Worldwide wearable shipments reach 59.3 million, up 31.4% YoY in Q4 2018; Apple and Xiaomi continue to lead: IDC

The worldwide market for wearable devices grew 31.4% during the Q4 2018, reaching a new high of 59.3 million units according to IDC Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker. The growth was driven by new wearables launching during the months leading up to the holiday season as well as new smartphone launches as many were bundled with wearables from leading brands. Shipments for the entire year of 2018 grew by 27.5% with 172.2 million wearables shipped. The growth of this can be attributed to the growing number of ear-worn devices as they captured almost a quarter of the market during the year. Smartwatches grew 55.2% compared to Q4 2017 and accounted for 34.3% of the overall market during the quarter. Meanwhile, wrist bands accounted for 30% of the market as recent launches from Xiaomi, Huawei, and Fitbit continued to drive the category forward. Ear-worn devices grew 66.4% and captured 21.9% of the market. Apple maintained the number 1 position with 16.2 million devices shipped in Q4 2018, 10.4 million of which were Apple Watches. The Series 4 has been off to a very strong start and IDC is expecting this to continue as more healthcare organizations and consumers adopt the latest device. The remainder of ...

Gmail Smart Compose now available to all Android phones

Smart Compose is a neat addition to Gmail which based on your email writing patterns and commonly used phrases, tries to predict what you will say next and surfaces it as a suggestion that you can simply accept. The feature was initially available as an experimental feature on the desktop and then was added to G Suite accounts. Then it later was available as an exclusive to the Pixel 3 which is changing finally. Smart Compose is now available to all Android devices. Once active, you'll get a pop-up explaining what the feature is when you start typing an email. After you've written a few words, you'll get a suggestion where you need to simply swipe on the text to accept the suggestion, or continue typing if you want to say something else. The feature is auto-enabled, but you can turn it off if you prefer by going to your Gmail setting, then pening the account where you want it disabled, and turn off the Smart Compose box. The feature seems to be enabled on Gmail v9.2.3, so if you don't see the option yet, make sure to update the app from the Play Store or download the APK and side-load it. Via

Xiaomi Mi Band 3 Straps in Orange, Red and Blue colors, Charging Cable now available in India

Xiaomi launched the Mi Band 3 with a larger 0.78-inch OLED display and 50-meter water resistance in India back in September last year in Black color for Rs. 1999. At the launch the company said that it will launch different colored straps in the country, now the company has launched Electric Orange, Deep Blue, Wine Red and Graphite Black colored straps, in addition to Black in the country. These straps are priced at Rs. 249, slightly costly compared to Rs. 199 price tag for the Mi Band HRX Edition and Mi Band 2 straps that were launched a year ago.  Xiaomi has also launched the Mi Band 3 Charging Cable at Rs. 149. You can get these from mi.com. Highlights of Xiaomi Mi Band Strap Made of high-quality material, environmental and healthy Thermoplastic elastomer is soft and tough, comfortable to wear Aluminium Alloy Clasp Compression molding, sturdy and durable Easy and simple to use A nice replacement to color your fitness trackers The size can be adjusted according to the circumstance of individual wrist from 155mm to 216mm

Samsung Galaxy S10 sales better than expected as specs differentiate from iPhones: Kuo

Popular analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a new investor note has covered early order estimates of the Galaxy S10. In the latest research note, he is increasing his early estimates by 30% citing ‘spec differentiation’ from current iPhones, including an ultrasonic fingerprint reader. The increase in shipping estimates of the Galaxy S10 series range between 30 million and 35 million to between 40 million and 45 million. He outlines three reasons for this: the market’s view on high-end smartphone sales, spec differentiation from iPhone models, trade-in programs, and strong demand in China. Kuo explains that the Galaxy S10 packs several features that currently aren’t available on the iPhone. This includes an on-display ultrasonic fingerprint reader, a rear triple-camera setup, and reverse wireless charging. In February, Kuo issued an investor note in which he predicted that the 2019 iPhones will add bilateral wireless charging and a triple-camera setup, but the analyst seems to think that the Galaxy S10 is certainly benefiting from the iPhone’s lack of such features for the time being. Apple ditched its fingerprint reader with the iPhone X design in favor of Face ID. The Galaxy S10, however, features both face recognition and an on-display fingerprint reader. Kuo seems to think that the addition of ...

