Category: Electronics

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Electronics news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Xiaomi India plans 10,000 New Stores

    Xiaomi India plans 10,000 New Stores

    Xiaomi India will open 10,000 outlets in a bid to lock down its dominance over Samsung in the territory.

    The Chinese-headquartered company also announced last week that it expects 50 per cent of its business to be generated by trading offline by the end of this year.

    “About two years ago, we realised that while we had a 50 per cent share in online sales, our offline presence was negligible,” said Xiaomi VP and MD Manu Jain. “That’s when we started our offline expansion.”

    The firm opened in India as an online-only brand about five years ago. Its new “Mi Studio” retail format will join Xiaomi’s more than 6000 existing outlets in other categories, including Mi Homes, Mi Preferred Partners and Mi Stores.

    The firm opened 500 outlets in one day in India last October.

    Xiaomi is already ahead of Samsung in smartphone sales, with a 28.9 per cent share as of December last year, compared with Samsung’s 18.7 per cent.

    “Mi Studios aim to offer premium brand experience in 50 top cities,” said Jain. “This format is an optimised version of Mi Homes replicating the same design and displaying modern, minimalist interiors.”

    Two of the new 400–600sqft Mi Studios outlets have already been set up in Bengaluru and Mumbai.

    Xiaomi has also recently entered the Romanian market with a new flagship Mi Store in Bucharest. The Mega Mall Bucharest outlet sells the full range of Xiaomi products, including smartphones, headsets, electric scooters, and home appliances.

  • Google launches its health-tracking app For Iphones

    Google launches its health-tracking app For Iphones

    Google Fit, the health-tracking app that made its debut on Android four years ago, has now been released on iOS. The app has gone through multiple overhauls since its launch back in 2014, but the last major update released last year made it extremely simply to use.

    Starting today, iOS users will be able to track their Heart Points and Move Minutes, the best way to build smarter, healthier habits throughout the day. Google Fit awards users so-called Move Minutes and Heart Points the more they move and the more intensely they move. Based on the scores, you’ll be closer to reach the recommended amount of weekly physical activity and reap the health benefits.

    It’s purely motivational, but very helpful if you’re trying to exercise but don’t find the courage to do it regularly. More importantly, Google Fit allows users to track their progress throughout the day using various apps.

    For example, app connected to Apple Health, such as Sleep Cycle, Nike Run Club and Headspace, can be synced with Google Fit to offer a more holistic view of your health. You’ll also be able to see how many Heart Points and Move Minutes you earn through other activities.

    Moreover, if own an Apple Watch as well, Google Fit will keep track of all your workout sessions too. Just don’t forget to check the app’s journal to see what you need to do to sleep better and get more active. You can download Google Fit for iOS right now via the App Store.

  • First 5G Apple iPad Pro won’t arrive Soon

    First 5G Apple iPad Pro won’t arrive Soon

    Most of the talk about Apple and 5G revolves around the iPhone. Now that the settlement with Qualcomm has apparently resulted in a multi-year deal that supplies Apple with 5G modem chips (neither side has discussed this officially), we can expect Apple to launch a 5G iPhone by next year. But what about the Apple iPad? After all, the Wi-Fi + Cellular version of the iOS-powered tablet can connect to a wireless carrier’s 4G LTE network.

    The answer to that question comes from TF International’s reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo as cited by the Economic Daily News. According to his report, Kuo expects to see the first 5G iPad shipped no earlier than 2021. Meanwhile, the analyst says that two new iPad Pro models will be in mass production during the fourth quarter of this year to the first quarter of 2020. The units will have the same 11-inch and 12.9-inch screen sizes that the current model’s sport, but will not offer support for 5G connectivity.

    Besides adding 5G modem chips to the iPad Pro in 2021 or later, Kuo expects Apple to employ an LCP (liquid crystal polymer) soft board at the same time. This will reduce signal loss and improve networking performance. Kuo says that because the iPad Pro is used as a business productivity tool and for entertainment, the slate needs to offer better connectivity than the iPhone. The new soft board will allow Apple to attach the iPad Pro’s antennas to the motherboard, improving the user experience of the device. The report adds that Murata will be one of the companies supplying Apple with the LCP soft board. The firm already supplies soft boards to Apple for the iPhone.

