Anker is best known for its well-received power banks and mobile charging accessories, but the Chinese company has also been busy building its subsidiary Soundcore brand, under which it offers home audio products like smart Bluetooth speakers and wireless earphones.
Anker says its ethos of making quality electronic devices at an affordable price also extends to its audio accessory lineup, so I gave the company's new Soundcore Life 2 noise-canceling headphones a spin to test out this claim.
The latest addition to Anker's headset range costs $80 and replaces the company's first attempt at over-ear active noise-canceling (ANC) headphones, last year's Space NC cans. As with that pair, Anker is aiming to corner the sub-$100 noise-canceling market, so direct comparisons with premium ANC headphones offered by the likes of Bose and Sony wouldn't be fair. So how do they stack up on their own?
The ever-present Help menu in your Mac's menu bar is an easily overlooked aspect of macOS, but it's home to some surprising and extremely handy features that every user can benefit from.
Apart from being a useful first port of call for any queries you may have about the application in use or your Mac in general, it also serves as a menu navigator. Let's take a closer look.
How to Use the Mac Help Menu
You can use the keyboard shortcut Command-Shift-/ to quickly access the macOS Help Menu. At the top of the Help menu is a Search field for typing in the subject you need help with. Below this, you'll also see a direct link to the help documentation for the currently active application, which is useful for looking up topics manually.
If it's an Apple app you're using, search results come from the official macOS User Guide, while the direct help link below the search field takes you straight to the relevant section of the guide, or in the case of Finder, the main contents page.
It's important to remember that if the active app is a third-party one, the contents of the Help menu can differ depending on how much effort the developer has put into it. For example, some apps may include FAQs, manuals, or links to online help, while others may offer very little.
How to Use Help's Action Search Feature
Another neat built-in feature of the Help menu is its ability to point to available actions in other menus for the currently active app.
Next time you type into the Help menu's Search field, check to see if the results include any Menu Items. Hover over one of these with your mouse, and macOS will locate the action for you by pointing an arrow at it in the corresponding menu. Hit Enter, and the action will be performed for you.
Depending on the app, this feature can even extend to contextual menu functions. For instance, you can use Safari's Help field to search your bookmarks and recent browsing history for keywords to quickly navigate back to web pages. Next time you're in your favorite app, try out its Help menu functions to see how deeply they've been implemented.
Apple in 2017 introduced the AirPower as a flat charging bed capable of charging an iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch all at once, but technical problems prevented the AirPower from ever launching.
Apple canceled the project in 2019 after running into development bugs, but since then, rumors have suggested work on a multi-device charger has continued. This guide highlights the rumors that we know about the wireless charging work that Apple has conducted, and it also includes details on the now-discontinued AirPower.
New Wireless Charger
Though Apple canceled the AirPower, the Cupertino company is still developing a multi-device charging solution. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the charger that Apple has in development would work similarly to the AirPower, and would charge multiple devices at one time.
Apple wants to create a charging accessory that would let users charge an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods all at the same time.
Apple is testing charging solutions that are not inductive, including short and long range wireless charging options. Apple wants a future where all of its major devices can charge one another. "Imagine an iPad charging an iPhone, and then that iPhone charging AirPods or an Apple Watch," wrote Gurman.
Details are scarce on when a new charging product could come out and what Apple might call it, but if Apple is relying on device to device charging or a long range wireless charging solution that does not require contact, it may still be a few years off. Gurman said in 2022 that some kind of charging solution would come "well before a decade from now."
MagSafe Charger
Alongside the iPhone 12 models, Apple introduced a line of "MagSafe" accessories, reviving the name once used for the MacBook's charger. MagSafe products are designed to work with a ring of magnets built into the back of iPhone models starting with the iPhone 12. There are cases, wallet accessories, and a MagSafe Charger.
The MagSafe Charger snaps to the back of an iPhone using a magnetic connection and provides up to 15W of power when paired with a 20W power adapter from Apple, which is double the speed available with a standard 7.5W Qi wireless charger and equivalent to the 15W charging made available through Qi2 on supported devices.
Apple's MagSafe Charger is designed for the iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 14, and iPhone 15 models and it charges much slower with older iPhone models. MagSafe charging options will eventually allow Apple to develop a port-free iPhone, and MagSafe appears to be an alternative to AirPower.
Leaked AirPower Internal Photos
Photos allegedly from the now-discontinued AirPower started surfacing on social networks in August 2020, depicting a multi-coil design that would have been used to charge an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods no matter where they're placed on the mat.