Fitbit Versa Lite Edition smartwatch, Inspire HR, Inspire and Ace 2 fitness trackers announced in India starting at Rs. 6999

Fitbit has announced four new products; the Fitbit Versa Lite Edition, Fitbit Inspire HR, Fitbit Inspire and Fitbit Ace 2. The company says that these are designed to prioritize health and fitness and make it more accessible to consumers across the globe. Fitbit also mentioned it would soon launch a major redesign to the Fitbit app so users can further personalize their dashboard, better understand their data, discover new content and more. The Fitbit Versa Lite Edition is built on the success of the Fitbit Versa. It is an everyday smartwatch with core features including automatic activity, PurePulse 24/7 heart rate and Sleep Stages tracking, 15+ goal-based exercise modes, connected GPS, smartphone notifications, apps, 4+ day battery life and relative SpO2 sensor, which can estimate changes in blood oxygen levels and help track new health indicators about health, such as sleep apnea. It features a simple one-button, lightweight swim-proof design. Fitbit says that Versa Lite Edition is the company's most affordable smartwatch yet, for users who want a versatile, and easy-to-use device with core features. Up next is the Fitbit Inspire HR which is the company's latest 24/7 heart rate tracking device. It packs all-day automatic activity, exercise and Sleep Stages tracking, with 15+ goal-based exercise modes, connected GPS, and Relax guided breathing. ...

Over 2 lakh Redmi Note 7 units sold out within minutes in first sale in India, next sale on March 13

Xiaomi launched the  Redmi Note 7 in India last week, and the phone went on sale for the first time yesterday, March 6th on Flipkart, Mi.com and Mi Home stores at 12 noon. Today the company has announced that it has sold over 200,000 or 2 lakh units of the smartphone within minutes in the first sale. Mi fans, we can't get over this madness. 200K+ units of #RedmiNote7 sold in a matter of minutes. A big thank you to all of you! RT to win F-codes! Get your #RedmiNote7 and #RedmiNote7Pro on 13th March at 12 noon on https://t.co/cwYEXdVQIo and @Flipkart. pic.twitter.com/qQtA9jyFyt — Redmi India (@RedmiIndia) March 7, 2019 To remind you, the phone has a 6.3-inch Full HD+  display, is powered by Snapdragon 660 SoC with up to 4GB of RAM, runs Android Pie with MIUI 10 on top, has a 12-megapixel rear camera with Sony IMX486 sensor, 2-megapixel secondary camera, 13-megapixel camera on the front, P2i nano coating making it splashproof, rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and  a 4000mAh battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0. Xiaomi has announced that the phone will go on sale again on 13th March at 12 noon, and the company's VP Manu Jain said that the company is working with factories to further increase production. ...

Vivo X27 with 6.39-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, 8GB RAM, triple rear cameras to be announced on March 19

Vivo today confirmed that it will introduce its X27 smartphone in China on March 19th. This will feature a 6.39-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display without a notch and 91.64% screen-to-body ratio and an in-dispaly fingerprint scanner, same as the  V15 Pro that was launched in India recently. Vivo smartphone with the model number V1829A revealed a 2.2GHz SoC, which could be Snapdragon 710 compared to Snapdragon 675 on the Indian version. It also revealed 8GB of RAM, similar 48MP main and 5MP depth sensor, but this will come with a 13MP Super wide angle third camera, instead of 8MP, however this will have a 16-megapixel pop-up camera instead of 32-megapixel on the V15 Pro. It is expected to pack a slightly larger 4000mAh battery with fast charging and USB Type-C port, which the V15 Pro lacks. Vivo X27 rumored specifications 6.39-inch (2340 × 1080 pixels) Full HD+ 19:5:9 aspect ratio Super AMOLED Octa Core Snapdragon 710 10nm Mobile Platform (Dual 2.2GHz Kryo 360 + Hexa 1.7GHz Kryo 360 CPUs) with Adreno 616 GPU 8GB RAM, 128GB / 256 storage Android 9.0 (Pie) with Funtouch OS 9 Dual SIM (nano + nano) 48MP rear camera,  5MP depth sensor, 13MP AI 120-degree Super wide angle camera ...