    The most recent versions of the iPad Pro, launched late last year, featured a big change in the design of the tablet. Gone was the home button and Touch ID, replaced with a TrueDepth Camera and Face ID (which works regardless of how the tablet is being held). The bezels are thinner resulting in an edge-to-edge Liquid Retina (LCD) display. Using magnets, the second generation Apple Pencil can stick to the side of the tablet and charge up at the same time. Measuring only 5.9mm high, the latest iPad Pro models are sleek and thin.

    As we passed along to you the other day, there are rumors that Apple will add mouse and trackpad support for the iPad Pro with iOS 13. This could help some see the iPad Pro as a legitimate laptop replacement (Apple notes that the iPad Pro is faster than 92% of “portable PCs”). Apple’s high-end tablet line competes with Microsoft’s Surface Pro in the premium tablet niche, but the latter has the advantage of running on Windows 10 and supporting the wireless Surface Mobile Mouse that connects via Bluetooth.

    It is interesting that in the discussions about 5G, the tablet market has been overlooked. The next generation of wireless connectivity will bring data speeds as fast as 10 times that achieved on 4G LTE networks. With the faster speeds, movies that take minutes to download now will load in seconds. It also will bring about new innovations, services, and businesses that we can’t even imagine right now. For example, when 4G LTE service became widespread, it led to the creation of the ride-sharing industry and the two multi-billion dollar companies that are leaders in the industry (Uber and Lyft). 5G networks will also help cars drive by themselves as the Internet of Things becomes the Internet of Many More Things.

  • LG Acquires Avon

    LG Acquires Avon

    LG Household & Health Care has acquired Avon North America in a US$125 million deal with an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management.

    LG H&H holds a strong market position in South Korea’s consumer goods industry, one of the world’s largest beauty markets, with more than $13.1 billion in sales last year. It currently distributes a number of its brands in the US, including Belif and The History of Whoo.

    The addition of Avon’s brand, products, employee base and network of 250,000 sales representatives throughout North America is expected to support LG H&H’s international growth strategies.

    “We recognise Avon North America’s strong brand, leading market position in the region, and talented employees and representatives,” said LG Household & Health Care CEO Suk Cha. “Avon North America’s innovative social selling model builds deep connections with customers and we are excited to leverage this as we continue to expand. We look forward to building on Avon North America’s success to drive customer engagement and long-term growth in this market.”

    “LG H&H respects and admires our strong community of representatives, and supports our mission to empower women through economic opportunity,” said Avon North America CEO Laurie Ann Goldman.

    The transaction is expected to close on September 30 and is subject to certain customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals in the US.

  • Roadmap reveals the Transition for an Android browser will Happen

    Roadmap reveals the Transition for an Android browser will Happen

    Back last summer, we told you that Mozilla is working on a new Android browser called Fenix. The app will eventually replace Firefox for Android and a support document posted by Mozilla offers something of a roadmap for this transition. After the Firefox browser app for Android receives Firefox68 in July, future updates will only carry security patches and bug fixes. The Firefox browser will be moved to the Extended Support Release (ESR) branch where Mozilla can manage engineering, testing, and release builds until Firefox reaches EOL (End-of-life) status.
    As we said, the Fenix browser will replace Firefox, but not until Mozilla is sure that Fenix has reached “migration readiness status.” So Firefox will continue to be kept secure and supported until Mozilla is sure that its new browser is ready to receive the migration of Firefox users. Based on the timeline created by the not for profit developer, Firefox will be kept alive until sometime next year.
    The timeline for Firefox, calls for an update to version 67 on May 14th, 2019 followed by the Firefox68 update to be disseminated on July 9th. After being moved to the ESR branch, the browser app will be updated in September, October, and December (again, these updates are for security and bug fixes only). As soon as Fenix is ready to receive those using the legacy version of Firefox, support for the latter will come to an end.
    Fenix was built from scratch; it will feature a brand new UI. Like Samsung’s OneUI interface, the most used elements will be found on the bottom of the screen. Swiping up on the display will show more available actions, and once you’re finished browsing on Fenix, open tabs are saved in a bundle called “sessions.” When the browser is in use, active tabs can be manually saved in sessions.
    Mozilla once said that “Fenix is not your parent’s Android browser.” We won’t know how accurate that statement is until the app is ready for prime time next year.
  • Nubia’s new Gaming handset has Fresh Features

    Nubia’s new Gaming handset has Fresh Features

    Remember when there was all that concern about the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 SoC overheating? The fear was so real that Samsung decided to power the Galaxy S6 line with its own Exynos 7420 chipset, even in the U.S. where it usually equips its phones with a Snapdragon chip. Some manufacturers started using small (.6mm) heat pipes in order to dissipate the heat generated inside a smartphone.

