This might come as a shocker to some. Google is planning to end support for Chrome Web Store Apps starting this year. This means that submissions for new apps will only be entertained until the end of March. From June 2020 onwards, there will not be any support for Chrome Apps on Windows, Mac, and Linux. There is no danger of Chrome Extensions going off since developers are being urged to switch to Progressive Web Apps or Chrome Extensions.
Support for Chrome Web Store Apps
After quite a while, Google has finally charted out a timeline for phasing out Chrome Apps. Starting in March 2020, Chrome Web Store will not be accepting any new apps for submission. However, developers who already have their app in the store would be able to provide updates to their existing apps until June 2022. This is pretty ironic since it does look like many users would be able to use them. The reason behind this is that from June 2020, support for Chrome Apps on Windows, Mac, and Linux will come to an end. Since users will not have access to the store, chances of them using the updated apps are pretty low! With regards to the Chrome OS platform and the Chrome Apps available there, support will end in June of 2021.
Events leading up to this
Google has been planning to phase out Chrome Web Store apps for quite some time now. The company believes that Progressive Web Apps are where the future lies and has been steadily pointing users in that direction. In 2018, Google phased out all types of apps including packaged application, hosted application, and more. The second part of this includes the phasing of the Chrome Store apps. This will be done slowly, giving developers time to make the shift.
Chrome Web Store Apps
Timeline
Let’s take a look at the timeline of phasing out the Chrome Web Store Apps. This was first published in the Chromium blog post by the company.
March 2020: Chrome Web Store will stop accepting new Chrome Apps. Developers will be able to update existing Chrome Apps through June 2022.
June 2020: End support for Chrome Apps on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Customers who have Chrome Enterprise and Chrome Education Upgrade will have access to a policy to extend support through December 2020.
December 2020: End support for Chrome Apps on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
June 2021: End support for NaCl, PNaCl, and PPAPI APIs.
June 2021: End support for Chrome Apps on Chrome OS. Customers who have Chrome Enterprise and Chrome Education Upgrade will have access to a policy to extend support through June 2022.
June 2022: End support for Chrome Apps on Chrome OS for all customers.
While this is not great news for Chrome App developers and users, but there is one load off our mind. This refers to the fact that Chrome Extensions are here to stay, at least for the time being. This is cemented by the fact that Google is supporting the transition to Progressive Web App or a Chrome Extension.
Whether you have a retirement account set up that you’ve forgotten about, or are an active investor and make orders at your coffee table, checking up on your portfolio and getting things done right from your smart speaker will be super handy.
Google has now made it easy to do with its Google Assistant, and new brokerage services are listed in the Google Account settings!!
Firms like E*TRADE and TD Ameritrade already have Google Assistant integrations. Also, with the recent release of Fidelity’s integration in Google Assistant, all three of these firms have been listed in the Google Account settings under the ‘Services’ tab in the Stocks & Brokerages menu.
If you wish to implement any of these integrations, you will need to link your portfolio account information for each trading house. After connecting your account, it will retrieve specific pieces of information by giving Google Assistant commands.
Each of these services works when different commands are issued.
To use Fidelity using Google Assistant, you can say:
“How’s my portfolio doing?”
“Ask Fidelity for my tax forms.”
“Ask Fidelity when will I get my dividends.”
“Ask Fidelity for today’s top stocks.”
“Ask Fidelity to play podcasts” (Fidelity produces several podcasts series)
To use E*Trade using Google Assistant, you can say:
“Check my E*TRADE portfolio.”
“Check my stock plan account.”
“Check my Netflix stock at E*TRADE.”
“How’s my E*TRADE portfolio doing?”
Finally, to use TD Ameritrade using Google Assistant, you can say:
“Ask TD Ameritrade how the IT sector is doing.”
“Ask TD Ameritrade to check financial markets.”
“Ask TD Ameritrade for a portfolio update.”
“Ask TD Ameritrade for my account balance.”
Using these commands, you will be able to get a summary of your portfolio. Also, you can play a market news podcast through your speaker.
