[Update: Complaint dismissed] Facebook is reportedly being investigated by India over WhatsApp Pay

Update 1 (08/20/2020 @ 04:44 AM ET): The Competition Commission of India has dismissed the antitrust complaint against WhatsApp Pay. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on May 18, 2020, is preserved below.

Facebook-owned WhatsApp has been trying to enter the payments space in India for quite a while now. We first found signs of a new payments feature in the app all the way back in 2017 and the feature briefly rolled out to a small number of users back in 2018. However, due to data localization issues with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), a wider rollout was pushed back indefinitely. The company has since been in constant talks with the government, with Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg even assuring that the payments service will be launched in India soon. Despite Zuckerberg’s assurances, late last year the Reserve Bank of India directed the Supreme Court that WhatsApp Pay was still not compliant with India’s data localization norms and asked the NPCI to stop its rollout.

Earlier this year, WhatsApp finally managed to cross all the hurdles and received regulatory approval to launch its payments platform in the country. In preparation for the home stretch, the company planned to launch a pilot run to extend the payments feature to 10 million users, with a nation-wide rollout scheduled for later this year. But as a recent report from Reuters points out, WhatsApp now has another major hurdle to overcome before it can reach the finish line.

According to three people familiar with the matter, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) is currently reviewing a complaint filed in mid-March which alleges that WhatsApp is abusing its market position in the country by offering the digital payments facility within its messaging app that has a user base of around 400 million users in the country. This is expected to give WhatsApp a significant edge over the competition, like Google Pay and PayTM, which the complainant deems unfair. The CCI can now order its investigations arm to conduct a wider probe into the allegations or throw out the case if it finds no merit in it.

One of the three sources further revealed that, “The case is in initial stages…senior members of CCI are reviewing it but a final decision hasn’t been reached.” The second source added that due to the fact that WhatsApp’s messenger service and its payments feature are bundled together, it could harm competition and violate the country’s antitrust laws. It’s also worth noting that while the antitrust case has been filed against both Facebook and WhatsApp, the complainant has urged the CCI to investigate only WhatsApp. We currently have no official information from WhatsApp, Facebook, or the CCI regarding the matter.

Source: Reuters

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Update: Antitrust complaint against Facebook’s WhatsApp Pay dismissed by CCI

The Competition Commission of India has dismissed the antitrust complaint against Facebook’s WhatsApp and WhatsApp Pay, concluding that the company has not abused its dominant position to expand in India’s digital payments market.

The case had alleged that WhatsApp was bundling its digital payment facility, WhatsApp Pay, within its messaging app, for which it already has a very large user base, hence amounting to abuse of dominant position. The CCI in-turn noted that the company’s actual conduct has yet to manifest in the market as it has not yet launched the service fully. The number of users being served under the beta version of WhatsApp Pay is less than 1% of WhatsApp’s user base in India.

Source: Reuters

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A Facebook account will be required to use Oculus VR in the future

Popular VR platform Oculus has announced that the company’s VR headsets will soon require users to log in with a Facebook account, much to the dismay of Oculus users worldwide. In a blog post on the matter, the Facebook-owned company said that the change will go into effect starting October 2020 and new users will need a Facebook account to use their VR devices while existing users will have to merge their existing Oculus account with their Facebook account.

For the time being, the company is giving existing Oculus users a chance to keep their Facebook and Oculus accounts separate. However, it plans to end support for Oculus accounts by January 1, 2023, after which all Oculus VR headsets will require a Facebook account. The company also announced that all new VR devices launched in the future will require a Facebook account by default.

Today, we’re announcing some important updates to how people log into Oculus devices, while still keeping their VR profile. Starting in October 2020, everyone using an Oculus device for the first time will need to log in with a Facebook account. // https://t.co/SMeDOXgehN

— Oculus (@oculus) August 18, 2020

Oculus claims that the Facebook account integration has been put in place to provide tighter integration with the social media platform and make it easier for users to find, connect, and play with friends in VR. The integration will also unlock a host of social VR features like VR chat, user/developer created events, livestreaming, VR groups, and VR parties. It will also allow the company to unlock more social VR experiences like Facebook Horizon, which will allow users to explore, play, and create worlds in VR.

what happened to this then pic.twitter.com/ao6BnJkt56

— jasper (@zReaper42) August 19, 2020

While the Facebook account integration does unlock new possibilities for the VR platform, several Oculus users have voiced their concerns regarding intrusive data collection, targeted advertising, and data privacy. To address these concerns, the company has revealed that users will have the option to keep their VR activities separate from their Facebook activities. The company has also revealed that it will only utilize users’ data to provide an improved experience across Facebook products, promote safety and integrity on all services, and display personalized content, including ads, across Facebook products. Check out the full FAQ regarding the recent changes in the source page linked below.

