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With the first day of Navratri today (October 3), the festive season in India has officially begun. Each year, various platforms offer intriguing offers around this time and this year is no different. Apple also has some special offers in store for its Indian fans and has kick-started its Diwali 2024 sale today. If you have been thinking to buy the new iPhone or wish to get your hands on the latest <keyword id="19900628" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="macbook" source="keywords">MacBook</keyword>, now might be the time. There are a lot of options to choose from and you can enjoy savings across Apple's premium product lineup. Among the key highlights is an instant cashback of up to ₹10,000, available on a wide range of Apple products. For those with American Express, Axis Bank, or ICICI Bank cards, this cashback can be availed instantly at checkout. Furthermore, customers can spread their payments with up to 12 months of No Cost EMI, making the purchase of Apple’s high-end devices even more manageable. <h2>iPhone Deals </h2> The iPhone range is one of the sale’s main attractions. Customers opting for the iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max can enjoy an instant cashback of ₹5,000. Similarly, those choosing the iPhone 16 or the iPhone 16 Plus will benefit from the same ₹5,000 discount. For individuals looking for a slightly more affordable option, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus come with ₹3,000 cashback, while the iPhone SE offers ₹2,000 off. <h2>MacBook and Mac Discounts </h2> Apple’s MacBook line-up also sees attractive discounts. The latest MacBook Air models, featuring the M3 chip in both 13-inch and 15-inch versions, are available with a cashback of ₹10,000. If you’re looking at the earlier MacBook Air (M2 chip), you can save ₹8,000 instantly. Larger purchases such as the MacBook Pro (14-inch and 16-inch), the Mac Studio, and the iMac 24-inch all come with an appealing ₹10,000 cashback. Meanwhile, the Mac mini is available with a ₹4,000 discount. <h2>iPad Offers </h2> For tablet users, Apple’s iPad range also includes some enticing offers. The iPad Pro, available in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, provides a cashback of ₹6,000. The iPad Air, also available in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, offers a ₹4,000 instant discount. Buyers of the standard iPad can benefit from ₹2,500 cashback, while the compact iPad mini is on offer with ₹3,000 cashback. <h2>AirPods Promotions </h2> Fans of Apple’s audio products are not left out, as the AirPods range sees notable discounts too. The AirPods Pro are available with ₹2,000 cashback, while the AirPods 4 offer ₹1,500 off. For those opting for the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, there’s a ₹1,500 instant discount. Meanwhile, Apple’s premium AirPods Max headphones are being sold with a significant ₹4,000 cashback. <h2>Free Beats Solo Buds </h2> Apart from cashback, Apple is also giving away Beats Solo Buds for free. If you purchase an iPhone 15 from an Apple store, you can get your hands on the buds at no cost. However, this offer is only valid till tomorrow (October 4) so you better hurry. <h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.7em; line-height: 1.3; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 24px; background: 0px 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">More savings with Apple's trade-in programme </h2> Adding to the appeal, Apple’s Trade-In programme allows users to exchange their old devices for a discount on their new purchases. This, coupled with the cashback, makes for a compelling offer for those planning an upgrade. Additionally, with select purchases, Apple is providing three months of Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple Arcade subscriptions at no extra cost. With these offers, Apple’s Diwali Sale 2024 provides an excellent chance for customers to grab their desired devices at a lower price point. Whether you're upgrading or looking for gifts, this limited-time sale brings significant value, especially with the combined benefits of cashback, EMI options, and trade-in deals. For more information, you can head to Apple’s official website.

Apple Diwali sale in India goes live: iPhones, Macbooks and Airpods get discounts

<ul><li>Apple has launched the <keyword id="23558830" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iPad-mini" source="keywords">iPad mini</keyword> (2024) in India.</li><li>The iPad Mini is available is priced starting at ₹49,900 and is priced starting at ₹49,900.</li><li>Here’s everything you need to know about the latest offering from Apple.</li></ul> Cupertino tech giant Apple today launched the iPad mini, the company’s latest version of its compact iPad globally on Tuesday. This is the first update to the iPad mini lineup since 2021. The latest iPad mini is powered by the company’s A17 Pro chipset, which powered the iPhone 15 Pro models. The iPad mini (2024) will also support Apple Intelligence as they are rolled out by Apple. The company has finally increased the storage of the base variant from 64GB on the outgoing model to 128GB. <h2><keyword id="1959801" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Apple-iPad-mini-price-in-india" source="Orion">Apple iPad mini price in India</keyword></h2><table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Wi-Fi </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Price </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Wi-Fi + Cellular </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Price </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">128GB </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹49,900 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">128GB </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹64,900 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">256GB </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹59,900 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">256GB </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹74,900 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">512GB </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹79,900 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">512GB </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹94,900 </td></tr></tbody></table> The iPad mini comes in Blue and Purple, Space Grey and Starlight colour options. It is available from the Apple Online Store, Apple Store and Apple Authorised Resellers in the country. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113204340" title="iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max with bigger displays, A18 Pro chipset launched starting at ₹1,19,900" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> The Apple Pencil Pro is priced at ₹11,900 and the Apple Pencil (USB-C) is priced at ₹7,900. The new Smart Folio, which comes in Charcoal Grey, Light Violet, Denim and Sage colour options is priced at ₹6,500. <keyword id="1131440" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Apple-iPad-mini" source="Orion">Apple iPad mini</keyword> features The seventh-gen iPad mini retains the same 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display with a resolution of 2266 x 1488 pixels and 500 nits brightness. It supports the Apple Pencil Pro which was launched earlier this year. The iPad mini is powered by the A17 Pro chipset, which comes with a 6-core CPU that offers 30% improved performance over its predecessor and a 5-core GPU that offers 25% improved performance. It comes in three storage variants – 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113203568" title="iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus with A18 chipset launched starting at ₹79,900" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> The chipset brings ray tracing, Dynamic Caching and hardware-accelerated mesh shading, enabling an enhanced gaming experience. The iPad mini features a 12MP wide-angle camera at the back, with f/1.8 aperture, Smart HDR 4 support, and autofocus. On the front, the device features a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera with f/2.4 aperture, Smart HDR 4 and Centre Stage support. The device comes with stereo speakers and dual microphones for calls. It also comes with TouchID support for authentication. The iPad Mini features a USB 3.0 Type-C port with DisplayPort. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113220789" title="iPhone 16 Pro is already cheaper than the iPhone 15 Pro in India, but you can get it for up to ₹30,000 cheaper" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> The device is powered by a 19.3-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery that is claimed to offer up to 10 hours of usage. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/global-smartphone-shipments-record-4-growth-in-q3-2024-samsung-leads-the-market/articleshow/114241402.cms">Global smartphone shipments record 4% growth in Q3 2024, Samsung leads the market</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/hyundai-ipo-review-everything-you-need-to-know-about-indias-biggest-ipo/articleshow/114203740.cms">Hyundai IPO review – Everything you need to know about India’s biggest IPO</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/the-ola-electric-saga-are-surge-in-complaints-and-declining-market-share-a-wake-up-call-for-bhavish-aggarwal/articleshow/114120828.cms">The Ola Electric Saga: Are surge in complaints and declining market share a wake-up call for Bhavish Aggarwal?</a>

