Friday Five: January 22

This week Friday Five touches up on smartphone manufacturers, and applications, that are being influenced by both innovative technologies, and growing global economies.

Xiaomi beats Samsung to top spot in India’s smartphone market (TechCrunch)

In Q4 of 2017 Xiaomi had 25% of the market share, up from just 9% a year earlier. The growth is partially due to its affordable smartphone series named Redmi. Priced below $240, the Redmi series was able to exploit Samsung’s weakness and continues its growth in the fastest growing segment in India.

Leaked Galaxy S9 render shows a modest design update (Engadget)

The Galaxy is one of the most influential smartphones on the market; it is always at the forefront of innovation and design. The Galaxy S9 was leaked on the 26th; the photos show some subtle design updates including larger bezels, and new cameras on the front allowing for better facial recognition. Samsung will most likely be showing the phone off in Barcelona in a months time.

Apple’s AR apps will finally be able to stick things on walls (CNET)

Apple’s launching IOS 11.3, and with it comes several updates for Animojis, battery features, Business Chat, a Health Records feature, and a new ARKit. The ARKit 1.5 update allows users to place objects on vertical surfaces and features image detection. The new software update will enable users to play interactive games using walls, floors, and ceilings around them.

Play hits record 19B downloads, but Apple’s App store still makes more money (TechRepublic)

Quarter four of 2017 was the biggest quarter for the Google Play Store. It received 19 billion new downloads, its highest ever, and earned $5.5 billion. Emerging markets such as India, Brazil, and Indonesia, helped fuel the growth.

Google Bulletin is the company’s first foray into crowd-sourced, hyperlocal news (The Verge)

Currently being piloted in Nashville, and Oakland, Google Bulletin looks to create a news source much like Twitter and Facebook. Bulletin stories are public and can be accessed through Google search, shared on social networks, and sent in emails and messaging apps. “Bulletin lets users post photos, video, and messages directly to the web straight from their phones, without needing an existing blog or website.”