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Source: Oculus blog

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Fitbit Sense, Versa 3, and Inspire 2 leaked renders reveal Fitbit’s next set of wearables

It’s been a while since Google announced its intentions to acquire Fitbit for $2.1 billion, and that is mainly due to regulatory, antitrust investigations by the USA and the EU. In the meantime, the smartwatch company has been preparing to add software features such as Google Assistant integration into its fitness bands. But that apparently is not all, as newly leaked renders indicate that Fitbit is working towards launching the new Fitbit Versa 3, Fitbit Sense, and Fitbit Inspire 2.

Winfuture.de shared renders and preliminary info on the upcoming new devices, and Evan ‘evleaks’ Blass followed up with high quality renders of the Fitbit Versa 3.

Fitbit Sense

The Fitbit Sense is speculated to be the first smartwatch-fitness tracker product from the company to launch with the ECG function, as the symbol on the back of the watch indicates; though this could also be for continuous heart rate monitoring. You are also likely to get other features such as temperature, GPS support, and water resistance. The build is expected to be of metal, so you can expect to see higher pricing on it.

Fitbit Versa 3

The Fitbit Versa 3, on the other hand, is expected to be cheaper and will come with support for voice input (and perhaps Google Assistant), GPS, and water resistance. The build is expected to be of polycarbonate, positioning it as a slightly cheaper alternative to the Sense.

Fitbit Inspire 2

The Fitbit Inspire 2 will be a fitness tracker foremost, and likely the cheapest device out of these three.

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There isn’t any more information available on these devices yet. Google Assistant integration is also not confirmed, so there remains a tiny possibility that we might see Amazon Alexan integration continue for another generation, depending on the OEM’s contract. It will also be interesting to see how Fitbit positions these products in the market, in light of the increasing competition from other smartwatch makers such as Xiaomi and Garmin, and Apple and Samsung of course.

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Early hands-on videos leak of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2

At its Galaxy Unpacked event earlier this month, Samsung officially showed off the Galaxy Z Fold 2, the second-gen model of its horizontally folding smartphone. Although we won’t get all the details about the device until Samsung’s dedicated event for the device on September 1, we’re already getting some real-world peeks at the foldable out in the wild.

A few videos have appeared online ahead of the device’s launch. One video on TikTok by user @digitalsight (h/t @yabishekhd) provides a brief look at the device in its Mystic Black color. We can see how thick the device is when it’s folded. We can also see how the dialer looks on the cover display and the main display when it’s unfolded. The video also shows the boot animation, the lockscreen, the camera app with a split view, and the refresh rate settings page that allows users to choose between 60Hz or 120Hz.

@digitalsight

♬ Laxed (Siren Beat) – Jawsh 685

Another video on YouTube by YouTuber Jimmy Is Promo highlights the device’s beautiful design, from its improved hinge to the triple camera setup. While neither video provides new information about the device, including a release date or price, they’ll help tide people over until that information is made available.

Compared to the first model, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is a massive upgrade. It features a 6.23-inch AMOLED cover display, a 7.6-inch AMOLED folding screen, 12GB of RAM, a total battery capacity of 4,500mAh, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus processor. It also comes equipped with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and 256GB of storage.

When the Galaxy Z Fold 2 becomes available, it will launch with One UI 2.5 based on Android 10, which will allow users to navigate using Android 10’s gestures with third-party launchers.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 Forums

Specification	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2
Dimensions & Weight	Folded: 159.2 x 68 x 16.8 mm Unfolded: 159.2 x 128.2 x 6.9 mm 279g
Display	Outer Display: 6.23″ HD+ Super AMOLED 2,260 x 816 pixels 25:9 aspect ratio Infinity-O 60Hz refresh rate HDR10+ support Inner Display: 7.6″ FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X 2,208 x 1,768 pixels 5:4 aspect ratio Infinity-O 120Hz refresh rate Dynamic refresh rate HDR10+ support
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus
RAM & Storage	12GB LPDDR5 + 256GB
Battery & Charging	4,500 mAh 25W wired fast charging 11W wireless charging Reverse wireless charging
Fingerprint sensor	Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
Rear Camera	Primary: 12MP, f/1.8, OIS Secondary: 12MP, f/2.2, ultra-wide-angle Tertiary: 12MP, f/2.4, telephoto
Front Camera	Folded: 10MP, f/2.2, fixed focus Unfolded: 10MP, f/2.2, fixed focus
Other Features	Folding design 5G: SA, NSA, mmWave
Android Version	Android 10 with One UI

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Huawei and Honor say Android updates for existing devices won’t be impacted by the loss of their trade license

Huawei and Honor this week said its existing devices will continue to receive software and security updates, despite being placed on the U.S. Commerce Department’s “Entity List.”

The official Huawei Mobile Twitter account and an Honor spokesperson published tweets meant to allay fears from consumers about the U.S. tightening trade restrictions. Honor is a subbrand of the Huawei Consumer Business Group and is also impacted by the placement of its parent company on the Entity List.