    Nubia announced the first smartphone to be equipped with a cooling fan, the Red Magic 3 gaming phone. To keep the handset’s internals cool, the device combines what the company calls “state-of-the-art liquid cooling technology” with an internal fan. Nubia says that this combination increases heat transfer by 500%; not only does this keep the phone cool in the user’s hand, it also boosts the performance of the device providing a smoother experience.

    While the Nubia Red Magic 3 will launch on May 3rd in China, it also will be available next month in the U.S., Canada and Europe (including the U.K.). Pricing has not yet been announced, but the phone does feature high-end specs. The device comes with a 6.65-inch AMOLED screen with an FHD+ resolution. With a refresh rate of 90Hz (most phones refresh at 60Hz) the Red Magic 3 will offer users smooth gameplay. The Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform is under the hood, and there will be three different memory/storage configurations (6GB RAM/128GB storage, 8GB RAM/128GB storage and 12GB RAM/256GB storage). In addition, the phone features dual front-facing stereo speakers, DTS:X and 3D sound. This creates a “cinematic soundscape” with or without headphones. Instead of having to use a gamepad accessory, the handset has touch-sensitive shoulders that can be customized.

    The Red Magic 3 is more than just a gaming phone. It happens to be pre-installed with a nearly stock version of Android 9 Pie. On the back is a 48MP camera using Sony’s IMX586 sensor, and in front is a 16MP selfie snapper. With a 5000mAh battery inside, you won’t have to worry about finding an outlet in the middle of the day, and perhaps the next day as well. And if you happen to be an ardant gamer, the RedMagicGameSpace2.0 dashboard allows you to quick-launch games, optimize settings and the fan speeds, check the temperature inside the phone, and record in-game videos. It also allows you to block notifications so that you can enjoy uninterrupted game play. The Red Magic 3 will be available in Black or Red.

    Starting tomorrow, April 29th, consumers can sign up to win an opportunity to unbox the Red Magic 3 by visiting this website. Three first prize winners will receive the Red Magic 3 before the release date, and will get to do a live unboxing and hands-on over the Red Magic website and Nubia’s social media channels. Three second prize winners will have the opportunity to buy the Red Magic 3 at 50% off and four third prize winners get to take 20% off the price of the phone.

    Back in February, Nubia launched the Red Magic Mars gaming phone in the U.S. That model features a 6-inch LCD screen with a 1080 x 2160 resolution. While Nubia called this device a gaming phone and a daily driver in one unit (which it also says about the Red Magic 3), the $399 price surely caught the eye of smartphone buyers in the states. We don’t know the price of the Red Magic 3 yet; if Nubia keeps it low, it will be hard for U.S. consumers, unlike the phone, to keep cool.

  • View Android Notifications on your Windows 10

    View Android Notifications on your Windows 10

    Last month, we told you that Microsoft was testing phone screen mirroring between Windows 10 and a limited number of Android handsets. The feature uses Wi-FI and Bluetooth to allow Android apps to appear on your Windows 10 PC. Originally, mirroring apps was a function available only for the Samsung Galaxy S8, Samsung Galaxy S8+, Samsung Galaxy S9, and the Samsung Galaxy S9+. Microsoft said that it would expand the list, and they weren’t lying.

    Before we tell you the additional handsets that now support this feature, we do need to tell you that it requires you to install the Your Phone Companion app from the Google Play Store. Microsoft says that the additional phones that now support the mirroring include the OnePlus 6, OnePlus 6T, the Samsung Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy Note 9.

    Besides the mirroring available with the aforementioned phones, the Your Phone Companion app allows your PC to get texts, documents, and photos from any phone running Android 7 and higher. And now, the app will allow you to see phone notifications on your PC screen. Microsoft says that insiders on the 19H1 build will soon receive a preview that brings these notifications from your phone to your desktop in real time. You can decide which apps you will see notifications from on the computer screen, and if you dismiss one from the desktop, it will also disappear from your phone. These new features also will soon appear in the Your Phone Companion app.

    To see phone notifications on your Windows PC, your Android device running Android 7.0 or higher must have 1GB of RAM or more. and the Windows 10 PC must be using build 1803 (RS4) or newer. If notifications are disabled on the computer due to work policies, this feature will not work.