You may also find summaries or short pieces of news on your phone within the Assistant app.
If you’re wondering if you can check individual stock directly through Google Assistant, unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like you can do so from the Stocks & Brokerages menu.
Tapping on the Stocks section takes you to the Stocks subsection of the ‘Your Interests’ menu. Also, there are no recommendations and any other offerings to the users of any interesting and matching stocks.
If you do not like to dig through your Google accounts settings, you can access the integration pages directly by clicking on these links – E*TRADE, Fidelity, TD Ameritrade.
Bottom Line
The integration of these services is making it super easy. Therefore, you can get the stock market or portfolio information quickly. However, having the ability to check individual stocks directly through Google Assistant would have made for better convenience. Hence, we hope to see that feature added with an update in the future.
The Skagen Falster 3 has a slightly different smartwatch design if you compare it to the usual standard. Its clean, minimalist look is a clear win, especially when you consider it against its previous model, the Falster 2. The smartwatch features GPS, a heart rate monitor, NFC, and a built-in speaker. It is one of the perfect models for sale in 2020. This third iteration by the company has been designed to be simple yet perfect. The watch is set to run on Android’s wearable OS. The elegant design coupled with the top features in the market easily make it one of the best contenders out there.
The release date of Skagen Falster 3 is January 7. It was also the day it was announced. If you are in Asia or the US, the smartwatch has already hit the market and is available for purchase right away. For other regions, like Europe, the Falster 3 will make its way there by the end of the month. The price is only slightly increased when compared to its predecessor, but the extra features added here make it completely worth it.
Skagen Falster 3 Review
Design And Display
In this third iteration of the smartwatch, Skagen has worked hard to refine the aesthetics of its Falster series watches. You will notice that the strap lugs are more rounded, the aesthetics cleaner, and an overall elegance that is apparent at first glance. The watch is designed to sit comfortably on the wrist without feeling overly large but still suiting quite well indeed. The central crown button rotates, making it easier for you to scroll through the apps and the menu. The button located above and below can be customized, enabling you to launch your favourite apps in no time.
The watch body has been designed to be swim-proof up to a depth of 30 meters. A nice touch here is the fact that you can track your swims via the fitness apps. When you purchase the watch, you will be able to choose from three different strap materials, including leather, metal, and rubber. All of them are priced the same. You will not have to pay anything extra even if you choose to go with Skagen’s mesh metal strap. We wish every manufacturer worked like this!
Skagen Falster 3
If you ever notice the Fossil group’s watches, you would have observed that most of them tend to have different designs. Skagen’s Falster 3 features a circular face and a slightly more rounded look than its predecessors. This slick smartwatch has three buttons, including the crown and the two shortcuts buttons. Thanks to these, you can easily navigate yourself without having to use the screen.
Performance
The Skagen Falster 3 runs on Qualcomm’s dedicated Snapdragon 3100 wearable chipset with 1GB RAM. This feature enables it to run Google’s Wear OS software. Here, you will also receive 8GB storage, which is pretty much double the limit of other models. On the left side of the smartwatch, you may have noticed a vent. This houses the built-in speaker. This comes in useful for using Google Assistant, playing music, playing notification tones, and taking phone calls directly on the watch. The feature of being able to take calls directly from the watch is indeed a novel one. The best part is that you will not require a SIM card in the wearable to achieve this.
A Skagen press release mention, “Using our proprietary phone app, both Android and iPhone users will be able to make and receive phone calls directly from their Bluetooth-enabled watch.” Besides the heart rate monitor and the app, the company has also pre-installed the Cardiogram app on Falster 3. This will continuously monitor your heart rhythm and notify you it something irregular has been detected. While diagnosis is not possible, this alert could be useful as an indication to visit the doctor.