Hi there, thank you for your message. There is no impact on existing devices. We will continue to share security and software updates to our devices, as we always have. If you have any questions, please let us know via DM.

— Huawei Mobile (@HuaweiMobile) August 17, 2020

For consumers, the normal use, system updates and after-sales services of both Honor's sold and on-sale products will not be affected.

— Bhavya (Haya) (@bhavis) August 19, 2020

Back in 2019, Huawei was embattled by sanctions when the Trump administration placed the company and all its subsidiaries on the U.S. Commerce Department’s “Entity List,” which prevents American companies from collaborating with them on key software and hardware components. It’s what has prevented Google from licensing Google Mobile Services (GMS) for new Huawei device models made available after May 16, 2019. In order to reduce the burden on rural network providers in the U.S. as they transition away from Huawei-made network gear, the U.S. granted Huawei a temporary general license (TGL) last summer, which was subsequently renewed several times over the last year. Since the license expired last week, however, the U.S. has not and will not extend it. Google earlier said that the TGL is what had allowed the company to collaborate with Huawei on delivering security updates and updates to Google’s apps and services on devices made available before May 16, 2019.

It’s a complicated situation with a lot of questions left up in the air. It’s unlikely that existing devices will have Google apps and services removed from them in future software updates. Devices that already have GMS can likely continue to receive updates to Google apps from the Play Store since that doesn’t require any active collaboration between Google and Huawei. As we explained last week, however, Huawei won’t receive support from Google if any changes they make to their future software builds break compatibility with Google apps. And, of course, the update situation for Huawei’s newer devices that already lack GMS, such as the Huawei Mate 30 and P40 series, hasn’t changed with the loss of the TGL, so those devices will continue to receive updates whenever they’re ready.

We reached out to Huawei, though, to clarify if the company can continue to implement GMS into software updates for its existing devices indefinitely without collaboration from Google, and also to find out if existing devices will continue to pass SafetyNet Attestation following an update.

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Samsung’s One UI 2.5 update lets you use navigation gestures with third-party launchers

Samsung owners patiently waiting to use Android 10’s full-screen navigation gestures in third-party launchers will be happy to know that the One UI 2.5 release adds compatibility for this feature. It’s been a long wait for Samsung device owners who are also fans of launchers like Nova Launcher, Action Launcher, Lawnchair, and others, but it’s better late than never. As of now, the Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, and Galaxy Z Flip 5G are the first devices to run One UI 2.5, which is based on Android 10.

Samsung isn’t the only company to delay adding Android 10 gesture nav support with third-party launchers. In fact, when Android 10 first became available for Google Pixel phones, you couldn’t set a third-party launcher as default when gesture navigation was enabled. It wasn’t until December 2019 when an update rolled out that support was added.

If you want to test out the new changes, you can download a third-party launcher like Nova Launcher or Action Launcher and then set it as the default when you’re using gesture navigation. Be wary, however, as early reports suggest the new implementation is choppy, particularly with animations, but nothing a few updates can’t fix.

It’s unclear when One UI 2.5 will be available on Samsung devices outside of the Galaxy Note 20 series, but let’s hope it’s soon with Android 11 just around the corner.

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Via: Android Police

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Zoom is coming to Google Nest, Facebook Portal, and Amazon Echo Show smart displays

Zoom on Wednesday announced it will make its video conferencing software available to use on the Google Nest Hub Max, Facebook Portal, and Amazon Echo Show smart displays later this year.

The announcement comes as a surprise considering these companies all have competing video conferencing solutions. Google has Meet, Facebook has Rooms, and Amazon has Chime. This is ultimately good news for the consumer because it means people working from home have more devices to choose from for joining meetings.

Smart displays have become a common gadget in households across the world, and thanks to their large displays, built-in touchscreens, and high-quality directional microphones, they’re the perfect devices for video conferencing. The experience will vary depending on which smart display you own, though. Facebook Portal devices will get a Zoom app, which users can launch like they would an app on a phone, tablet, or computer. Zoom for Facebook Portal will take advantage of the display’s “smart camera” technology to automatically keep users in the frame. Google Nest Hub Max and Amazon Echo Show 8 can launch Zoom meetings that are scheduled in a calendar. It’s not quite as seamless as on the Facebook Portal, but regardless, it’s nice that Zoom is even available on these devices at all, because the service is one of the market’s most popular video conferencing options.

Facebook Portal owners can start using Zoom starting this September, while Google Nest Hub Max and Amazon Echo Show 8 owners will get support later this year. Other smart displays with Google Assistant support will also be able to participate in Zoom calls.

If you want to video chat on an even bigger screen, Google this week announced Meet on Chromecast, which will allow Meet users to cast their meetings to any Chromecast device.

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Via: USA Today

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