  • Sony’s days in the smartphone Industry are Ending

    Sony’s days in the smartphone Industry are Ending

    Sony has never been able to obtain success in the smartphone industry the way it once controlled the mp3 market, the video game console market, and the television market. Trying to differentiate itself, this year’s Xperia 1 flagship, unveiled at MWC in February, features a 6.5-inch 4K AMOLED display with a 21:9 aspect ratio. Despite what would appear to be a great screen for watching streaming video on, the pricing is sure to turn some away.

    For the second time in six years, a particular hedge fund is building up a stake in Sony hoping to influence its business decisions. Those familiar with the plans say that Third Point LLC, run by Daniel Loeb, is looking to implement its own turnaround strategy for Sony. Loeb’s fund reportedly has $14.5 billion in assets and is believed to be raising money ($500 million to $1 billion) for a fund dedicated to the purchase of more Sony shares.

    The parts of Sony that Third Point wants to take a hard look at include the semiconductor and insurance businesses and the movie studio, which some believe that Amazon and Netflix could be interested in. And while the report from Reuters doesn’t mention the mobile phone business, it most likely would be a division that Loeb would prefer to see Sony jettison. Last month, the company folded its mobile unit into the same business segment that includes its TV, camera and audio products. And a report published in March stated that by next year Sony will cut the head count in its smartphone division in half.

    Jefferies analyst Atul Goyal told clients in a note sent out last week that Sony needs to exit the mobile phone business. Sony will no doubt want to gauge the reception to the Xperia 1 before it decides whether or not to stop producing smartphones. But if Third Point LLC builds a big enough stake in Sony, the decision whether to cut its losses in the smartphone industry might be taken out of the company’s own hands.

  • Samsung Brings inexpensive Galaxy Fit-e fitness trackers

    Samsung Brings inexpensive Galaxy Fit-e fitness trackers

    Unveiled back in February, the Galaxy Fit is likely get a cheaper brother, which hasn’t been officially introduced yet. Samsung was quite vague regarding the Galaxy Fit’s availability saying that Galaxy Fit-e will be launched in Q2 2019, and didn’t offer any details about pricing.

    However, we’ve just learned that the Galaxy Fit-e will be launched in the United States on May 21. Android Pit reports the fitness tracker has already been listed on Samsung Albania website with a price equivalent of just $35.

    The inexpensive Galaxy Fit-e sports a monochrome PMOLED display and a small 70mAh battery that should offer about one week of battery life. The fitness tracker is waterproof (5 ATM) and very light (15g).

    It comes with all the fitness and health specific features, including sleep and pulse tracking, notifications and exercises. Samsung Galaxy Fit-e will be available in three colors: black, white, and yellow.

    Apparently, Samsung Albania jumped the gun on the Galaxy Fit-e since no other Samsung website lists the fitness tracker yet. Also, take the information with a grain of salt until the South Korean company make the Galaxy Fit-e official.

  • Action Launcher 40 released with lots of Features

    Action Launcher 40 released with lots of Features

    With more than 5 million download in the Google Play Store, Action Launcher is among the most popular Android launchers. Not only for that reason, developer Chris Lacy has just released a major update that brings Action Launcher to version 40 and introduces a new icon, along with many important improvements.

    The first thing long-time Action Launcher users will notice is the new, colorful icon that’s meant to induce the ideas of customization and accessibility. Now that we’ve done with the design changes, let’s take a look of the more juicy stuff.

    Action Search is a brand new feature that allows users to search across the web deeper than ever. You can now use the new feature to check through your in-app search history and Android and Action Launcher’s settings. Basically, you’ll be able to get to a specific system or Action Launcher directly from the home screen. More importantly, Action Search is available for all users, not just those who purchased the premium version of the app.

    Along with Action Search, the update brings a brand new Action Web Search, which is a “custom built, externally hosted, Action Launcher themed web search solution,” which is meant to provide users with web, news, image and video search results.

    Last but not least, Action Launcher 40 adds the ability to specify the app’s default search engine. So, besides Google and the newly introduced Action Web Search, native support for Bing and DuckDuckGo are now available for users.

    Of course, many under the hood improvements have been implemented as well, including key bug fixes, improvements of app’s boot time, and addressing a major memory leak issue.