Features of Skagen Falster 3
Coming to the battery, the smartwatch has an extended battery mode which can help you enjoy days of battery life. You will not have to sacrifice any of the features, such as receiving notifications or the continues heart rate monitoring. Coming to the aesthetics, the Falster 3 has about three strap options, none of them which costs extra. If you are like me and love to change the watch faces, you might the collection here quite nice. Just like the design, the faces are clean, minimalist, and elegant.
Skagen Falster 3 Wear OS
Of course, with this model, you will be able to interact with Google Assistant thanks to the presence of the in-built speakers. You will even be able to attend calls and talk. This is applicable for both Android and iPhone users. The smartwatch features built-in GPS for tracking runs accurately. In addition to this, you will notice that it comes with an HRM and NFC. You can now make payments without ever worrying about leaving your wallet at home.
X By Kygo Edition
There is a surprise for all the music fans here. A special edition of Falster 3 is in the works, created in partnership with Swedish DJ Kygo. The well-known DJ has his own range of tech products under the ‘X By Kygo’ brand. The Falster 3 is the most recent addition to its headphones section. All the features will essentially be the same here as well. The only difference will be minor design tweaks to be more in line with the X by Kygo brand as well. The strap will feature an ‘X’ logo while the ‘X by Kygo’ will be present on the white strap pusher. This edition will launch later this month. With regards to watch faces, it will have a few exclusive faces keeping in with the theme.
Verdict: Skagen Falster 3
The Falster 3 by Skagen is a neatly designed smartwatch without any clutter. The Scandinavian design might attract some customers as well. Surprisingly, the company has made the model not too expensive either. It is quite affordable, stylish, and has tons of features that will make life fun. The long-lasting battery, huge storage capacity, and different straps all count towards its pros.
Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities, which is a financial services group in the Asia-Pacific region has always been known as a noted Apple analyst, has claimed that the Cupertino-based tech giant will sell between 80 to 85 million 5G iPhones which will be based on the draw of 5G connectivity.
He also has published a note in which he most probably foretells that Apple will be releasing four 5G-connected iPhone models and also is planning to flood the markets with it. Although there were previous speculations that Cupertino will be going for the launch of sub-6GHz models first and might delay the mmWave phones for the start of 2021.
Apple iPhone
However, with a completely unexpected move and taking the tech industry by storm, Ming-Chi Kuo has now doubled down on his prediction. In a follow-up research note on the 13th of January 2020, viewed by MacRumors, he said Apple is still on track to release both sub-6GHz and sub-6GHz-plus-mmWave iPhone models concurrently in the second half of 2020. Both these models’ shipments beginning in the late third quarter or early fourth quarter of the year.
iPhone 12 5G
If you are already in awe with this news then let us point to the additional features the 5G variant of the iPhone 12 may come up with, one of them being excellent image sensor shifting stabilization technology which would help to click stable images without distortion even when there is excessive motion.
Samik Chatterjee, a J.P. Morgan analyst, claimed that Apple will release a 5.4-inch iPhone, two 6.1-inch iPhones and one 6.7-inch iPhone with 5G connectivity in 2020. He further predicts that the company may also introduce two high-end models (one 6.1-inch and one 6.7-inch) with support for mmWave, as well as 3D sensing and a triple-lens camera for improved Augmented Reality capabilities.
iPhone 5G
Apple could fancy waiting until late 2020 for its 5G phone is that the cost of 5G components may experience a drop by then, which would further allow Apple to release the iPhone 12 for around the same price as what you would have paid for an iPhone in today’s date. Although that’s pure speculation at this point, however, and Kuo’s report makes it seem less likely.
Even after all of this, the 5G networks will also be distant along than they are now, with 5G coverage confined to select neighbourhoods in just a few cities. As an example, T-Mobile has previously launched its low-band 5G network, which is offering speeds marginally faster than LTE traditionally has been delivering. So, yes, although Apple will come out with 5G devices later than OnePlus, Samsung, and others, the iPhone 12 could be hitting the markets right as 5G spreads its wings more and becomes relevant to more and more people.
However, countries with little to no 5G coverage will receive phones with 5G disabled to save on manufacturing costs, says Ming-Chi Kuo, which is probably a wise move for companies. This infers hardware omissions, so it won’t be possible to enable 5G via a mere software upgrade.
