- The snow map is 6x6km
- Arabic language support is added
- New Snowmobile added being the Vikendi-exclusive vehicle
- Snowball fight in Vikendi Spawn Island
- Players who regularly exit matches right in the beginning will be barred from entering matches for a certain period of time
- Players can collect all daily mission awards at one time
- By finishing daily missions, players would be able to avail Added Lucky Treasure feature, which gives them a chance to upgrade weapon
- Backpack has added features to show players the sources of unobtained items
- Added season spending rewards
- New commands added for quick chats
- Suspicious behaviour can be reported if spotted by players while spectating after dying
- The added snow theme in the game leads players to collect bells from classic mode and exchange them for rewards
- Added cross-server match making: players now have the privilege to compare themselves with other players from the same tier
- Added firearms upgrade system
- Added display for crew challenge winners on Erangel’s Spawn Island
New PUBG Vikendi map would be available on Android and iOS from 20th December: Learn how to download it
In order for you to download the Vikendi map, you need to update the mobile game to 0.10.0 version, which has been released by Tencent games in both the mobile operating systems. This can also be done through the respective app stores. Earlier there was a notice that the Vikendi map would be activated in the game starting 18th December, however that has been delayed by two days. It was also mentioned that those who download the game update before 25th December would be able to avail Outfit box III and 1,888 BP.
The new map sort of celebrates Christmas. The home screen of the game is based on the holidays. There is snowy background with an SUV in the game which has Christmas lights. In the backdrop there is a Christmas song going on, which warns players to beware of enemies while cherishing the festive season. The map’s dimensions are 6x6km. The game would be later available for consoles on January 21.
Here is everything you need to know about the new PUBG Vikendi Map:
OnePlus 5G smartphone’s first image gets leaked
The upcoming year will be an important one for OnePlus. The Chinese smartphone brand will not only be seen launching its OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7T smartphones, but it has also announced that it will be unveiling a 5G smartphone too. Although earlier speculations assumed that OnePlus 7 will come with 5G capabilities, the company clarified that it is planning a separate range for its 5G handsets as it wishes to continue selling its flagships at affordable prices. Reports about both its upcoming devices keep surfacing online.
And now, we may have got the first look at one of the upcoming OnePlus smartphones. A photograph from an internal company meeting that shows OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has been leaked. In the background, one can see a picture of a OnePlus device. But there’s no clarity on whether it’s OnePlus 7, OnePlus 7T or OnePlus’ 5G smartphone. However, if you take a look at the picture, you’ll see the upcoming smartphone has a very different design compared to the one we have seen till now on other OnePlus smartphones.
The device featured on the slide is Red in colour and it sports a huge circular camera module on its back panel. The smartphone lying on the desk seems to be of the same colour too. But if you see the picture closely, the man sitting towards the right has the same OnePlus smartphone with a huge camera module. The only difference is, that the smartphone he is holding is White in colour. As we mentioned earlier, we don’t know which model of OnePlus this is, but if we believe the reports that claim that OnePlus’ 5G smartphone would be launched earlier than OnePlus 7, then in all probability the device in the image is OnePlus 5G mobile. Recently, OnePlus had announced at Qualcomm’s annual summit that the first carrier to get the OnePlus 5G will be EE in the UK. The 5G-enabled smartphone by OnePlus is expected to cost $100 or $200 more than OnePlus 6T. The company has also announced that its 5G-enabled smartphone will be powered by the Snapdragon 855 chipset paired with X50 modem. The same chipset will also be present in OnePlus 7, but with a different modem. Image courtesy: Ishan Agarwal/Twitter For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.EXCLUSIVE! Here's your first look at an upcoming OnePlus Device I don't know much about. This image shows the device in prototype/designing stage and it is not final but this is probably how the device may end up looking. That's Pete (CEO of OP) in the img and the device itself. pic.twitter.com/Yau9EsgSDy
— Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24) December 19, 2018
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 review: Amongst the best budget smartphones
When Asus launched its Zenfone Max Pro M1 smartphone earlier this year, it set a benchmark for budget smartphones. The smartphone packed good features and was very reasonably priced. And we loved it when we reviewed it. Naturally, we were really looking forward to using the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2. The smartphone comes in three storage variants priced in the range of Rs 12,999 to Rs 16,999. Read the rest of our review to know more about Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 and how did it perform on our test bench:
Asus has claimed that Zenfone Max Pro M2 is the first smartphone in the price segment to come with Corning Gorilla Glass 6. Coming back to the display, it is outlined by thin bezels on the sides and the top, and has a slightly broader chin at the bottom. It is worth noticing that Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2’s earpiece is not placed inside the notch, but instead, it lies more towards the top part of the frame. The company has done this in order to decrease the size of the notch.
