New Survey Shows Mobile Internet Services Usage is Declining Across the World

According to a new survey by Global System for Mobile Communications Association Intelligence (GSMA), mobile users makeup 57% of the total world’s population, or approximately 4.6 billion users. But a recent survey shows that the number of new mobile internet subscribers is decreasing. About 200 million users came online through mobile from 2015 to 2022. But the number has dropped to 160 million since the last two years.

New analysis from Rest of World shows that the population on mobile internet is declining in countries like Nigeria, Pakistan, Mexico and Bangladesh. GSMA’s Max Cuvellier Goacomelli says that many people do not have access to mobile internet because of affordability. Even though the cost has dropped a lot, many populations still cannot afford it because of disparities across regions.

Huge populations from the US (81%), China (80%) and Singapore (93%) are already connected to the mobile internet. So it is no surprise that the mobile internet subscriptions among them have slowed, but in other countries like Nigeria (34%), Pakistan (24%) and Bangladesh (37%), mobile internet adaptability is really low. One of the biggest reasons is internet coverage in those areas. 4% of the population in the world is from areas where there is no mobile broadband network.

Satellite technology like SpaceX’s Starlink has potential to minimize this coverage gap in rural areas and areas with no mobile infrastructure. Unique internet service products and programs can also help people to use mobile internet services. India is seeing a fast growth in mobile internet users, but if we compare it with the whole population of India, the growth seems really slowed. Even in the countries with the most mobile internet subscribers, there are still stubborn people who do not subscribe to any service.

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Threads Makes An Array of Exciting Changes To The App And Here’s What to Expect

Popular social media app Threads is making several changes to the app as competition with arch-rival Bluesky heats up.

Boss man Adam Mosseri just confirmed through a new post how the platform is prioritizing content from only those people that users follow. This means you’re going to see fewer posts or recommendations from people who aren’t on your following list.

The change seems to be in line with that seen on Instagram where Mosseri shared alterations in the algorithm to provide a feed that’s more aligned with users’ interests. Interestingly, the change will come into play today.

This is certainly a welcoming change as many users were flocking to better alternatives like Bluesky which gave users the chance to witness a more balanced feed when they use the platform. It also provided them with the chance to customize it to their liking.

Threads launched its custom feeds approach soon after it started to test the option. So this just seems to be a continuation of that.

The alteration might mean the For You feed will feature more accounts that users care about. However, we need to wait and watch if the latest change fixes the problem that many were complaining about which was outdated and irrelevant posts.

Let’s not forget the change would mean creators with unconnected reach will see a downfall as people that aren’t following them won’t be shown their content so yes, the pros and cons of the change are certainly there.

Bluesky just passed the 21M mark for users which is a huge milestone considering it was 15M in the middle of November. Moreover, Threads is certainly a bigger app than Bluesky and it’s also doing great with Mosseri confirming 15M new users this month alone.

• Also read: ChatGPT Leads, Google Gemini, Microsoft CoPilot, and Meta AI Gain Ground in AI Tool Usage

In other news, the app’s head also refuted claims about the platform downranking any content featuring links. He did remind them that any links expecting paid clicks don’t hold a lot of value because not everyone is interested in pressing on the link, let alone commenting on that.

Not all users agreed as they felt that the results for the same endeavor were very different on Bluesky, which showed a more positive response.

Last but not least, Threads is testing an exciting update to text formatting styles on the app. Soon, users will have more creative styles to play with when producing content including bold, strikethrough, and italic which is very basic but much needed.

Read next: Apple’s Best-Selling iPhone Models in 2024: Base vs. Pro Max
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Apple’s Best-Selling iPhone Models in 2024: Base vs. Pro Max

CIRP publishes Apple’s iPhone sales every year, and this year, their report focuses on Apple’s best-selling models. Apple introduces a new model every year with four flagships, which often confuses users about which model is the best and which one they should buy. CIRP compared different iPhone models to see which one stands out as the best and most popular.

In 2024, iPhone’s base models are the most popular, with 42% of users opting for them. They are followed by iPhone Pro Max models (26%) and iPhone Pro models (19%). iPhone Plus models are the least popular in 2024. Some might assume that iPhone base models are the best sellers simply because they are the most affordable. However, when looking at Apple's flagship models, Pro and Pro Max models are the real best sellers each year.

