Worldwide AR and VR headset market grew 9.4% YoY in Q3 2018: IDC

The combined AR and VR headset market grew 9.4% year over year in the Q3 2018, according to the IDC. The VR headset market returned to growth in Q3 2018 after four consecutive quarters of decline and now makes up 97% of the combined market. Global shipments for VR headsets reached 1.9 million units in the quarter, up 8.2% from Q3 2017. Samsung's Gear VR declined 58.6% as product discounts and availability have dried up. Besides Samsung, other prominent brands such as Google and Alcatel have also significantly scaled back their efforts with the AR/VR. However, the standalone headsets grew 428.6% and accounted for 20.6% of the VR headset market. Facebook's Oculus Go and Xiaomi's Mi VR together shipped nearly a quarter million headsets worldwide. Tethered VR headsets surpassed 1 million units for the second time ever. Sony shipped 463,000 PSVR headsets during the quarter followed by Oculus with 300,000 and HTC with 230,000. However, Oculus managed to be the top vendor in the overall VR headset market thanks to the popularity of the Go as well as the Rift, capturing 25.9% of the entire VR market. Total Oculus shipments were 491,000 in Q3 2018. Outside the VR headset market, AR headsets also ...

Apple patent hints at interchangeable ‘universal’ AirPods with biometrics and improved fit

A new Apple patent reveals potential features of the future AirPods and one of the most interesting parts of the filing involves interchangeable earbuds that are equipped with “at least one” biometric sensor, which could detect left/right ear placement and accordingly adjust audio, as reported earlier. Apple has long been in the pursuit of that perfect earbud that would fit all ears. The current three-part configuration of the current AirPods are environmentally responsible and relatively easy to manufacture, evolving AirPods from a separate left / right unit to a single component should lower costs and make getting a replacement AirPod much simpler. This patent filing comes just days after a new report from Kuo which said that the updated AirPods that are set to launch in the first quarter of 2019 will include wireless charging. It is clear the next AirPods refresh will mostly focus on improving upon the current design. But this patent shows that in 2020 and beyond, Apple is interested in creating an ultimate earbud that can fit anybody, with an array of biometric sensors capable of tracking health measurements along with detecting ear placement. The patent describes how biometric sensors need to be pressed firmly against the skin to work best, and foam ...

Verizon to offer Inseego MiFi 5G NR Mobile Hotspot in 2019

Inseego Corp and Verizon demonstrated Virtual Reality Telemedicine over 5G at Qualcomm Snapdragon Technology Summit. Both the companies have conducted a live virtual reality telemedicine demonstration in partnership with Columbia University using an Inseego mobile hotspot device that is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform and Snapdragon X50 5G modem and antenna modules with integrated RF transceiver, RF front-end, and antenna elements, running on Verizon’s 5G NR mobile network. The device also offers powerful next-generation Wi-Fi performance using the Qualcomm Wi-Fi 6-ready mobile solution. The Inseego mobile hotspot will launch on the Verizon network in 2019. Inseego Chairman and CEO, Dan Mondor said: Inseego is separating hype from reality by bringing advanced 5G NR mobile technology to life through a live VR-enabled healthcare application in Maui, powered by patented 5G MiFi technology. Exceptional speed and low latency connectivity that mission-critical use cases require are being demonstrated in a real-world scenario, running on a live Verizon 5G network. This milestone reflects the impact that 5G NR will have on everyday life. We’re thrilled to show the way forward by making 5G real and more importantly, we want to demonstrate the power of 5G that will benefit society. Brian Higgins, vice president, device and consumer product marketing for Verizon said:  An important ...