Google has finally announced the complete list of available Alternative Search Options for Android users in the European Union. Google received a $5 billion antitrust fine from the EU a year and a half ago, penalizing the company for three practices relating to how it bundles its apps on other manufacturer’s Android phones.
Surprisingly, some of the most popular search engines like Yahoo and Bing did not walk away with the top spots. DuckDuckGo, the privacy-centred search engine, was granted the top position – which means it will be available as an alternative to Google in more countries than any other search engine.
On the other hand, Microsoft’s search engine, Bing, tied for the last place and will only be available for use in the UK. Other listed search alternatives include GMX, Yandex, Qwant, Info.com, PrivacyWall, and Givero. Yahoo remains missing from the list.
DuckDuckGo
EU’s antitrust fine and Google’s response explained
The EU handed Google a record-breaking antitrust fine after investigating its practices regarding service and app bundling. Since Google features its own search engine front-and-centre on Android smartphones and tablets, the EU found Google guilty of suppressing other search engines use on the Android platform.
Google then announced that it would open an auction system to determine possible search alternatives as a solution. The company would list the top three highest bidders in each country, and whichever option the end-user chose, would pay Google the amount offered by the fourth-highest bidder.
This bidding process will repeat every four months. Even with this system in place, many search engine providers are unhappy. The search engine providers claim that Google is abusing its power and popularity. However, no matter how upset these companies were, the plan fell in line with the EU’s demands. Many search providers are playing along in hopes of gaining traction in European countries.
Alternative Search Options
Google Search – Alternative Search Options
Here is the full list of Google Search engine alternatives offered in each EU country:
The fine set a new record for an antitrust fine – becoming the highest penalty since the $2.7 billion antitrust fine the EU Commission fined Google back in 2017.
Google hopes to clear its name in the EU for the second time by making amends and offering users the freedom to choose whichever search engine they want to use by default.
We know that when it comes to gaming smartphones, the prices are somewhere higher than we expect. It usually depends upon the brand we are going to purchase and the processor of gaming chipset. However, if you are looking for something cheaper, then I might suggest you wait for the new gaming chipset by MediaTek which is being planned to be made available even on the lower and less expensive smartphone models.
The gaming branded chipsets have become a thing in the few years, and this could be a modern requirement in the upcoming years. We should thank the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G and MediaTek Helio G90T. It is because both of the processors target the mid-range to upper range smartphone these days. But it looks like MediaTek is even planning something big and cheaper to bring all-new chipset for the lower and less expensive priced smartphone models.
MediaTek
The new chipset will be below the G90 series in terms of capability but not too much said by Yenchi Lee from MediaTek to Android Authority. The company yet has not disclosed any specifications related to this announcement. Hopefully, it will not make any significant difference in terms of performance.
However, the leak points often report that the new chipset from the MediaTek will be running on octa-core CPU design (two Cortex-A75 and six Cortex-A55) and a Mali-G52 MC2 GPU.
GPU Updates and Tri-cluster Tech
The company also pioneered the Triple power domain CPU, which is currently in the trend and available in most of the flagship’s chipsets models. It mainly divides the CPU cores into the big, medium, and small cores. However, we have not seen this in Density 1000 or 800 models, though, but according to the reports, MediaTek won’t be giving up on this technology.
The lee said, “We will continue using the triple CPU technology, and that will be available to see in the latest release.“
If we look at the Qualcomm, then it does deliver very cool features in its latest released processors of Snapdragon 865, and 765, and the reports show that using the chipsets, the user does not need to wait for the system update for updating graphics drivers.
It is because the Google Play store itself could do the update. This question has also been raised during the recent event to Lee from MediaTek. Lee said, “We will try to achieve this in future, and we don’t have any timeline or surety that it would be available in near upcoming 2020”.
The latest chipset from the MediaTek would be called Helios G70, and it will be available in the cheaper smartphones under the 200$ budget from the first half of 2020.
