Xiaomi launches its first locally made smartwatch Redmi Watch Move in India
Redmi Watch Move has a 1.85 inch 2.5D curved AMOLED display with 600 nits brightness and always-on-display (AoD). It has a spinning crown which enables quick navigation within the watch.
The Watch Move is IP68 rated for dust and water resistance.
Redmi Watch Move features more than 140 workout modes, tracks running and monitor calories. It can also track heart rate, SpO₂, stress, and sleep cycles, menstrual cycle tracking.
(For top technology news of the day, subscribe to our tech newsletter Today's Cache)
Xiaomi claims up to 14 days of battery life without AoD on Redmi Watch Move. With AoD, the can last up to 5 days.
Xiaomi has used the HyperOS in Redmi Watch Move which helps users syncs notes, tasks, calendar events and real-time weather updates.
Redmi Watch Move supports Bluetooth calling and also comes with Hindi language support.
The Redmi Watch Move is priced at ₹1,999 and will be available in Black Drift, Blue Blaze, Silver Sprint, and Gold Rush colours. It goes on sale starting May 1 across Mi, Flipkart, and Xiaomi's Retail. Pre-booking starts on April 24.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
6 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Smartphone market hits record price of $275 in Q2 2025; premium phones in high demand
India's smartphone market reached a significant milestone in Q2 2025, with the average selling price (ASP) rising to an all-time high of $275, marking a 10.8% year-over-year increase, according to IDC. This means more Indian consumers are now purchasing smartphones that are priced around or above $275, reflecting a growing trend toward better and more feature-rich devices. The lower end of the market, the entry-level segment which includes phones priced under $100, saw strong growth of 22.9% and now holds 16% of the total market. These are usually basic smartphones suitable for first-time users or people on a tight budget. Xiaomi led this segment with its popular Redmi A4 and A5 models. The budget segment, which includes devices priced between $100 and $200, grew modestly by 1.1%, though its overall share declined from 44% to 42%. Brands like Vivo, Oppo, and Realme continue to dominate this category, offering affordable phones with good performance. The entry-premium segment, covering smartphones priced between $200 and $400, saw a slight dip with a 2.5% drop in shipments and its market share falling to 27%. These phones generally offer a balance of performance and affordability. Motorola stood out in this range with strong growth, moving up to the fourth spot. Meanwhile, demand for higher-end devices surged. The mid-premium category, which includes phones priced between $400 and $600, grew by 39.5%, while the premium segment, covering $600 to $800 devices, witnessed a remarkable 96.4% jump in shipments. Apple dominated this space, with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 series making up more than 60% of the shipments in this price range. The super-premium segment, which includes phones priced above $800, grew by 15.8%, though its market share remained steady at 7%. For the first time, Samsung overtook Apple in this category, capturing 49% of the segment, just ahead of Apple's 48%, driven by the popularity of its Galaxy S25, S24 Ultra, and the iPhone 16 series. Overall, the Indian smartphone market is clearly shifting toward premiumization. Consumers are no longer just looking for low-cost devices; they are willing to spend more for better features, design, performance, and long-term value, especially with easier financing options now available. Top smartphone brands in Q2 2025 In terms of brand performance, Vivo led the market in Q2 2025 with a 19% share, up from 16.5% last year. Samsung followed with 14.5%, showing steady growth, while OPPO came in third with a 13.4% share. realme dropped to fourth place at 9.7%, down from 12.6%, and Xiaomi slipped to fifth, falling from 13.5% to 9.6%. Motorola and iQOO showed impressive growth, while brands like OnePlus and Poco faced sharp declines in sales. The competition is heating up across all price ranges, but the clear shift is toward smartphones that offer more than just affordability.
