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A lower price tag and new features may not be enough for Apple Inc to win customers for its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/new-iphones-to-share-limelight-as-apple-revs-up-services-248911">newly-launched iPhone 11</a> series in China, the world's largest smartphone market that is already crowded with cheaper and feature-packed rival handsets.

Apple's unveiling of three new iPhones in California met with a limp reaction on Wednesday from analysts and on social media in China, where the US&nbsp;giant has been losing ground to competitors in recent years.

"More competitive aggressive pricing and a better camera would be its selling points, but the market is still full of challenges, both market competition and macroeconomic factors," said Will Wong, who tracks China's phone market at research firm IDC.

The iPhone 11 will have two back cameras, including an ultra-wide-angle lens and the next generation of microchips, the A13.

Prices start at $699, down from last year's new iPhone that started at $749. Apple also dropped the price of last year's equivalent model iPhone XR by $150.

The more expensive iPhone 11 Pro will have three cameras on the back and starts at $999. The bigger screen iPhone 11 Pro Max starts at $1,099.

As anticipated, none will be fifth generation-enabled, which puts the phones a step behind 5G models already released by Huawei Technologies and smaller rival Vivo.

"Since we still have to wait a year for 5G, why not just buy Huawei on Monday," said one user on China's Twitter-like service Weibo.

One meme doing the rounds on social media featured Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook bragging about the new features and Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei's consumer business group, shutting him down by pointing out that Huawei has had those features for years.

When it came to features, one of the main draws of the new launch for US&nbsp;buyers,&nbsp;a $5 per month Netflix-like streaming service&nbsp;will not be available in China.

Price competition&nbsp;

Apple's share of the China market in the June quarter fell to 5.8 per cent&nbsp;from 6.4 per cent&nbsp;in the year-earlier period, according to research firm Canalys, as Huawei experienced a surge in support from Chinese consumers after the brand was caught up in a trade war between the United States and China.

Counterpoint analyst Neil Shah said the entry price, while lower by Apple, remains high compared to local rivals.

Combined with the lack of 5G, which made the new iPhones "less attractive and future-proof" for Chinese consumers, Shah said, forecasting that Apple will sell 30-35 million iPhones in China this year, down from 63 million phones in 2015.

Still, some analysts said that Apple's decision to lower the entry price for the new iPhone, one of the most discussed topics on Weibo on Wednesday, was a positive sign.

"We think the lower iPhone 11 price point and trade-in program will help promote upgrades, specifically in China, while the Apple Arcade and TV+ offerings will hep accelerate services growth," CFRA analyst Angelo Zino said in a research note.

The new phones will be available to order on Friday and start shipping September 20.

A lower price tag and new features may not be enough for Apple Inc to win customers for its newly-launched iPhone 11 series in China, the world's largest smartphone market that is already crowded with cheaper and feature-packed rival handsets.

A lower price tag and new features may not be enough for Apple Inc to win customers for its newly-launched iPhone 11 series in China, the world's largest smartphone market that is already crowded with cheaper and feature-packed rival handsets. Apple's unveiling of three new iPhones in California met with a limp reaction on Wednesday from analysts and on social media in China, where the US giant has been losing ground to competitors in recent years. "More competitive aggressive pricing and a better camera would be its selling points, but the market is still full of challenges, both market competition and macroeconomic factors," said Will Wong, who tracks China's phone market at research firm IDC. The iPhone 11 will have two back cameras, including an ultra-wide-angle lens and the next generation of microchips, the A13. Prices start at $699, down from last year's new iPhone that started at $749. Apple also dropped the price of last year's equivalent model iPhone XR by $150. The more expensive iPhone 11 Pro will have three cameras on the back and starts at $999. The bigger screen iPhone 11 Pro Max starts at $1,099. As anticipated, none will be fifth generation-enabled, which puts the phones a step behind 5G models already released by Huawei Technologies and smaller rival Vivo. "Since we still have to wait a year for 5G, why not just buy Huawei on Monday," said one user on China's Twitter-like service Weibo. One meme doing the rounds on social media featured Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook bragging about the new features and Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei's consumer business group, shutting him down by pointing out that Huawei has had those features for years. When it came to features, one of the main draws of the new launch for US buyers, a $5 per month Netflix-like streaming service will not be available in China. Price competition Apple's share of the China market in the June quarter fell to 5.8 per cent from 6.4 per cent in the year-earlier period, according to research firm Canalys, as Huawei experienced a surge in support from Chinese consumers after the brand was caught up in a trade war between the United States and China. Counterpoint analyst Neil Shah said the entry price, while lower by Apple, remains high compared to local rivals. Combined with the lack of 5G, which made the new iPhones "less attractive and future-proof" for Chinese consumers, Shah said, forecasting that Apple will sell 30-35 million iPhones in China this year, down from 63 million phones in 2015. Still, some analysts said that Apple's decision to lower the entry price for the new iPhone, one of the most discussed topics on Weibo on Wednesday, was a positive sign. "We think the lower iPhone 11 price point and trade-in program will help promote upgrades, specifically in China, while the Apple Arcade and TV+ offerings will hep accelerate services growth," CFRA analyst Angelo Zino said in a research note. The new phones will be available to order on Friday and start shipping September 20.

Tepid reaction for Apple's new iPhones in China amid tough competition

Along with its new iPhones, Apple is stepping up on content and services for its devices for its big media event Tuesday.

Apple was expected to introduce three upgraded iPhones and a successor to its more affordable iPhone XR as it looks to hold its share of the premium smartphone market where prices are hovering around $1,000.

But services, subscriptions and online content will likely share the stage with the company's glitzy hardware as Apple seeks to shift its focus away from a smartphone market which is showing little growth.

"I think it is going to be the first year the event is going to also be about services," Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi said.

"We might get to see what Apple looks like as a company when they are talking about services and hardware as one product."

Richard Windsor of research firm Radio Free Mobile said Apple is coasting on the iPhone because of its strong quality but is not likely to see strong growth from either hardware or services.

"There is not much upside because services revenue will take years to reach a scale where it can really move the needle company-wide," Windsor said.

"Unfortunately, the market wants fireworks from Apple on cue every year meaning that no growth will dampen share price performance."

TV+ turned on?

Apple recently released a smartphone-generation credit card in the US and is keen to launch its TV+ streaming service before Disney goes live with a rival service in November.

They unveiled streaming video plans along with news and game subscription offerings as part of an effort to shift its focus to digital content and services to break free of its reliance on iPhone sales.

The company also plans to launch a new game subscription service called Apple Arcade by the end of this year.

Apple managed to grow its overall revenues, albeit by a modest one percent, to $53.8 billion, even as iPhone revenues plunged nearly 12 percent in the April-June period.

The company delivered strong growth from digital content and services that include its Apple Pay and Apple Music, along with wearables and accessories like the Apple Watch and Air Pods.

Some of those accessories could also get upgrades on Tuesday.

China wild card

Analysts warn that Apple still faces challenges as rivals chip away at the smartphone market, in which the iPhone's share is less than 12 percent.

As the iPhone maker refines its handsets, other makers are pushing into new areas such as 5G devices and folding smartphones.

Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said in a note to investors that he expected a "trifecta of iPhone 11s" that will help the company "put a fence around" its user base.

About a third of the 900 million iPhone users around the world are in an upgrade "window," meaning a strong potential for handset sales, according to Ives.

"While China remains a wild card, we are bullish into Apple's future" in the coming year, Ives said.

International Data Corporation (IDC) forecast that this will remain a challenging year for iPhone sales, mostly due to a mature market and lack of handsets tailored for budding 5G telecom networks.

IDC expected Apple to hit the market with 5G iPhones next year, and have an edge due to a better understanding of the market.

China accounts for about 17 percent of Apple sales overall, and has tremendous room for growth, according to Techsponential analyst Avi Greengart.

The trade war between the US and China has complicated Apple's effort to gain ground in that market, where gains by local titan Huawei have come partly at the California-based company's expense.

"Apple needs Chinese consumers to treat the iPhone as a preferred premium brand at a tricky geopolitical moment," Greengart said.

Along with its new iPhones, Apple is stepping up on content and services for its devices for its big media event Tuesday. Apple was expected to introduce three upgraded iPhones and a successor to its more affordable iPhone XR as it looks to hold its share of the premium smartphone market where prices are hovering around $1,000.

Along with its new iPhones, Apple is stepping up on content and services for its devices for its big media event Tuesday. Apple was expected to introduce three upgraded iPhones and a successor to its more affordable iPhone XR as it looks to hold its share of the premium smartphone market where prices are hovering around $1,000. But services, subscriptions and online content will likely share the stage with the company's glitzy hardware as Apple seeks to shift its focus away from a smartphone market which is showing little growth. "I think it is going to be the first year the event is going to also be about services," Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi said. "We might get to see what Apple looks like as a company when they are talking about services and hardware as one product." Richard Windsor of research firm Radio Free Mobile said Apple is coasting on the iPhone because of its strong quality but is not likely to see strong growth from either hardware or services. "There is not much upside because services revenue will take years to reach a scale where it can really move the needle company-wide," Windsor said. "Unfortunately, the market wants fireworks from Apple on cue every year meaning that no growth will dampen share price performance." TV+ turned on? Apple recently released a smartphone-generation credit card in the US and is keen to launch its TV+ streaming service before Disney goes live with a rival service in November. They unveiled streaming video plans along with news and game subscription offerings as part of an effort to shift its focus to digital content and services to break free of its reliance on iPhone sales. The company also plans to launch a new game subscription service called Apple Arcade by the end of this year. Apple managed to grow its overall revenues, albeit by a modest one percent, to $53.8 billion, even as iPhone revenues plunged nearly 12 percent in the April-June period. The company delivered strong growth from digital content and services that include its Apple Pay and Apple Music, along with wearables and accessories like the Apple Watch and Air Pods. Some of those accessories could also get upgrades on Tuesday. China wild card Analysts warn that Apple still faces challenges as rivals chip away at the smartphone market, in which the iPhone's share is less than 12 percent. As the iPhone maker refines its handsets, other makers are pushing into new areas such as 5G devices and folding smartphones. Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said in a note to investors that he expected a "trifecta of iPhone 11s" that will help the company "put a fence around" its user base. About a third of the 900 million iPhone users around the world are in an upgrade "window," meaning a strong potential for handset sales, according to Ives. "While China remains a wild card, we are bullish into Apple's future" in the coming year, Ives said. International Data Corporation (IDC) forecast that this will remain a challenging year for iPhone sales, mostly due to a mature market and lack of handsets tailored for budding 5G telecom networks. IDC expected Apple to hit the market with 5G iPhones next year, and have an edge due to a better understanding of the market. China accounts for about 17 percent of Apple sales overall, and has tremendous room for growth, according to Techsponential analyst Avi Greengart. The trade war between the US and China has complicated Apple's effort to gain ground in that market, where gains by local titan Huawei have come partly at the California-based company's expense. "Apple needs Chinese consumers to treat the iPhone as a preferred premium brand at a tricky geopolitical moment," Greengart said.

