News

WhatsApp Introduces Flows For Improved In-App Shopping

The company plans to build rich experiences for other business types, too.

Published

7 months ago

September 21, 2023

whatsapp introduces flows for improved in-app shopping

WhatsApp is improving shopping experiences for both e-commerce merchants and their customers through a new feature called Flows. The add-on lets WhatsApp users complete tasks such as booking a seat on a flight or making an appointment without leaving the messaging app.

When using Flows, merchants will benefit from tools such as text boxes, calendars and a seat picker. These features will allow e-commerce companies to build rich experiences while improving booking and payment workflows. The Flows support page gives multiple examples of how the new service can be used, including booking appointments, product customization, account logins, form filling, and signing up for events.

WhatsApp said it had been testing Flows with businesses including Brazilian bank Banco Pan, retailer MagaLu, tech giant Lenovo, Indian travel service redBus, and car-reselling platform Spinny.

“Shopping and e-commerce is one of the biggest verticals we want to focus on. The goal is to enable business messaging in a way that businesses and people can do a lot more right in the chat thread. We are trying to build rich experiences within the chat, and that’s where Flows comes in,” said Nikila Srinivasan, Meta’s VP of business messaging.

Flows will become available over the coming months, and Meta will not initially charge merchants separately for the service. Currently, only e-commerce businesses can utilize Flows’ features, though WhatsApp has plans to develop rich experiences for other business verticals as well.

Also Read: A Guide To Digital Payment Methods In The Middle East

Earlier this year, WhatsApp’s business app surpassed the 200 million monthly active users mark. The messaging company said it had also started testing a personalized messages feature for merchants, which was announced this June. The service lets businesses send custom notifications such as discounts or offers to select patrons.

News

Samsung Galaxy Ring Wearable Will Launch In Eight Sizes

A recent Korean report reveals the model numbers of the new health tracking device, as well as details of its key features.

Published

3 days ago

April 25, 2024

Nour Nasir

samsung galaxy ring wearable will launch in eight sizes

The global launch of the Samsung Galaxy Ring is hotly anticipated, with details about the next-gen wearable gradually emerging since the company’s teaser announcement back in January. Now, a report has also unveiled the model numbers for the device, suggesting it will be available in eight different sizes.

While Samsung has yet to divulge detailed specs and features of the Galaxy Ring, it’s likely to feature an array of health and sleep monitoring functionalities, while boasting a battery life of up to nine days on a single charge.

As per a Galaxy Club report, there are currently eight confirmed variants of the Galaxy Ring: SM-Q500, SM-Q501, SM-Q502, SM-Q505, SM-Q506, SM-Q507, SM-Q508, and SM-Q509.

However, the mystery shrouding two absent model numbers persists, leaving speculation as to whether they signify additional sizes or if Samsung plans to unveil a later ninth variant of the ring, as previously hinted. There’s conjecture that these models may correspond to US ring sizes 5 and above, commencing with the SMQ500, with subsequent numbers potentially indicating larger ring sizes, possibly reaching up to size 13, aligning with model number SM-Q509.

Also Read: Adobe Reveals New AI Tools That Will Wow Photoshop Novices

Recent Korean reports have shed light on how Samsung’s Mobile eXperience division (MX) collaborated with the Home Appliance department to integrate Samsung Food with the Galaxy Ring: Tailored for daily activity tracking, the Galaxy Ring, when paired with Samsung Food and an intelligent Samsung refrigerator featuring AI vision, delivers personalized dietary guidance based on calorie intake and BMI.

Samsung is banking on the user-friendly interface and high durability of the ring to redefine the healthcare wearables landscape. Meanwhile, Apple is also making strides in the development of a smart ring, aimed at monitoring users’ health biometrics discreetly when worn on the finger. According to the Electronic Times report, Apple has been closely monitoring market interest in this more inconspicuous alternative to a traditional watch.