The Hindu
21 hours ago
- The Hindu
India's smartphone and chip ambitions on track amid tariffs uncertainties
The announcement of a 50% tariff on exports to the U.S. from India has triggered concerns across the tech industry. On paper, it sounds like a direct threat to India's growing role in smartphone assembly and its emerging semiconductor ambitions, but in reality, the near-term impact is much smaller than headlines suggest. The structure of electronics manufacturing, the nature of global supply chains and India's unique position in this sector mean that the country's growth trajectory remains largely intact — at least for now. 'The imposition of 50% tariffs structure on India will have distinct impact across electronics exports from India to US, including smartphones, and other electronics assembled in India. In particular, the net impact will be governed by the proposed Trump's 100% tariff on inbound semiconductors supply chain,' said Dr. Danish Faruqui, the CEO of Fab Economics, a U.S. based boutique semiconductor Fab/OSAT Greenfield projects implementation and investment advisory firm. US President Donald Trump's April 5 executive order excludes smartphones, tablets, laptops, servers and telecom equipment from reciprocal tariffs. Therefore smartphone exports to the U.S. from countries like India, China and Vietnam are insulated from reciprocal tariffs. This includes the current 50% tariff on India. 'The only constant with the U.S. tariffs has been the change of status quo dynamically over the last 4-5 months, therefore such reprieve from US tariffs on smartphone is not a guaranteed insulation,' Dr. Faruqui said. (For top technology news of the day, subscribe to our tech newsletter Today's Cache) 'This [tariff] is more of a negotiation tactic putting pressure to achieve leverage in overall trade negotiations which would be on completely different items,' said Prachir Singh, Senior Research Analyst at Counterpoint. Manufacturing math It is important to note that setting up electronics manufacturing and supply chain ecosystem is a complex and tedious process that involves huge capital investments. It requires multiple layers of suppliers like chip fabrication units, printed circuit board assembly lines, camera modules makers, display panels manufacturers, batteries makers, connectors, packaging firms, testing experts and logistics handlers. And setting this up takes decades to mature. Once they are in place, they cannot be dismantled and rebuilt in another country. 'Electronics supply chain and manufacturing is inherently complex and takes decades to be built. It is nearly impractical to pressure OEMs and supply chain to setup operations in USA,' Prachir added. Moving manufacturing in response to tariffs is unrealistic. For a company like Apple, which relies on precision ecosystem, moving production to a different place would mean years of planning and billions of fresh investment. In the meantime, Apple faces some pressure due to tariff imposition by the U.S. on India. 'Apple could absorb some of the extra cost, at least temporarily. However, a 35 to 40% jump in the retail price of an iPhone in the U.S. is not something either Apple or the U.S. government would want or accept as normal,' said Prachir. iPhones are already premium products and a sudden price spike could hurt sales volumes and consumer sentiment. As per Fab Economics, Global smartphone industry is not reacting well to tariff impositions resulting in demand softening in multiple world regions including US. iPhone shipments to the U.S. declined by 11% year-on-year to 13.3 million units in Q2'2025 wherein Apple reported $800 million in tariffs and forecasted $1 billion in tariff in Q3'2025. Most of the iPhones assembled in India and exported to the U.S. are currently exempted from the 50% tariffs (25% for now). There will be no immediate disruption to India's iPhone production lines or to Apple's export plans from the country. India's position Even with the uncertainty around tariffs, India remains ahead of several competing manufacturing hubs. 'Compared to Vietnam, India has a far larger domestic consumer base, which means production is not entirely dependent on exports. Compared to China, India offers geopolitical diversification for global brands seeking to reduce their reliance on one country,' explained Prachir. Factors like strong export potential with schemes like production linked incentive (PLI) and huge internal demand due to a large young population, make India a rare market. This makes India a strategic choice for electronics manufacturing in the long term. The latest tariffs move looks less like an attempt to dismantle existing manufacturing patterns and more like a negotiation tactic before an upcoming trade deal between India and the U.S. For India, this 50% tariff is more of a background noise than an immediate operational challenge. As long as major export items like iPhones remain exempt, the impact will be muted. 'India's smartphone exports to US to remain tariff free by the virtue of proposed Trump's 100% tariff imposition plan on semiconductors that plan to exempt or provide favourable rates to companies having US manufacturing operations or having committed roadmap for US manufacturing operations: both Apple and Samsung qualify for such preferential treatment which represent over 80% of India's smartphone exports to US,' said Dr. Faruqui. India itself is a huge market. If the tariffs pose a challenge, the local demand can act as buffer. India's smartphone user base continues to expand with nearly 900 million smartphone users. Affordable 5G plans and cheap AI devices areexpected to drive this growth even further. For makers, serving India alongside exports creates a more balanced portfolio. This is something smaller manufacturing hubs like Vietnam lacks. Impact on other players While Apple's position is relatively secure for now, other manufacturers could feel less confident. Samsung recently spoke about making India a key global export hub for its devices. If the tariffs environment remains unpredictable, such expansion plans might be slowed down. 