New iPhones to share limelight as Apple revs up services

Huawei remained the number two global smartphone vendor in the past quarter despite tough US sanctions imposed on the Chinese technology giant, market trackers said Wednesday.

The <a href="s.com/business-economy/huawei-warns-on-us-ban-after-china-smartphone-sales-drive-first-half-revenue-239507">Chinese firm managed</a> to boost its sales even as the overall market declined, remaining on the heels of sector leader Samsung and ahead of US-based Apple.

According to Strategy Analytics, overall global smartphone sales fell 2.6 per cent to 341 million units in the April-June period but showed signs of stabilizing after several quarters of declines.

Samsung increased its market share to 22 per cent, helped by a seven per cent rise in handset sales, with growth seen in the mid-range and entry segments. The South Korean giant stayed ahead of Huawei, which was at 17 per cent, and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/apple-woos-investors-with-china-gain-market-value-nears-1-trillion-239747">Apple</a> at 11 per cent of the market.

"Huawei surprised everyone and grew its global smartphone shipments by eight per cent annually," said Strategy Analytics executive director Neil Mawston.

"Huawei surged at home in China during the quarter, as the firm sought to offset regulatory uncertainty in other major regions such as North America and Western Europe."

The research firm estimated that Apple, which released its results this week without details on unit shipments, saw an eight per cent drop in iPhone sales in the quarter.

"Apple is stabilizing in China due to price adjustments and buoyant trade-ins, but other major markets such as India and Europe remain challenging for the expensive iPhone," said Woody Oh, director at Strategy Analytics.

A separate report by Counterpoint Research offered similar findings, showing Samsung, Huawei and Apple in the three top spots as overall sales fell.

Analyst Tarun Pathak at Counterpoint said, however, the US ban on technology sales to Huawei will have an impact in the coming months.

"The effect of the ban did not translate into falling shipments during this quarter, which will not be the case in the future," Pathak said.

"In the coming quarters, Huawei is likely to be aggressive in its home market and register some growth there, but it will not be enough to offset the decline in its overseas shipments. This will further lead to the decline of the overall smartphone market in 2019."

The surveys indicated Chinese makers Xiaomi and Oppo holding the fourth and fifth spots, largely due to sales in their home markets.

According to Counterpoint, the combined global smartphone market share of Chinese majors Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, and Realme reached 42 per cent, the highest it has ever been.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Huawei remained the number two global smartphone vendor in the past quarter despite tough US sanctions imposed on the Chinese technology giant, market trackers said Wednesday.

Huawei remained the number two global smartphone vendor in the past quarter despite tough US sanctions imposed on the Chinese technology giant, market trackers said Wednesday. The Chinese firm managed to boost its sales even as the overall market declined, remaining on the heels of sector leader Samsung and ahead of US-based Apple. According to Strategy Analytics, overall global smartphone sales fell 2.6 per cent to 341 million units in the April-June period but showed signs of stabilizing after several quarters of declines. Samsung increased its market share to 22 per cent, helped by a seven per cent rise in handset sales, with growth seen in the mid-range and entry segments. The South Korean giant stayed ahead of Huawei, which was at 17 per cent, and Apple at 11 per cent of the market. "Huawei surprised everyone and grew its global smartphone shipments by eight per cent annually," said Strategy Analytics executive director Neil Mawston. "Huawei surged at home in China during the quarter, as the firm sought to offset regulatory uncertainty in other major regions such as North America and Western Europe." The research firm estimated that Apple, which released its results this week without details on unit shipments, saw an eight per cent drop in iPhone sales in the quarter. "Apple is stabilizing in China due to price adjustments and buoyant trade-ins, but other major markets such as India and Europe remain challenging for the expensive iPhone," said Woody Oh, director at Strategy Analytics. A separate report by Counterpoint Research offered similar findings, showing Samsung, Huawei and Apple in the three top spots as overall sales fell. Analyst Tarun Pathak at Counterpoint said, however, the US ban on technology sales to Huawei will have an impact in the coming months. "The effect of the ban did not translate into falling shipments during this quarter, which will not be the case in the future," Pathak said. "In the coming quarters, Huawei is likely to be aggressive in its home market and register some growth there, but it will not be enough to offset the decline in its overseas shipments. This will further lead to the decline of the overall smartphone market in 2019." The surveys indicated Chinese makers Xiaomi and Oppo holding the fourth and fifth spots, largely due to sales in their home markets. According to Counterpoint, the combined global smartphone market share of Chinese majors Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, and Realme reached 42 per cent, the highest it has ever been.

Huawei still number two smartphone seller despite US sanctions

Japan said Monday it will tighten regulations on the export to South Korea of several chemicals used in chip and smartphone production amid a row with Seoul on wartime forced labour.

The move, which takes effect from July 4, comes after South Korean courts ordered Japanese firms to compensate people forced into wartime labour, an issue Tokyo says was resolved when the countries resumed diplomatic relations decades ago.

"The export control system is built based on international relations of trust," Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said in announcing the move.

"After reviews by relevant ministries, it must be said that the relations of trust between Japan and South Korea have been significantly harmed," METI added.

The new restrictions affect chemicals including fluorinated polyimide and hydrogen fluoride, as well as transfer of manufacturing technologies, removing them from a list that effectively allowed expedited export.

It means that exporters will now have to apply for permission for each batch they wish to export to South Korea, a process that takes around 90 days each time, local media reported.

METI said it would also begin soliciting public comment on the removal of South Korea from a list of "white" countries that face minimal restrictions on technology transfer with national security implications.

Japan and South Korea are both democracies, market economies and US allies, but their relationship has been strained for decades as a result of Tokyo's brutal 1910-45 colonial rule over the Korean peninsula.

And tensions have grown after a series of rulings from South Korean courts ordering Japanese firms that used wartime forced labour to compensate victims.

Last month, Tokyo proposed the issue be put to arbitration under the terms of an agreement signed by the two countries in 1965, when ties were normalised.

South Korea countered with a proposal for local and Japanese firms to set up a voluntary compensation fund, which Tokyo flatly rejected as "unacceptable".

When relations were normalised, Tokyo agreed a reparations package that included grants and cheap loans intended to cover victims of various wartime policies.

Japan argues that package should have permanently resolved the issue.

Analysts said the measure could harm Japanese producers, noting shares in some of the firms that make the affected chemicals were falling on Monday despite a rally in the market overall.

"It could have a short-term negative impact on Japanese manufacturers... whose sales to major South Korean producers constitute 10 to 20 per cent of their overall sales," said Kazuyoshi Saito, a chip analyst at IwaiCosmo Securities.

He pointed out that the measures do not amount to an export ban, but would make exports more complicated.

"At this point, the expected impact is a slowing of export procedures, which may temporarily affect both South Korean makers and Japanese suppliers," he told AFP

Japan said Monday it will tighten regulations on the export to South Korea of several chemicals used in chip and smartphone production amid a row with Seoul on wartime forced labour.

Japan said Monday it will tighten regulations on the export to South Korea of several chemicals used in chip and smartphone production amid a row with Seoul on wartime forced labour. The move, which takes effect from July 4, comes after South Korean courts ordered Japanese firms to compensate people forced into wartime labour, an issue Tokyo says was resolved when the countries resumed diplomatic relations decades ago. "The export control system is built based on international relations of trust," Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said in announcing the move. "After reviews by relevant ministries, it must be said that the relations of trust between Japan and South Korea have been significantly harmed," METI added. The new restrictions affect chemicals including fluorinated polyimide and hydrogen fluoride, as well as transfer of manufacturing technologies, removing them from a list that effectively allowed expedited export. It means that exporters will now have to apply for permission for each batch they wish to export to South Korea, a process that takes around 90 days each time, local media reported. METI said it would also begin soliciting public comment on the removal of South Korea from a list of "white" countries that face minimal restrictions on technology transfer with national security implications. Japan and South Korea are both democracies, market economies and US allies, but their relationship has been strained for decades as a result of Tokyo's brutal 1910-45 colonial rule over the Korean peninsula. And tensions have grown after a series of rulings from South Korean courts ordering Japanese firms that used wartime forced labour to compensate victims. Last month, Tokyo proposed the issue be put to arbitration under the terms of an agreement signed by the two countries in 1965, when ties were normalised. South Korea countered with a proposal for local and Japanese firms to set up a voluntary compensation fund, which Tokyo flatly rejected as "unacceptable". When relations were normalised, Tokyo agreed a reparations package that included grants and cheap loans intended to cover victims of various wartime policies. Japan argues that package should have permanently resolved the issue. Analysts said the measure could harm Japanese producers, noting shares in some of the firms that make the affected chemicals were falling on Monday despite a rally in the market overall. "It could have a short-term negative impact on Japanese manufacturers... whose sales to major South Korean producers constitute 10 to 20 per cent of their overall sales," said Kazuyoshi Saito, a chip analyst at IwaiCosmo Securities. He pointed out that the measures do not amount to an export ban, but would make exports more complicated. "At this point, the expected impact is a slowing of export procedures, which may temporarily affect both South Korean makers and Japanese suppliers," he told AFP

Japan restricts chip, smartphone materials exports to South Korea

Both The Phones Promise A Full-Fledged Smartphone Experience, But Which One Is Better?

Realme C2 Vs Redmi Go: The Battle Of Smartphones Under Rs 6,000

A Tokyo police smartphone app to scare off molesters has become a smash hit in Japan, where women have long run the gauntlet of groping on packed rush-hour trains.