OnePlus is currently competing with every smartphone brand, and on the recent announcement, OnePlus revealed the new specifications and features for its display technology on the event held in Shenzhen, China. The company has developed a new QHD+ OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate that will debut in the next OnePlus 8 series.
The use of a 120Hz display is only to fast the display refresh rate. The content on the screen is now refreshed 120 times per second. This makes a smoother playback and also the overall OS fluid experience. To be an instance, we have previously seen the 120Hz display on the phones like Asus ROG Phone 2 and Razer Phone 2.
OnePlus 120Hz Fluid Display specs
According to the sources and information that is trending on twitter and other websites like Weibo. The display of the OnePlus 8 series will feature a 10-bit colour depth. It means the 120Hz screen will be able to produce a palette of 1.07 billion colours, and this can be opposed to the 8-bit panel, which can display 16.7 million colours.
The recent report from the verge that OnePlus brand works with the Samsung company to develop the new and better display among other models. The publications also report that the company has worked for improving the gestures and other features of the Android.
OnePlus 8 Series
Additionally, the company aims to have 0.8 JNCD (Just Noticeable Color Differences) ratings for every display it produces. JNCD is a measurement of the bare minimum colours that a human eye can spot. If I make a comparison with Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus, then It has a JNCD rating of 0.4, which is near to perfect.
The recent machine translation of the company’s presentation slides suggests that the new display of the OnePlus 8 series will use a dedicated MEMC (Motion Estimation and Motion Compensation) chip. This is the technology usually available in the televisions only. Basically, it inserts the new frames between the existing video to increase the motion blur.
The latest MEMC technology in OnePlus series can upscale the low frame rate videos and make it smoother and even better using a 120 frame rate per second. If this exactly works as intended, then this could be a massive achievement in the gaming industry.
Further, It has a touch sample rate of 240Hz and can apparently hit 1000 nits peak brightness. The smooth chain technology often optimizes it. The details are scarce at the moment, and we should thank the official information that is only available in Chinese.
Will the OnePlus 8 get a 120Hz Display?
CEO Pete Lau confirmed that the company’s next phone would feature the new display tech and probably the best display phone for the year 2020. It would be best if you also remembered that Samsung is also planning to launch its new S20 series with a 120Hz display.
We can only hope the new display rate would be optimized through the current battery consumption and should be able to provide a good backup. OnePlus is soon expected to detail its tech and other specifications of its new display, and we will let you know quickly as possible as soon we will get the latest.
The Puma Connected Smartwatch is a result of a joint smartwatch venture between Puma and Fossil. The name is super plain and dull; however, the dullness does not continue in the tone of the watch (for the most part). The companies play it very safe with the Puma Smartwatch – it is appealing enough since it offers all the features that people who exercise regularly will love, but it does not furnish much else on top of that. It’s still more expensive than some of it’s nearest rivals, yet packs lower specs than the competing smartwatches. However, if you’re a fan of the Puma label, and are looking for a smartwatch, this could be right for you.
Puma Connected
Puma Connected Smartwatch Release Date And Price
The Puma Smartwatch was launched back in November 2019. It’s currently widely available in the US and the UK and still has a hefty price tag, but you can find it for a little cheaper on Amazon.
The Puma Smartwatch comes in three colour schemes – Black/Grey, Rose Gold/White, and Yellow/Black.
You can expect prices to change slightly, depending on the colour you choose.
Design And Display
The Puma Smartwatch is unique – in that, it’s a watch that is both slim at only 11mm thick, yet also features a bezel, which makes it feel bulky and capable of handling some scrapes and dents. Depending on the colour you pick, the bezel can look more or less pronounced, with the Yellow/Black variant looking particularly bulky. Combined with the silicone strap, it looks like a non-Puma watch at first glance. Luckily, you can change the strap easily – and you can easily find other straps that are more comfortable or differently coloured.