Apple iPad mini with A17 Pro chip launched starting at ₹49,900

<ul><li><keyword id="19896911" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Jio" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reliance Jio" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Reliance Jio">Reliance Jio</keyword> has increased the prices of its prepaid plans with the <keyword id="22955074" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Netflix-bundle" source="keywords">Netflix bundle</keyword>.</li><li>Both the Jio prepaid plans with Netflix bundle come with unlimited 5G connectivity.</li><li>The new Jio Netflix prepaid plans are live now.</li></ul>India’s leading telecom player, Reliance Jio, has increased the prices of its prepaid plans with the Netflix bundle. This hike, which also comes with unlimited 5G connectivity, has been announced after the telecom major <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-and-airtel-price-hike-new-plans-and-how-you-can-save-money/articleshow/111331794.cms">increased the prices of its regular plans by up to 25%</a>. While the price hike of regular plans was expected for several months, Reliance Jio has now updated the prices of its Netflix bundle plans, too. <h2>Reliance Jio with Netflix bundle – new plans</h2>While Jio increased the prices of its regular plans by as much as 25%, its Netflix-bundled plans have seen their prices hiked by up to 20%. Both the plans come with unlimited 5G data on compatible smartphones, while high-speed 4G data is limited to 2GB and 3GB per day, respectively. While the ₹1,299 plan comes with the Netflix Mobile plan, the ₹1,799 comes with the Netflix Basic plan. The Netflix Mobile plan allows only on one smartphone or tablet at a time, while the Netflix Basic plan can be used on any one device like a smartphone, tablet, TV, laptop, etc. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-bottom:solid #edf2f7 1.2000000000000002pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#333333;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Existing Plan Price </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #edf2f7 1.2000000000000002pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#333333;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Data per day </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #edf2f7 1.2000000000000002pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#333333;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Validity (days) </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #edf2f7 1.2000000000000002pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#333333;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">New Plan Price </td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom:solid #edf2f7 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #edf2f7 1.2000000000000002pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#f7fafc;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1,099 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #edf2f7 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #edf2f7 1.2000000000000002pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#f7fafc;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2 GB </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #edf2f7 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #edf2f7 1.2000000000000002pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#f7fafc;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">84 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #edf2f7 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #edf2f7 1.2000000000000002pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#f7fafc;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1,299 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom:solid #edf2f7 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #edf2f7 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1,499 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #edf2f7 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #edf2f7 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">3 GB </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #edf2f7 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #edf2f7 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">84 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #edf2f7 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #edf2f7 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1,799 </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody></table> The new prices are already in effect and applicable to all new recharges going forward. <h2>Jio restricts unlimited 5G benefits to selected plans</h2>Apart from the increase in prices, Jio has also made some changes to its unlimited 5G offer. With the new plans, the unlimited 5G benefit will only be given with plans that offer 2GB of data per day. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/amazon-rufus-ai-assistant-beta-launched-in-india-will-answer-customers-questions/articleshow/112872099.cms">Amazon Rufus AI assistant beta launched in India, will answer customer’s questions</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/airtel-customers-to-get-access-to-apple-tv-apple-music-telco-to-absorb-wynk-music-employees/articleshow/112841081.cms">Airtel customers to get access to Apple TV+, Apple Music – telco to absorb Wynk Music employees</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/telegram-comes-under-the-scanner-in-india-for-extortion-and-gambling-will-it-be-banned-in-india/articleshow/112807370.cms">Telegram comes under the scanner in India for extortion and gambling – will it be banned in India?</a>

Reliance Jio increases prices of prepaid plans with Netflix bundle: New prices, benefits detailed

<ul><li><keyword id="19894961" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="apple" source="keywords">Apple</keyword> has launched the new <keyword id="20994992" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="airpods-4" source="Orion">AirPods 4</keyword> and <keyword id="19153130" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="apple-watch-series-10" source="Orion">Apple Watch Series 10</keyword></li><li>The AirPods 4 now feature ANC</li><li>The <keyword id="19904852" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="apple-watch" source="keywords">Apple Watch</keyword> Series 10 promises to be the slimmest watch yet</li></ul> Apple hosted its highly anticipated “It’s Glowtime” event today (September 9) in Cupertino, California. While the spotlight was on the unveiling of the new iPhone 16 lineup, the event wasn’t just about the new phones. In addition to the iPhone 16, Apple also introduced exciting updates to its AirPods and Apple Watch lineup. The new AirPods 4 come with improved audio quality, personalised spatial audio, and advanced features. Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Series 10 boasts the largest and most advanced display ever, with a thinner design and improved health features, including sleep apnea alerts and a faster charging system. Read on to know all about the newly launched AirPods 4 and Apple Watch Series 10. <h2>Apple Watch Series 10: Specifications and availability</h2>Apple CEO <keyword id="19954680" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tim-cook" source="keywords">Tim Cook</keyword> began the event by discussing the positive impact of the Apple Watch on users' health and connectivity. The new Apple Watch Series 10, the thinnest model yet at just 9.7mm, introduces several groundbreaking features, including the largest and most advanced display ever seen on an Apple Watch. This new display offers up to 30% more screen area than previous models, enhancing readability and usability, and comes with a 40% increase in brightness for better visibility in sunlight. The Series 10 features a redesigned, slimmer profile, and its case is available in aluminium and titanium finishes. Notably, the new jet black polished aluminium finish offers a sleek, reflective appearance, while the titanium cases are available in natural, gold, and slate, providing a jewellery-like shine. The watch’s innovative metal back integrates the antenna into the case, giving it a seamless, single-piece appearance. "Around the world, Apple Watch has had an immeasurable positive impact on people by helping them stay healthy, active, safe, and connected to the things that matter to them — and it’s helped save countless lives along the way," Apple’s chief operating officer Jeff Williams said in a press release and added, "Apple Watch Series 10 builds on a decade of breakthrough innovations to offer the most advanced version yet, with even more intelligence, our biggest wearable display, and a design that’s slimmer and sleeker than ever." In terms of health features, the Apple Watch Series 10 introduces a new sleep apnea alert system. Utilising the watch’s accelerometer to monitor "breathing disturbances," this feature aims to provide users with insights into their sleep patterns. Users can view these metrics in the Health app, although it has yet to receive FDA approval. For the unversed, Sleep apnea is a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. The Series 10 is also powered by the new S10 SiP, featuring a 4-core neural engine that supports advanced capabilities such as on-device Siri, automatic workout detection, and improved safety features including Crash Detection and Fall Detection. The watch also boasts a new watch face, Flux, designed to make the most of the larger display. For those who enjoy water activities, the Series 10 includes a new depth gauge and water temperature sensor, ideal for snorkelling and shallow diving. The Tides app, introduced in watchOS 11, provides detailed tidal information to help users plan their activities. The Apple Watch Series 10 is available in 42mm and 46mm sizes in the new jet black, the new rose gold, and a silver aluminium case, as well as new titanium in natural, gold, and slate. Starting at $399, the Apple Watch Series 10 will be available for pre-order today, with shipments beginning September 20. Additionally, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 has received a fresh satin black finish and a new titanium band, catering to adventurers with its enhanced durability and offline maps in watchOS 11. It will retail for $799, also available for pre-order with deliveries starting on September 20. <h2>AirPods 4: Specifications and availability</h2>Apple also introduced the AirPods 4, featuring the powerful H2 chip for improved audio quality. Apple says that this makes them the “best-sounding AirPods yet” in their open-ear design. With personalised spatial audio and adaptive transparency, these AirPods adjust to your surroundings without needing manual changes. Users can now interact with Siri through head gestures and control their music with a quick press on the force sensor. These new AirPods also come with a smaller, more portable case and offer 30 hours of battery life. For those seeking more, Apple has also added active noise cancellation (ANC) to the design, reducing environmental noise like city traffic and airplane engines. Conversation awareness lowers the media volume when you speak and brings it back when you're done, enhancing interaction. The standard model is priced at $129, while the ANC version comes in at $179, both available for pre-order and releasing on September 20. <h2>AirPods Pro 2 now double as a hearing aid</h2> The AirPods Pro 2 also received significant updates, now featuring pro-level ANC, enhanced transparency mode, and the longest battery life yet. Apple has also introduced new health features aimed at people with hearing difficulties, including a clinically validated hearing test and a hearing aid function to amplify sounds in real time. These features are awaiting FDA approval. The hearing test, Apple says, can be taken from within the comfort of your home and provides results in a clear, personalised report that is easy to understand. Apple also said that all test data will remain stored locally on users' devices, ensuring enhanced privacy. One of the most revolutionary updates is the new capability for AirPods Pro to act as a clinical-grade hearing aid. Expected to be available soon on the AirPods Pro 2, this feature aims to detect hearing loss and assist users by amplifying sounds similarly to traditional hearing aids.