Victims of groping can activate the Digi Police app, which either blasts out a voice shouting "stop it" at top volume, or produces a full-screen SOS message -- which victims can show other passengers -- reading: "There is a molester. Please help."

The app has been downloaded more than 237,000 times, an "unusually high figure" for a public service app, said police official Keiko Toyamine.

"Thanks to its popularity, the number is increasing by some 10,000 every month," Toyamine told AFP.

Victims are often too scared to call out for help, she said. But by using the SOS message mode, "they can notify other passengers about groping while remaining silent".

There were nearly 900 groping and other harassment cases on Tokyo trains and subways reported in 2017, according to the latest available data from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

"But it's the tip of the iceberg," Toyamine said, with victims often hesitant to come forward.

Offenders face up to six months in jail or fines of up to&nbsp;$5,500 dollars. The potential jail sentence is increased to 10 years if violence or threats are used.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department quietly launched the free Digi Police app three years ago.&nbsp;

It initially aimed to provide information for elderly people, as well as parents and their children about scams or prowlers.

But the function to "repel molesters" was added a few months after the launch.&nbsp;

And an online conversation about the app -- caused by a female pop idol being assaulted late last year -- resulted in its sudden popularity.

Yui Kimura, a 27-year-old beer shop employee on the nation's northern island of Hokkaido, says she is always worried about groping whenever she visits the capital. "I tend to be vigilant on Tokyo trains as dodgy men can happen to be in front of me at any time," Kimura said.

Reina Oishi, a 21-year-old university student in Tokyo, also said: "I want to download the app as I have been groped so many times."

Experts agree that the app could be a boon for "silent" victims.

"Molesters tend to target those who appear shy and reluctant to lodge a police complaint," said Akiyoshi Saito, a certified social worker who supported some 800 former molesters during a rehabilitation programme.

Groping on trains can occur in any country where trains are frequently crowded, Saito told AFP.

"But the idea that men are superior to women, which is Japan's traditional bias, may help sustain" sexual harassment on trains in the country, he added.

Awareness of the issue has risen in Japan in recent years, with women exchanging tips on how to avoid unwanted attention online.

East Japan Railway runs women-only carriages during rush hours and has set up security cameras on some lines notorious for a high rate of groping.

A Tokyo police smartphone app to scare off molesters has become a smash hit in Japan, where women have long run the gauntlet of groping on packed rush-hour trains.

A Tokyo police smartphone app to scare off molesters has become a smash hit in Japan, where women have long run the gauntlet of groping on packed rush-hour trains. Victims of groping can activate the Digi Police app, which either blasts out a voice shouting "stop it" at top volume, or produces a full-screen SOS message -- which victims can show other passengers -- reading: "There is a molester. Please help." The app has been downloaded more than 237,000 times, an "unusually high figure" for a public service app, said police official Keiko Toyamine. "Thanks to its popularity, the number is increasing by some 10,000 every month," Toyamine told AFP. Victims are often too scared to call out for help, she said. But by using the SOS message mode, "they can notify other passengers about groping while remaining silent". There were nearly 900 groping and other harassment cases on Tokyo trains and subways reported in 2017, according to the latest available data from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. "But it's the tip of the iceberg," Toyamine said, with victims often hesitant to come forward. Offenders face up to six months in jail or fines of up to $5,500 dollars. The potential jail sentence is increased to 10 years if violence or threats are used. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department quietly launched the free Digi Police app three years ago. It initially aimed to provide information for elderly people, as well as parents and their children about scams or prowlers. But the function to "repel molesters" was added a few months after the launch. And an online conversation about the app -- caused by a female pop idol being assaulted late last year -- resulted in its sudden popularity. Yui Kimura, a 27-year-old beer shop employee on the nation's northern island of Hokkaido, says she is always worried about groping whenever she visits the capital. "I tend to be vigilant on Tokyo trains as dodgy men can happen to be in front of me at any time," Kimura said. Reina Oishi, a 21-year-old university student in Tokyo, also said: "I want to download the app as I have been groped so many times." Experts agree that the app could be a boon for "silent" victims. "Molesters tend to target those who appear shy and reluctant to lodge a police complaint," said Akiyoshi Saito, a certified social worker who supported some 800 former molesters during a rehabilitation programme. Groping on trains can occur in any country where trains are frequently crowded, Saito told AFP. "But the idea that men are superior to women, which is Japan's traditional bias, may help sustain" sexual harassment on trains in the country, he added. Awareness of the issue has risen in Japan in recent years, with women exchanging tips on how to avoid unwanted attention online. East Japan Railway runs women-only carriages during rush hours and has set up security cameras on some lines notorious for a high rate of groping.

'Stop it!' Japan's smartphone app to scare off molesters becomes smash hit

After Android ban, will Huawei develop own operation system?

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/world/us-has-no-evidence-of-backdoor-spying-in-5g-technology-huawei-chairman-199966&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwi8ksnCgtThAhWHPo8KHc49AWIQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw1r-cOC1BIIrlXmesaFSf5P">Huawei </a>Technologies, one of the world's biggest smartphone makers, has not had talks with Apple Inc about supplying it with 5G chipsets, Rotating Chairman Ken Hu said on Tuesday.

Hu made the remark at the company's annual global analyst summit at its headquarters in Shenzhen in southern China. His comment comes after founder Ren Zhengfei told CNBC that Huawei was "open" to selling its fifth generation (5G) chips to Apple.

"We have not had discussions with Apple on this issue," Hu said, reiterating that Huawei does not plan to become a chipset vendor at this time. He also said he looked forward to Apple's competition in the 5G phone market.

Hu said Huawei had secured 40 commercial contracts to build 5G telecommunications infrastructure as at the end of March, up from a previously disclosed tally of more than 30.

Huawei's outlook has come under a cloud over the past year with the United States voicing concerns that its equipment could be used by the Chinese government for espionage. Washington has also urged allies to ban Huawei from building 5G mobile networks.

Huawei has dismissed the security concerns as unfounded.

Huawei is also the world's largest telecommunications equipment maker. Its in-house semiconductor arm, HiSilicon, also designs chipsets that are used in its products.

Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei said in an interview with CNBC this week that the company is "open to" selling its 5G modem chips to Apple, without elaborating.

His comments came after repeated denials from Huawei that it had any intention of becoming a chip vendor to compete against the likes of Qualcomm and Intel.

Huawei in January launched its 5G modem Balong 5000, which it said is the industry's most powerful, as well as a 5G base station chipset dubbed Tiangang.

The company last month reported a 25 per cent rise in net profit in 2018 to 59.3 billion yuan ($9 billion), even as revenue from its network equipment business fell 1.3 per cent to 294 billion yuan due to telecommunications industry investment cycles.

($1 = 6.7086 Chinese yuan renminbi)

Huawei Technologies, one of the world's biggest smartphone makers, has not had talks with Apple Inc about supplying it with 5G chipsets, Rotating Chairman Ken Hu said on Tuesday.

Huawei Technologies, one of the world's biggest smartphone makers, has not had talks with Apple Inc about supplying it with 5G chipsets, Rotating Chairman Ken Hu said on Tuesday. Hu made the remark at the company's annual global analyst summit at its headquarters in Shenzhen in southern China. His comment comes after founder Ren Zhengfei told CNBC that Huawei was "open" to selling its fifth generation (5G) chips to Apple. "We have not had discussions with Apple on this issue," Hu said, reiterating that Huawei does not plan to become a chipset vendor at this time. He also said he looked forward to Apple's competition in the 5G phone market. Hu said Huawei had secured 40 commercial contracts to build 5G telecommunications infrastructure as at the end of March, up from a previously disclosed tally of more than 30. Huawei's outlook has come under a cloud over the past year with the United States voicing concerns that its equipment could be used by the Chinese government for espionage. Washington has also urged allies to ban Huawei from building 5G mobile networks. Huawei has dismissed the security concerns as unfounded. Huawei is also the world's largest telecommunications equipment maker. Its in-house semiconductor arm, HiSilicon, also designs chipsets that are used in its products. Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei said in an interview with CNBC this week that the company is "open to" selling its 5G modem chips to Apple, without elaborating. His comments came after repeated denials from Huawei that it had any intention of becoming a chip vendor to compete against the likes of Qualcomm and Intel. Huawei in January launched its 5G modem Balong 5000, which it said is the industry's most powerful, as well as a 5G base station chipset dubbed Tiangang. The company last month reported a 25 per cent rise in net profit in 2018 to 59.3 billion yuan ($9 billion), even as revenue from its network equipment business fell 1.3 per cent to 294 billion yuan due to telecommunications industry investment cycles. ($1 = 6.7086 Chinese yuan renminbi)

Huawei says not discussed 5G chipsets with Apple - chairman

Sony to close smartphone plant in Beijing

US federal prosecutors are conducting a criminal investigation into data deals<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-instagram-down-in-large-parts-of-the-the-world-203174"> Facebook Inc </a>struck with some of the world's largest technology companies, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

A grand jury in New York has subpoenaed records from at least two prominent makers of smartphones and other devices, the newspaper reported, citing people familiar with the requests and without naming the companies.

Both companies are among the more than 150, including Amazon.com Inc, Apple Inc and Microsoft Corp, that have entered into partnerships with Facebook for access to the personal information of hundreds of millions of its users, according to the report.

Facebook is facing a slew of lawsuits and regulatory inquiries over its privacy practices, including ongoing investigations by the US Federal Trade Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission and two state agencies in New York.

In addition to looking at the data deals, the probes focus on disclosures that the company shared the user data of 87 million people with Cambridge Analytica, a British consulting firm that worked with US President Donald Trump's campaign.

Facebook said it was cooperating with investigators in multiple federal probes, without addressing the grand jury inquiry specifically.

"We've provided public testimony, answered questions, and pledged that we will continue to do so," Facebook said in a statement.

Facebook has defended the data-sharing deals, first reported in December, saying none of the partnerships gave companies access to information without people's permission.

A spokesman for the United States attorney's office for the Eastern District of New York, which The New York Times reported is overseeing the inquiry, said he could not confirm or deny the probe.