Samsung Galaxy Buds true wireless earbuds launched in India for Rs. 9990

Along with the Samsung Galaxy S10 series of smartphones, the company also launched the Galaxy Buds, wireless earbuds in India. These earbuds design by AKG were announced last month, and features Ambient Sound allows you to hear your surroundings clearly even while the buds are in your ears.  The Adaptive Dual Microphone uses one inner microphone and one outer microphone in each earbud, so you can deliver your voice clearly in both loud and quiet environments. The compact case with 252mAh battery holds a charge for up to seven hours and gives the Galaxy Buds 1.7 hours on a 15-minute quick charge. It also comes with device-to-device power sharing that offers quick charging boost on the go from Galaxy S10.It has Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C and come with Bixby integration that lets you activate your intelligent assistant quickly without ever picking up your phone. Samsung Galaxy Buds specifications 5.8pi Dynamic Driver Bixby intelligent assistant to make calls, send text messages or check the battery life of earbuds Bluetooth v5.0 Compatible with phones running Android 5.0 or later with 1.5GB RAM or more Sensors: Accelerometer, Proximity, Hall, Touch, Ear on/off detection Audio: Audio Codec: SBC, AAC, Scalable (Samsung proprietary) Dimensions – Earbud:5.6g per earbud; Case:38.8 (W) x 70 (D) x 26.5 ...

Google Bolo speech-based tutor app for children released in India

Google has released Bolo, an Android app that is aimed at improving the reading skills of children. Bolo is powered by the company's speech recognition and text-to-speech technology that comes built-in with a helpful reading buddy, “Diya.” which explains and corrects the child, as they read aloud. The Bolo app helps you children read all by themselves Just like a personalized reading tutor, the app assists them at every step, giving both positive and corrective feedback. It features a large variety of engaging stories which are completely free and the initial catalog from Storyweaver.org.in includes 50 stories in Hindi & 40 in English. Children can also play interesting word games and earn in-app rewards and badges. Multiple children can use the same app and track their progress separately. Over time the difficulty level of recommended stories adjusts according to their reading skills. Diya can not only read out the text to your child but also explain the meaning of English text in Hindi. The app works even when the device is offline, so children can just focus on reading. The app has been designed with children's safety and security in mind and all personal information always stays on the device. The Bolo app is ...

ACT Fibernet Entertainment plan offers up to Rs. 350 cashback per month on Netflix subscription

ACT Fibernet already offers entertainment plans that offers bundled entertainment package from ALTBalaji, HooQ, humgama, YuppTV and SonyLIV. Today the company has announced a partnership with Netflix in India to offer up to Rs.350 cashback for 6 or 12-month Entertainment plans if the user pay for Netflix subscription through ACT Fibernet's bill. ACT customers will have to subscribe to Netflix and link the account to the ACT Fibernet bill. After successful payment, ACT will provide cashback of up to Rs 350 per month into the ACT account which can be used to make payments. The ACT Fibernet Netflix offer for Entertainment plans goes live from tomorrow, March 7, 2019 in Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad and will expand to other cities later. Check out the list of plans and offer details below. Bengaluru Plan Price (INR) Speed FUP Tenure Cashback ACT Storm - Entertainment 1159 100 Mbps 500GB + 1500GB 6 months 12 months 250 ACT Lightning - Entertainment 1399 125 Mbps 750 GB + 1500 GB 6 months 12 months 300 ACT Incredible - Entertainment 1999 150 Mbps 1000 GB + 1500 GB 6 months 12 months 350 ACT Giga - Entertainment 5999 1 Gbps 2500 GB 6 months 12 months 500   Hyderabad Plan Price (INR) Speed FUP Tenure Cashback A Max - 1050 Entertainment 1050 100 Mbps 850GB 6 months 12 months 200 300 A Max - 1299 Entertainment 1299 150 Mbps 1100 GB 6 months 12 months 250 300 ACT Incredible Entertainment 1999 200 Mbps 1600 GB 6 months 12 months 300 350 ACT Giga Entertainment 5999 1Gbps 2500 GB 6 months 12 month + 2 months free 500 Chennai Plan Price (INR) Speed FUP Tenure Cashback ACT Blast Promo - Entertainment 1049 100 ...