Apple Watch Series 10 and AirPods 4 launched: Specifications, price, availability and more

Doug Mattison just wanted to cancel his gym membership.The 59-year-old could no longer afford the monthly fee, so a year after he signed up, he went back to the gym's website to cancel it. But it didn't have an option for members to cancel online, so he called the gym and was told he had to come in person. So he went to the gym, but even then he couldn't cancel — he recalls the employees telling him that they didn't "have the ability to stop it or do anything on it" because only his gym's parent company was authorized to cancel his membership. "In the meantime," he says, "they're still charging my account."Mattison, who lives in Ohio, said the whole reason he chose this gym was that it didn't have a binding contract — he assumed that when he no longer wanted to pay for a membership, he'd be able to get out of it. After the parent company's customer-service reps told him they couldn't assist him online or over the phone and did not offer him an alternate route, Mattison reached out to his bank, which ultimately canceled the card he'd used to pay for the membership and told him plenty of customers had trouble getting out of similar services."The bank even said that they see this happening a lot," Mattison said, referring to customers having trouble with cancellations. "They said the good news was that I only gave them a card number instead of my actual account number. Then it's a lot more hassle."While Mattison was glad to have found a solution, it took three months to get free. He described it as "the worst experience I've ever had with any type of membership." And he's not alone — companies have gotten increasingly savvy at trapping customers in what are known as "dark patterns," drawing them in with a shiny new product or discounted subscription that ends up being burdensome to get out of. The tactics companies use to keep people on the treadmill of recurring charges can range from slick, attractive product design to deceptive fraud. And in a world where people seldom read the fine print, consumers don't have much recourse when they find they can't cancel something they no longer want. In a 2022 survey from C+R Research, respondents estimated they spent an average of $86 a month on subscriptions, but when they were asked to individually break down their monthly payments based on their bank statements, they were, in reality, spending an average of $219. Additionally, 42% of respondents indicated they'd forgotten they were continuing to pay for products they no longer used.In an attempt to combat these practices, the Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday finalized a rule known as "Click-to-Cancel" that addresses the issue. The rule, which goes into effect in 180 days, would require most businesses to make the cancellation of subscriptions just as easy as the sign-up process, as well as protect customers from other dark pattern tactics.While the new rule is a strong stab at solving the issue, companies have spent years perfecting their methods of roping in new customers. Florencia Marotta-Wurgler, a consumer-law professor at New York University, told me that most people, no matter how smart they think they are, are vulnerable to traps such as hidden fees, misleading website layouts, or confusing terms and conditions."There's lots of biases that consumers have," Marotta-Wurgler said. "They care more about the immediate rewards than the cost, and a lot of these services are created or designed to exploit these biases to really dangle the shiny object that they want and then just to hide the cost later or when consumers might forget."It isn't an accident that people who want to cancel a subscription often have to navigate a web of bureaucracy and confusion. Erin Witte, the director of consumer protection at the Consumer Federation of America, says companies have spent years honing dark-pattern tactics to maximize recurring revenue."This is all by design. This is a way that companies can make a lot of money," Witte said. "These automatically recurring subscription plans and free-trial conversions, they basically capitalize on people not consenting actively to something over and over again. When you've forgotten that you signed up for it, it's a lot easier to just keep charging and charging and charging."These dark patterns usually involve two steps. First, the company makes it easy or desirable to opt for the recurring charge. Marotta-Wurgler pointed to Amazon's "subscribe and save" feature, in which the online retail giant offers a discount for agreeing to have a certain product delivered monthly. The website makes the subscription the default option during checkout, causing many consumers to enroll without realizing it. Second, the company keeps people subscribed using "negative options," or contracts in which it interprets a consumer's silence or failure to act as an agreement to continue purchasing the product. These frequently take the form of subscriptions that automatically renew unless the consumer cancels, and it's a primary way people find themselves paying for a service they didn't realize they were still being billed for.Some consumers have submitted public comments to the Federal Trade Commission about their frustrations with subscription cancellations. "I and many others have continuously been charged without consent for renewal of products," one person wrote. "The charging should be abundantly clear from the start, as ultimately whether or not the consumer wants to pay should be the consumers choice and not the business."The prevalence of these tactics and of consumer anger prompted the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to issue guidance last year saying that companies were at risk of violating federal law should they fail to clearly disclose the terms of a negative-option service or make consumers jump through hoops to cancel a subscription. A CFPB official told me that the agency had seen "a lot of problems" with vague disclosures and rage-inducing cancellation processes in which consumers have to repeatedly speak with customer-service representatives for unreasonably long periods, preventing them from articulating their intent to cancel a subscription because they oftentimes cannot remain on hold long enough to do so.In some cases, these issues have led to litigation — the bureau sued TransUnion in 2022 over allegations that the credit-reporting agency "used an array of dark patterns to trick people into recurring payments and to make it difficult to cancel them." These tactics, the bureau alleged, included crafting a website with misleading buttons to give consumers the impression that they could access a credit score for free; instead, clicking the button would sign them up for recurring monthly charges using credit-card information they'd provided to verify their identity. TransUnion said at the time that the bureau's claims were "meritless and in no way reflect the consumer-first approach we take to managing all our businesses." A decision on the case is pending.Consumers are lured into subscriptions across all industries — and Marotta-Wurgler said that without enhanced regulation, such as a requirement to disclose terms of a subscription upfront rather than conceal it in the fine print, companies have few incentives to change their ways."When we're talking about consumer protection, the burden is always on the consumer," she said. "So the consumer needs to make the choice, and it's on the consumer to know what they're signing up for."Some business leaders oppose stricter regulations like the FTC's new Click-To-Cancel rule because they're concerned that making it easier to get out of subscriptions could cause consumers to accidentally miss out on products they still might want. The Association of National Advertisers argued in a public comment to the Federal Trade Commission that "if sellers are required to enable cancellation through a single click or action by the consumer, accidental cancellations will become much more common, as consumers will not reasonably expect to remove their recurring goods or services with just one click." The association added that accidental cancellations could cause customers to miss out on essential items, like food, and it would be burdensome for the customer to once again have to go through the sign-up process to renew their subscriptions. Witte dismissed this sort of thinking as short-sighted, arguing that companies could benefit from making their interfaces more consumer-friendly. "Actual affirmative consent from a consumer," Witte said, would establish trust between the consumer and the company, boosting loyalty. The FTC's new rule would make this sort of assent a reality: companies now have to adjust their sign-up processes so consumers explicitly confirm they want a subscription that automatically renews and understand the terms before they are charged, and companies have to be able to prove that consumers knew what they agreed to before they signed up."The FTC really wants to make sure, with this rule, that consumers are getting what they want and what they understand and what they agree to, and that businesses are serving consumers that want their product, not people who have just forgotten about a subscription or have had too much trouble getting out of it," Witte told me.While free trials and confusing websites can be a money-sucking headache for consumers, many of the methods of keeping people on the hook are legal. In some cases, however, the tactics used by subscription services can tip into outright fraud. Celebrity endorsements are a go-to method to convince consumers to put down their credit-card information, but sometimes the celebrity doesn't even know the company is using their likeness to boost a product. Mark Cuban can attest to this — the "Shark Tank" star told me he'd been featured "thousands of times" in ads for a keto-gummies subscription service. The ads make it appear as if Cuban endorsed the product, which promises health benefits and weight loss, but the endorsement is fake, and Cuban said he hadn't even heard of the product.While there are federal laws designed to prevent companies from lying in their advertising, Cuban argued that it would be "a waste of time" to take any legal action against the company, like sending them cease-and-desist orders, because the companies frequently close and open different legal entities to stay ahead of these claims. Some customers who were deceived by the ads have emailed Cuban asking for help getting out of the subscription. He forwarded me examples of a few of the emails he received: One customer said the gummy ad claimed that all "Shark Tank" investors had endorsed the product, but she ended up being charged an additional $200 for a product the company added alongside the 30-day supply, prompting her to immediately email the company to cancel the order. "This higher transaction will cause my checking account to be over and will cause my rent and utilities to bounce," she wrote. Cuban recommended everyone who signed up for the service to call their bank to cancel the charges.When dark patterns tip into outright scams and fraudulent subscription practices, the experience of being deceived can take a toll on consumers financially and mentally. Witte said consumers often feel like these situations are their fault. In retrospect, customers think they should have noticed red flags or read the fine print before entering their credit-card information. But companies have sophisticated technology to prevent you from looking into any red flags such as subscription pop-up windows that advertise the perks of a product but do not disclose the fine print."It's easy for consumers to look back and use their hindsight and say, 'Man, I really wish I had seen that or looked more carefully at this,'" Witte said. "But it's not always just about consumer awareness, and I think it really is much more about the product of manipulative design process."Rachel VonSiebenhoven, 52, signed up for a membership at her local massage parlor in Colorado in 2012 to treat herself. She said that she initially paid $55 a month but that the price gradually increased while the quality of the service declined. After the pandemic hit, she decided she was no longer getting her money's worth and began the process of canceling her membership in 2023. However, VonSiebenhoven said it took months of back-and-forth with the parlor to discuss refund options because the terms were murky on whether she could get money back after canceling her membership, all while she was charged for services she wasn't using. As of September, she was still trying to get her money back and didn't reach a resolution with the parlor on whether canceling her membership would cause her to forfeit any potential refund."It's just been a constant battle," she told me. "I'm working full time, I'm going to school for my MBA, so I have no time. So I'm hoping they just canceled it because if not, I'm just paying for something and still not able to get anything out of it."There could be some relief on the horizon — the Click-to-Cancel rule is a key step that could result in tangible benefits for consumers, Witte said — but she noted that it does not include a requirement for companies to send consumers annual notices about their subscriptions and provide them with an opportunity to cancel, which would have been an effective safeguard. The FTC is likely being as cautious as possible to avoid lawsuits against the rule, she said.Marotta-Wurgler described the initiative as a step in the right direction. "Companies have been able to get away with this because we've been playing Whac-A-Mole for a very long time," she said. Marotta-Wurgler argued that requiring structural changes in business practices, like implementing a bolstered federal standard for disclosing terms, would help prevent consumers from being lured into dark patterns. More attention at the state and federal levels would also help. Along with litigation from the CFPB, state attorneys general have pursued legal action against big companies over hard-to-cancel subscriptions. Last year, Letitia James, New York's attorney general, sued SiriusXM over claims that the radio company trapped customers in subscriptions and maintained a complicated and burdensome cancellation process. SiriusXM called the allegations "meritless" and asked for the case to be dismissed. The case is still pending.Industries have mastered techniques to maximize their profits by crafting their business models in confusing ways that can lure customers into a subscription without realizing it. With government attention, there's potential for change — but in the meantime, the burden is on the consumer to be vigilant or risk losing money."It can be really time-intensive and confusing and burdensome, and that's frustrating to people. So it's not just about losing money, but it's also wasting a lot of time," Witte said. "That doesn't have to be that way."<a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/ayelet-sheffey">Ayelet Sheffey</a> is a senior economic policy reporter on Business Insider's economy team.