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 has plastic side edges that house the power and volume buttons on the right and SIM tray on the left. The bottom edge has the microUSB port, the primary microphone, the 3.5mm headphone jack and the speaker grille. The secondary microphone is placed on the top.
There are a number of the things that we liked about the design of the device. Firstly, it is extremely comfortable to use the smartphone with one hand. The power and volume buttons and the fingerprint sensor are all placed well and are easy to reach. During our time with the smartphone, the fingerprint scanner worked really well.
Coming to the 6.3-inch Full-HD+ display of the smartphone, it is another aspect that we really liked. The screen produced very sharp and clear images with accurate colours. When we tried looking at the screen from different angles, the colours did not lose their consistency. The sunlight readability was not a problem either. We spent long hours playing games and watching YouTube videos on the device and we loved every bit of it.
We always give some extra marks to smartphones that come with a stock Android experience. And Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 is one of them. We love how the software had no bloatware at all and came without any customizations, which can at times make the experience laggy. The smartphone had Google’s entire suite of apps, and Facebook, Messenger and Instagram – which can’t really be counted as extra apps since most of us use it on a daily basis. Other than this, the Sound Recorder, FM Radio and Calculator apps are from Asus. So, they are really as few as they can be.
During our time with the smartphone, we did not encounter any lag in its performance. The apps launched very quickly and we had no trouble switching between them. There were no delays in the smartphone’s performance when we multitasked on it and we found the experience with the UI to be pretty smooth. However, there was one small thing that we missed in this smartphone. In a lot of smartphones that come with notches, there is an option of running the apps in full-screen mode. In Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2, some apps ran in full screen, but when we tried to use the others, the area on either side of the notch blacked out. It’s negligible, but you’ll miss it if you have used the functionality in a previous device. Furthermore, there isn’t an option of ‘removing’ the notch using software adjustments, so you would really just have to live with it.
Most games ran on the device very smoothly. The lighter ones didn’t cause any trouble at all, and even the heavier ones like Asphalt 9 Legends ran reasonably well. If you play a heavy game on the device for around 30 minutes or so, it might start getting slightly warm. But this doesn’t apply to games that come without very heavy graphics. As we mentioned earlier, we watched a number of videos on YouTube during our time with the smartphone. The experience was really good. The images depicted were sharp and clear. The Zenfone Max Pro M2’s speaker can be very loud, too. Clubbed together, they make the video watching experience extremely good.
The battery life of the smartphone was definitely among the key highlights. After usage that involved browsing the internet, listening to music, playing games, watching videos and using Google Maps for straight two hours, the smartphone was still left with over 50% charge by the end of the day. In fact, we only charged it once in two days. However, fast charging is not supported on the device and it takes almost two hours to charge it fully.
Coming to the cameras of Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2, they also did a good job. The camera app was very simple to use and comes with quick access buttons for shooting modes and beautification along with depth effect. There are a number of filters present on the app that can be used on the images too. In the December update, Asus has said that the camera app will also get AI enhancements; and EIS and Bokeh effect for the selfie camera.