There's also a circuit board laden with chips that would have served as the brains of the device. We don't know if these photos actually depict the AirPower as there's nothing in the design that specifically ties them to Apple, but it can't be ruled out either.
The images are from the AirPower that was discontinued in 2019 rather than a new wireless charger that's in the works, and we've seen several examples of AirPower prototypes in the last few years.
What was AirPower?
AirPower was an Apple-designed charging mat designed to charge Qi-based iPhones, the Apple Watch, and the AirPods, using a specially designed AirPods Wireless Charging Case, which Apple introduced in March 2019.
Apple's AirPower was proprietary and intended to combine at least two different wireless charging methods -- Qi and then the Apple Watch charger, which is inductive and not Qi based.
It was designed so that you could place an iPhone, AirPods, or Apple Watch on any portion of the mat to have the device charge, which meant multiple overlapping chargers must be included.
The AirPower mat would have been big enough to charge all three devices at one time, with the AirPower itself connected to an external power source, perhaps using a USB-C cable.
In Apple's renderings, AirPower also had a feature that let the iPhone display the wireless charging level of all of the devices on the mat, including the iPhone itself, the Apple Watch, and the AirPods.
The AirPower's Missed Launch
AirPower missed its 2018 launch date, and while Apple was quiet on the reason why, rumors suggested there were serious manufacturing issues and kinks to be worked out.
Apple was forced to delay the AirPower after having trouble dealing with the complex multi-device charging circuitry, software bugs, and the potential for overheating.
Over the course of 2018, Apple was working out kinks including heat management, inter-device communication, and interference issues, and there were times during development where rumors suggested Apple could potentially be planning to nix the AirPower, but there were consistent mentions in 2018 iPhone packaging, and recently an image of the AirPower with an iPhone XS was spotted on Apple's website.
Unfortunately, those technical challenges proved to be too much, and Apple ultimately canceled the AirPower project in March 2019.
What Would AirPower Have Cost?
Apple never announced pricing for the AirPower, but there were some guesses. Chinese "industry insiders" in August 2018 suggested the AirPower could cost somewhere around $1,000 Chinese yuan, equivalent to right around $147.
Back in November 2017, a Polish website suggested the AirPower would cost around 999 złoty, equivalent to $199.
Given that both of these rumors came from well before the AirPower was even in production, neither were particularly reliable, but we thought it reasonable to expect a price tag in the neighborhood of $130 to $200 based on the price points of competing wireless charging devices and Apple's accessory pricing in general.
Apple today released new Smart Battery Cases designed for its 2018 iPhone lineup, including the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR.
Available in black or white, each Smart Battery Case is priced at $129 and is designed to add extra battery life to the iPhone. The cases are similar in design to the past battery case option Apple offered for the iPhone 7, with a bump at the back to house a battery pack.
Each case provides a varying amount of battery life depending on device. The iPhone XS Battery Case, when paired with the iPhone XS, offers up to 33 hours of talk time, up to 21 hours of internet use, and up to 25 hours of video playback.
The iPhone XS Max with the XS Max Smart Battery Case offers up to 37 hours of talk time, up to 20 hours of internet use, and up to 25 hours of video playback.
The iPhone XR with the XR Battery Case offers up to 39 hours of talk time, up to 22 hours of internet use, and up to 27 hours of video playback.
Apple has not offered a Smart Battery Case option for the iPhone since the introduction of the iPhone 7, presumably due to the wireless charging feature in the iPhone 8, iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. There has also never been a battery case for larger iPhones, with prior cases limited to the iPhone 6/6s and iPhone 7.
Rumors in December, however, suggested that a version compatible with Qi-wireless charging was in the works, and Apple's product listings confirm that the new Smart Battery Cases are indeed compatible with Qi-certified wireless chargers.
As with the previous versions of the Smart Battery Case, the new options provide an intelligent battery status on the iPhone's Lock screen and in Notification Center so you're aware of the remaining charge of the device.
The cases charge wirelessly as mentioned above or via Lightning and Apple says faster charging is available using USB-PD compatible chargers. Lightning accessories, like the EarPods with Lightning Connector, are also compatible.
Apple in iOS 12 introduced a new Live Listen feature that's designed to turn the iPhone into a remote microphone for the AirPods.
Live Listen has been around for years for MFi-compatible hearing aids, but it's only with the addition of AirPods support that it became available for general iOS users.