Samsung and Verizon demonstrate 5G data transmission using 400MHz of mmWave spectrum

Samsung, Qualcomm, and Verizon have announced a successful 5G New Radio (NR) data connection using 400MHz of bandwidth in the 28GHz spectrum, resulting in maximum throughput of more than 1.7 Gbps. The data connection demonstrated the delivery of multi-gigabit 5G speeds to a smartphone form-factor mobile test device. The test used Samsung’s commercial 5G NR and 4G LTE equipment to deliver the 5G NR data transmission using Verizon’s 28 GHz spectrum. This spotlights a rapid, stable and effective path to commercial 5G service using a Non-Standalone mode of operation with dual-connectivity that takes advantage of both 5G and LTE technology. The data throughput of more than 1.7 Gbps was delivered to a Qualcomm Technologies’ smartphone form factor test device with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 5G modem and antenna modules with integrated RF transceiver, RF front-end, and antenna elements. The testing took place in Qualcomm Technologies’ San Diego, CA-based labs. This 5G NR demonstration follows a recent announcement from Verizon about the company's successful first data transmission on a 5G-upgradeable smartphone using a commercial 5G network in Providence, RI. That transmission used Samsung’s 5G NR solutions and the Snapdragon X50 5G modem, along with QualcommQTM052 mmWave antenna modules. Woojune Kim, Senior Vice President and Head of North American Business ...

YouTube autoplay on home rolling out for Android and iOS

YouTube has announced that in the next few weeks, it will be rolling a new feature which brings the ability to autoplay videos on the home which helps you preview videos and watch YouTube on-the-go without audio. This feature is already available on YouTube Premium members on Android. Owing to the good results, YouTube is bringing this feature to regular Youtube version as well. This helps users in making more informed decisions about whether you want to watch a video, leading to longer engagement with videos you choose to watch. It also gives you the option to turn off this feature anytime. There’s also an option to only autoplay on WiFi. With Autoplay on Home, captions are now more prominent in the Home feed. Since captions are not perfect always, the company has developed options for creators to add and edit captions; automatic captions, creator uploaded captions and Crowd-sourced community captions. Source

Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 unveiled as first commercial 5G Mobile Platform, to power 5G mobile devices starting early 2019

At the third-annual Snapdragon Tech Summit, Qualcomm introduced the first commercial 5G mobile platform, Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform that will enable commercial 5G networks and mobile devices in Early 2019. Snapdragon 855 mobile platform will be combined with Snapdragon X50 5G modem family and Qualcomm QTM052 mmWave antenna modules with integrated RF transceiver, RF front-end and antenna elements, helping OEMs address the exponential increase in device design complexity that comes with 5G in both sub-6 GHz and mmWave bands. 5G Roll out 5G will be rolled out, starting in the first half of 2019 across the U.S., Europe, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and China, with deployments in sub-6 GHz and mmWave. By 2020-21, 5G is expected to be deployed in India and Latin America. Operators across the world about their 5G launch AT&T: "We plan to bring mobile 5G to 12 cities this year, reaching at least 19 cities in early 2019" Sprint: "In the first half of 2019 we plan to launch mobile 5G in nine markets..." T-Mobile: "T-Mobile is building out 5G in six of the Top 10 markets... and 100’s of cities across the U.S. in 2018." Verizon: "Verizon 5G mobility service will go live in early 2019 and expand rapidly." ...

POCO F1 beta update brings 960fps slo-mo recording, super low-light mode

POCO today rolled out new MIUI 10 8.12.4 beta update for testers that brings new camera features including 960fps slow-motion video recording in addition to 120fps abd 240fps, however the company is yet to bring 4K 60fps support, which was promised couple of months back. The update also brings new Super low-light mode in the camera settings for improved low-light performance. This takes 8 photos at different exposures and merges them into one brighter, higher-quality shot. The POCO F1 MIUI 10 8.12.4 beta update is 184MB and is currently rolling out gradually only for select beta testers. After the test is complete, it will roll out stable update for everyone in the coming weeks. Check out the complete changelog below. Camera Add 960fps videos and Super low-light mode Settings Optimize The Apps sections of the Settings got a structural revamp

OPPO R17 with 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, 8GB RAM, in-display fingerprint sensor, dual rear cameras launched in India for Rs. 34990