We liked the performance of the cameras. The images were detailed and the colours were accurate. The photos taken retained clarity even when they were viewed on a laptop. While the pictures taken in well-lit areas were very good, the ones taken in dimly lit areas were reasonable. Selfies taken by the front-facing snapper were decent too, but they became much better as soon as we enabled the Beautification mode.
For some reason, we couldn’t run the Antutu benchmark test on this device. In Geekbench, Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 scored 1,474 and 5,539 in the single and multi-core scores. Putting it at the top lot of the category.
In This Article
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 Design and Display
Let’s start with the design of the smartphone. Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 looks more premium than its predecessor and its good looks show that the company has invested thought and time into its design. The new offering from Asus is available in two colour options – Blue and Titanium, and the one that we got for review was dressed in Titanium. Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2’s back panel is laminated and has a glossy finish. This, in fact, is primarily what makes the smartphone look so premium. It does attract more fingerprint smudges than its predecessor, but then that can’t really be compared as Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 mobile came with a metal back panel. The back panel of Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 houses the vertically stacked dual rear cameras in a module that also includes the LED flash. The fingerprint sensor of the device is placed in the centre and right beneath it lies the Asus branding. The front is dominated by a 6.26-inch display that has a notch on the top and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 6.
Asus has claimed that Zenfone Max Pro M2 is the first smartphone in the price segment to come with Corning Gorilla Glass 6. Coming back to the display, it is outlined by thin bezels on the sides and the top, and has a slightly broader chin at the bottom. It is worth noticing that Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2’s earpiece is not placed inside the notch, but instead, it lies more towards the top part of the frame. The company has done this in order to decrease the size of the notch.
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 has plastic side edges that house the power and volume buttons on the right and SIM tray on the left. The bottom edge has the microUSB port, the primary microphone, the 3.5mm headphone jack and the speaker grille. The secondary microphone is placed on the top.
There are a number of the things that we liked about the design of the device. Firstly, it is extremely comfortable to use the smartphone with one hand. The power and volume buttons and the fingerprint sensor are all placed well and are easy to reach. During our time with the smartphone, the fingerprint scanner worked really well.
Coming to the 6.3-inch Full-HD+ display of the smartphone, it is another aspect that we really liked. The screen produced very sharp and clear images with accurate colours. When we tried looking at the screen from different angles, the colours did not lose their consistency. The sunlight readability was not a problem either. We spent long hours playing games and watching YouTube videos on the device and we loved every bit of it.
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 Performance and Cameras
Before we start talking about the performance of the device, we’ll take a minute to shed some light on its specifications. Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor clubbed with either 3GB/4GB/6GB of RAM. It comes in two storage models – 32GB and 64GB. The one in this review is with 4GB RAM. On the camera front, Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 sports a dual rear camera setup with 12MP and 5MP sensors. For selfies and video calls, there is a 13MP sensor on the front panel. The key highlight of the Android 8.1 Oreo-based smartphone is its massive 5,000mAh battery.
We always give some extra marks to smartphones that come with a stock Android experience. And Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 is one of them. We love how the software had no bloatware at all and came without any customizations, which can at times make the experience laggy. The smartphone had Google’s entire suite of apps, and Facebook, Messenger and Instagram – which can’t really be counted as extra apps since most of us use it on a daily basis. Other than this, the Sound Recorder, FM Radio and Calculator apps are from Asus. So, they are really as few as they can be.
During our time with the smartphone, we did not encounter any lag in its performance. The apps launched very quickly and we had no trouble switching between them. There were no delays in the smartphone’s performance when we multitasked on it and we found the experience with the UI to be pretty smooth. However, there was one small thing that we missed in this smartphone. In a lot of smartphones that come with notches, there is an option of running the apps in full-screen mode. In Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2, some apps ran in full screen, but when we tried to use the others, the area on either side of the notch blacked out. It’s negligible, but you’ll miss it if you have used the functionality in a previous device. Furthermore, there isn’t an option of ‘removing’ the notch using software adjustments, so you would really just have to live with it.