America is trapped in a nightmare of never-ending subscriptions

<ul><li><keyword id="19894961" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Apple" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Apple" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Apple">Apple</keyword> has announced a <keyword id="20125622" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="price-cut" source="keywords">price cut</keyword> for its iPhones in India, with the Pro variants getting the highest price cut.</li><li>The price cut has been announced following the reduction in customs duty on smartphones.</li><li>Here are the new prices of iPhones in India after the price cut from Apple.</li></ul> As expected, the recently announced<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budget-2024-customs-duty-on-mobile-phones-chargers-and-more-reduced/articleshow/111962490.cms"> reduction</a> in basic customs duty (BCD) on smartphones in the<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budget-2024-25-changes-to-tax-slabs-increased-standard-deduction-and-other-changes-to-direct-taxation/articleshow/111951205.cms"> Budget 2024-25</a> has resulted in a decrease in the prices of certain smartphones. Cupertino tech giant Apple has announced a price cut for several iPhones, reducing the prices of the smartphones by up to ₹5,900. The price cut on premium smartphones is on the higher side, while some devices have received a minor price cut. The government has reduced the BCD on mobile phones, mobile phone chargers and mobile PCBA to 15% from 20%. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112045172" title="Apple to manufacture iPhone 16 Pro models in India soon after launch" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Here’s the new pricing for iPhones in India: <h2>Price cut for iPhones</h2>In a first, Apple has announced a price cut for its Pro models in India. This has been done to pass on the benefit of reduced customs duty to customers. This will also help the company to boost the sales of iPhones in India, ahead of the launch of the<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/apple-to-manufacture-iphone-16-pro-models-in-india-soon-after-launch/articleshow/112045172.cms"> iPhone 16</a> series. <h2>New iPhone prices in India</h2><table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">iPhone </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">New price </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Old price </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Price cut </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">iPhone 15 Pro Max </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1,54,000 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1,59,900 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹5,900 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">iPhone 15 Pro </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1,29,800 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1,34,900 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹5,100 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">iPhone 15 Plus </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹89,600 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹89,900 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹300 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">iPhone 14 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹79,600 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹79,900 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹300 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">iPhone 14 Plus </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹79,600 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹79,900 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹300 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">iPhone 14 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹69,600 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹69,900 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹300 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">iPhone 13 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹59,600 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹59,900 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹300 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">iPhone SE </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹47,600 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹49,900 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹2,300 </td></tr></tbody></table> The iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 15 Pro have received the highest price cut, at ₹5,900 and ₹5,100 respectively. The company’s most affordable offering in the country, the iPhone SE has also received a significant price cut at ₹2,300. At present, most of the smartphones sold in India are manufactured locally, barring high-end devices like the Pro models from the iPhone lineup. This is set to change with the upcoming iPhone 16 series, with the company planning on producing the<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/apple-to-manufacture-iphone-16-pro-models-in-india-soon-after-launch/articleshow/112045172.cms"> iPhone 16 Pro</a> models in India soon after the launch. It will be interesting to see if Apple reduces the prices on the iPhone 16 Pro models as they will not be subject to BCD once local production begins. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/upcoming-ipos-this-week-ola-electric-akums-drugs-and-more/slidelist/112097714.cms">Upcoming IPOs this week – Ola Electric, Akums Drugs and more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/government-extends-ev-subsidy-scheme-till-september-30-increases-outlay/articleshow/112062360.cms">Government extends EV subsidy scheme till September 30, increases outlay</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/pixel-9-series-design-and-specs-revealed-ahead-of-launch-next-month/articleshow/112039063.cms">Pixel 9 series design and specs revealed ahead of launch next month</a>