Puma Connected Fitness
The watch face size is decent, coming in at 44mm. Quickly glancing at the time will be effortless with the 1.19-inch AMOLED display looking appealing and sharp. The AMOLED display is very visible, and you will be able to use the watch no matter what the lighting conditions may be.
The strap has a Puma logo, and there’s another Puma logo on the rotating crown of the watch, which is used to navigate the interface. The logos aren’t too visible, and it’s a bit of a missed opportunity for the fans that like to advertise their brand affiliation.
Overall though, the slim design feels durable, and the screen looks sharp – making it perfect for users that are usually out and about.
Puma Connected: Specs And Features
Like other recent Fossil watches, such as the Michael Kors Access MKGO, the Puma Smartwatch also uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset. The 3100 chipset is the most recently-released smartwatch chipset from Qualcomm, making it the best you’re likely to find with Wear OS.
The watch has 4GB of storage and an inadequate 512MB of RAM – which is less than what the Fossil Gen 5 has, which is available for a similar price. The Puma Smartwatch comes with loads of features: there’s built-in GPS, heart rate monitoring, Google Assistant support, and support for GooglePay.
The watch synchronizes with your phone to display notifications, and it is waterproof up to 5ATM. These are standard features that almost all Wear OS-based smartwatches have, and there is no unique feature as such. Another similarity that the Puma Smartwatch shares with Fossil watches is that Spotify comes automatically installed.
Puma watch Back
However, there is no physical speaker on the watch. The Puma Smartwatch does feature a microphone for Google Assistant control, but it can’t broadcast audio. You only use it to control Spotify and not play any music from the device directly. You’ll not be missing out on much, though, since resorting to a smartwatch to listen to music is rare.
Fitness
When you’re separated from your phone, you cannot count on the GPS built into the watch. The GPS on the Puma Smartwatch is unreliable, and the watch’s location-finding is pretty awful. It takes a few minutes for the watch to acquire a signal unless it’s connected to a phone.
It is super annoying, considering that the watch is meant to be a sports-focused smartwatch that otherwise has all the usual features – the sweat-proof silicone band and support for Google Fit. The heart rate monitoring feature is pretty accurate when compared to other watches.
Puma Connected AI
Battery Life
The Puma Smartwatch has a pretty standard battery life. You can expect about 24 hours of use on a single charge, but not much more, unless you switch it to the basic watch mode. The basic watch mode somewhat ruins the point of a smartwatch – but it will help you conserve battery if you’re running low. Overall though, Puma delivers a decent offering for a first attempt. Fans are hoping to see a software update that fixes the GPS issue.
Buy Puma Connected If:
You love the brand
Like a lot of smartwatches, users partially for the name. If you love wearing Puma watches and need a smartwatch, this will fit in nicely.
You want a lightweight watch
The watch is super light, and you’ll barely notice it. The stock strap feels a bit uncomfortable; however, it doesn’t hang off your wrist as a heavy watch would, though.
You want an eye-catching timepiece
If you love wearing watches that look different than the rest, you should go for this watch since it looks a lot different than anything Fossil has produced so far.
Connected Smartwatch
Don’t buy it if:
You want to run without your phone
The built-in GPS is slow and will irritate you if you regularly run without your phone. The GPS catches up eventually, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying.
You want the best Wear OS smartwatch
While the Puma Smartwatch will offer you most of what you need, it’s not the best Wear OS smartwatch on the market. The battery could be better, and there no built-in speaker like some of the other premium smartwatches.
You don’t want to buy another watch strap
The colour-schemes aren’t too appealing, and the stock strap feels a bit uncomfortable. You can expect to buy another watch strap to be happier with how it looks and feels.
Sensel is one of the famous and well-known companies to make the next generation of input devices. It is because of their multi-touch and pressure-sensitive technology they seek to outperform the current industry with its development. That is the reason. Sensel wants to get into the mobile world.
If you had remembered that recently the iffy volume buttons were counted as cons by Bodgan Petrovan in his analysis of Huawei Mate 30 Pro, after that, Huawei dropped the physical volume buttons. However, this not makes their jobs done simply.