Most games ran on the device very smoothly. The lighter ones didn’t cause any trouble at all, and even the heavier ones like Asphalt 9 Legends ran reasonably well. If you play a heavy game on the device for around 30 minutes or so, it might start getting slightly warm. But this doesn’t apply to games that come without very heavy graphics. As we mentioned earlier, we watched a number of videos on YouTube during our time with the smartphone. The experience was really good. The images depicted were sharp and clear. The Zenfone Max Pro M2’s speaker can be very loud, too. Clubbed together, they make the video watching experience extremely good.
The battery life of the smartphone was definitely among the key highlights. After usage that involved browsing the internet, listening to music, playing games, watching videos and using Google Maps for straight two hours, the smartphone was still left with over 50% charge by the end of the day. In fact, we only charged it once in two days. However, fast charging is not supported on the device and it takes almost two hours to charge it fully.
Coming to the cameras of Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2, they also did a good job. The camera app was very simple to use and comes with quick access buttons for shooting modes and beautification along with depth effect. There are a number of filters present on the app that can be used on the images too. In the December update, Asus has said that the camera app will also get AI enhancements; and EIS and Bokeh effect for the selfie camera.
We liked the performance of the cameras. The images were detailed and the colours were accurate. The photos taken retained clarity even when they were viewed on a laptop. While the pictures taken in well-lit areas were very good, the ones taken in dimly lit areas were reasonable. Selfies taken by the front-facing snapper were decent too, but they became much better as soon as we enabled the Beautification mode.
For some reason, we couldn’t run the Antutu benchmark test on this device. In Geekbench, Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 scored 1,474 and 5,539 in the single and multi-core scores. Putting it at the top lot of the category.
Verdict and Final Words
At the given price, it is surely one amongst the best devices that are available. It has a beautiful design, a good display, and smooth performance. The battery is undoubtedly the best feature of Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 and the cameras work reasonably well too. We see no reason to not recommend it. You certainly would not regret spending your money on Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2. The smartphone does give a strong competition to the Realme handsets available in the budget range, but our vote goes to Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 since it comes with stock Android. With it, you can expect to get timely Android updates and security patches. So your device will stay updated at all times. Pros – Beautiful design, Amazing battery, Smooth performance Cons – Reasonable low-light photography, Warms up after prolonged gaming For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.Moto G7 Play passes EEC Certification
Motorola is all set to launch its Moto G7 series early next year. And from what we know so far, the company will be launching four smartphones in the series —Moto G7, Moto G7 Power, Moto G7 Plus, Moto G7 Play.
And now, it has been reported that Moto G7 Play has been certified by the Eurasian Economic Commission. According to the listing on EEC, the Moto G7 Play with model number Moto XT1952-1 will be powered by Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box. According to an FCC listing that earlier surfaced online with the image of the smartphone, Moto G7 Play will have a microSD slot, an audio jack, a hybrid dual SIM slot and a back-mounted fingerprint scanner with a Moto dimple. The listing also said that the smartphone will house a 2,820mAh battery.
To speak further about the specifications of Moto G7 Play, the smartphone will be powered by a Snapdragon 632 SoC processor, according to the listing. Though some renders show that the phone will feature a waterdrop notch on top of the front screen, the images from FCC listing differ on that. According to the images, the upcoming Moto G7 Play will have a rectangular screen and will not sport any cut-outs for camera or other sensors.
To recall, a previous report from 91mobiles claimed that Moto G7 will be launched on December 25. The expected price of the smartphone is Rs 19,990 and it will reportedly be powered by an Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor. Reports suggest that Moto G7 will house a 3,000mAh battery and will come with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage.
The device will feature a dual rear camera setup with 16MP and 5MP sensors. For selfies and video calls, there will be a 12MP sensor. The smartphone will reportedly be available in two colour variants—black and red.
While we have already seen a standard, a Plus and a Play variant this year, what we are looking forward to is Moto G7 Power. While not much is known about the smartphone yet, it is expected to house a big battery as it is named ‘Power’.