As an enterprising individual discovered on Reddit, the AirPods Live Listen feature can be used as a spying device because it uses the iPhone as a microphone and relays what the iPhone picks up to the AirPods, even if the AirPods are in another room.
So, if you have AirPods (or any other Bluetooth headphones), you can enable Live Listen, leave your phone in one room, and then go into another room, with the iPhone available to relay any "secret" conversations. You do need to be in Bluetooth range, of course, but with AirPods, that can be a decent distance.
We're sure no MacRumors readers are going to use this feature for nefarious purposes, but it's certainly a useful tidbit to be aware of. Live Listen can be enabled in Control Center by following these steps:
Open the Settings app
Tap on Control Center
Tap Customize Controls
Tap the "+" button next to "Hearing."
Once that's enabled, open up the Control Center, tap on the little ear icon, and then tap Live Listen to turn it on. You'll be able to hear people who are speaking near your iPhone.
Live Listen with AirPods, hearing aids, or other Bluetooth headphones is an invaluable tool for those who have hearing issues, but everyone should be aware that any iPhone can be turned into a remote listening device.
Apple late last year teamed up with indie entertainment studio A24 to produce a series of films for its upcoming streaming service, and now the first film under that partnership is in the works.
According to Variety, Apple and A24's first movie will be directed by Sofia Coppola, known for directing movies like "The Virgin Suicides," "Lost in Translation," "Marie Antoinette," and "The Bling Ring."
Image credit: Guillaume Collet/Sipa/REX/Shutterstock, via Variety
The movie, "On the Rocks," will star Bill Murray, who often works with Coppola, and Rashida Jones, known for her roles in "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation."
"On the Rocks" will follow a young mother who reconnects with her larger-than-life playboy father on an adventure through New York. Production on the movie is set to start next month.
Apple has more than a dozen television shows in the works, with many in the casting stages, but the filming schedule for "On the Rocks" suggests it will be Apple's first movie to be completed.
Rumors have suggested Apple is working on a streaming service that will provide access to Apple-produced TV shows and movies, with some content available for free. Apple is said to be aiming to launch the new service in 2019.
Multiple rumors have suggested at least one of the 2019 iPhone models will feature a triple-lens camera design, but smartphone leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer (aka OnLeaks) believes Apple is still finalizing just what the triple-lens design will look like.
Earlier this month, Hemmerstoffer shared one possible prototype design featuring a square-shaped camera layout, and today, he's teamed up with Indian site CompareRaja to show us another design that Apple is allegedly working on.
The new renders feature an iPhone with a slimmed down notch for the front-facing camera and TrueDepth system, along with a triple-lens rear camera positioned in the center of the device.
The camera features three lenses in a horizontal arrangement, with a flash located around the middle of the three lenses. A microphone is located below, while the volume buttons are on the left side of the device and the power button is on the right, in line with current devices.
According to Hemmerstoffer and CompareRaja, this set of renderings, along with the previous set that featured a larger square-shaped camera layout are both "100% legit prototypes."
The three iPhones planned for 2019 are "still in the EVT stage," aka the Engineering Validation Test, with Apple allegedly having yet to decide on a design. The site suggests either both leaked prototypes will be used and marketed as different models, or one of the leaked prototypes will be axed.
Current rumors sourced from The Wall Street Journal suggest only one iPhone will feature a triple-lens camera setup - the next-generation iPhone XS Max. The next-generation iPhone XS and the next-generation iPhone XR will continue to use dual-lens cameras, with Apple reserving the triple-lens setup for its highest-end device.
It's not clear if these renderings are accurate depictions of the iPhone design Apple might use in 2019, nor do we know if Apple is still attempting to decide on a final look, but Hemmerstoffer has a track record of sourcing accurate information from Apple's supply chain.
At this point in time, no other source has commented on the triple-lens camera layout Apple might use, so we'll need to wait for further leaks to get a clearer picture of how Apple plans to implement a three-lens design.
Apple must pay VirnetX $440 million after an appeals court upheld an earlier judgement in favor of the patent holding company, reports Reuters.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit today denied Apple's appeal of a 2016 verdict that awarded VirnetX $302 million, which increased to $439.7 million when taking into account damages and interest calculated during retrials.
VirnetX first sued Apple in 2010, accusing FaceTime of infringing on patents held by VirnetX. The two companies have been fighting in court since then, and Apple in 2017 said it would appeal the final $440 million judgement.