  • Google removes apps from the Play Store for Ad fraud

    Google removes apps from the Play Store for Ad fraud

    A successful Android app developer with over half a billion installs to its credit is having its apps removed by Google from the Play Store. DO Global, based in China, has had 46 apps erased from Google’s Android app storefront after an investigation conducted by BuzzFeed found serious issues with the apps. Before Google started taking action against the developer, DO Global had approximately 100 apps in the Google Play Store making this one of the biggest actions ever taken against an app developer by Google. The remaining apps will be removed shortly. DO Global had been a wholly owned subsidiary of well know Chinese internet firm Baidu. But last year, the unit was spun off and Baidu kept a 34% stake.

    The initial report from BuzzFeed said that at least six of the apps from DO Global would click on ads even if the app was not being used. Online security firm Checkpoint, in partnership with BuzzFeed, found the apps loaded with malware that it dubbed PreAMo.That’s because the apps fraudulently clicked on banner ads served up by mobile ad networks Presage, Admob, and Mopub. Checkpoint states that the malware was installed from these six apps a total of 90 million times.

    Some of the apps involved were credited to developers like “Pic Tools Group” and “Photo Artist Studio,” and their true ownership was hidden by DO Global. That’s another violation of Play Store rules. The developer contact information was also different on several of the apps, obfuscating their true owners. The actual titles include apps like RAM Master-Memory Optimizer; Photo Editor-Makeup Camera & Photo Effects and Crashy Cops. DO Global claims that its apps have 250 million monthly active users, and said that its mobile ad platform reaches 800 million people.

    “We fully understand the seriousness of the allegations. Therefore, after reading the reports about our apps, we immediately conducted an internal investigation on this matter. We regret to find irregularities in some of our products’ use of AdMob advertisements. Given this, we fully understand and accept Google’s decision. Moreover, we have actively cooperated with them by doing a thorough examination of every app involved…moving forward, we will strictly follow relevant regulations and continue conducting a comprehensive review of our products. Lastly, during this process, we have caused misunderstandings and great concern due to our being unable to communicate in a timely manner and provide complete information. We offer our sincere apologies.”-DO Global

    In a statement, Google said that it will always investigate malicious behavior by apps. When it finds violations, it will prevent a developer from monetizing an app through AdMob and/or remove an app from the Play Store.

  • KDDI, Terra Drone launch drone asset inspection service

    KDDI, Terra Drone launch drone asset inspection service

    Japan’s KDDI and industrial drone solutions provider Terra Drone have jointly launched a new drone inspection services for industrial infrastructure.

    The jointly developed solution involves using a drone to generate a 3D, high resolution model of heavy industrial assets such as wind turbines, telecom and transmission steel towers, smokestacks, and bridges.

    The drone will use the model to determine which components should be inspected, allowing the drone to shoot the inspection points from optimal angles and range designated by the Terra Inspection software.

    It uses mobile networks to transmit data back to inspection crews and to allow operators to remotely plan flight paths based on weather databases and maps.

    The solution also has potential applications in areas beyond asset inspection, such as large area surveillance, land surveying or precision farming.

    KDDI and Terra Drone jointly developed the underlying Smart Drone platform, and have developed a number of solutions based on the platform since 2016.

  • Apple’s iPhone XR was the best-selling iPhone in Q2

    Apple’s iPhone XR was the best-selling iPhone in Q2

    Although iPhone sales haven’t been living up to Apple’s expectations lately, a recent CIRP report revealed that iPhones were the best-selling devices in the US throughout the first quarter of 2019. And now a new report has revealed which model was the most popular. For the second quarter running, the iPhone XR was the best-selling individual iPhone model in the United States. It accounted for 38% of all US iPhone sales throughout the recent quarter and outsold both the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max combined by a factor of almost 2:1 – the iPhone XS series accounted for just 21% of sales.

    The remaining 41% of sales were distributed between the iPhone 8 and iPhone 7 lineups. The iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone 7 were the most popular among these, while the iPhone 8 followed closely behind. The iPhone 7 Plus was the least popular by a significant margin, but still managed to sell in numbers that are comparable to those of the iPhone XS.

    During the fourth quarter of 2018, the sales of higher storage tiers are understood to have boosted Apple’s average selling price (ASP) to new heights. But as interest in these devices declined and the iPhone XR became the dominant device, CIRP believes the ASP of iPhones dropped to around $800 last quarter.

    Looking at the second quarter of 2019, the iPhone XR is expected to continue dominating. However, iPhone sales as a whole could lose some ground to Samsung who recently launched the Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, and Galaxy S10e.