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Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 starts receiving the FOTA update
Earlier this year, Taiwanese smartphone brand Asus launched its Zenfone Max Pro M1 smartphone in India. The budget smartphone packed a big battery and garnered appreciation for its performance in the Indian smartphone market. And now, Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 is getting a FOTA update by the company.
The version number of this update is OPM1.WW_Phone-15.2016.1811.338-20181206 and it is being said that it will enhance the device’s performance. The FOTA update gets the November security patch to the smartphone which would improve its Wi-Fi and hotspot compatibility. The update would also enhance the smartphone’s camera and video shooting capability. It will also improve the device’s third party app compatibility, and this is particularly focussed on Instagram.
The FOTA update would optimise power consumption of Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 and also enhance its audio quality on headphones. The FOTA update started rolling out to users today 12:30PM IST onwards. The roll out of the update is happening in a phased manner.
To recall, Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 runs on Android 8.1 Oreo and comes in three RAM variants. The 3GB RAM variant is clubbed with an internal storage of 32GB and the 4GB/6GB RAM variants come with 64GB in-built memory. The handset has a microSD card slot which can hold cards up to 512GB in size and sports 13MP+5MP dual camera setup. There is a dual selfie camera setup on the device that comprises of 8MP and 16MP sensors.
The smartphone houses a massive 5000mAh non-removable battery and comes with standard connectivity options. The base model of Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 is priced at Rs 10,999 and the most high-end model bears a price tag of Rs 14,999. The smartphone was the first to be launched under the brand’s strategic partnership with Flipkart.
It has also been reported that the smartphone will be getting the Android Pie update in February next year. This timeline has been confirmed by the company itself during the launch of its Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 and Zenfone Max M2 smartphones.
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Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ start receiving the new beta version of Android Pie
South Korean smartphone giant Samsung has started rolling out a beta version of Android Pie update for its Galaxy S9 and S9+ smartphones. However, we should point out that the update is currently available only in the UK, France, Poland and Germany. The beta update is 324MB in size and gets software version G960FXX2ZRLF for Samsung Galaxy S9 and G965FXXU2ZRLF for Galaxy S9+.
It is worth noticing that the stable update for Android Pie for Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S9 + would be available in January. By rolling out such updates, the company is actually working to fix the bugs that have been detected in previous beta builds of Android Pie for the two smartphones.
The bugs this update takes care of includes improper functioning of apps that require Samsung account, problems with Message notifications, and Phone app crashing on pressing the call button. The update will reportedly reach other markets in a few days’ time too.
Speaking about the specifications of Samsung Galaxy S9, it is powered by the Exynos 9810/Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and runs on Android Oreo with Samsung Experience UI on top. The smartphone features a 5.8-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity display that is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
The flagship smartphone weighs 163grams and houses a 3,000mAh battery. The device comes with a Super Speed Dual Pixel 12MP autofocus f/1.5-f/2.4 camera with optical image stabalization. It is available in Midnight Black, Coral Blue, Titanium Gray, Lilac Purple, Burgundy Red, Sunrise Gold, Ice Blue and the recently launched Polaris Blue colour options.
Coming to the specifications of Samsung Galaxy S9+, it comes with a 6.2-inch QHD+ Curved Super AMOLED display with an aspect ratio of 18.5:9. The smartphone has 6GB of RAM and a 3,500mAh battery. The device comes with a dual rear camera setup with Super Speed Dual Pixel 12MP autofocus f/1.5-f/2.4 lens and a telephoto lens with 12MP autofocus f/2.4 lens. The mobile has three internal storage variants— one with 64GB storage, another with 128GB storage and the most high-end one with 256GB storage.
