New Products To Get Excited About At Mobile World Congress 2019

Once again it’s time for the developers of mobile devices to really show us what they’ve got with new and improved products at Mobile World Congress. This year’s event in Barcelona is already confirmed to be the showcase for the new Microsoft HoloLens 2, the LG L8, OnePlus’ 5G prototype, and the Huawei Mate X, notable for its foldability.

Huawei, despite its place in the news for more political/economic reasons, is really coming out as a top dog at this year’s MWC due to the foldable, 5G connectivity included, Mate X. But foldable phones and 5G aren’t the only notable announcements. These are some of the top product spotlights and announcements from MWC.

LG DualScreen

LG’s reply to the mad dash towards foldable phones is a second screen that can attach, essentially via a folio case, to the new LG V50, which is LG’s first 5G phone. Verge writer Vlad Savov got to go hand on with the new system. Read his experiences here.

Sony Xperia 1

The Xperia 1 is said to be the top phone for film and is one of Sony’s best phones, but that’s because it looks totally different than every other phone. No notch, no 5G, and no foldable design, but it does boast an extra tall screen, three cameras, and a 4K HDR OLED ultra-wide 21:9 display.

Microsoft HoloLens 2

Even though MWC is a very phone heavy event, Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 is a big point of conversation. The upgraded HoloLens 2 is a lighter, more sleek and comfortable mixed reality headset that has a larger field of view, and is much more powerful. The designed for business headset clocks in at $3,500, versus the $5,000 price tag of its original counterpart.

Nokia 9 PureView

Nokia is also making waves this year, with more than one new phone changing the game. Their most exciting phone is the Nokia 9 PureView, which is leapfrogging the MWC trend of having three rear cameras and is outfitted with five rear cameras. This ultra-powerful phone camera system could even replace some real cameras.

Samsung Galaxy S10

The Samsung family is really a huge presence at MWC, as the S10e, the S10 and the S10+ are all surpassing what has come before, with faster performance, larger and sharper screens, bigger, more powerful batteries, and more camera power. See a hands-on look that Mashable did with the three S10 phones here.

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Everything You Need to Know About iOS 12

iPhone users are getting excited for the impending release of the iOS 12 update. iOS 12 is not a huge departure from iOS 11, but it does include many new features that can change how you use your iPhone. Most people will have access to it in September, but you can download the pre-release software now to see some of these changes.

Notifications

iPhone notifications have been a point of contention for some time because they would show up individually rather than grouped by the source. With iOS 12, notifications will now be grouped together by app and by topic, making it easier to dismiss notifications from the dock.

Memoji

The iPhone X introduced animojis, but this goes a step beyond. Now you can create a personalized and animated emoji of yourself. (Think Samsung’s AR emoji) This feature is only available to iPhone X users.

Facetime

Facetime will now support calls with up to 32 participants. This is a lot of people to keep track of, but one feature that may help is that the tile of whoever is talking will be the biggest on your screen.

Speed boosts for older phones

iOS 12 will improve the speed of older models of iPhone (like the iPhone 6+) for keyboard opening, camera opening and app launching.

Siri

Siri, though still not the most highly intelligent personal assistant available on the market, is getting smarter, and now allows for customizations to create series’ of actions when you say a specific command. Read more here to see how it works.

CarPlay customization

If your car supports CarPlay, you can now choose between Google Maps and Waze for navigation, rather than just having to use Apple Maps.

Apple Books

Previously known as iBooks, the Apple reading platform has gotten a facelift and has been renamed  Apple Books.

Animoji additions

Still exclusive to the iPhone X, iOS will introduce more options for Animojis including the T-Rex, koala, tiger, and ghost.

Do Not Disturb at Bedtime

This feature turns off notifications at night so that you can answer a call or check the time without notifications popping up and interrupting your nighttime relaxation and sleep.