iPhone price cut – Apple announces price cut after reduction in customs duty

<ul><li>The <keyword id="22511807" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Google-Pixel-9-Pro-XL" source="Orion">Google Pixel 9 Pro XL</keyword> is the latest flagship offering from Google.</li><li>The device is priced starting at ₹1,24,999 and is available in two variants.</li><li>Here’s my review of the Pixel 9 Pro XL that will help you decide if you should buy the device.</li></ul>Google launched the Pixel 9 series, consisting of the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and the Pixel 9 Pro XL, the company’s flagship smartphones a few months ago. This time around, Google launched three devices unlike last year Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones. The Pixel 9 Pro XL is the successor of the Pixel 8 Pro, offering a similar size and features. This year’s Pixel 9 Pro offers flagship hardware while offering a smaller display and battery. With the three devices, Google is offering a similar line-up to Samsung and Apple. I have been using the Pixel 9 Pro XL for a few weeks now, and here’s my detailed review of the latest smartphone from Google. <h2><keyword id="22405856" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Google-Pixel-9-Pro-XL-price" source="Orion">Google Pixel 9 Pro XL price</keyword> and availability</h2>The Pixel 8 Pro has been priced at ₹1,06,999 for the 128GB variant and ₹1,13,999 for the 256GB variant. It comes in Blue, Beige and Obsidian colour options and is available from Flipkart. <h2>In the box</h2><ul><li>Pixel 9 Pro XL smartphone</li><li>USB Type-C cable</li><li>SIM ejector tool</li><li>Documentation</li></ul><h2>Pixel 9 Pro XL specifications</h2> <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Particulars </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Specifications </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Display </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">6.8-inch Quad HD+ LTPO OLED </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Refresh rate </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">120Hz </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Protection </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Chipset </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Google Tensor G4 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Variants </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">16GB + 256GB and 16GB + 512GB </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Rear camera </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">50MP + 48MP + 48MP </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Selfie camera </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">42MP </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Battery </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">5,060mAh </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Charging </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">37W </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Wireless charging </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">23W </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Fingerprint sensor </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">In-display fingerprint sensor </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Weight </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">221 grams </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Water resistance </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">IP68 </td></tr></tbody></table> <h2>Pixel 9 Pro XL pros and cons</h2><h3>Pros</h3><ul><li>Software and performance </li><li>Camera </li></ul><h3>Cons</h3><ul><li>Price </li></ul><h2>Design and display</h2>Google has overhauled the design of the Pixel 9 Pro XL, making major changes to the design when compared to the Pixel 8 Pro. The search giant has opted for a flat display, flat sides and a revamped camera module. <div type="image" title="Back 2" msid="115487059" hostid="261" sizebytes="64462" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Pixel 9 Pro XL rear design&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The device comes in Hazel, Porcelain, Rose Quartz, and Obsidian colour options. I tested the Rose Quartz colour variant of the device. <div type="image" title="right side" msid="115487089" hostid="261" sizebytes="52702" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Rounded corners on the Pixel 9 Pro XL&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The device comes with flat sides, with rounded corners for its aluminium frame, that give it a premium feel while holding. At first look, you may get an iPhone-like look, with people even mistaking it for an iPhone during my usage, but this clears up immediately after looking at the pill-shaped camera module. The aluminium frame comes with a glossy finish and is slightly slippery. The aluminium frame also attracts dust fingerprint smudges easily. For these reasons, it might be a good idea to use the device with a case. <div type="image" title="Camera" msid="115487108" hostid="261" sizebytes="28950" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The pill-shaped camera module&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> It comes with a large pill-shaped camera module that houses the triple camera setup, a temperature sensor and the LED flash. Apart from the camera module, the device comes with Google’s logo at the back. <div type="image" title="Right" msid="115487125" hostid="261" sizebytes="62716" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Power button and volume rockers on the right&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The power button and the volume rockers are placed on the right side. Unlike a lot of other devices, the Pixel 9 Pro XL continues to place the power button on top and the volume rockers below it. <div type="image" title="Bottom" msid="115487162" hostid="261" sizebytes="47264" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Ports at the bottom&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> At the bottom, you get the speaker grille, a USB Type-C port, a microphone and the SIM tray. <div type="image" title="IMG20240818172922" msid="115487276" hostid="261" sizebytes="46502" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Pixel 9 Pro XL top&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> At the top, you get the mmWave antenna cover and a microphone. <div type="image" title="Ch" msid="115487285" hostid="261" sizebytes="30756" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Made in China text on the Pixel 9 Pro XL&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> On the left, apart from antenna lines, the device comes with “Made in China” written for some reason. Coming to the display, the Pixel 9 Pro XL comes equipped with a large 6.8-inch Quad HD+ LTPO OLED display with a 1-120Hz refresh rate, up to 3,000 nits brightness and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection. <div type="image" title="Display" msid="115487313" hostid="261" sizebytes="72596" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Pixel 9 Pro XL display&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The device sports a good display, which offers accurate colours and offers good visibility, even in direct sunlight. The display is excellent, with the high refresh rate offering a good experience while gaming and watching content. <h2>Software and performance</h2>The Pixel 9 Pro XL runs on Android 14 out of the box and is promised to get seven years of Android updates and security patches. The software is the highlight of the Pixel lineup and the Pixel 9 Pro XL is no different. The device offers an Android experience as imagined by Google, the operating system maker. As expected, the device comes loaded with AI features in the form of Gemini. To enable users to make the most out of the AI features, Google is offering a one-year premium subscription to Pixel 9 Pro XL users, giving them access to Gemini Advanced, 2TB of Google Drive storage and more. The device comes pre-installed with Pixel Studio, a new GenAI image generation app from Google, allowing users to generate images easily on the go. You also get access to Gemini Live, a live-chat version of Gemini, which allows for voice-enabled interactions. In what might excite most photography enthusiasts like myself, the device also comes with a more powerful Magic Editor, giving access to a ton of new tools. Talking about AI and photography, the new Add Me feature is excellent, especially for those who often end up being the ones to take group pictures and regret not being in them. The new Add Me feature allows you to take a group picture and then hand your phone to your friend and then join the group for another picture, then using AI to blend them into one image to make the perfect group picture. I used this feature during one of my trips and found it to be quite useful. Once you get the hang of it and remember to stand in the correct place, it works quite well. The Pixel 9 Pro XL is powered by the Google Tensor G4 chipset built on Samsung’s 4nm process. It comes with 16GB of RAM and offers up to 512GB of internal storage. If you are hoping for a drastic performance improvement compared to the predecessor, you might be disappointed. It offers an incremental improvement in performance but can easily handle everything that you throw at it. One area the chipset and the device has improved a lot over the Pixel 8 Pro is thermal management and proper connectivity. These were some of my biggest issues with the last-gen devices and Google has made a significant improvement in this aspect. The Pixel 9 Pro XL is powered by a 5,060mAh battery with 37W wired and 23W wireless charging support. The device offers a day’s battery life with normal usage. <h2>Camera</h2>The camera is the strongest selling point of Pixel smartphones, and unsurprisingly, the Pixel 9 Pro XL excels in this regard. <div type="image" title="Rear cam" msid="115487382" hostid="261" sizebytes="53002" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Pixel 9 Pro XL rear camera&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Coming to the camera department, the Pixel 9 Pro XL features a triple camera setup at the back, consisting of a 50MP primary camera with Samsung GN2 sensor with OIS, a 48MP ultra-wide-angle camera with Sony IMX858 sensor and a 48MP 5X telephoto camera with Sony IMX858 sensor with up to 30x digital zoom. <div type="image" title="PXL_20240818_123753737" msid="115487547" hostid="261" sizebytes="186394" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Image captured while moving&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The smartphone supports zero shutter lag, which means it captures photos at the same moment you tap on the shutter button. This is very handy when trying to capture moving subjects, especially kids and pets. <div type="image" title="PXL_20240818_124521580" msid="115487564" hostid="261" sizebytes="84032" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Image captured in natural lighting&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The smartphone’s daylight camera performance was excellent, with accurate colour reproduction, dynamic range, and well-defined details. The portrait mode is excellent in both daylight and indoor conditions. <div type="image" title="n" msid="115487621" hostid="261" sizebytes="147076" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Image captured using night mode&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The Pixel 9 Pro XL also performs excellently in low-light and night conditions, capturing well-detailed, colour-accurate photos despite the challenging lighting conditions. The images turned out to be sharp and clear, with adequate details and minimal noise. On the front, the Pixel 9 Pro XL features a 42MP selfie camera. The front camera can easily capture good selfies in normal lighting and low light conditions. <h2>Verdict</h2>The Pixel 9 Pro XL is the best device in the current Pixel lineup and one of the best Android smartphones out there. The device offers an excellent user experience, a premium design and good cameras. It offers good performance and ample storage, ticking off a lot of the boxes. At the same time, the Pixel 9 Pro XL commands a premium price and while enthusiasts may like the stock Android experience, the lack of customisation may not be everyone’s cup of tea. If you are looking for a stock Android experience with powerful hardware and are willing to pay a premium, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is an excellent option. Disclaimer: The content on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a purchasing guide or recommendation. We advise readers to do additional research, including hands-on usage of the device at a retail outlet, before making a decision. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-6-review/articleshow/112497472.cms">Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review – the complete package</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-12-review/articleshow/108723955.cms">OnePlus 12 review: A feature-packed device with promising battery back-up</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/asus-rog-zephyrus-g16-review/articleshow/115054981.cms">Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop review – With a big AI boost</a>