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ASUS unveils two AMD-powered laptops aimed at gamers in India
Taiwanese consumer electronics maker ASUS has launched its two gaming laptops in India today. Powered by the latest generation AMD Ryzen Mobile processors, both the laptops – ASUS Gaming F570 and VivoBook 15 – come with graphics from AMD Radeon Vega and focus on gaming and entertainment. Here are the pricing details and specifications of the newly launched ASUS Gaming F570 and ASUS VivoBook 15 laptops:
In This Article
ASUS Gaming F570 and ASUS VivoBook 15 price in India
ASUS Gaming F570 laptop is available with up to 8GB of RAM and it is priced at Rs 52,990. ASUS VivoBook 15, on the other hand, comes in two variants – 4GB RAM and 8GB RAM – priced at Rs 30,990 and Rs 35,990 respectively. Both the laptops are available for purchase on Paytm Mall as well as offline stores in the country.ASUS Gaming F570 and ASUS VivoBook 15 specifications
Coming to the specifications of the two laptops, ASUS Gaming F570 comes with 15.6-inch FHD (1920×1080) Anti-Glare display and it is powered by AMD Ryzen 5 -2500U processor clubbed with up to 8GB of DRAM DDR4 RAM and AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics. The laptop supports up to 16GB of memory and has 1TB SATA 5400RPM HDD storage. ASUS F570 laptop focuses on gaming and runs the Windows 10 operating system. It weighs 1.9kg and comes with two memory card slots, Bluetooth v4.2, two Type A 2.0, one Type A 3.0 and one Type C 3.1 (Gen1) USB ports. Speaking of ASUS VivoBook 15 (X505), it has a 15.6-inch FHD Anti-Glare display with 81% screen-to-body ratio. One of its variants come with AMD Ryzen 3 – 2200U processor and AMD Radeon Vega 3 Graphics, and the other comes with AMD Ryzen 5-2500U processor and AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics. The 4GB RAM variant supports 12GB of memory and 8GB of RAM comes with 16GB of memory. The device comes with 1TB SATA 5400RPM HDD storage and runs Windows 10. Speaking about the launch of the two laptops, Arnold Su, ROG and PC Head of ASUS India said, “We are excited to unveil the Gaming F570 and VivoBook 15 (X505) specially designed for our Indian consumers. Both the laptops feature the latest AMD Ryzen 5 processor and Radeon Vega graphics, ensuring effortless productivity, multitasking, and entertainment. Pioneering the thin and light segment we are the only brand with models catering to this segment with Ryzen processor. We’re positive that the rising brigade of India’s ambitious users demanding more from their laptops would appreciate the latest offering.” For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.Garmin Instinct launched in India: Price and specifications
Garmin has launched its GPS-enabled smartwatch Instinct in India today. The rugged smartwatch is aimed at sports enthusiasts and those who love being a part of extreme activities, particularly outdoors.
Priced at Rs 26,990, the Garmin Instinct smartwatch comes in Flame Red, Graphite and Tundra colour variants. Interested buyers can buy the newly launched smartwatch at Garmin’s authorised stores, the company’s official website, Paytm Mall, Amazon India, and select Helios stores.
The smartwatch has a 3x-axis compass and a barometric altimeter. Multiple navigation satellites are supported on Garmin Instinct including GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo. Additionally, the smartwatch also comes with a wrist-based heart rate monitor that not only tracks your heart rate zones when you are working out but also gives you information about your stress levels.
The Instinct smartwatch is said to last up to 14 days in a single charge, provided its done in smartwatch mode. With full GPS tracking, its battery will last for 16 hours and when the power-saving UltraTrac mode is on, it can be used for 40 hours.
Garmin Instinct is said to be compatible with other products from the company including the InReach Mini. For those unaware, InReach Mini enhances the security of users by enabling them to send and receive messages and SOS calls from the watch itself.
The smartwatch from Garmin also comes with Virb action cameras and the company’s dog-tracking collars, Astro. Besides all this, there are some other fitness features in the newly launched smartwatch including a sports app and wellness data.
The smartwatch comes with 16MB of storage and users can sync the smartwatch with their smartphones using Garmin’s Connect app. Garmin Instinct is compatible with both Android and iOS. The Garmin Explore app can be used to create and edit routes, download maps, and more.