'There is a need to have long term clarity as it could create doubts in the minds of other phone makers like Samsung who recently said they wanted to make a key exports hub,' said Faisal Kawoosa, Chief Analyst, Techarc. Similarly, emerging smartphone brands or component suppliers considering India as a base may hesitate until they see consistent policy signals from both the U.S. and India. In manufacturing, investment timelines often stretch over a decade or more. Companies prefer to commit where they can reasonably forecast market access and costs. Even if the tariffs impact is limited, the uncertainty it creates can shake the supply chain. With trade rules changing without warning, suppliers may face challenges in planning, sourcing raw materials and deciding the pricing for the end buyers. Electronics sector, which is running on wafer-thin margins and demand is highly price-sensitive, such unpredictable move can disrupt the market. 'Such commotion stresses supply chain which makes pricing unpredictable,' added Faisal. Semiconductor India is also taking huge strides in semiconductor manufacturing by building chip fabrication facilities that are more complex than smartphone assembling units. It involves huge capital expenditure, sanitised manufacturing environments and extremely precise logistics for raw materials like silicon wafers, rare gases, and photolithography equipment. India has made investment to attract semiconductor makers, but these projects could take years to become operational. For global players considering where to place their next fabs or advanced packaging units, policy stability is just as important as infrastructure. Frequent shifts in trade dynamics could complicate those decisions, even if they do not stop them outright. 'Due to Trump's administration semiconductor tariffs enactment there will be distinct tailwinds for players in the U.S. allied countries, including beneficiaries of the U.S. Chips Act who are pursuing manufacturing operations on the U.S. soil, while major headwinds for non-allied or adversarial countries,' said Fab Economics. Manufacturers will continue to invest in India as long as they believe that the rules of the game will not shift unpredictably. This stability must come from both domestic policy and international trade relationships. Conclusion Despite the 50% tariffs, India's smartphone and semiconductor ambitions remain largely on track, thanks to exemptions for key electronics export items, a resilient and growing domestic market and a strong competitive position against rivals in Asia. 'India, even with these flip flop on tariffs, is still in the best position against China or Vietnam as a go to destination for manufacturing ecosystem for electronics and eventually semiconductors from both export and huge domestic consumption perspective. It will eventually be a two horse race: India and China,' said Prachir. The risk does not lie on the current tariffs, but the uncertainty it represents. Stable or predictable policies, both domestically and internationally, will be critical to keep investment flowing and supply chains resilient. India has the opportunity to cement its status as one of the world's top electronics manufacturing destinations. The challenge will be to ensure that short-term trade talks do not distract from that long-term goal. 'India currently holds largest share of smartphone supply to the U.S., inching towards half of its smartphone supply, which makes any tariffs imposition on Indian origin smartphone inbound supply chains directly resulting in price expulsion impacting end users in the U.S., an unwanted outcome for Trump administration,' believes Fab Economics.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Inspecting Liverpool x adidas jersey, India's phone shipments, and 5G broadband
The landscape of India's smartphone market, in the first half of the year, is now clear. IDC's latest Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker (read the report), says 70 million smartphones were shipped in the country in the first six months of this year — and that means a 0.9% year-on-year growth. It is a tale of stability, or plateauing, depending on how positive you feel today. Of this number, 37 million shipments came in the Q2, which was a 7.3% increase compared with the same quarter a year prior. There are two reasons for this subdued demand. First, consumers aren't upgrading existing phones or buying new phones as frequently as perhaps a couple of years ago. Secondly, average selling prices are rising, which IDC values at US$275 in 2Q25 and a growth of 10.8% year-on-year, and that's forcing potential buyers to reassess a purchase in terms of value. Liverpool's adidas-made authentic jersey is priced at ₹ 8,599 in India, for the home and away versions Momentum is a big deal for phone brands, as it is for the broader market trajectory. Vivo's continued to gain, with a sizable (19% share; a 23.5% increase from 2Q24) lead over Samsung (14.5% share; a 21% increase) and Oppo (13.4% share; a 25.4% increase). Apple has gained 19.7% in the year-to-year period comparison, with 2Q25 share at 7.5%, up from 6.7% in 2Q24. The worrying negative trajectory? There's Xiaomi, which the IDC numbers peg at a 9.6% share in 2Q25, a 23.5% decline compared with the 3.5% share at the same point in the last year. Xiaomi may well have been hurt by the increasing average selling price, since the company's Redmi phones (which bring the volume and scale) have consistently stepped up over the past couple of generations, into higher price points. Are users not liking that? I'd be worried about OnePlus too, which from an already fairly low base of 4.4% share last year, has dipped 39.4% to 2.5% share in 2Q25. The average selling price increase