Along with the R17 Pro, OPPO has also launched R17  smartphone in India, as expected.  It has 6.4-inch Full HD+ 19:9 aspect ratio display with a notch and 91.5% screen-to-body ratio and Corning Gorilla Glass 6 protection, 10nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 SoC and an in-display fingerprint sensor that can unlock the phone in 0.41 seconds. It features a 16-megapixel rear camera with f/1.8 aperture, 5-megapixel secondary camera for portrait shots and AI scene recognition, 25-megapixel AI front camera, comes with a a gradient glass back, metal frame and a 3500mAh battery with VOOC Flash charge fast charging. OPPO R17 specifications 6.4-inch (2280 x 1080 pixels) Full HD+ 19:9 aspect ratio display with  91.5% screen-to-body ratio, Corning Gorilla Glass 6 protection Octa-Core Snapdragon 670 ( 2 x 2GHz Kryo 360 (performance) + 6 x 1.7GHz Kryo 360 (efficiency)) 10nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 615 GPU 8GB RAM, 128GB internal memory Dual SIM ColorOS 5.2 based on Android 8.1 (Oreo) 16MP rear camera with LED flash, f/1.8 aperture, 5MP secondary rear camera 25MP front-facing camera, f/2.0 aperture, AI, Sony IMX576 sensor, 3D Portrait In-display fingerprint sensor Dimensions: 157.5×74.9×7.5mm; Weight: 182g Dual 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5, GPS + GLONASS, USB Type-C 3500mAh battery with (5V/4A)  VOOC Flash charge The OPPO R17 ...

OPPO R17 Pro with 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, Snapdragon 710, 8GB RAM, in-display fingerprint sensor launched in India for Rs. 45990

OPPO just launched its top-end R17 Pro smartphone in India as it had promised. It was introduced back in August and packs a 6.4-inch Full HD+ 19:9 aspect ratio AMOLED display with a notch, 91.5% screen-to-body ratio and Corning Gorilla Glass 6 protection an in-display fingerprint sensor that can unlock the phone in 0.41 seconds. It runs ColorOS 5.2 based on Android 8.1 (Oreo) and has a 25-megapixel AI front camera and is powered by Snapdragon 710 SoC with 8GB RAM. It has a 12-megapixel rear camera with f/1.5 and f/2.4 variable aperture that intelligently switches depending on the light and also has OIS. There is also a secondary 20-megapixel camera to capture depth information in portrait shots and zoom. It also has a Time of Flight (TOF) 3D Sensing camera that can get high-precision 3D depth information through nanosecond infrared light measurement. You can use it to take 3D photos and can also connect it to your TV and turn it into a home game console. It has a new fog gradient that  uses 3D fog glass and a new condensing grading process to make the colors blend on the back of the phone and flow with the light and shadow. It has a 3700mAh (2 x 1850mAh)  battery with SuperVOOC ...

Samsung Galaxy S10+ with Infinity O display, dual front-cameras and Galaxy S10 renders surface

Samsung is busy prepping the Galaxy S10 flagship which will be debuting at the MWC event in February. Before the official launch, the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus render surface online and as rumored, the flagships have a cut-out in the display to accommodate the selfie shooter. While the regular S10 has just one, the Plus variant packs dual-selfie shooters, so the cutout is a bit wider.  The bezels on top and bottom are slim even when compared to the Galaxy S9, and Note 9. According to rumors, the Galaxy S10 and the S10+ are expected to come in three variants; 5.8-inch, 6.1-inch, and 6.4-inch models and pack a Qualcomm-built in-display fingerprint scanner. The flagships will be powered by the Exynos 9820 which is an 8nm SoC with Tri-cluster CPU, integrated NPU, up to 2Gbps LTE-Advanced Pro modem. While the variant that will sell in the US will be powered by the upcoming Snapdragon 855. The Samsung Galaxy S10 base variant might start at 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Recently a variant of the Galaxy has surfaced on the benchmarks which scored 325,076 points on AnTuTu. There will also be a high-end “Beyond X” model that would feature a 6.7-inch display, six cameras, and support for ...