The reason for this is that Apple sells iPhones in various categories, offering similar models at different price points. If you're considering a base iPhone model, you have three different options to choose from, each priced differently. This makes the "base" category the most popular overall. However, when considering individual models, the iPhone Pro Max emerges as the best seller.

Consumer behavior trends suggest that while the base models attract users due to affordability, premium features in the Pro and Pro Max models continue to draw those seeking more advanced capabilities, such as better cameras and performance. The Pro Max, in particular, remains popular among those who prioritize larger screens and enhanced features, despite the higher price.

In conclusion, while Apple's Pro models are the best-selling and most successful in terms of high-end features, the overall category of base models takes the lead in terms of total sales volume.

Here’s a quick comparison of the sales trends across the years:

Year	Base	Mini	Plus	Pro	Pro Max
2022	46%	7%	-	21%	26%
2023	43%	1%	11%	19%	25%
2024	42%	-	13%	19%	26%

Read next: ChatGPT Leads, Google Gemini, Microsoft CoPilot, and Meta AI Gain Ground in AI Tool Usage
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

ChatGPT Leads, Google Gemini, Microsoft CoPilot, and Meta AI Gain Ground in AI Tool Usage

Various AI tools existed before ChatGPT's release in 2022, but none generated as much hype as OpenAI's chatbot.. ChatGPT appears to be the base for all the AI tools. Now millions of people around the world use ChatGPT regularly for different purposes. Many other companies have also started to promote their AI tools like Microsoft’s CoPilot, Google Gemini and Adobe Firefly to the market. But none of the AI tools have come close to the success of ChatGPT.

Statista Consumer Insights conducted different surveys in 2022, 2023 and 2024 to find how many AI tools consumers in the US have used. Unsurprisingly, ChatGPT remains constant throughout the years.

The survey done in 2022 found out that ChatGPT was the most used AI tool by 21% US consumers. It was followed by Jasper (13%) and GetGenie (11%). In 2023, ChatGPT was once again the most used AI tool by 26% of US consumers. 15% used Snapchat My AI and 13% used Google Gemini. Over the three years, ChatGPT’s usage increased instead of decreasing. 31% respondents used ChatGPT in 2024. It was followed by Google Gemini (27%) and Microsoft CoPilot (14%). Other AI tools like Microsoft Bing (12%) and Adobe Firefly (7%) were also used in 2024 but they couldn't gain more popularity among users.

Tool	2022 Usage	2023 Usage	2024 Usage
ChatGPT	21%	26%	31%
Meta AI	-	16%	31%
Google Gemini	-	13%	27%
Microsoft Copilot	-	-	14%
Snapchat My AI	-	15%	12%
Microsoft Bing AI	-	12%	12%
Adobe Firefly	-	8%	7%
Jasper	13%	5%	5%
GetGenie	11%	-	5%
Simplified	11%	-	-
DALL-E	10%	6%	-
Midjourney	10%	-	-
YouChat	10%	-	-
DeepL	10%	-	-

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Google’s Chrome Browser Could Sell For Up To $20 Billion If DOJ’s Proposal Accepted

Google’s Chrome browser might sell for a staggering $20 billion if the Department of Justice’s proposal for separation from its parent company is accepted.

The decision would certainly be documented in history as a major crackdown against one of the world’s biggest tech giants. The news comes after the judge ruled in August this year that Google was behaving illegally as a monopoly in the world of search. The decision will also force the company to make use of measures related to AI and the Android systems as per reports from those familiar with the matter.

Antitrust officials came up with these recommendations and it appears that it’s getting popular with many states also and therefore is being forwarded to the Federal Judge to settle the matter. Talks about adding data licensing requirements are also in play but the sources are yet to confirm.

In case the proposals do receive acceptance, they could really alter the world of online search forever and the ever-growing AI industry. This case dates back to when the Trump administration was in power before and also took place while Biden served as head of the state for the US.

• Also read: Google Deliberately Suppressed Evidence To Avoid Antitrust Scrutiny For More Than 10 Years

It’s certainly a very aggressive ordeal to bring in more technology since Washington made plans to break up the corporation 20 years back. After all, Google does own one of the most pivotal web browsers around the globe. They can see activity from anyone who’s signed in and use that information for ad-targeting practices. And in case you’re wondering, that generates a huge amount of revenue.

Google used Chrome to direct many users towards its Gemini AI product. This certainly entails a major potential to transform itself from a simple bot to an actual assistant following users around the globe.