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review – the best Android experience

The first day at a new job is always weird. You have no idea what you're supposed to be doing, who to talk to, or how to even really be. The theory is that over time you get the hang of it — but lots of workers make it months into their jobs and feel like they're still kind of winging it. It's not that they don't want to learn; it's that nobody's teaching them. In many pockets of corporate America, on-the-job training mostly amounts to "figure it out." Workers are struggling to get a handle on their jobs, and this failure falls on everyone — companies, managers, human-resources departments, and, in some cases, the workers themselves.You don't need to look far to find evidence that people don't feel ready when it comes to work. Some <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-workers-are-lazy-lack-soft-skills-managers-say-2023-8">bosses complain</a> that Gen Z workers don't know what they're doing and are lazy. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-lazy-hiring-jobs-careers-hr-training-pandemic-2024-8">HR professionals and Gen Z workers</a> argue that young people want to be successful in the workforce, but they simply aren't given the tools to do it. In a survey from the <a target="_blank" href="https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2023/09/27/adobe-future-workforce-study-what-us-employers-need-know-about-gen-z-workplace#:~:text=Gen%20Z%20is%20hungry%20for%20mentorship%20and%20development&amp;text=Gen%20Z%20is%20eager%20for,percent)%20reported%20having%20a%20mentor.">software company Adobe</a>, 83% of Gen Z respondents said having a mentor at work was crucial to their career, but only half said they had a mentor. It's not just young workers who are facing a training problem; it's everybody. For <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gallup.com/394373/indicator-employee-engagement.aspx">Gallup's employee-engagement indicator</a>, which analyzes employee perspectives using random samples of working adults, less than half of US employees said they knew what's expected of them at work. This is a costly problem, too: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gallup.com/workplace/393497/world-trillion-workplace-problem.aspx">Gallup</a> found employees who weren't engaged cost $8.8 trillion in lost productivity worldwide.Just figuring out the day-to-day basics of the job is a challenge. The pandemic-driven upheaval of the past several years led to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/great-resignation-still-going-layoffs-low-job-openings-quits-high-2022-11">high amounts of</a> job-hopping, organizational brain drain, and a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/loyalty-employee-employer-job-security-broken-work-companies-bosses-2024-1">decline in loyalty</a> among employers and employees. The chaos has left employers, managers, and employees wondering just how much time and money it's worth investing in training in the first place. The rise of remote and hybrid work has complicated the situation even more. It's tough to learn by osmosis over Slack, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hr-software-tech-companies-employees-productivity-workday-oracle-adp-2024-8">the deluge of HR apps and training modules</a> isn't filling in the gaps."Most companies want employees to 'hit the ground running' and use apps, AI, and training videos to avoid disrupting another employee's flow or for the lack of staff to train someone new or help someone learn a new skill," Ana Goehner, a career strategist and HR professional, said.That may work in some instances, but in others, instead of hitting the ground running, workers find themselves perpetually zig-zagging, unable to break into a full sprint.That people feel like they're not equipped to do their jobs isn't a new phenomenon. There's been a long-standing decay of investment in learning and training by employers as part of an effort to create leaner organizations, said Kenneth Matos, the director of market insights at HiBob, an HR-tech company. If you're cutting costs, training is an easy place to do it. That's especially true when many employers use the internet to access a wider talent pool than in the past, which means they can just look for a candidate who already knows everything instead of having to teach someone. And, of course, plenty of companies have been axing middle managers, the people who would have previously been in charge of training up younger or newer employees."You cut away the people who are the link between big strategic ideas and day-to-day tactical activities," Matos said. "And so you end up with a scenario of a big strategic speaker talking to a much more junior doer, and they're like, 'I don't know how this translates into my job.'" Making matters worse, in many workplaces, training and mentoring are treated as an extra, rather than an integral part of the job, if they're noticed at all. In your performance review, "I spent 10 minutes explaining something to the new guy he was too afraid to ask his boss about" doesn't rate very highly. As workers and managers are increasingly overextended, these types of unmeasured, softer activities can fall by the wayside. This creates a conflicting web of incentives. It may be better, organizationally, for a manager or experienced employee to spend time teaching everyone on their team to complete a complex task so that a team's performance is better overall, but if they have an individual quota to meet, they may opt to focus on doing the task themselves, even though it's not what's best for the business."You end up with this really weird tension around organizational citizenship behaviors like mentoring and developing employees," Matos said. "Do you give a manager a lower quota because they are also magnifying everybody else's, or are you assuming they're going to do more than everybody else, are more talented, and also do the mentoring?"The people in the middle — who find themselves in between the big bosses and the little guys — are going to focus more on managing up than managing down. It's hard to tell the CEO that you can't come to that third unnecessary meeting of the day because your time would be better spent training that new hire on logging sales calls."Managers feel so caught up, and oftentimes they feel pressure of, 'OK, well if I'm going to disappoint someone, then it's going to be someone junior to me and not someone senior to me,'" said Ashley Herd, the founder of Manager Method, a training platform for managers.Many managers really are over it. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gallup.com/workplace/510326/manager-squeeze-new-workplace-testing-team-leaders.aspx">Gallup found</a> that in 2023, managers were likelier than nonmanagers to say they're disengaged at work, burned out, and on the lookout for a new job. Their workers have been given more responsibilities, their teams have been restructured, and they're expected to accomplish everything with fewer resources, as in, money. And less than half of managers said they're sure they already had the skills needed to be great at their jobs, meaning managers weren't getting taught to be managers.At the r/managers forum on Reddit, the what-am-I-doing sentiment is evident. "Is it normal to get zero training as a new manager?" one Redditor <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/managers/comments/1d6soeu/no_training_in_a_figure_it_out_situation/">asked</a>. "I have reviewed the team's work over the past couple of years, asked them questions to clarify a few things, and asked my boss questions to clarify a few things and have basically picked up most of it. Thought it was kind weird I got zero training, though."Technology is supposed to make training better, in theory. Why have an HR person go over the same PowerPoint on vacation policy for every new hire when a quick video or document stored away somewhere can do it just fine? That may work for simple processes like requesting time off or finding subscription logins, but it can become a problem when companies try to throw technology at their more-in-depth training problems. Nobody knows what they're doing here? Why not get an app to fix that? One of the biggest issues with using tech to solve what's ultimately a human problem is that it's hard to know if anyone is even going to use it. Take mentorship: Having one-on-one coaching from someone with more experience can help workers gain skills and knowledge that can't be found in a training video. It can also make workers likelier to stick around longer, help them feel more connected, and boost the sharing of institutional knowledge. Fostering these kinds of relationships is important, hence why the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mentorcliq.com/blog/mentoring-impact-report">vast majority of Fortune 500 companies say</a> they have mentoring programs, many of which are facilitated by apps and software. How many people are actually using those programs, however, is unclear. Christy Pettit, the CEO of Pollinate Networks, which creates mentoring software, told me she recently spoke with a large multinational that told her despite having 2,000 licenses for the mentoring program, which was mainly an app, fewer than 200 people were using it and participation was declining every quarter."Most companies say they have a mentoring program, but few have one that works," she said. "It feels a little bit like when you buy a gym membership, and it makes you feel like you're doing something, but you may or may not be going to the gym."In some cases, tech-based training materials are disconnected from the realities of the work. All the training videos are done in an "official" corporate speak it turns out nobody actually uses, Matos, from HiBob, said. Or managers aren't well versed in what their charges are being taught and end up wanting the task done differently.Even when companies invest in training, it can often be directed toward the wrong people. Herd said that businesses often make the mistake of spending a ton of money on fancy retreats and training courses for their most senior leaders without making much, if any, investment in the bottom rungs."You could spend a fraction of that and give good training to all of your employees, and you're probably going to get more ROI if that's what you're focused on," she said.Stephanie Wolf, a vice president at RebuttalPR, a legal-communications firm, said the company learned the hard way about the costs of not investing enough time and energy in training people. As the firm grew, managers wouldn't realize people didn't know how to do timely tasks until they became urgent, or they'd discover employees were doing things in a way that wasn't consistent with the documentation and processes in place. That meant they had to rely more on senior staff to do the work and that projects took longer because training was happening alongside execution. "We've seen how our whole team can suffer when we don't train folks thoroughly enough," she said. To ensure accountability, she's now the point person on training, because the company found that when training was everyone's job, it was no one's. The firm has taken steps to get all the necessary information in one place and to slow the onboarding process down — instead of expecting people to take a week to get up to speed, it now gives them about a month.Wolf acknowledged it's "super easy for training to fall by the wayside when your client work gets busy," which means not allowing that to happen is a conscious effort. "Investing time now is going to save us all time in the long run," she said.It's easy to blame hybrid and remote work for some of these issues, to argue that if people were just gathered in an office together, that would fix things. But many HR professionals and career coaches say that's not necessarily the case. Yes, human interaction is helpful, but it doesn't solve problems like misaligned incentives, increasingly stretched managers, and a lack of a real, holistic plan for getting people up to speed. A remote-work training plan probably has to look different from an in-person one, but it's not impossible to craft. "In a remote environment, you, as the leader, need to model and also hold the individual accountable for taking initiative, saying, 'Hey, if you need something, I need you to tell me because I can't see you,'" Phoebe Gavin, a career and leadership coach, said.Gavin emphasized that it's not just on companies and managers to make sure employees are learning and getting onboarded but also on individual workers. Essentially, if you see something — or don't know something — say something. Ask questions, or take the initiative to figure things out on your own. I told her about an experience I'd had at a job where on my first day, one of four "important" passwords I'd received was for software the company didn't use anymore. I expressed disappointment that the HR department hadn't caught the error, which it took me a long time to figure out even was an error. She pointed out that I should have then gone to HR to alert them to the error so the next new person didn't have the same experience. I did not."That's a tiny place where you could have a positive impact," Gavin said. It wasn't necessarily my fault, she said: "Just that was an opportunity that you didn't take, and those sorts of things happen all the time."But not everyone gets the chance to sound the alarm on their employer's faulty training system before it's too late. That's what happened to Michelle, which is a pseudonym I'm using to protect her privacy. Before starting a job at a science-focused communications firm earlier this year, she was assured that she would get all the training she needed to overcome the fact that she didn't come from a scientific background. When she started, she was surprised by the deluge of training modules and videos that were added to her plate on top of the tasks of the job itself. There were supposed to be meetings with other, more seasoned coworkers after those video training sessions, but eventually, almost everyone stopped showing up. She was fired in a matter of weeks after being told she wasn't picking things up fast enough. She said she received little feedback and hadn't been given warning that things were going wrong."I felt blindsided by the termination just because I didn't think I was given enough time to do all of this," she said. "I was led to believe they would kind of hold my hand a little bit at the beginning, and a month in, to me, is very much still the beginning."You know how there are certain tasks in life that feel designed to be so complex that you'll give up? Like filing an insurance claim or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cancel-subscriptions-congress-ftc-dark-practices-autorenewal-2023-2">quitting the gym</a>. Work should not be like that, but for many people, it is.Employees have complained about just being thrown into the fire forever. Many employers subscribe to the idea that you just toss people into the water and see who can swim. Trial by error is part of learning at work — one of the best ways to learn how to do something is to just try doing it. But it shouldn't be the entire approach. You know how you learn at school? The teacher explains something, you do your homework, it gets graded, you take a test, and you move on once you more or less figure it out. Imagine if teachers just piled 15 algebra tests on high-school students and everyone hoped for the best.There are aspects of the current workplace environment that make training more complicated to tackle. Remote work is different — you can't just lean over and ask the person next to you how this one software works again when you're typing on your laptop alone from your couch. Workers and employers don't feel as tied to one another, so there may be a decline in investment from both sides in the idea of getting supergood at the task at hand. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/remote-workers-middle-managers-most-affected-by-layoffs-experts-2024-2">middle-management class</a> is increasingly stretched thin and hollowed out.Above all, it's really easy to load up on a bunch of tech-based solutions without identifying whether they actually solve anything. Relying on tech is appealing financially because buying a software license is a heck of a lot cheaper than paying a real live person. Many of the HR experts I talked to for this story suggested the training gap was a problem artificial intelligence might fix, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/generative-ai-exaggeration-openai-nvidia-microsoft-chatgpt-jobs-investors-markets-2024-3">common refrain for intractable problems</a>, no matter the industry. Maybe that's true — if your manager won't have a one-on-one with you, having a chatbot to ask questions to isn't the worst thing in the world (assuming said chatbot knows stuff and doesn't make things up). But AI isn't going to be a panacea here. When you need to speak to a real person, no Coursera video or HR app or robot can do the trick. People make human mistakes, and sometimes humans need to address them.Wolf's firm is fully remote, but managers have noticed that Gen Z hires, in particular, tend to inquire about an in-person component for training. So they've adjusted. For a couple of incoming hires, they've rented a coworking space and enlisted some other employees to work alongside them for a couple of days to help them learn the ropes.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/emily-stewart">Emily Stewart</a> is a senior correspondent at Business Insider, writing about business and the economy.