In a separate case that is also still unsettled, VirnetX was awarded an additional $502.6 million from Apple after a court found that Apple's FaceTime, iMessage, and VPN on Demand features infringe on four VirnetX patents related to communications security.
Apple in total owes VirnetX $942 million, but is likely to continue to fight both rulings, as the patents in question have been ruled invalid by a separate court. Apple said it is disappointed with the ruling and will once again appeal.
Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo today announced that it is using Apple's MapKit JS framework to power the map and address-related searches that its users conduct on both mobile and desktop.
MapKit JS allows DuckDuckGo to provide users with improved address searches, new visual features, enhanced satellite imagery, and continually updated maps without sacrificing privacy.
DuckDuckGo says that Apple Maps will be available embedded within private search results for relevant queries and from the Maps tab on any of the search result pages.
To bring up a map option, users can search for an address, a geographical place, a local business, a type of business, or places nearby.
DuckDuckGo does not collect or share any personal information from DuckDuckGo users, a policy that extends to the Apple Maps integration. Identifiable info like IP address is not provided to Apple, and for searches where approximate location is gathered by the browser, it is discarded immediately after it's used.
This week is seeing notable discounts hit Pad & Quill's leather iPhone cases, Apple Watch Series 3 at Best Buy, brand-new 4K films on iTunes, and much more.
At Pad & Quill this month, you can save some money on the company's leather iPhone cases. The sale takes as much as $25 off accessories like the Heritage Bella Fino Leather iPhone XS Case, and you can also use Pad & Quill's ongoing PQ16 code to take an additional $10 off your order. Check out all of the cases on sale in the list below (note that these prices are before the $10 off code), and head to Pad & Quill to place your order before the sale ends at the end of January.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
On iTunes, a new crop of 4K films debuted on sale today for just $9.99, including recent releases like A Simple Favor, Bad Times at the El Royale, and Book Club. Below we've made a full list of all the 4K films on sale, and be sure to check out iTunes Movies on tvOS, macOS, or iOS to download the movies before the discounts end next week.
Best Buy has also kicked off a new sale on Apple Watch, offering the Apple Watch Series 3 for as low as $229.00 in 38mm Aluminum and $259.00 in 42mm Aluminum. Cellular and other band options are also available, starting at $279.00. The retailer also has a sale on Philips Hue lights happening this week, where you can save as much as 20 percent on the HomeKit-compatible accessories. This marks the price of the Philips Hue White Ambiance A19 LED Starter Kit down to $109.99, from $149.99.
Below we've listed a few other quick-mention discounts that you can nab today on Amazon:
Intel has been searching for a new CEO since Brian Krzanich resigned nearly seven months ago, and Axios now reports that the chipmaker's list of candidates includes Johny Srouji, Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies at Apple.
Srouji joined Apple in 2008 to lead development of the A4 chip, the first Apple-designed system-on-a-chip in the iPhone 4, and now oversees custom silicon and hardware technologies including batteries, application processors, storage controllers, sensors silicon, and other chipsets across Apple's entire product line.
It's unclear if Srouji is interested in leading Intel, where he worked between 1990 and 2005 in both his native Israel and the United States, according to his LinkedIn profile. Srouji also worked at IBM between 2005 and 2008.
Apple's custom A-series chips lead the mobile industry in terms of performance, so losing Srouji would certainly be a major blow for the iPhone maker, although the company obviously has a larger team of engineers working on the silicon. Back in 2017, Srouji said his team was already working on chips for 2020.
Netflix today announced that it will raise the prices for all of its subscription tiers, the latest price hike since November 2017. Specifically, the cheap "Basic" tier will rise from $8 to $9/month, the popular HD "Standard" tier will rise from $11 to $13/month, and the 4K "Premium" tier will rise from $14 to $16/month.
According to CNBC, the changes take effect immediately for new customers signing up for Netflix, while current subscribers will be grandfathered in to their existing prices for now, and see the price hike emerge over the next three months. The increase represents a jump of between 13 percent and 18 percent, which is Netflix's biggest price increase since it launched streaming 12 years ago.
Today's report says that the extra cash will be used to pay for Netflix's lofty investment in original shows and films, as well as finance the debt it's recently taken on to "ward off streaming threats" from Apple, Disney, and others.
Netflix is boosting its original catalog of shows and movies as more companies remove their content from its service and build their own platforms, just like Disney will do with Marvel and Star Wars movies sometime this year. After they're removed from Netflix for good, Disney's streaming service "Disney+" will be the exclusive streaming home of these franchises.
