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OPPO still tops market share in China, rivals quickly catching up

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There’s a fierce competition going on right now in China for smartphone market share dominance. OPPO is currently leading the pack, but Chinese rivals are breathing down their necks.

Counterpoint’s latest monitoring report reveals an 18.9 percent shipment market share for OPPO in the third quarter of 2017. That’s a significant increase from the 16.5 percent during the same period last year, but other brands are doing just as well.

Huawei and Vivo are in a virtual tie for second, and any slight shift could mean either of them could overtaking OPPO for the top spot. The two Chinese tech giants have covered lots of ground since their showing last year; Huawei, in particular, gained a 3.7 percent year-on-year growth.

Xiaomi also had a strong third year thus far, posting a 13.8 percent shipment share, which is way above last year’s 10.3 percent and enough to keep Apple away from the top four.

Counterpoint claims that the R11 was the best-selling phone of the quarter, helping OPPO propel itself past the competition. Although Huawei doesn’t have a clear money maker, their balanced offering across all price points has been beneficial for them.

Xiaomi’s strong performance, on the other hand, was boosted by high demand for both their lower-end Redmi 4 series and higher-end Mi 6 flagship. Their renewed presence in offline channels also created a solid impact.

The graph for shipment growth above proves how important the US$ 300 to US$ 399 segment is becoming. This is where OPPO, Vivo, and Huawei flourish the most, and is also the reason why Apple is having a difficult time raising its market share in China.

This could all change once the more premium handsets, such as the Huawei Mate 10 Pro and Apple iPhone X, begin rolling out across Asia. Consumer spending would also rise in the final quarter of 2017 once the holidays trickle in.

SEE ALSO: Samsung, Xiaomi remain on top of smartphone race in India

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Accessories

Logitech introduces a dedicated shortcut for ChatGPT

Compatible with most keyboards and mice

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Artificial intelligence is already meant to simplify a workflow. However, despite the ease, there are still a few ways to optimize the process. Today, Logitech has launched a new shortcut to launch ChatGPT straight from your mouse or keyboard.

Minus programmable hotkeys or buttons, there are hardly any built-in way to easily access an AI model. For a typical workflow, it still consists of manually opening the model on a separate window and keeping it within cursor’s reach throughout the day.

Logitech is simplifying the process by adding a dedicated shortcut for its devices. With a Logitech keyboard or mouse supported by the Logi Options+ app, users can program a keyboard or mouse button for the new Logi AI Prompt Builder.

Once activated, the AI Prompt Builder automatically accesses easy options for highlighted text. For example, users can easily rephrase or summarize the text. Likewise, they can input their own custom queries. By eliminating a few clicks and some typing throughout the day, the new tool hopes to save you time.

While most Logitech keyboards and mice are compatible with the new tool, it is also more easily accessible with the new Logitech Signature AI Edition Mouse. The new mouse has a dedicated button just for AI prompts. If you’re an AI power user, this one is perfect for you.

SEE ALSO: Logitech unveils G Pro X 60 gaming keyboard: Price, details

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X’s AI accused Klay Thompson of vandalizing houses with bricks

AI thought joke posts were real

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Image source: Keith Allison, Wikimedia

Despite the ease that the technology promises, artificial intelligence still isn’t the most reliable thing you can depend on. Today’s models can still flub answers. Now, the pitfalls of AI are abundantly clear with a few mishaps on X. Golden State Warrior Klay Thompson was just “accused” of a vandalism spree involving bricks.

Late Tuesday night, X presented an AI-generated news snippet. The article, posted soon after the Warriors’ play-in loss to the Sacramento Kings, reads: “Klay Thompson Accused in Bizarre Brick-Vandalism Spree.”

The snippet hilariously described an incident where Thompson supposedly vandalized houses in Sacramento with bricks. Thankfully, according to the snippet, no one was hurt. It even had a few sources for its claims below the news summary.

The sources, however, are just joke posts stemming from the recently concluded game. In that do-or-die game, Thompson put up a staggering 0 points on ten shot attempts, the most misses without a make by a Warrior since the ’68 season. Naturally, everyone joked that the Warriors guard just threw bricks all over Sacramento.

Now, X is currently experimenting with a new AI feature called Grok. The model collates trending topics and creates snippets of what’s happening for X users. However, it’s not exactly the smartest in determining real news from satiric ones. The feature notes as much, carrying a fine-print caveat warning users to “verify its outputs” because it’s an early feature and can make mistakes.

SEE ALSO: New X users must pay a dollar per year to post and reply

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New X users must pay a dollar per year to post and reply

Rolling out globally now

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New users on X might soon face a tough time on the platform. The social media website will likely start charging new accounts a small fee for the right to post on the platform.

Now, the fee isn’t a new one. Almost six months ago, the company tested the paid system in New Zealand and the Philippines. New users in those countries had to pay a dollar per year for the ability to post and reply to content.

As spotted by X Daily News on the same platform, the company might be ready to take the experiment to a larger market. New text strings have shown that the policy is rolling out worldwide.

The policy is designed to combat a wave of bots appearing on the platform. By preventing new accounts from creating posts, X hopes to stave off the standard behavior of bots these days. You might have noticed them as OnlyFans creators in unrelated posts, peddling NSFW content on their bio.

Though the global rollout was only just spotted, owner Elon Musk has seemingly confirmed the change. Replying to X Daily News, Musk says that it is “the only way to curb the relentless onslaught of bots.” He says that the current breed of bots can easily bypass simple checks these days.

SEE ALSO: X will no longer let you hide your blue checkmark

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