Tech NewsWrap: Fitbit Charge 5 launched in India… and more

Fitbit Charge 5 Fitness Band launched in India

Google-owned wearables brand Fitbit has unveiled its ‘most advanced’ fitness tracker – Fitbit Charge 5 – in India. Fitbit says the new Charge 5 is 10 percent thinner than the Fitbit Charge 4 but it continues to offer up to 7 days of battery life. The device monitors fitness, stress, heart health, and sleep. Essential sensors include ECG and EDA. The new Fitbit Charge 5 is priced at Rs 14,999 and will be available in Graphite/ Black, Platinum/ Steel Blue, and Soft Gold/ Lunar White colour options. It will be available in India later this year on Fitbit’s official website.

OnePlus 9RT price, specifications tipped

OnePlus 9RT is being said to be the next smartphone launch of OnePlus in India. However, the new smartphone will be different from the previous generation. Before its launch, a well-known tipster has leaked information related to the phone on the Chinese microblogging site Weibo. The post claims that the OnePlus 9RT will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor and have a triple rear camera setup. It will come in two configurations – an 8 GB + 128 GB storage that can be priced at CNY 2,999 (Rs 34,400) and 8 GB + 256 GB storage will cost CNY 3,299 (Rs 37,900).

YouTube brings PiP mode for iOS users

A new experimental feature “Picture-in-Picture” (PiP) is being tested by Google, which will be for iOS users. Even in the experiment, only YouTube Premium subscribers will be able to use the feature. The video-streaming app will now allow premium users to watch videos while using other apps on mobile. YouTube has not mentioned if it will always be limited to Premium members or will be rolled out to non-Premium members as well. The platform has claimed that the feature will remain active until October 31.

Xiaomi posts 64 percent rise in revenue growth

Xiaomi reported a 64 percent increase in second-quarter revenue just weeks after it announced an ambitious goal to become the world’s largest smartphone maker in three years. According to reports, sales of Xiaomi reached 87.8 billion yuan or $13.56 billion, up from 53.54 billion a year earlier. The market share of Xiaomi Corp. has increased rapidly in the global smartphone market. Also, the company has expanded its Internet of Things (IoT) product. Owing to this, the company has achieved record revenue.

Instagram could add a ‘Like’ button for stories

Photo sharing app Instagram is about to add a special button to its platform, named ‘Like’. Through this button, users can like Instagram stories. Developer Alessandro Paluzzi tweeted on his official Twitter handle, writing that a user can like Instagram’s stories multiple times. Currently, this button is being tested. It is expected that the ‘Like’ button will be rolled out to the users soon. In the screenshot shared by Paluzzi, it is seen that the like button will be found in the text bar. An animation will also appear when the button is pressed.