Screen Time

A new set of tools called Screen Time tracks your usage and allows you to set time limits for different apps, schedule breaks from screens, and see how much time you’re spending on your phone or iPad.

iMessage changes

In iMessage, you will now be able to add stickers and filters along with other added actions to make messaging more interactive.

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Tech Radar: The 2018 Winter Olympics

For many years, the Olympics have a venue to showcase brand new and exciting technology and the 2018 WInter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea are no different. From robotics to virtual reality, there has been a multitude of tech-based headlines coming from the games which started on February 9.

Virtual Reality

Intel has pledged more than 50 hours of live VR programming making these winter games the largest-scale virtual reality event to date. 30 total events will be shot on multiple 180-degree cameras. This, combined with  Intel’s  broadcast partnership with NBC ensures a totally new Olympic experience. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said at CES 2018, “Intel is integrating innovative technology to ensure fans don’t just witness the moment, they experience it.”  A mix of live stream and on-demand content is available in the U.S. through the NBC Sports VR app.

Drones

Perhaps one of the most reported technology headlines in PyeongChang is the use of drones. The opening ceremonies featured a record-breaking amount of drones flying together; a whopping fleet of 1,218 lightweight, LED fitted drones created by Intel that produce a light show that can only be described as a performance. Watch the drones in action: 

There are also security drones that will inspect ground and air activity in the area, monitoring with HD and thermal imaging cameras, as well as some with radar technology to watch for unidentified aerial vehicles.

Streaming/Broadcast

Coverage of Olympic events will be provided to the U.S. by NBC in 4K HDR quality, allowing for a significantly expanded range of colors and contrast seen by viewers. Viewers can also access Olympic events by watching on the NBC Sports app, or by streaming them on platforms that include NBC in their subscriptions.

Uniforms

Team USA’s uniforms feature a heating component that will help to keep athletes warm in the cold climate of PyeongChang. You can read about how the heated uniform works here.  There are also two Dutch speed skaters that are going to be donning the Samsung SmartSuit which calculates different factors that can help increase speeds to win gold. Watch this video to see the SmartSuit in use:

Robots

Robots can be seen around the Olympics providing a wide range of services from cleaning to translating. In fact, we’ve seen robots skiing, passing the Olympic torch and serving drinks. See how innovations in robotics are moving forward at the games here.

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Tech Radar: Google Pixel 2

Photo by Maurizio Pesce via Flickr

On October 4th, Google’s tech event revealed a number of changes and product releases, including announcing the newest iteration of the highly rated Google Pixel cell phone: the Google Pixel 2. This is what you need to know before you buy!

Features:

The original Pixel heralded an extremely high-quality camera and the Pixel 2 is no different. The photo quality is outstanding, even in low light. As an added bonus, you are able to store the photos and videos you take for free with unlimited online storage. The water-resistant phone is equipped with fast charging technology, similar to its predecessor and comes with an improved version of Google Assistant. In a drastic departure from the original Pixel, the 3.5 mm headphone jack has been removed, an interesting change after the introduction of the original Pixel that shaded Apple for their headphone jack removal on the iPhone 7.

The Pixel 2 is available in four colorways and in two sizes.

Specs:

The Pixel 2 is loaded with high tech updates, including the 835 Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a dual focus camera, pOLED screen, updated security functions, and high-quality stereo speakers. There is a 5-inch screen on the Pixel 2 and a 6-inch screen on the Pixel 2 XL. Both sizes come with 64 GB and 128 GB storage options.

Pricing:

The Pixel 2 starts at $649, and the Pixel 2 XL starts at $849. Both models went on sale October 4th.

Read more about the Pixel 2 and the other products announced at Google’s October 4th event here.

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2017 Tech Roundup

Nintendo Switch

Gaming giant Nintendo’s newest console the Nintendo Switch is a system that adapts to almost any type of play. Designed for both portable use and home use, the Switch was launched in March 2016, along with the highly anticipated game “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild”. The Switch comes with what is called “Joy-Con” for flexible gameplay. See this adaptable console in action in this video. After the Switch’s launch, there have been 2.74 million units sold worldwide.