US federal prosecutors are conducting a criminal investigation into data deals Facebook Inc struck with some of the world's largest technology companies, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

US federal prosecutors are conducting a criminal investigation into data deals Facebook Inc struck with some of the world's largest technology companies, the New York Times reported on Wednesday. A grand jury in New York has subpoenaed records from at least two prominent makers of smartphones and other devices, the newspaper reported, citing people familiar with the requests and without naming the companies. Both companies are among the more than 150, including Amazon.com Inc, Apple Inc and Microsoft Corp, that have entered into partnerships with Facebook for access to the personal information of hundreds of millions of its users, according to the report. Facebook is facing a slew of lawsuits and regulatory inquiries over its privacy practices, including ongoing investigations by the US Federal Trade Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission and two state agencies in New York. In addition to looking at the data deals, the probes focus on disclosures that the company shared the user data of 87 million people with Cambridge Analytica, a British consulting firm that worked with US President Donald Trump's campaign. Facebook said it was cooperating with investigators in multiple federal probes, without addressing the grand jury inquiry specifically. "We've provided public testimony, answered questions, and pledged that we will continue to do so," Facebook said in a statement. Facebook has defended the data-sharing deals, first reported in December, saying none of the partnerships gave companies access to information without people's permission. A spokesman for the United States attorney's office for the Eastern District of New York, which The New York Times reported is overseeing the inquiry, said he could not confirm or deny the probe.

US prosecutors probing Facebook's data deals: Report

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/chelsea-fan-banned-for-homophobic-abuse-188122">Anti-Semitic offences </a>rose almost 10 per cent in Germany last year, and violent attacks were up more than 60 per cent, crime statistics showed Wednesday.&nbsp;

Police recorded 1,646 offences motivated by hatred against Jews, said a government answer to a request by far-left Die Linke party lawmaker Petra Pau.

Among these were 62 violent offences that left 43 people injured, up from 37 physical attacks the previous year.

Germany, like other western countries, has watched with alarm as anti-Semitic and other racist hate speech and violence have increased in recent years as the political climate has coarsened and grown more polarised.

A mass influx of mostly Muslim refugees and migrants to Germany from 2015 drove the rise of the far-right and anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which since late 2017 is the biggest opposition group in parliament.

Leading AfD members, aside from railing against Islam and multiculturalism, have also made comments that play down the Holocaust.

Party co-leader Alexander Gauland described Nazi Germany's industrial-scale murder of Jews and other minorities as a mere "speck of bird poo in over 1,000 years of successful German history".

Another leading AfD politician, Bjoern Hoecke, has criticised the sprawling Holocaust memorial in Berlin as a "monument of shame".

The president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, and other Jewish community leaders have accused the AfD of fomenting hate against refugees, Muslims and Jews.

Belt attack, Holocaust denial

At the same time, Germany has also witnessed a rise in anti-Semitic attacks committed by migrants from Arab states.

In one prominent case last year a 19-year-old Syrian man was convicted for assault after lashing out with his belt at an Israeli man wearing a Jewish kippa skullcap while shouting "yahudi", Jew in Arabic.&nbsp;

A video of the street assault, filmed by the victim on his smartphone, had sparked widespread public revulsion as it spread on social media and triggered street rallies in solidarity with Jews.

News of the belt attack coincided with another public outcry, over a rap duo who made light of Nazi death camp prisoners but went on to win the music industry's sales-based Echo award, which was subsequently axed.

Days after the belt assault, some 2,000 people rallied at a "Berlin Wears Kippa" solidarity demonstration, matched by smaller events in several other German cities.

Most anti-Semitic offences were however committed by far-right perpetrators, reported the Berlin daily Tagesspiegel in an article on the new crime statistics.

Pau in her statement charged that "we are seeing that militant right-wing extremists can openly call for the desecration of Jewish institutions and attacks against Jewish people".&nbsp;

Anti-Semitic offences rose almost 10 per cent in Germany last year, and violent attacks were up more than 60 per cent, crime statistics showed Wednesday. Police recorded 1,646 offences motivated by hatred against Jews, said a government answer to a request by far-left Die Linke party lawmaker Petra Pau.

Anti-Semitic offences rose almost 10 per cent in Germany last year, and violent attacks were up more than 60 per cent, crime statistics showed Wednesday. Police recorded 1,646 offences motivated by hatred against Jews, said a government answer to a request by far-left Die Linke party lawmaker Petra Pau. Among these were 62 violent offences that left 43 people injured, up from 37 physical attacks the previous year. Germany, like other western countries, has watched with alarm as anti-Semitic and other racist hate speech and violence have increased in recent years as the political climate has coarsened and grown more polarised. A mass influx of mostly Muslim refugees and migrants to Germany from 2015 drove the rise of the far-right and anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which since late 2017 is the biggest opposition group in parliament. Leading AfD members, aside from railing against Islam and multiculturalism, have also made comments that play down the Holocaust. Party co-leader Alexander Gauland described Nazi Germany's industrial-scale murder of Jews and other minorities as a mere "speck of bird poo in over 1,000 years of successful German history". Another leading AfD politician, Bjoern Hoecke, has criticised the sprawling Holocaust memorial in Berlin as a "monument of shame". The president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, and other Jewish community leaders have accused the AfD of fomenting hate against refugees, Muslims and Jews. Belt attack, Holocaust denial At the same time, Germany has also witnessed a rise in anti-Semitic attacks committed by migrants from Arab states. In one prominent case last year a 19-year-old Syrian man was convicted for assault after lashing out with his belt at an Israeli man wearing a Jewish kippa skullcap while shouting "yahudi", Jew in Arabic. A video of the street assault, filmed by the victim on his smartphone, had sparked widespread public revulsion as it spread on social media and triggered street rallies in solidarity with Jews. News of the belt attack coincided with another public outcry, over a rap duo who made light of Nazi death camp prisoners but went on to win the music industry's sales-based Echo award, which was subsequently axed. Days after the belt assault, some 2,000 people rallied at a "Berlin Wears Kippa" solidarity demonstration, matched by smaller events in several other German cities. Most anti-Semitic offences were however committed by far-right perpetrators, reported the Berlin daily Tagesspiegel in an article on the new crime statistics. Pau in her statement charged that "we are seeing that militant right-wing extremists can openly call for the desecration of Jewish institutions and attacks against Jewish people".

Germany anti-Semitic offences up sharply in 2018: Government

Instagram 'em all: Must-snap locations testing Hong Kong's patience

The smartphone market is down but not out, with high prices and other factors combining to chill what had previously been a red-hot sector.

Fresh surveys show global sales had their worst contraction ever in 2018, and the outlook for 2019 isn't much better.

Still, analysts don't see the sun setting any time soon on the smartphone era, seen as a must-have device for many people around the world.

"They don't have a viable replacement yet," independent Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle said of the smartphone.

"There is always the possibility to go to wearables or head-mounted displays, but none of those have emerged as a real threat."

Worldwide handset volumes declined 4.1 per cent in 2018 to a total of 1.4 billion units shipped for the full year, according to research firm IDC, which sees the potential for further declines this year

Another market tracker, Gartner, said its research suggested some stabilization in the smartphone market at the end of last year, said analyst Werner Goertz.

"Mobile phones are here to stay," Goertz said while suggesting that consumers may be waiting for some devices with new features.

"Foldable phones would represent a really nice disruptive feature," he said.

Analysts pointed out that other tech products such as personal computers have seen similar ebbs and flows.

"Markets will always have slow moments when companies have to spend more on marketing money to get people to go out and buy stuff," Enderle said.

He added that some consumers are holding off on replacing their devices amid price hikes for premium devices like Apple's iPhone.

Food or phone?

During a recent earnings call, Apple chief executive Tim Cook agreed that people were holding onto their iPhones longer.

Cook contended that another reason for slower iPhone sales was that telecom carriers were cutting subsidies of handsets tied to service contracts, meaning customers were faced with paying the full price of $1,000 or more for high-end models.

"People don't want to spend another thousand bucks to replace something that isn't broken," analyst Enderle maintained.

"In emerging markets, you can't get people to pay a quarter of their monthly income for a phone; they are not giving up food for texting."

In an unusual move, Apple lowered prices in some emerging markets to offset the effects of a strong US $ on local pocketbooks.

Cook said that in January, in some locations and for some products, Apple "absorbed part of the foreign currency move" to "get close or perhaps right on" prices in those respective markets a year ago.

"So yes, I do think that price is a factor," Cook said.

Market mess&nbsp;

Nonetheless, the latest data suggests the days of red-hot smartphone growth are over and that sluggish growth or contraction is likely in many saturated markets.

Apple recently reported a rare drop in revenue in the fourth quarter South Korea's Samsung, the largest smartphone maker, reported a slump in fourth-quarter net profits, blaming a drop in demand for its key products.

"Globally the smartphone market is a mess right now," said IDC analyst Ryan Reith.

"Outside of a handful of high-growth markets like India, Indonesia, (South) Korea and Vietnam, we did not see a lot of positive activity in 2018."

Reith noted that along with consumers waiting longer to replace their phones and frustration around the high cost of premium devices, there was political and economic uncertainty.

The Chinese market, which accounts for roughly 30 per cent of smartphone sales, was especially hard hit with a 10 per cent drop, according to IDC's survey.

However, Chinese smartphone makers such as Huawei, Oppo, and Xiaomi defied the trend and ended the year with gains, according to Counterpoint Research.

This year, smartphone makers will likely entice customers to upgrade devices with innovations such as superfast 5G network connectivity and foldable screens, according to Counterpoint associate director Tarun Pathak.

Leading smartphone maker Samsung is expected to show off a smartphone with a foldable screen at an event here in February.

The smartphone market is down but not out, with high prices and other factors combining to chill what had previously been a red-hot sector. Fresh surveys show global sales had their worst contraction ever in 2018, and the outlook for 2019 isn't much better.