The company has also added that their new offering, Instinct, is made up of fibre-reinforced polymer, which is said to add strength and durability to it. Besides being rugged and outdoor-centric, the GPS-enabled smartwatch is said to come with the US military standard 810G. This basically means that it is thermal, shock and water resistant.
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Fitbit Ionic and Versa smartwatches get support for more third-party apps
Popular wearables maker Fitbit has updated its Ionic and Versa smartwatches with the latest version of Fitbit’s operating system – Fitbit OS 3.0. Among the key highlights that the update has got is the ability of the smartwatches to support some new third-party apps. Fitbit OS 3.0 will also enable users to create logs for their water intake, sleep, and weight directly in their smartwatch. Earlier, this had to be done via the mobile app that connected the smartwatch to the user’s smartphone.
The most notable apps which will now be supported by smartwatches running on Fitbit OS 3.0 are Couch to 5K and Achu Health. Speaking about these apps, Couch to 5K is a training program that coaches beginners towards running long-distance races, while Achu Health can help users predict potential illness by notifying them about any unusual temperature increase in their bodies. Going forward, these apps will display daily goals or send notifications to users on their smartwatches.
Another two apps that are now available on Fitbit smartwatches include Genius Wrist and MySwimPro. While Genius Wrist will provide structured on-device workouts, productivity and visualization tools, MySwimPro will get video coaching and training plans for swimmers of all levels. The latter will also use real-time heart rate of the wearer from the smartwatch and help them enhance their swimming performance accordingly.
Support for some other apps will be added next year on Fitbit OS 3.0. These include TRX, Charity Miles, FitBark and Mindbody.
We should point out that if you use Charge 3, you will not be getting this OS update. So your wait for popular third-party apps will be a little longer than that of others. And as of now, there is no official word on when the OS update will be rolled out to Charge 3 users.
What we do know is that an upcoming update in 2019 will improve the female health tracking feature on the smartwatches to show more data. Fitbit has said that it will be adding symptom trends to its female health tracking feature. While there is no word on whether there will be features for menopause tracking or family planning, we really do wish that Fitbit gets those in its smartwatches, as these features are what most women would find useful.
Speaking about the software update being rolled out, Jon Oakes, Senior Vice President of Product at Fitbit said, “We are excited to announce these software and app updates as they provide Fitbit smartwatch users with more ways to take action based on their personal data to achieve their health and fitness goal.”
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India sees over 50% improvement in average fixed download speeds in 2018: Ookla
In 2018, India saw the greatest improvement in fixed broadband speed among the most popular countries in the world. According to a report shared by Ookla, a platform that is widely known for its speedtests, India ranks 65th in broadband and 111th in mobile.
The report further said that the country has shown an improvement of 50.4% and has an average fixed download speed of 23 Mbps. Speaking of mobile, the country showed a 15.2% increase in average overall download speeds.
If you we talk about the five largest countries in the world, China topped the list of the fastest average mobile speeds. The list of countries with fastest fixed download speeds was dominated by the United States, and China managed a second spot there too. India and Brazil had a tie on the third position of the list.
Another important reveal by the report was that the number of gigabit tests in New Delhi swelled from 119 in 2017 to 20239 results in 2018. This is a massive increase of 16908%.
Ookla’s report also said that the overall world’s internet speed increased by over 15% in the current year. The mean global speed, according to the report, is said to be 22.82 Mbps. It was also stated that mobile downloads went up by 15.20% in the last 12 months and mobile uploads grew by 11.60%.
It is worth noticing that with Reliance Jio’s JioPhone and JioPhone 2 feature phones being introduced in the market and the fall in tariff pricing of mobile data plans, the number of internet users has grown tremendously in India. As of September 2018, Jio had a user base of a massive 1,191.40 million. And we should point out that other major telecom players like Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea also have millions of users in the country. Since’s Jio’s entry in the telecom space, these players have been forced to slash the prices of their mobile data plan too. But this fall in prices has led to a lot more Indian users come online.
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