Samsung Galaxy S8 (and Galaxy S8+)

After the fiery demise of the Note 7, Samsung needed to release a phone that will make consumers forget the past and focus on the future. The Galaxy S8 does exactly that. With an aptly named “Infinity Screen” the display on these phones is huge, clear and refined. Available for around $750 for the S8 and $850 for the S8+, these phones are pricey, but there is enough excitement surrounding them, that many are calling it one of the best on the market. Boasting a great battery life, camera and build, it’s no wonder people are excited for this highly anticipated smartphone.

Microsoft Surface Laptop

Launched May 2, the Surface Laptop is the newest product in Microsoft’s Surface product line. However, rather than the past Surface devices, this is a laptop, pure and simple. No detachable keyboard and tablet construction. But the best parts of Surface devices past are still around. The responsive touchscreen, a fabric alcantara keyboard, and Surface Pen compatibility. Running on the all new Windows 10S operating system, this new laptop is a high powered and beautiful device.  

Apple Rumors

Apple will be releasing multiple new items this year, including new iMacs, iPads, Apple Watches, MacBooks, Apple TV, and maybe most anticipated the iPhone 8. There are currently no set dates for release, but there is a great deal of speculation over what each of these products will do, look like, and even more. Check out Macworld’s full list of update speculations.

Keep checking in for more tech news and updates.

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Everything You Need To Know About India’s Smartphone Market

India’s population currently stands at around 1.3 billion people. That number alone puts them in the perfect position to be one of the most sought-after markets, regardless of what the product or service in question may be. Now known as being a huge target audience for technology products, India has reached new levels of smartphone use over the last year, leading the country to become the second largest smartphone market in the world. This growing segment of smartphone users is being heavily documented, especially this year, as there have been many changes that have caused this market to expand. These are the essential facts for getting to know India’s smartphone market.

Rate of growth

In a slow moving global smartphone market, with shipments growing only 3% last year, India is blazing forward with an 18% shipment growth. India’s smartphone market slowed in growth in November when the country moved to change currency to prevent counterfeiters and slow corruption. Because of shortages at ATMs and large notes being taken out of service, spending large amounts of money on a smartphone is not convenient for many, so it is expected that growth will continue to be slow during early 2017.

Device Types

With over 300 million phones shipped in 2016, there is a wide distribution of device types. Android phones are favored, but Apple had a huge win in 2016, shipping 2.5 million iPhones, a staggering number that was enough to put the device giant in 10th place in the country. Indian smartphone companies had a less impressive year. Their devices are still popular, but for the first time ever, the final top five brands featured no domestic companies. Instead, the top brands for the end of 2016 were Samsung and multiple Chinese brands. iPhones continue to rise in popularity, and the iPhone 7 is a favorite in the premium space. The best selling iPhone however, isn’t the most recent model, but older models (iPhone 5s, iPhone SE, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus), sold  to give customers a wide range of prices to choose from. This is not surprising, given the fact that in India, 70% of phones used by the general population cost less than $150, and the iPhone 7 base model retails at $649.

Rise of Chinese Brands’ Popularity

There are over 65 smartphone brands that are used in India. In 2016,  Samsung remained the most popular brand used. With that being said, the saturation of the market with Chinese phones can’t be ignored. The end of the quarter showed total shipment numbers of 28.1 million phones from these four Chinese companies: Vivo, Xiaomi, Lenovo, and Oppo Electronics. Combined with other brands in the country, Chinese devices make up 51% of the Indian smartphone market.

For those that are trying to introduce products into India’s enormously saturated and competitive market remember that there is a huge market, and with that an untapped growth potential; meaning that many will try to navigate it and seek to establish themselves as the leader in a market that has a tremendous amount of sway over global statistics. Keeping watch on this smartphone market’s trends will be key to major growth in the technology field.

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