The smartphone market is down but not out, with high prices and other factors combining to chill what had previously been a red-hot sector. Fresh surveys show global sales had their worst contraction ever in 2018, and the outlook for 2019 isn't much better. Still, analysts don't see the sun setting any time soon on the smartphone era, seen as a must-have device for many people around the world. "They don't have a viable replacement yet," independent Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle said of the smartphone. "There is always the possibility to go to wearables or head-mounted displays, but none of those have emerged as a real threat." Worldwide handset volumes declined 4.1 per cent in 2018 to a total of 1.4 billion units shipped for the full year, according to research firm IDC, which sees the potential for further declines this year Another market tracker, Gartner, said its research suggested some stabilization in the smartphone market at the end of last year, said analyst Werner Goertz. "Mobile phones are here to stay," Goertz said while suggesting that consumers may be waiting for some devices with new features. "Foldable phones would represent a really nice disruptive feature," he said. Analysts pointed out that other tech products such as personal computers have seen similar ebbs and flows. "Markets will always have slow moments when companies have to spend more on marketing money to get people to go out and buy stuff," Enderle said. He added that some consumers are holding off on replacing their devices amid price hikes for premium devices like Apple's iPhone. Food or phone? During a recent earnings call, Apple chief executive Tim Cook agreed that people were holding onto their iPhones longer. Cook contended that another reason for slower iPhone sales was that telecom carriers were cutting subsidies of handsets tied to service contracts, meaning customers were faced with paying the full price of $1,000 or more for high-end models. "People don't want to spend another thousand bucks to replace something that isn't broken," analyst Enderle maintained. "In emerging markets, you can't get people to pay a quarter of their monthly income for a phone; they are not giving up food for texting." In an unusual move, Apple lowered prices in some emerging markets to offset the effects of a strong US $ on local pocketbooks. Cook said that in January, in some locations and for some products, Apple "absorbed part of the foreign currency move" to "get close or perhaps right on" prices in those respective markets a year ago. "So yes, I do think that price is a factor," Cook said. Market mess Nonetheless, the latest data suggests the days of red-hot smartphone growth are over and that sluggish growth or contraction is likely in many saturated markets. Apple recently reported a rare drop in revenue in the fourth quarter South Korea's Samsung, the largest smartphone maker, reported a slump in fourth-quarter net profits, blaming a drop in demand for its key products. "Globally the smartphone market is a mess right now," said IDC analyst Ryan Reith. "Outside of a handful of high-growth markets like India, Indonesia, (South) Korea and Vietnam, we did not see a lot of positive activity in 2018." Reith noted that along with consumers waiting longer to replace their phones and frustration around the high cost of premium devices, there was political and economic uncertainty. The Chinese market, which accounts for roughly 30 per cent of smartphone sales, was especially hard hit with a 10 per cent drop, according to IDC's survey. However, Chinese smartphone makers such as Huawei, Oppo, and Xiaomi defied the trend and ended the year with gains, according to Counterpoint Research. This year, smartphone makers will likely entice customers to upgrade devices with innovations such as superfast 5G network connectivity and foldable screens, according to Counterpoint associate director Tarun Pathak. Leading smartphone maker Samsung is expected to show off a smartphone with a foldable screen at an event here in February.

Once red-hot smartphone market sees cooler trend

Huawei&nbsp;today unveiled the most highly anticipated device of the year, the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, which will set a new bar for smartphone performance in 2018.&nbsp;

The smartphone is powered by Huawei’s densest and highest performing system on chip (SoC) to date—the Kirin 980. It is manufactured with the advanced 7nm process, the SoC offers improved performance, better battery efficiency and a smoother user experience.&nbsp;

Mate 20 Pro also comes with the world's first 40W HUAWEI Super Charger that can charge the phone’s long lasting 4200 mAh battery to 70% charge in 30 minutes.

Mr Wally Yang, Senior Product Marketing Director, Huawei Consumer Business group, said, “Huawei is introducing cutting edge and high-performance devices globally. We are excited to launch the most powerful and intelligent Mate ever – Mate 20 Pro for the Indian customers.''

“Huawei devices have resonated with consumers in the Indian market because of our commitment and focus on quality, innovation and user experience. In the last couple of months, we have grown significantly in the market and the launch of Mate 20 Pro will usher in the era of intelligent smartphones in India,'' he added.

Huawei Mate 20 Pro supports 3D Face Unlock which securely authenticates users within 0.6s at a false acceptance rate of below 1/1,000,000. Using the 3D Depth Sensing Camera System located at the front, the two devices can accurately read the facial features of a subject and recognize even small details.&nbsp;

Building on the foundation of HUAWEI P20 Series’ camera system, Huawei augmented the Huawei Mate 20 Pro with a powerful addition—16mm Leica Ultra Wide Angle Lens. This wider perspective creates a sense of spaciousness and a three-dimensional effect to the images. The new camera system also supports macro distance, which produces crisp images of objects that are placed as close as 2.5cm from the lens.

Moreover, Huawei Mate 20 Pro supports 15W HUAWEI Wireless Quick Charge, the industry’s fastest wireless charging solution, and Wireless Reverse Charge, which enables the device to work as a power bank for selected electronic devices supporting wireless charging.&nbsp;

Huawei Mate 20 Pro is the world’s first smartphone to support the 4.5G LTE Cat. 21 standard, allowing consumers to experience download speeds of up to 1.4Gbps. It also supports the world’s fastest WiFi connection speeds--2GB footage requires only 10 seconds to download. The top-end flagship also supports dual-band (L1+L5) GPS positioning technology. The AI GPS Satellite Selection technology enhances the positioning accuracy across a wide range of scenarios.

Huawei today unveiled the most highly anticipated device of the year, the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, which will set a new bar for smartphone performance in 2018. The smartphone is powered by Huawei’s densest and highest performing system on chip (SoC) to date—the Kirin 980.

Huawei today unveiled the most highly anticipated device of the year, the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, which will set a new bar for smartphone performance in 2018. The smartphone is powered by Huawei’s densest and highest performing system on chip (SoC) to date—the Kirin 980. It is manufactured with the advanced 7nm process, the SoC offers improved performance, better battery efficiency and a smoother user experience. Mate 20 Pro also comes with the world's first 40W HUAWEI Super Charger that can charge the phone’s long lasting 4200 mAh battery to 70% charge in 30 minutes. Mr Wally Yang, Senior Product Marketing Director, Huawei Consumer Business group, said, “Huawei is introducing cutting edge and high-performance devices globally. We are excited to launch the most powerful and intelligent Mate ever – Mate 20 Pro for the Indian customers.'' “Huawei devices have resonated with consumers in the Indian market because of our commitment and focus on quality, innovation and user experience. In the last couple of months, we have grown significantly in the market and the launch of Mate 20 Pro will usher in the era of intelligent smartphones in India,'' he added. Huawei Mate 20 Pro supports 3D Face Unlock which securely authenticates users within 0.6s at a false acceptance rate of below 1/1,000,000. Using the 3D Depth Sensing Camera System located at the front, the two devices can accurately read the facial features of a subject and recognize even small details. Building on the foundation of HUAWEI P20 Series’ camera system, Huawei augmented the Huawei Mate 20 Pro with a powerful addition—16mm Leica Ultra Wide Angle Lens. This wider perspective creates a sense of spaciousness and a three-dimensional effect to the images. The new camera system also supports macro distance, which produces crisp images of objects that are placed as close as 2.5cm from the lens. Moreover, Huawei Mate 20 Pro supports 15W HUAWEI Wireless Quick Charge, the industry’s fastest wireless charging solution, and Wireless Reverse Charge, which enables the device to work as a power bank for selected electronic devices supporting wireless charging. Huawei Mate 20 Pro is the world’s first smartphone to support the 4.5G LTE Cat. 21 standard, allowing consumers to experience download speeds of up to 1.4Gbps. It also supports the world’s fastest WiFi connection speeds--2GB footage requires only 10 seconds to download. The top-end flagship also supports dual-band (L1+L5) GPS positioning technology. The AI GPS Satellite Selection technology enhances the positioning accuracy across a wide range of scenarios.

Huawei launches Mate 20 Pro, first EMUI 9 based smartphone in India

More than a decade ago, when Apple introduced the iPhone, it changed the way users interacted with a mobile phone. The app store and the whole new user experience gave mobile phones an entirely different meaning, and companies a different aim.

Many industry leaders and start-ups sprung up, dishing out phone with bigger screens, better cameras and faster speed. These phones did change people's lifestyles, but over the years, the smartphone market reached a saturation point.

Today, there are thousands of phone with incremental change, but no real innovation.

So, some companies have decided to pull up their socks and make aggressive attempts to break away from stagnation. And the new smartphone trends are now expected to reinvent the phone once again.

One such innovation is the modular phone which lets you improve the smartphone experience without having to change your phone. Just choose the module (known as Mods) of your choice and you can have better sound or better picture quality.

<img alt="Modular phone" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="03a56c38-58d0-466e-beb6-c349cba0d06d" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Motorola-speaker-mod-wion.jpg" />

The modular design has a lot of potential and it is expected to transform the smartphone experience in the coming years. LG and Motorola are the early starters, but the technology is still in the initial stages.

Another new innovation in the smartphone game is the foldable display recently unveiled by South Korean smartphone maker Samsung. There is no word on when the phone will hit the market, but the company has approached Android programmers to start writing apps for the product.

While Samsung has only displayed the foldable phone, a Chinese smartphone maker has already launched one such smartphone.

Royole Corp, a little-known Chinese tech company, has outstripped Samsung to the foldable smartphone punch by launching the Flexpai. This foldable phone is touted to be durable and unbreakable. The screen is made from plastic and the phone runs its own operating system called Water which is based on Android.
<img alt="The foldable display unveiled by hinese company Royole." data-caption="&lt;em&gt;The foldable display unveiled by Chinese company Royole.&lt;/em&gt;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="afb2b76b-4cfe-4cab-8d81-cd882f831ee8" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Royole-foldabl-display-reuters.jpg" />
The Flexpai's base model is priced around US $1,300 and it's expected to go on sale by the end of the year.

5G could be another catalyst for smartphones. The emerging mobile technology will enable phones to offer a faster experience which means the internet experience will become a breeze.

Interestingly, companies such as LG and Huawei have already announced their plans to relase their 5G phones in 2019.

Smartphones are expected to evolve with more immersive experiences, driven by Artificial Intelligence and gesture control. New innovations will keep happening, and the smartphones will continue to be smarter.

More than a decade ago, when Apple introduced the iPhone, it changed the way users interacted with a mobile phone. The app store and the whole new user experience gave mobile phones an entirely different meaning, and companies a different aim.