    During the first quarter the two brands were neck and neck – Apple held a 36% market share while Samsung accounted for 34% of sales – but during this current quarter iPhone sales are set to continue declining while Samsung should finally feel the full effect of the Galaxy S10’s popularity.

    Although Samsung is yet to release official sales figures, its latest flagship smartphones are reportedly outselling last year’s Galaxy S9 lineup by a small margin. Apparently, Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ sales are on par with those of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, while the smaller Galaxy S10e is essentially providing a nice boost to Samsung’s total unit sales.

    According to estimates, the Galaxy S10 trio will ship a combined total of 10 million units by the end of this quarter on a global scale. It’s unclear, however what percentage of these will be from the US.

    Continuing into the third quarter of the year, it seems likely that Samsung will continue to dominate the smartphone market. iPhone sales should continue to drop, while Galaxy S10 sales will have lost steam too. However, the South Korean brand is rumored to be preparing a Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10 Pro that’ll help boost its performance significantly.

    As for the final quarter of the year, Samsung is expected to return its crown to Apple once again. The latter should release its latest iPhones towards the very end of the third quarter in September, with the full effect of sales being noticeable during the final three months of the year.

    This year, rumors suggest Apple’s iPhone XS and XS Max replacements will adopt triple-camera setups, smaller notches, reverse wireless charging, and a number of other features. The iPhone XR’s successor, on the other hand, should benefit from two rear cameras, Apple’s next-gen processor, and potentially an upgraded screen.

    All three smartphones should ship with iOS 13 straight out of the box. This will introduce a dedicated Dark Mode and a number of other features which are detailed in this article.

  • New features added to the official Google I/O 2019 App

    New features added to the official Google I/O 2019 App

    You know that the annual Google I/O developers conference is just around the corner when the latest Google I/O app becomes available in the Google Play Store. With Google I/O taking place this year from Tuesday, May 7th through Thursday, May 9th, the app is now ready to be installed on your Android phone. Now laid out in Google’s Material Display (bright white backgrounds, Google Sans font), the app allows attendees and the curious alike to view the schedule of sessions for the conference. In fact, those planning on making the trip to Mountain View can reverse seats for each event through the app.

    In addition, the Google I/O app allows attendees to create a schedule that they can view, and set reminders to go off before each session starts. This custom schedule can be synced between a developer’s mobile devices and the Google I/O website. This year, the app also adds events to the user’s personal calendar and allows those attending the conference to view the grounds using Augmented Reality. Individual sessions can now be found by looking under topics and speakers, and the home page will show upcoming events, announcements and more. For those interested in the Keynote, it will take place at 10 am PDT (1 pm EDT) on May 7th.

    With the use of Material Design, Google has added a Dark mode for the app that shows up once the Battery Saver has been enabled on an Android phone. This will change the app from showing black text on a white background to white text on a black background. Dark mode has been added as a feature on many of Google’s core Android apps over the last year and protects users’ eyes from the blinding white background when the app is viewed in the dark.

    When you install the app, make sure it is for the 2019 Google I/O conference. Even though the Google Play Store listing showed that we were installing the 2019 app, we received last year’s app instead.

  • Google launches its health-tracking app for Iphone Users

    Google launches its health-tracking app for Iphone Users

    Google Fit, the health-tracking app that made its debut on Android four years ago, has now been released on iOS. The app has gone through multiple overhauls since its launch back in 2014, but the last major update released last year made it extremely simply to use.

    Starting today, iOS users will be able to track their Heart Points and Move Minutes, the best way to build smarter, healthier habits throughout the day. Google Fit awards users so-called Move Minutes and Heart Points the more they move and the more intensely they move. Based on the scores, you’ll be closer to reach the recommended amount of weekly physical activity and reap the health benefits.

    It’s purely motivational, but very helpful if you’re trying to exercise but don’t find the courage to do it regularly. More importantly, Google Fit allows users to track their progress throughout the day using various apps.

    For example, app connected to Apple Health, such as Sleep Cycle, Nike Run Club and Headspace, can be synced with Google Fit to offer a more holistic view of your health. You’ll also be able to see how many Heart Points and Move Minutes you earn through other activities.

    Moreover, if own an Apple Watch as well, Google Fit will keep track of all your workout sessions too. Just don’t forget to check the app’s journal to see what you need to do to sleep better and get more active. You can download Google Fit for iOS right now via the App Store.