doesn't hurt OnePlus, who have traditionally been strong in the more premium price bands. What gives? Difficult to assess, considering their latest flagships are on point, and tend to undercut the more expensive Samsung Galaxy and Xiaomi 15 series options, in variance. The Nord series too, seems to be ticking the boxes on specs, appeal and experience. Wonder what gives? TECH SPOTLIGHT: ADIDAS' LIVERPOOL JERSEY 25/26 This weekend, the new Premier League season gets underway. The rivalry can resume, any banter inevitably dialled up. As we get closer to kick-off (Liverpool vs Bournemouth is the first fixture), there's something important we must chat about. Jerseys. In European football for the new season, there are two important kit supplier deals — Liverpool x adidas (for the third time in their history), and Manchester City with Puma. I'll focus on the former, for reasons that are understandable without any need for explanation. And to that point, must note that Liverpool and adidas is beginning a 10-year partnership — good timing for both parties, with Liverpool as defending Premier League champions. There's an 'authentic' jersey ( ₹8,599 in India), in home and away versions, which I'll focus on first. The primary material is the 160g Jacquard with weft knitting — this means the yarn runs horizontally across the fabric instead of the more common warp knitting that finds its way vertically. The Jacquard fabric has its advantages in football jerseys. First, this allows different knit densities while having a single continuous panel, which helps in the creation of extra breathable areas of a jersey and more support where the structure needs it. And it shows, as you wear the jersey. Secondly, weight reduction while not compromising strategic elasticity, though any grams shaved off will be more apparent to elite athletes than us mortals. The fan jersey (priced ₹5,999) uses a tech called AEROREADY, which has one core idea of keeping you dry and cool. The way this works is, a Hydrophilic finish (this is an additional treatment to absorb water instead of collecting beads) on fiber draws moisture off your skin and spreads it for quicker evaporation. Great if you regularly play or run wearing this jersey. Relative to last season's authentic player-spec jersey from the Nike era, performance philosophy is understandably familiar but adidas' tooling is very different. Nike's Dri-FIT ADV tech used athlete-mapped, open-hole zones to push airflow through high-heat areas. Instead, adidas uses different and more refined ways to get to the same outcome, with micro-venting and redone fabric architecture. It also marks an evolution from Liverpool's previous adidas generation (2011/12 season), when ClimaCool was the standard. Back then the focus was a blend of moisture control and simple ventilation channels. Just for record, the Liverpool home kit is called Strawberry Red, and the white away kit, Wonder White. Liverpool had last partnered with adidas for the kit, in 2012. The classic Liver Bird crest is back. SPIRITUALITY AND DATA CEO of Incedo There are very few folks who balance knowledge with philosophy just right. Last week, when writer Nitin Seth invited me for the launch of his third book, Human Edge in the AI Age, there was little chance I'd miss the chance to have a conversation with him about all things artificial intelligence. Why? Because this book, as Seth told me, completes the trifecta as he had envisioned — digital age, data and now AI (Winning in the Digital Age and Mastering the Data Paradox, his previous titles). Mind you, Human Edge in the AI Age is releasing soon on more Indian languages, starting with Hindi, in a few months time. The chapter I was most interested in? Mantra 3, Connect with the self through spirituality. 'There's noise all around us. At that time, looking inwards at oneself is very important, and that's how I define spirituality,' he says. Seth talks about the elusive peace (something you may have felt too, but perhaps not realised in as many words). He believes there's a need to balance artha (prosperity), kama (pleasure) with dharma (duty, right way, natural law) and moksha (liberation), to make something meaningful of our lives. A line that stands out — 'as AI automates more functions and accelerates our external world, our inner world needs greater attention'. And to that, Seth elaborates that finding balance between spirituality and materialism is the answer to our current crisis whether it is at the level of an individual, the organisation or on a larger scale, the nation. It is spirituality that can provide a deeper perspective. The reason for this? Seth says the differentiator in the coming years may well not be the access to information, but our ability to interpret it, reflect and act with wisdom. Key takeaways? Pause for self reflection, align action with values, practice mindfulness, prioritise wisdom over information and balance ambition with inner peace. BROADBAND LANDSCAPE Opensignal Our regular readers would have noted we periodically chat about the mobile, and broadband landscape of the country. For this, certain reports other than official regulatory numbers that arrive periodically, tend to be useful in illustrating a trend. Network measurement and insights platform Opensignal's latest Fixed Broadband Experience report (it's here, if you'd like to read it) tells us that the country's fixed broadband penetration is currently at 15%, and that this gap compared to size of the economy, is largely due to lack of last-mile infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, where more than 60% of the population lives. That is the reason I'll focus on the wireless broadband data, because that may well be the future for those who are as yet not connected to a broadband line in the traditional sense. There are specific metrics, which give us a rather interesting picture of a product cycle that is still in very early days.