More than a decade ago, when Apple introduced the iPhone, it changed the way users interacted with a mobile phone. The app store and the whole new user experience gave mobile phones an entirely different meaning, and companies a different aim. Many industry leaders and start-ups sprung up, dishing out phone with bigger screens, better cameras and faster speed. These phones did change people's lifestyles, but over the years, the smartphone market reached a saturation point. Today, there are thousands of phone with incremental change, but no real innovation. So, some companies have decided to pull up their socks and make aggressive attempts to break away from stagnation. And the new smartphone trends are now expected to reinvent the phone once again. One such innovation is the modular phone which lets you improve the smartphone experience without having to change your phone. Just choose the module (known as Mods) of your choice and you can have better sound or better picture quality. The modular design has a lot of potential and it is expected to transform the smartphone experience in the coming years. LG and Motorola are the early starters, but the technology is still in the initial stages. Another new innovation in the smartphone game is the foldable display recently unveiled by South Korean smartphone maker Samsung. There is no word on when the phone will hit the market, but the company has approached Android programmers to start writing apps for the product. While Samsung has only displayed the foldable phone, a Chinese smartphone maker has already launched one such smartphone. Royole Corp, a little-known Chinese tech company, has outstripped Samsung to the foldable smartphone punch by launching the Flexpai. This foldable phone is touted to be durable and unbreakable. The screen is made from plastic and the phone runs its own operating system called Water which is based on Android. The Flexpai's base model is priced around US $1,300 and it's expected to go on sale by the end of the year. 5G could be another catalyst for smartphones. The emerging mobile technology will enable phones to offer a faster experience which means the internet experience will become a breeze. Interestingly, companies such as LG and Huawei have already announced their plans to relase their 5G phones in 2019. Smartphones are expected to evolve with more immersive experiences, driven by Artificial Intelligence and gesture control. New innovations will keep happening, and the smartphones will continue to be smarter.

Foldable display to 5G: New trends that could reinvent smartphones

Smartphone users in India are using up to one 1GB data a day, jumping from an average use of 4GB a month before, a Neilson India report said.&nbsp;

The user habits of Indian smartphone users indicated that users across the segments (entry level, mid and premium) spend more than 90 minutes a day on online activities while the premium segment takes the usage up to 130 minutes per day.

The appetite for data consumption has risen over the last 15 to 18 months. The highest engagement occurs on apps that consume a lot of data like Facebook, WhatsApp Messenger, Instagram and Google Chrome, the report added.&nbsp;

India has emerged among the most preferred smartphone markets in the world owing to affordable handset prices and low-cost data penetration, triggering a huge replacement demand among the customers across segments, the Nielsen Smartphone 2018 report added.

The average cost has steadily risen from about Rs 7,700 in 2015 to about Rs 10,000 in 2017.

Nielsen, in its report, said that there is a strong correlation between the amount of time people use their handsets and the evolution of the usage. "Half of India’s entry-level users are between 15 and 24 years old, mostly students, and can be assumed to be data-hungry, though less affluent than premium handset owners. Among premium handset users, 60% are over 24 years old, primarily working professionals or self-employed. These users are usually affluent and data-hungry," it said.

Smartphone users in India are using up to one 1GB data a day, jumping from an average use of 4GB a month before, a Neilson India report said. The user habits of Indian smartphone users indicated that users across the segments (entry level, mid and premium) spend more than 90 minutes a day on online activities while the premium segment takes the usage up to 130 minutes per day.

Smartphone users in India are using up to one 1GB data a day, jumping from an average use of 4GB a month before, a Neilson India report said. The user habits of Indian smartphone users indicated that users across the segments (entry level, mid and premium) spend more than 90 minutes a day on online activities while the premium segment takes the usage up to 130 minutes per day. The appetite for data consumption has risen over the last 15 to 18 months. The highest engagement occurs on apps that consume a lot of data like Facebook, WhatsApp Messenger, Instagram and Google Chrome, the report added. India has emerged among the most preferred smartphone markets in the world owing to affordable handset prices and low-cost data penetration, triggering a huge replacement demand among the customers across segments, the Nielsen Smartphone 2018 report added. The average cost has steadily risen from about Rs 7,700 in 2015 to about Rs 10,000 in 2017. Nielsen, in its report, said that there is a strong correlation between the amount of time people use their handsets and the evolution of the usage. "Half of India’s entry-level users are between 15 and 24 years old, mostly students, and can be assumed to be data-hungry, though less affluent than premium handset owners. Among premium handset users, 60% are over 24 years old, primarily working professionals or self-employed. These users are usually affluent and data-hungry," it said.

Smartphone users in India consuming average 1GB data a day: Report

A two-wheeler-borne 19-year old man, fleeing after allegedly snatching a mobile phone of a pedestrian, died in a mishap involving a truck and its driver "beaten to death" by his two enraged accomplices here, police said Friday.

The bizarre incident unfolded when the trio snatched a smartphone from a man who was speaking to someone on a highway off Madhavaram in north Chennai and sped away in their motorcycle late Thursday night.

However, a short distance away, the motorcycle grazed the side of a cargo truck, resulting in all the three riders falling down.

While one of them came under the wheels of the truck and was crushed to death, the other two escaped with minor injuries, police said.

Enraged over the death of their friend, the two men allegedly thrashed the driver who died on the spot. They later fled from the spot.

On being alert about the incident by some passersby, police later arrested the two persons.

They were produced before a court which remanded them to judicial custody.&nbsp;

A two-wheeler-borne 19-year old man, fleeing after allegedly snatching a mobile phone of a pedestrian, died in a mishap involving a truck and its driver "beaten to death" by his two enraged accomplices here, police said Friday.

A two-wheeler-borne 19-year old man, fleeing after allegedly snatching a mobile phone of a pedestrian, died in a mishap involving a truck and its driver "beaten to death" by his two enraged accomplices here, police said Friday. The bizarre incident unfolded when the trio snatched a smartphone from a man who was speaking to someone on a highway off Madhavaram in north Chennai and sped away in their motorcycle late Thursday night. However, a short distance away, the motorcycle grazed the side of a cargo truck, resulting in all the three riders falling down. While one of them came under the wheels of the truck and was crushed to death, the other two escaped with minor injuries, police said. Enraged over the death of their friend, the two men allegedly thrashed the driver who died on the spot. They later fled from the spot. On being alert about the incident by some passersby, police later arrested the two persons. They were produced before a court which remanded them to judicial custody.

Youth fleeing after snatching smartphone killed in road mishap

International Data Corporation forecast&nbsp;Wednesday&nbsp;that global smartphone sales would cool this year before heating up with help from new 5G networks and India's vibrant market.

An IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker expected smartphone sales to slip two-tenths of a&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;this year to total 1.462 billion in a second straight year of slight decline.

But IDC predicted that the smartphone market would reignite next year, growing about 3&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;annually to 1.654 billion in the year 2022.

The "biggest driver" of the downturn last year was said by IDC to be the China market, which&nbsp;is&nbsp;expected to be down 7.1&nbsp;percent&nbsp;this year after shrinking 4.9&nbsp;percent&nbsp;last year.

IDC forecast that the smartphone market in China would flatten out next year, while sales in India were expected to continue to boom on low-priced handsets sold by Chinese companies.

"China remains the focal point for many given that it consumes roughly 30&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;of the world's smartphones," IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Device&nbsp;Tacker&nbsp;program vice president Ryan Reith said in a release.

"But, plenty of pockets of growth can be found beyond China."

A "catalyst to watch" will be&nbsp;arrival&nbsp;next year of smartphones tailored for ultra-fast 5G telecommunications networks, according to IDC.

While smartphone shipments will ebb this year, the average selling price will rise more than 10&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;to $345 and remain on an upward trend, said IDC research manager Anthony Scarsella.

"This year will continue to focus on the ultra-high-end segment of the market as we expect a surge of premium flagship devices to launch in developed markets," Scarsella said.

A trend toward premium smartphones would play to Apple's strength, and IDC expected iPhone sales to grow 2.6&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;to 221 million total this year and to climb to 242 million by the year 2022.

Handsets powered by Google-backed Android mobile were expected to continue to dominate the smartphone market, with a share of about 85&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;remaining relatively stable during the coming five years.

"There is no question that Android is the OS (operating system) of choice for the mass market and nothing leads us to believe this will change," IDC said in its forecast.

IDC predicted that the smartphone market would reignite next year, growing about 3 per cent annually to 1.654 billion in the year 2022

International Data Corporation forecast Wednesday that global smartphone sales would cool this year before heating up with help from new 5G networks and India's vibrant market. An IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker expected smartphone sales to slip two-tenths of a per cent this year to total 1.462 billion in a second straight year of slight decline. But IDC predicted that the smartphone market would reignite next year, growing about 3 per cent annually to 1.654 billion in the year 2022. The "biggest driver" of the downturn last year was said by IDC to be the China market, which is expected to be down 7.1 percent this year after shrinking 4.9 percent last year. IDC forecast that the smartphone market in China would flatten out next year, while sales in India were expected to continue to boom on low-priced handsets sold by Chinese companies. "China remains the focal point for many given that it consumes roughly 30 per cent of the world's smartphones," IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Device Tacker program vice president Ryan Reith said in a release. "But, plenty of pockets of growth can be found beyond China." A "catalyst to watch" will be arrival next year of smartphones tailored for ultra-fast 5G telecommunications networks, according to IDC. While smartphone shipments will ebb this year, the average selling price will rise more than 10 per cent to $345 and remain on an upward trend, said IDC research manager Anthony Scarsella. "This year will continue to focus on the ultra-high-end segment of the market as we expect a surge of premium flagship devices to launch in developed markets," Scarsella said. A trend toward premium smartphones would play to Apple's strength, and IDC expected iPhone sales to grow 2.6 per cent to 221 million total this year and to climb to 242 million by the year 2022. Handsets powered by Google-backed Android mobile were expected to continue to dominate the smartphone market, with a share of about 85 per cent remaining relatively stable during the coming five years. "There is no question that Android is the OS (operating system) of choice for the mass market and nothing leads us to believe this will change," IDC said in its forecast.

Smartphone market to stay cool this year: Report

Chinese smartphone-making giant OnePlus will make its recently launched device, OnePlus 6, available in Indian markets today. The flagship device will be on sale in India on OnePlus official website and on Amazon India.&nbsp;

OnePlus 6 online sale

For online customers, the device will be available at 12 pm IST on Amazon India in an 'Early Access'&nbsp;sale. The sale is limited to Amazon Prime members only, however, customers can also buy the phone from OnePlus official website. An open-to-all OnePlus 6 sale will start from May 22.