Netflix is also gearing up for new competition in the streaming market, particularly from Apple's upcoming original television shows. Apple is planning to debut its first string of shows at some point in 2019, and they'll reportedly be free for Apple device owners in the company's TV app, likely taking some streaming time away from Netflix for users who stream on Apple TV.
In total, this is the fourth price hike for Netflix subscribers in the streaming service's history. The HD Standard tier was priced at $10/month in 2017 before it rose to $11/month in November of that year, and now it will be priced at $13/month.
During one of the first price hikes in 2016, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings noted that the company saw an "unexpected" loss of subscribers when raising the Standard tier from $8 to $10/month. "Whatever the price is for something, people don't like for it to go up," Hastings admitted at the time.
Verizon subscribers with an iPhone or Android smartphone and a Beyond Unlimited or Above Unlimited data plan will soon have unlimited access to Apple Music at no additional cost, according to documentation obtained by 9to5Mac.
The report claims the free Apple Music subscription is not simply a trial but rather will be offered on an ongoing basis. Verizon's lower-priced Go Unlimited plan with reduced data speeds will continue to offer a six-month Apple Music trial, as the Beyond Unlimited and Above Unlimited plans currently do.
The perk will be available to both new and existing subscribers starting this Thursday, January 17, the report adds. Verizon's documentation suggests there is no catch, with the monthly prices of Beyond Unlimited and Above Unlimited plans expected to remain unchanged, but we'll know for sure in a few days.
The perk will compete with T-Mobile's offer of free Netflix to subscribers who have two or more unlimited data lines with the carrier.
An individual Apple Music subscription typically costs $9.99 per month.
Update: Verizon has confirmed that Apple Music will be included as a perk for its Beyond Unlimited and Above Unlimited plans starting on January 17.
Kano, the company known for its range of products designed to teach coding to kids and adults alike through innovative coding projects, today announced a new two-year partnership with Disney.
Under the terms of the partnership, Kano plans to develop a Star Wars themed experience and product system, which is set to launch during the second half of 2019. Additional details will be forthcoming.
"Our goal at Kano is to take you on a journey, unlocking powers in yourself and others, through the medium of technology – from wands that really work, to computers you make yourself, and more" said Alex Klein, co-founder, and CEO of Kano, "Collaborating with Disney is a blessing. We can combine connected, creative technologies with some of the most memorable stories ever told."
Kano is also planning to incorporate additional Disney intellectual properties into its products during the length of the partnership, so we could be seeing additional Disney-themed coding projects.
Kano is known for devices like the Harry Potter Kano Coding Wand, which uses the Harry Potter universe to teach coding techniques. With the Harry Potter kit, kids and adults build their own wand and then use it within the Kano coding app to create magic.
Kano customers who are interested in the upcoming Star Wars products can visit the Kano website for additional details.
Following in the footsteps of Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, Pandora today launched its own voice assistant available within its iOS and Android apps. When the app is opened, users can turn on "voice mode" and say "Hey Pandora," asking the assistant to play their music, podcasts, radio stations and more connected to the streaming music service.
Similar to Siri, Pandora will also be able to respond to more vague commands to play music, like asking to "play something new," "play more like this," "play music I like," and more. According to Pandora chief product officer Chris Phillips, voice searches will be personalized for each user and informed by their listening habits on the service.
“Pandora is the leader in personalized audio entertainment, and millions of our listeners are already loving the experience we’ve created on smart speakers and other voice-enabled connected devices,” said Chris Phillips, Chief Product Officer, Pandora.
“With Voice Mode, we are introducing an even more natural and conversational way for listeners to discover new music and enhance their experience directly in the Pandora mobile app, like getting recommendations from a friend who really knows you.”
This means that when users ask to "play something new," each person will see different results, and the assistant will showcase these recommendations in various forms. Some listeners might see a playlist, while others will get an album, singular new song, or a radio station.
All voice mode features can be found in the Pandora app's search bar next to the magnifying glass.
Types of requests include:
Control requests to change stations, control volume, skip or pause music, and other basic navigation commands. Thematic requests delivering personalized music based on each user’s unique tastes, moods, and favorite activities like “play something for my workout” or “play music for relaxing.” Open-ended requests like “play something different,” “play something I like” or “play more like this.” Basic requests for a specific artist, song, station, podcast or playlist like “play new music by…” or “play my happy jams playlist.” Interactive requests like “what song is this?” or directional requests like “add this song to my party playlist” or “I like this” to give a thumbs-up.