On-the-job training is broken. Companies are paying a steep price.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Apple Music has released a $450 coffee table book of its top 100 albums list.</li><li>The book, limited to 1,500 copies, includes album analyses and facts.</li></ul>Apple has turned its top 100 albums list into a coffee table book, and it's selling a limited batch for $450 each.When <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-music-released-its-top-100-albums-list-sparking-debate-2024-5">Apple Music</a> released its ranking of the best albums of all time in May, it sparked debate among music fans. On Monday, it announced that the highly-discussed list is becoming a collector's item."Apple Music: 100 Best Albums" is available for preorder, and the book's description said it's a limited release of only 1,500 copies. Each entry of the 208-page book comes with an analysis of each album's significance and some facts.Apple Music's global creative director and cohead of artist relations, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/beats-1-host-zane-lowe-has-2-motivational-quotes-in-his-office-2015-8">Zane Lowe</a>, wrote the foreword."If our list sparks more debate among fans outside of Apple Music and gets people talking passionately about the music they love, then we've done what we set out to do," Lowe previously said.<div type="image" title="Book open to a photo of the &quot;Miseducation of Lauryn Hill&quot; album" height="1297" width="1946" msid="115227638" hostid="261" sizebytes="167448"></div>Apple partnered with Assouline, a New York-based publishing company. Some of Assouline's bestsellers include coffee table books on former tennis star Roger Federer, Barbie, and fashion brand Chanel (its "Chanel: The Impossible Collection" is for sale for over $1,000)."Apple Music: 100 Best Albums" isn't the tech giant's first foray into publishing books. Apple came out with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-book-designed-by-apple-in-california-review-highlights-availability-price-2016-11">"Designed by Apple in California</a>" in 2016, which showed designs by former Apple design exec Jony Ive.The 300-page book retailed for $199 for the small size and $299 for the large until it was discontinued in 2019 and was criticized for its price at the time. Business Insider's own 2016 review decided against spending $300 on it.Years after it was pulled from shelves, the design book is going for over 10 times its original price, in some instances, on eBay. One seller had a brand new large book listed for $2,400 as of Tuesday morning.Neither Apple nor Assouline immediately responded to a request for comment from BI. According to the site, the estimated shipping date for the new Apple Music book is January.It's unclear if the profits from this drop will count toward revenue for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-earnings-service-growth-iphone-drop-antitrust-google-app-store-2024-5">Apple's Services</a> department. This department includes subscription-based services like Apple Music, and its sales have boomed in recent quarters.