OnePlus 6 pop-up stores sale

The phone will also be available at pop-up stores across 8 cities including Pune, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Hyderabad at select locations. The sale at pop-up stores will be between 3.30 pm and 8 pm on May 21 and between 11 am and 7 pm on May 22. Croma stores all over India will have the device on offer from May 22.&nbsp;

OnePlus 6 key specifications and price

OnePlus 6 can pack in dual-SIM (Nano) and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC. It runs on OxygenOS 5.1 based on Android 8.1 Oreo.&nbsp;

The smartphone sports a 6.28-inch full-HD+ (1080x2280 pixels) Full Optic AMOLED display with a 19:9 aspect ratio. The device is Gorilla Glass 5 protected and comes in three colour options.&nbsp;

For those who love taking pictures, OnePlus 6 comes with a primary 16-megapixel Sony IMX519 sensor with f/1.7 aperture and a 20-megapixel secondary sensor in the front. The rear cameras come with dual-LED flash.

The handset comes studded with features like slow motion video recording, &nbsp;in-device video editing, face-unlock feature, among other specifications.

OnePlus 6 thrives on a 3300mAh battery and starts at Rs. 34,999 for the 6GBRAM/ 64 GB internal storage variant. The device comes in three storage options -- 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB -- which are not expandable via microSD card. The 8GB RAM/ 128GB variant is available in India at Rs. 39,999.&nbsp;

For online customers, the device will be available at 12 pm IST on Amazon India in an Early Access sale

Chinese smartphone-making giant OnePlus will make its recently launched device, OnePlus 6, available in Indian markets today. The flagship device will be on sale in India on OnePlus official website and on Amazon India. OnePlus 6 online sale For online customers, the device will be available at 12 pm IST on Amazon India in an 'Early Access' sale. The sale is limited to Amazon Prime members only, however, customers can also buy the phone from OnePlus official website. An open-to-all OnePlus 6 sale will start from May 22. OnePlus 6 pop-up stores sale The phone will also be available at pop-up stores across 8 cities including Pune, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Hyderabad at select locations. The sale at pop-up stores will be between 3.30 pm and 8 pm on May 21 and between 11 am and 7 pm on May 22. Croma stores all over India will have the device on offer from May 22. OnePlus 6 key specifications and price OnePlus 6 can pack in dual-SIM (Nano) and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC. It runs on OxygenOS 5.1 based on Android 8.1 Oreo. The smartphone sports a 6.28-inch full-HD+ (1080x2280 pixels) Full Optic AMOLED display with a 19:9 aspect ratio. The device is Gorilla Glass 5 protected and comes in three colour options. For those who love taking pictures, OnePlus 6 comes with a primary 16-megapixel Sony IMX519 sensor with f/1.7 aperture and a 20-megapixel secondary sensor in the front. The rear cameras come with dual-LED flash. The handset comes studded with features like slow motion video recording, in-device video editing, face-unlock feature, among other specifications. OnePlus 6 thrives on a 3300mAh battery and starts at Rs. 34,999 for the 6GBRAM/ 64 GB internal storage variant. The device comes in three storage options -- 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB -- which are not expandable via microSD card. The 8GB RAM/ 128GB variant is available in India at Rs. 39,999.

OnePlus 6 to be available in 'Early Access' sale on Amazon India today

Smartphone and connected device maker Xiaomi filed for a Hong Kong initial public offering on Thursday that could raise $10 billion and become the largest listing by a Chinese technology firm in almost four years.

Xiaomi`s IPO, which will be one of the first in Hong Kong under new rules to attract tech firm listings, is a major win for the bourse as competition heats up between Hong Kong, New York and the Chinese mainland.

The listing is expected to raise about $10 billion via the public offering, giving Beijing-based Xiaomi a market value of between $80 billion and $100 billion, people familiar with the plans told Reuters.

Those targets, if achieved, will make it the biggest Chinese tech IPO since Chinese internet giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd raised $21.8 billion in 2014.

Xiaomi`s prospectus gave investors the first detailed look at its financial health ahead of the much-hyped IPO, which could be launched as soon as end-June, according to the people close to the process who requested anonymity as the details were not yet public.&nbsp

The numbers underscore how Xiaomi has remained resilient even as the global smartphone market has slowed, helped in part by a push overseas into markets like India.

The company said its revenue was 114.62 billion yuan ($18 billion) in 2017, up 67.5 per cent against 2016. Operating profit for 2017 was 12.22 billion yuan, up from 3.79 billion yuan a year ago.

It made a net loss of 43.89 billion yuan versus a profit of 491.6 million yuan in 2016, though this was impacted by the fair value changes of convertible redeemable preference shares.

Alongside smartphones, Xiaomi makes dozens of internet-connected home appliances and gadgets, including scooters, air purifiers and rice cookers, although it derives most of its profits from internet services.&nbsp

Its relatively cheap handsets pose a rising challenge to market leaders Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Apple Inc.

Xiaomi doubled its shipments in 2017 to become the world`s fourth-largest smartphone maker, according to Counterpoint Research, defying a global slowdown in smartphone sales.

It is also making a big push outside China`s borders, with 28 per cent of its sales derived from overseas markets last year, up from 6.1 per cent in 2015.

Yet margins on its smartphones are razor-thin. Xiaomi posted a gross profit margin of just 8.8 per cent for its smartphone business in 2017 compared to 60 per cent for its internet services business.

According to some analyst estimates, Apple`s flagship iPhone X and iPhone 8 have gross margins of around 60 per cent.

The company makes the lion`s share of its profit - 60 per cent - from internet services, including gaming and advertising linked to its homegrown user interface, MIUI, which had 190 million monthly active users as of March 2018.

Dual-Class Shares

Xiaomi`s listing plans come as the company and its investors look to capitalise on a bull run for the Hong Kong market, which has seen the benchmark Hang Seng Index rise about 27 per cent over the past year.

Armed with the new rules allowing the listing of companies with dual-class structures, Hong Kong is eyeing several tech listings that are expected in the coming two years from Chinese firms with a combined market cap of $500 billion.

Xiaomi said in its IPO application the company would have a weighted voting rights (WVR) structure, or dual-class shares. The WVR give greater power to founding shareholders even with minority shareholding.

The structure would allow the company to benefit from the "continuing vision and leadership" of the dual-class share beneficiaries, who would control the company for its "long-term prospects and strategy", it said.

Dual-class shares have been a contentious topic in Hong Kong since the city`s strict adherence to a one-share-one-vote principle cost it the float of Alibaba, which instead listed in New York.

Xiaomi is also likely to be among the first Chinese tech firms seeking a secondary listing in its home market, using the planned China depositary receipts route, two people with knowledge of the matter said.

CLSA, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs Group Inc are sponsoring Xiaomi`s IPO. 
&nbsp

Xiaomi`s IPO, which will be one of the first in Hong Kong under new rules to attract tech firm listings, is a major win for the bourse as competition heats up between Hong Kong, New York and the Chinese mainland

Smartphone and connected device maker Xiaomi filed for a Hong Kong initial public offering on Thursday that could raise $10 billion and become the largest listing by a Chinese technology firm in almost four years. Xiaomi`s IPO, which will be one of the first in Hong Kong under new rules to attract tech firm listings, is a major win for the bourse as competition heats up between Hong Kong, New York and the Chinese mainland. The listing is expected to raise about $10 billion via the public offering, giving Beijing-based Xiaomi a market value of between $80 billion and $100 billion, people familiar with the plans told Reuters. Those targets, if achieved, will make it the biggest Chinese tech IPO since Chinese internet giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd raised $21.8 billion in 2014. Xiaomi`s prospectus gave investors the first detailed look at its financial health ahead of the much-hyped IPO, which could be launched as soon as end-June, according to the people close to the process who requested anonymity as the details were not yet public. The numbers underscore how Xiaomi has remained resilient even as the global smartphone market has slowed, helped in part by a push overseas into markets like India. The company said its revenue was 114.62 billion yuan ($18 billion) in 2017, up 67.5 per cent against 2016. Operating profit for 2017 was 12.22 billion yuan, up from 3.79 billion yuan a year ago. It made a net loss of 43.89 billion yuan versus a profit of 491.6 million yuan in 2016, though this was impacted by the fair value changes of convertible redeemable preference shares. Alongside smartphones, Xiaomi makes dozens of internet-connected home appliances and gadgets, including scooters, air purifiers and rice cookers, although it derives most of its profits from internet services. Its relatively cheap handsets pose a rising challenge to market leaders Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Apple Inc. Xiaomi doubled its shipments in 2017 to become the world`s fourth-largest smartphone maker, according to Counterpoint Research, defying a global slowdown in smartphone sales. It is also making a big push outside China`s borders, with 28 per cent of its sales derived from overseas markets last year, up from 6.1 per cent in 2015. Yet margins on its smartphones are razor-thin. Xiaomi posted a gross profit margin of just 8.8 per cent for its smartphone business in 2017 compared to 60 per cent for its internet services business. According to some analyst estimates, Apple`s flagship iPhone X and iPhone 8 have gross margins of around 60 per cent. The company makes the lion`s share of its profit - 60 per cent - from internet services, including gaming and advertising linked to its homegrown user interface, MIUI, which had 190 million monthly active users as of March 2018. Dual-Class Shares Xiaomi`s listing plans come as the company and its investors look to capitalise on a bull run for the Hong Kong market, which has seen the benchmark Hang Seng Index rise about 27 per cent over the past year. Armed with the new rules allowing the listing of companies with dual-class structures, Hong Kong is eyeing several tech listings that are expected in the coming two years from Chinese firms with a combined market cap of $500 billion. Xiaomi said in its IPO application the company would have a weighted voting rights (WVR) structure, or dual-class shares. The WVR give greater power to founding shareholders even with minority shareholding. The structure would allow the company to benefit from the "continuing vision and leadership" of the dual-class share beneficiaries, who would control the company for its "long-term prospects and strategy", it said. Dual-class shares have been a contentious topic in Hong Kong since the city`s strict adherence to a one-share-one-vote principle cost it the float of Alibaba, which instead listed in New York. Xiaomi is also likely to be among the first Chinese tech firms seeking a secondary listing in its home market, using the planned China depositary receipts route, two people with knowledge of the matter said. CLSA, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs Group Inc are sponsoring Xiaomi`s IPO.