Voice mode will be available for all Pandora users, both those on its free tier and those paying for Pandora Premium. The feature is launching today for some users on the Pandora iOS and Android apps, and it will continue to roll out for more users over the next few months.
Nike today introduced new iPhone-controlled self-adjusting basketball shoes based on its latest FitAdapt technology.
The new Nike Adapt BB shoes feature an advanced power-lacing system with a custom motor that senses the tension needed by the foot and adjusts accordingly to ensure a snug fit. Using buttons on the shoe or the Nike Adapt app for smartphones, basketball players can adjust the fit on the fly during a game.
For example, during a timeout, a player can loosen the shoe before tightening it up as they re-enter the game. In a forthcoming feature, Nike says players will also be able to prescribe a different tightness setting for warm-ups.
The shoes are equipped with a 505 mAh battery that can last between 10 and 20 days and charge wirelessly on Nike's shoe-sized Qi-compatible mat in three hours.
Nike says its new Adapt BB shoes are an evolution of its HyperAdapt 1.0 shoes from 2016, the athletic wear company's first multipurpose performance shoe to feature power lacing. The Adapt BB shoes will also be Nike's first continually updated performance product, as they will receive opt-in firmware updates.
A German court on Tuesday threw out a new patent lawsuit filed by Qualcomm, which the U.S. company claimed was violated by the use of its chips in Apple's iPhones (via Reuters).
The regional court in the city of Mannheim dismissed the Qualcomm suit as groundless in an initial verbal decision, saying the patent in question was not violated by the installation of its chips in Apple's smartphones.
This is just the latest in a string of lawsuits from Qualcomm, which remains locked in a worldwide patent battle with Apple. The chipmaker said it would appeal today's decision, after winning a separate case before a German court in December that enabled it to enforce a ban on the sale of older iPhones in the country.
"Apple has a history of infringing our patents," said Don Rosenberg, Qualcomm's executive vice president and general counsel.
"While we disagree with the Mannheim court's decision and will appeal, we will continue to enforce our (intellectual property) rights against Apple worldwide."
Apple is appealing the preliminary injunction which blocks the import and sale of infringing iPhone models in Germany, but it has already been forced to pull the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus from sale in the country.
Meanwhile, Qualcomm has put aside €1.34 billion in security bonds in order to enforce the preliminary injunction. The bonds will be put towards the cost of the lost sales if Apple successfully appeals the verdict.
Later this month, Samsung will launch its new mid-range Galaxy M series. These are the first smartphones to feature the company's Infinity-V display, so-called due to its centered teardrop-shaped notch housing the front-facing camera.
Samsung has teased the Galaxy M Series launch on Amazon India
In another first for Samsung, the devices will be launching exclusively in India on January 28 ahead of a global release, in an attempt to regain ground lost to Chinese rivals like Xiaomi in the world's second biggest smartphone market.
The popularity of Xiaomi's budget Redmi smartphones among younger consumers is believed to be a factor in declining sales of Samsung devices in the country. According to data from Counterpoint, Xiaomi overtook Samsung's share of the Indian market in Q4 2017, and maintained a five point lead over the company as recently as Q3 2018.
The Galaxy M series is being seen as a direct counter to Xiaomi Redmi, and the Korean company has indicated as much. "The M series has been built around and incepted around Indian millennial consumers," said Samsung India's senior vice president Asim Warsi, speaking to Reuters.
The line-up is thought to include three models, the M10, M20, and M30, which feature one, two, and three rear-facing cameras, respectively, a USB-C port, a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, and a headphone jack. The M-series phones, which Samsung plans to sell only through its website and Amazon India, also promise fast charging, long battery life, and high performance, all for a price of between $140 and $280.
With smartphone sales flattening in saturated markets like the United States, Apple is said to have turned to India for new growth, but with little success so far, according to a report published late last year.
Just one in four Indians are said to own a smartphone, providing Apple with an opportunity to sell iPhones to millions of new customers in the country. According to the report, Apple's problem is that India is a very price-sensitive market, with more than 75 percent of the smartphones sold in the country costing less than $250.
However, so far Apple has been reluctant to change its traditional business model for selling iPhones, which prioritizes a limited number of coveted products sold at high prices. In that sense, by offering a range of handsets with affordable high-end options, Samsung appears to be attempting a level of regional flexibility that Apple has yet to chance.
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