The latest Sensel Technology allows phone makers to put virtual buttons nearly anywhere on the screen as they wish. The company has developed nearly 25 centres in a single chip. It is, too, including the sensors under the curved screen and on the edges of the smartphone. It allows phones to regain its lost accessibility of volume controls by giving the touch and virtual buttons on the edges.
Sensel Telematics
Sensel wants to enter the mobile world.
Recently, Sensel says that they are more familiar to the user intent. In simple words, they already had measured the force of people holding their smartphone and clicking on the buttons usually. The main reason for the Sensel to enter the mobile phones world is to develop high-end and modern technology among the latest flagship models of smartphones.
Sensel touch could be a huge achievement for the latest smartphone brands. It also had a feature to let you silence your phone with only a squeeze. It is far better than the usual iPhone drop down to silent buttons. The recent survey from the Android Authority also had tested these features, and It makes them impressed as well.
However, there are still some works that Sensel needs to do after entering the mobile phone world or industry.
If you think from a consumer perspective, then I do believe they have not fallen with the touch controls of Mate 30 Pro and the touch volume controls on the Pixel phones from Google.
Sensel still needs to convince the phone makers and also, to improve their technology so it can work for a long time and without having any lags in the nearby future. However, It won’t be easy for Sensel to convince the phone makers as space is at a crucial premium space on the smartphone could eat a previous volume near the edges.
The next steps for the Sensel is to develop new tool kits along with the API’s to make the repairing part quicker and easier for the latest flagship smartphone models.
Huawei recently announced that it had managed to sell nearly 6.9 million 5G smartphones in the last year alone. This figure includes HONOR’s devices as well. In comparison with other OEMs, Huawei announced more 5G smartphones in 2019 than anyone else. For instance, some of them include Mate 30 5G, Mate 20 X 5G, Mate X 5G, Nova 6 5G, and of course, the HONOR V30 5G series. The Chinese manufacturing company shared information regarding this. It looks like a large percentage of the 5G devices manufactured by the company was sold within China itself.
Huawei Mate X 5G
Having control of about 25.8% of the market in China, Huawei and HONOR are leading the industry. Huawei, on its own, claims about 15.4% of the smartphone market. While HONOR has not yet quite caught up with Huawei, it does boast of a 10.5% market share. It is interesting to note this since HONOR is Huawei’s sub-brand, even if it working as a separate entity right now. With regard to the smartphone market, China has the largest one across the globe. While India’s smartphone market grew in leaps and bounds last year, it has still to catch up with China. While 2019 introduced 5G to the world, 2020 is the year of spreading this tech. Huawei plans to ship more 5G devices than the last year. As of now, Huawei sells six 5G phones under its name and two more under HONOR.
Sale of 6.9 million 5G handsets
It is stunning that Huawei managed to sell about 6.9 million 5G devices in 2019 alone, especially considering the fact that we have simply not seen that many 5G phones on the market. It looks like 2020 is heading a completely different direction more OEMs than ever are working to release 5G smartphones and more. While 5G has been introduced to the world successfully and it has been accepted equally enthusiastically by the users, the rollout is quite slow. This means that it will take about a couple of years for the entire world to truly run on 5G. On the other hand, 4G is the standard across the globe. While we are sure that 5G will phase out 4G when the time comes, when will it come?
Huawei 5G
Overall, Huawei sold about 240 million smartphones last year, of which only about 6.9 million were 5G devices. The impressive fact here is that the company managed to sell these many devices despite the US ban. For comparison, Huawei sold about 206 million smartphones in 2018. This means that with the US ban, the sells only increased for the Chinese giant. Although the US ban is still in place, Huawei is not backing off. IN fact, the company has been working on HMS or its own set of apps since Google’s services cannot be made available on its phones. Although the work has been going ahead perfectly, there is still time before this can be achieved. One of the major challenges faced by Huawei is to replace the Google Play Store. We are yet to see what Huawei is planning for this.