China's Xiaomi files for mega Hong Kong tech IPO, lifts lid on financials

Sony unveiled two smartphones at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona - Sony Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact - as a set of flagship smartphones on Sunday.&nbsp;

This is Sony&#39;s first ever phone which comes with a full-screen display. The company has announced that they will be available from March, however, prices have not been disclosed yet.&nbsp;

The Sony Xperia XZ2 comes in four colour models &ndash; Liquid Silver, Liquid Black, Deep Green, and Ash Pink. The Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact, on the other hand, has White Silver, Black, Moss Green, and Coral Pink as the colour variants.

The phones include Sony&#39;s proprietary advanced 19-megapixel Motion Eye camera technology with 4 HDR video recording and f/2 aperture. The rear camera comes with slow-motion video recording at 960 frames per second (fps).&nbsp;The Sony Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact have 3180mAh and 2870mAh batteries under the hood.&nbsp;

The Xperia XZ2 comes with a 5.7-inch full-HD+ (1440&times;2560 pixels) HDR display with an 18:9 aspect ratio, while the Xperia XZ2 Compact bears a 5-inch full-HD+ (1440&times;2560 pixels) display with HDR support and 18:9 aspect ratio.&nbsp;

The smartphones come with Quick Charge 3.0 technology while the Xperia XZ2 comes with wireless charging support. They also include high-resolution audio with front-facing stereo speakers, water resistance IP65/ 68, HDR displays and the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC.&nbsp;

The Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact pack 4GB of RAM along with 64GB of internal storage that can be further expanded via microSD card up to 400GB. The Sony Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact come with 3180mAh and 2870mAh batteries under the hood.&nbsp;

The phones include a single/dual SIM (Nano) and will also run Android 8.0 Oreo out-of-the-box. Connectivity options include USB Type-C (3.1), Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, Wi-Fi, GPS, GLONASS, wireless charging, and Google Cast. The fingerprint sensor is placed on the rear panel. dimensions are 153x72x11.1mm and weight is 198 grams.&nbsp;

The company has announced that they will be available from March, however, prices have not been disclosed yet

Sony unveiled two smartphones at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona - Sony Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact - as a set of flagship smartphones on Sunday. This is Sony's first ever phone which comes with a full-screen display. The company has announced that they will be available from March, however, prices have not been disclosed yet. The Sony Xperia XZ2 comes in four colour models – Liquid Silver, Liquid Black, Deep Green, and Ash Pink. The Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact, on the other hand, has White Silver, Black, Moss Green, and Coral Pink as the colour variants. The phones include Sony's proprietary advanced 19-megapixel Motion Eye camera technology with 4 HDR video recording and f/2 aperture. The rear camera comes with slow-motion video recording at 960 frames per second (fps). The Sony Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact have 3180mAh and 2870mAh batteries under the hood. The Xperia XZ2 comes with a 5.7-inch full-HD+ (1440×2560 pixels) HDR display with an 18:9 aspect ratio, while the Xperia XZ2 Compact bears a 5-inch full-HD+ (1440×2560 pixels) display with HDR support and 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphones come with Quick Charge 3.0 technology while the Xperia XZ2 comes with wireless charging support. They also include high-resolution audio with front-facing stereo speakers, water resistance IP65/ 68, HDR displays and the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC. The Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact pack 4GB of RAM along with 64GB of internal storage that can be further expanded via microSD card up to 400GB. The Sony Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact come with 3180mAh and 2870mAh batteries under the hood. The phones include a single/dual SIM (Nano) and will also run Android 8.0 Oreo out-of-the-box. Connectivity options include USB Type-C (3.1), Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, Wi-Fi, GPS, GLONASS, wireless charging, and Google Cast. The fingerprint sensor is placed on the rear panel. dimensions are 153x72x11.1mm and weight is 198 grams.

Sony Xperia XZ2, Xperia XZ2 Compact: Features, specifications, availability

Samsung launched its flagship Galaxy S9 smartphone on Sunday and people are already talking about its comparison with Apple&#39;s iPhone X.&nbsp;

Although Samsung has similar appearances, it comes with several new exclusive features and upgrades including the latest Exynos 9810 SoC (Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC in some regions), improved cameras, and new AR emojis. Apart from that, the Galaxy S9 series bears full-screen displays with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio.

Also read: &nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/samsung-galaxy-s9-galaxy-s9-will-be-available-in-india-in-march-34073">Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ will be available in India in March</a>

Samsung&#39;s biggest focus has been on visual applications with its introduction of AR Emoji which rivals Apple&#39;s iPhone X feature called Animoji&nbsp;which allows a user to take a selfie and turn it into their own custom emoji. The camera can track a person&#39;s face and mimic their facial expression on the digital version of themselves too. Samsung is introducing a similar feature with the S9, but rather than using existing emojis&nbsp;it will let you create an avatar of yourself and animate that instead. These can be shared as videos of animated GIFs via email or text message.

Samsung has included the S9 Plus with two cameras - a wide-angle, and a telephoto, similar to the iPhone X and both capture at a resolution of 12 megapixels which is als. Samsung even mounts the two lenses of the S9 Plus vertically something Apple also does with its flagship.&nbsp;

The difference is in the low-light performance. While taking a picture with S9 and S9+, one can capture 12 images at the same time and then compares all exposures to build a single picture that includes all the right specifications required but with little grain and noise as possible. The iPhone X, on the other hand, processes high-dynamic range photos, taking three images at different levels of light exposure to combine them to produce a richer, more balanced image.

Another significant difference between the two phones is the price. While the Samsung Galaxy S9 starts at a price of $720 and the Galaxy S9+ starts at a price of $840, which is $250 less than the arch-rival iPhone X which costs $999.&nbsp;

Also, Apple comes with built-in storage of upto 256GB but does not offer any expansion with a removable SD memory. But Samsung does with the S9. It&rsquo;ll have 64GB built in, but it supports Micro SD cards with up to 400GB of additional capacity.

&nbsp;

Samsung launched its flagship Galaxy S9 smartphone on Sunday and people are already talking about its comparison with Apple's iPhone X.

Samsung launched its flagship Galaxy S9 smartphone on Sunday and people are already talking about its comparison with Apple's iPhone X. Although Samsung has similar appearances, it comes with several new exclusive features and upgrades including the latest Exynos 9810 SoC (Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC in some regions), improved cameras, and new AR emojis. Apart from that, the Galaxy S9 series bears full-screen displays with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. Also read: Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ will be available in India in March Samsung's biggest focus has been on visual applications with its introduction of AR Emoji which rivals Apple's iPhone X feature called Animoji which allows a user to take a selfie and turn it into their own custom emoji. The camera can track a person's face and mimic their facial expression on the digital version of themselves too. Samsung is introducing a similar feature with the S9, but rather than using existing emojis it will let you create an avatar of yourself and animate that instead. These can be shared as videos of animated GIFs via email or text message. Samsung has included the S9 Plus with two cameras - a wide-angle, and a telephoto, similar to the iPhone X and both capture at a resolution of 12 megapixels which is als. Samsung even mounts the two lenses of the S9 Plus vertically something Apple also does with its flagship. The difference is in the low-light performance. While taking a picture with S9 and S9+, one can capture 12 images at the same time and then compares all exposures to build a single picture that includes all the right specifications required but with little grain and noise as possible. The iPhone X, on the other hand, processes high-dynamic range photos, taking three images at different levels of light exposure to combine them to produce a richer, more balanced image. Another significant difference between the two phones is the price. While the Samsung Galaxy S9 starts at a price of $720 and the Galaxy S9+ starts at a price of $840, which is $250 less than the arch-rival iPhone X which costs $999. Also, Apple comes with built-in storage of upto 256GB but does not offer any expansion with a removable SD memory. But Samsung does with the S9. It’ll have 64GB built in, but it supports Micro SD cards with up to 400GB of additional capacity.

Is Samsung Galaxy S9 better than iPhone X?

Oppo recently launched two smartphones in China, Oppo A75 and Oppo A75s.

The smartphones come with 6-inch edge-to-edge display, 4GB RAM and weigh around 152g.

The Oppo A75 has been priced at NTD 10,990, roughly around Rs. 23,506 while the A75s will be available for NTD 11,990, for approximately Rs. 24,850.

The devices will be available on company&#39;s online store.

The handsets will be available in black and gold hues and will also boast of a full HD+ resolution (2,160&times;1,080 pixels) and an 18:9 display.&nbsp;

The Oppo A75 comes with 32GB internal storage while Oppo A75s packs 64GB of storage -- the only differing factor between the two devices. &nbsp;

The smartphones also come with a 20MP front camera and a 16MP back sensor.

The front sensor comes with the standard artificial intelligence-based facial recognition feature typically found in all Oppo flagship devices.

The devices run on on Color OS 3.2 built processor along with Android 7.1 Nougat.

Oppo A75 and A75s come with 3200mAh battery.&nbsp;

Other features include WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS and USB OTG support.

The company has not provided any information on its launch in other countries.&nbsp;

The OPPO A75 has been priced at NTD 10,990, roughly around Rs. 23,506

Oppo recently launched two smartphones in China, Oppo A75 and Oppo A75s. The smartphones come with 6-inch edge-to-edge display, 4GB RAM and weigh around 152g. The Oppo A75 has been priced at NTD 10,990, roughly around Rs. 23,506 while the A75s will be available for NTD 11,990, for approximately Rs. 24,850. The devices will be available on company's online store. The handsets will be available in black and gold hues and will also boast of a full HD+ resolution (2,160×1,080 pixels) and an 18:9 display. The Oppo A75 comes with 32GB internal storage while Oppo A75s packs 64GB of storage -- the only differing factor between the two devices. The smartphones also come with a 20MP front camera and a 16MP back sensor. The front sensor comes with the standard artificial intelligence-based facial recognition feature typically found in all Oppo flagship devices. The devices run on on Color OS 3.2 built processor along with Android 7.1 Nougat. Oppo A75 and A75s come with 3200mAh battery. Other features include WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS and USB OTG support. The company has not provided any information on its launch in other countries.

Oppo launches A75, A75s with 6-inch display, 20MP selfie camera in China

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