In case the sale does come into play, Chrome would go easily for $15 to $20B, considering it has over 3B MAUs. The pricing that many people would like to pay depends on their chance to link the browser to various other services.

Experts confirmed how it’s not making money directly but leads to a gateway of great revenue-generating potential. As you can imagine, Google is not happy with the news.

It calls the DOJ’s proposal radical which is beyond the legal jurisdictions for this case. It also shared how the decision would harm users, developers, and those in the country’s tech leadership position.

Image: DIW

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Google Deliberately Suppressed Evidence To Avoid Antitrust Scrutiny For More Than 10 Years

A new bombshell report from The New York Times accuses tech giant Google of deliberately suppressing evidence to try and avoid antitrust scrutiny. What is shocking is how the company has been busy at work for over a decade to ensure its unfair practices remain disguised.

The report highlights how the company instructed the workforce to get rid of certain internal chats, stop using certain terms, and also encouraged using its legal team to disguise documents so as to prevent legal action.

The alarming article goes on to claim these procedures were done back in 2008 after the Android maker faced so much regulatory action over an ad partnership with Yahoo. At this time, a confidential letter rolled out within the firm which warned workers about the consequences and how they need to be cautious of what they say and use, including casual conversations. This might serve as evidence for future scrutiny, it continued. This means all employees had to think twice before engaging in controversial discussions.

US regulations force firms who anticipate legal action to stop relevant documentation. But Google did allege how it was altering internal communication practices to ensure messages were getting deleted through default settings. All workers were also given the responsibility to delete texts and chats when necessary and also think twice before saving any histories if they were involved in legal complications.

More concerning details raised eyebrows from a memo of 2011 that advised workers to stop using language that might be deemed competitive in nature. Terms like market share and dominance were discouraged and alternative words were suggested as better replacements to steer clear of legal exposure.

As can be seen with the recent legal cases involving Google’s antitrust behavior, many judges discouraged the company’s policy for retaining documents. It was a toxic matter that included suppressing the right evidence. This was also discussed during the high-profile Epic Games lawsuit and more where judges called it the destruction of important evidence.

Meanwhile, another district court also shared its findings after reviewing all the documents that Google withheld under certain privilege claims. They concluded how many were not qualified for these kinds of protections. The judges accused the Android maker of using smart tactics to ensure investigations went in their favor in regard to its monopoly behavior in the world of search.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: Meta Updates Messenger App With Exciting New Features Including AI Backgrounds and HD Video Calls
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Meta Updates Messenger App With Exciting New Features Including AI Backgrounds and HD Video Calls

Tech giant Meta is sharing new updates it recently made to its Messenger app. The latest update features an array of exciting changes to how users can make video and audio phone calls.

The new offerings were published by the company in its latest official blog and we’re detailing all the new changes for our readers below.

For starters, the app is giving users the chance to disguise their surroundings with a new AI background added to the screen. All you need to do is tap on an icon for effects that are located in the sidebar. Click on backgrounds and select the one that you feel fits best. This really helps when you’re on the go and perhaps don’t want to share a messy background with your contacts.

Feel free to add a field of fresh flowers, a modern apartment, or a serene landscape of the mountains as you chat away carefree. There’s even a stellar sunset that is hard to differentiate reality from AI. We’ve seen this feature on nearly every other calling app so it’s not surprising to witness the change on Meta’s Messenger.

Next up, Meta also included new offerings for video calls such as HD effects that mute background noise and any kind of voice isolation. The end result is stellar with clear and high-quality calls through the app.

Users selecting the HD video option need to realize that this would be set up as default for all calls made through the app over Wi-Fi. It can also be done through regular cellphone data by switching it on for mobile data on HD video calls. The other features like removing background sounds and voice isolation may work at the same time in this HD mode by altering settings.

Furthermore, Meta is giving users the chance to finally leave messages in voice and video form. So now, you don’t just have to stick to boring text but can add emojis and other effects to switch things up a bit.

To use this, just click on Record Message on the screen’s lower right side to leave video and audio texts, in case your contact of choice isn’t getting through.

Last but not least, users get the chance to request voice assistant Siri to make their phone calls when on the go and they cannot dial quickly on Messenger. This is of course limited to iPhone users and gets active when you select Siri and say, ‘Hello Siri, please send a message to XYZ through the app’. Whatever you dictate would be sent exactly that way. How cool and convenient?

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World