Apple's latest coffee table book is aimed at music lovers and costs $450

<ul><li>The worldwide <keyword id="21407807" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tablet-market" source="keywords">tablet market</keyword> has reported growth for the third consecutive quarter in Q3 2024.</li><li>39.6 million tablets were shipped worldwide during Q3 2024.</li><li>Apple and Samsung continued to dominate the market, with a combined market share of nearly 50%.</li></ul> Worldwide <keyword id="1462107" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tablet-shipments" source="Orion">tablet shipments</keyword> continued to record good growth for the third consecutive quarter after over two years of decline. Tablet shipments recorded a year-on-year growth of 20.4% in Q3 2024, after reporting a 22.1% year-on-year growth in Q2 2024. According to a report by IDC, 39.6 million tablets were shipped worldwide in Q3 2024, up from 32.9 million devices shipped in Q3 2023. While the tablet market is not expected to reach the levels recorded during the pandemic with an increase in online education and work-from-home, the increase in shipments is part of a refresh cycle. "There are several appealing opportunities for vendors to increase their presence in the tablet market - collaboration with educational institutions, entertainment and gaming, cross-device connectivity, integrations in healthcare and many more,” said Anuroopa Nataraj, senior research analyst, IDC Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers. <h2>Amazon records the highest growth</h2><table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Company </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q3 2024 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q3 2023 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Change </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Apple </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">12.6 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">12.4 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1.61% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Samsung </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7.1 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">6 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">18.33% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Amazon </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">4.6 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2.2 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">109.10% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Huawei </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">3.3 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2.3 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">43.48% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Lenovo </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">3 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2.6 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">15.38% </td></tr></tbody></table> Units in millions, Source: IDC Apple, which currently leads the market reported a 1.61% growth in shipments from 12.4 million units in Q3 2023 to 12.6 million in Q3 2024. As per the report, the new iPad Pro performed below expectations due to its pricing. Samsung has emerged second with 7.1 million units shipped in Q3 2024, up from 6 million units shipped in Q3 2023, recording a growth of 18.33%. Amazon is back in the top five, occupying the third position with 4.6 million devices shipped in Q3 2024, up from 2.2 million devices shipped in Q3 2023, recording a 109.1% growth, making it the company to record the highest growth. Huawei shipped 3.3 million units in Q3 2024, up from 2.3 million units in Q3 2023, recording a 43.48% growth in shipments. Lenovo reported a decent increase in shipments at 15.38%, shipping 3 million units in Q3 2024, up from 2.6 million during the same period last year. <h2>Apple and Samsung occupy nearly 50% market share</h2><table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Company </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q3 2024 market share </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Apple </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">31.70% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Samsung </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">17.90% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Amazon </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">11.60% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Huawei </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8.20% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Lenovo </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7.60% </td></tr></tbody></table> Source: IDC The tablet market is currently dominated by Apple and Samsung. The two companies hold a combined market share of nearly 50%. “Recent innovations in AI have begun to attract consumers willing to pay a premium price. As AI features and applications grow, more consumers will prioritise these advanced capabilities in their next purchase,” Nataraj added. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-13-announced-with-snapdragon-8-elite-6000mah-battery-and-more/articleshow/114842638.cms">OnePlus 13 announced with Snapdragon 8 Elite, 6,000mAh battery and more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/indian-smartphone-shipments-up-3-in-q3-vivo-leads-the-market/articleshow/114840345.cms">Indian smartphone shipments up 3% in Q3, Vivo leads the market</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/upcoming-smartphones-launching-in-india-in-november-2024/slidelist/114836760.cms">Upcoming smartphones launching in India in November 2024</a>

Worldwide tablet shipments grow by 20.4% in Q3 2024, Apple leads with over 31% market share

<ul><li>The <keyword id="23759938" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-smartphone-shipments" source="keywords">Indian smartphone shipments</keyword> recorded a 3% growth in Q3 2024 ahead of the festive season.</li><li>Vivo has emerged as the top smartphone maker in terms of market share, while Samsung leads in value.</li><li>The share of 5G smartphones in overall shipments has crossed 80%.</li></ul> Indian smartphone shipments have received a boost in Q3, recording a 3% year-on-year growth, which will come as a relief to smartphone makers after a<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/indian-smartphone-shipments-decline-by-2-in-q2-2024-xiaomi-retakes-the-throne/articleshow/112162312.cms"> subdued Q2</a> which saw a year-on-year decline of 2%. According to a report by Counterpoint Research, while the shipments have only increased by 3%, the value has recorded a 12% year-on-year growth to reach an all-time record for a single quarter. “The market is increasingly shifting toward value growth, fueled by a premiumisation trend, which, in turn, is supported by aggressive EMI offers and trade-ins,” said Prachir Singh, senior research analyst, Counterpoint Research. The increase in the value of smartphones is being driven by a trend of premiumisation, with Indian consumers moving towards premium smartphones, something which has been happening for the last few quarters. <h2>Indian <keyword id="23759941" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="smartphone-market-share" source="keywords">smartphone market share</keyword> Q3</h2><table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Company </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q3 2024 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q3 2023 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Vivo </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">19.4% </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">15.9% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Xiaomi </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">16.7% </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">16.6% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Samsung </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">15.8% </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">17.2% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Oppo </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">13.4% </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">9.8% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Realme </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">11.3% </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">14.4% </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody></table> Source: Counterpoint Research After emerging as a close second during Q2 2024, Vivo has now emerged as the top smartphone maker in Q3 2024, recording a 19.4 market share, up from 15.9% in Q3 2023. Xiaomi’s market share has remained flat and it continues to occupy the second position with a 16.7% market share in Q3 2024, up from 16.6% in Q3 2023. Samsung has recorded a decline in its market share, reporting a 15.8% market share in Q3 2024, down from 17.2% recorded in Q3 2023. Oppo holds the fourth spot, with a significant increase in market share, from 9.8% in Q3 2023 to 13.4% in Q3 2024. Realme has recorded a decline, with its market share decreasing from 14.4% in Q3 2023 to 11.3% in Q3 2024. <h2>Smartphone market value share</h2><table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Company </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q3 2024 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q3 2023 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Samsung </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">22.8% </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">22.6% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Apple </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">21.6% </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">21.8% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Vivo </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">15.5% </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">13.4% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Oppo </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">10.8% </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8.6% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Xiaomi </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8.7% </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8.2% </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody></table> Source: Counterpoint Research Samsung has emerged as the leader when it comes to market value, recording a 22.8% share, up from a 22.6% share in Q3 2023. “Samsung currently leads the market in terms of value with a 23% share. The brand has been prioritizing its flagship Galaxy S series and enhancing its value-driven portfolio. Samsung is also integrating Galaxy AI features into its mid-range and affordable premium models in the A series, encouraging consumers to upgrade to higher price segments,” Singh said. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114428011" title="UPI refund to digital arrest scam, here are some online scams you need to be aware of" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Apple has emerged second, with a 21.6% share in market value, down from 21.8% in Q3 2023. “The brand has aggressively expanded into smaller cities, driving significant value growth with an increased focus on newer iPhones. Strong shipments of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 ahead of the festive season have further enhanced Apple's performance, Singh added. <h2>5G smartphones record new high</h2>5G smartphones have achieved a new record in share at 81% of overall shipments in Q3 2024. This has been driven by the reduction in the average selling prices (ASPs) of 5G smartphones. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oxygenos-15-announced-key-features-eligible-devices-and-all-you-need-to-know/articleshow/114575643.cms">OxygenOS 15 announced – key features, eligible devices and all you need to know</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apple-is-hiring-400-employees-in-india-roles-how-to-apply-and-all-you-need-to-know/articleshow/114570315.cms">Apple is hiring 400 employees in India – roles, how to apply and all you need to know</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/snapdragon-8-elite-announced-to-power-iqoo-13-oneplus-13-xiaomi-15-series-and-more/articleshow/114463844.cms">Snapdragon 8 Elite announced, to power iQOO 13, OnePlus 13, Xiaomi 15 series and more</a>

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