, the entire Figma Config 2026 is all about the AI integration in its services. However, we appreciate that most of these tools are very useful, especially for designers who can automate repetitive and boring tasks. The biggest update for us is the ability to generate animations with just a simple, natural prompt. You can view the full recap of the Figma Config 2026 from this link or watch the video below.

Config 2026 Keynote with Dylan Field (CEO & Co-founder, Figma)

Smartphone News

Here Is a First Look at the Upcoming Nothing Phone 4(b)

Nothing is set to announce its Nothing Phone 4(b) next month on July 7, 2026, and the company is teasing it on social media. However, we might have a glimpse of what the Nothing Phone 4B is going to look like.

As per the leaked images, the Nothing Phone 4(b) will be available in three colors: white, blue, and gray. It will feature dual cameras on the rear and a Glyph matrix.

The design matches one of the designs that Nothing is officially teasing, featuring a vertical dual rear camera layout and vertical glyph matrix on the back.

More News:

  • We have another major news update for the smartphone industry in India: the Realme India CEO has apparently resigned, and Realme and OnePlus are being merged into one brand.
  • Tipster Yogesh Brar has confirmed the same. He also mentions that Realme is going to shut down its operations in China (though not in the global market) and OnePlus will remain active in India and China. He also mentions that big news is coming next month. We should wait for more details.
  • Firebolt, the company known for smartwatches in India, is entering the smartphone market.

Wearables News

Here Is Our First Look at the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 images

In yesterday’s TechPP daily brief, we saw what the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 is going to look like. Now, we have a pretty good glimpse of how the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is going to look as well. Similar to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 series, the Watch Ultra 2 also has a very familiar design compared to previous smartwatches, with no big design changes from the outside.

Launch Monitor

  • Infinix launched its NOTE 60 Pro Pininfarina Limited Edition in India. It comes with a 6.78-inch 1.5K 144Hz AMOLED display, Snapdragon 7s Gen 4, 50MP OIS camera, 6500mAh battery, 90W wired charging, and 30W wireless charging. It is priced at ₹37,999 and goes on sale from June 29 on Flipkart and Infinix’s online store.
  • Sony launched its new BRAVIA Theatre home-audio lineup in India. The lineup includes BRAVIA Theatre Trio, Bar 7, Bar 5, Sub 9, Sub 8, Rear 9, and Rear 8. Prices start at ₹29,990.

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