Demand for iPhones dives; YourStory's top newsmakers list

Daily Capsule | 4th Jan Hello Most of us have dialled someone by mistake. Be it pocket dialling, tapping the wrong contact or the wrong speed dial key - these things do happen. Apparently, this happens in space too! Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers, who spent over 200 days in space on two separate missions in 2004 and 2011, admitted that he may have pocket dialled someone from outer space. And not his mum or best friend, like many of us. He pocket dialled 911 - the emergency services of the USA! Turns out, it's not hard to call 911 from space. And guess what? This isn't even the first time someone has dialled the wrong number from outer space. "Where are you calling from?" just acquired new meaning! Cheers, Team YourStory Stories you shouldn't miss iPhone-maker Apple reveals that it will miss revenue estimates by $9 billion. And guess what? [In a letter to investors, Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed that the iPhone-maker was witnessing “weak demand” as consumer upgrade cycles are getting longer](. Given that iPhones command the biggest share of Apple's revenue pie, a slowdown there indicates a real problem. Apple needs to fix it soon! Who are YourStory’s top 25 newsmakers of 2018? In 2018, we saw startups inch closer towards profitability and some even achieve it. [We saw startups across sectors and in various stages receive funding from Indian investors, with great interest and participation from their global counterparts](. Who are the inspiring individuals who led their firms to new heights in 2018 and who, we believe, will steer their companies to even greater heights in 2019 and continue to dominate the headlines this year too? What is Amazon CTO Werner Vogels’ biggest regret? While he has played a key role in driving the technology vision of one of the world’s most valuable companies, [Werner Vogels also has certain regrets from his journey at Amazon](. He has been with the company for over 14 years and is widely acknowledged as one of the key architects behind Amazon’s cloud computing approach, Amazon Web Services. 2018 was an important year – for it signalled the Indian startup ecosystem was maturing. [With the blockbuster Flipkart-Walmart deal, many investors said 2018 was a watershed year for the Indian startup ecosystem](. What about 2019 now? What is the investor sentiment? And what are they expecting from the ecosystem in 2019? We find out. To ensure a hassle-free booking experience for its customers, OYO launches OYO Assist. [It is an in-application support platform that provides end-to-end automated resolution to customers]( promises to give customers a customised stay by transforming the hotel’s digital ecosystem into a personal hotel assistant CarDekho raised [Series C funding of $110 million from Sequoia India, Hillhouse, CapitalG (Alphabet growth investment arm) and Axis Bank](. The company will use the fresh funds to enhance focus on the used-car segment of the market and build a strong foundation in transaction services, including insurance and financing. BigBasket’s wholesale arm [Supermarket Grocery Supplies Private Ltd narrowed its loss by a whopping 53 percent to Rs 310 crore from Rs 653 crore in FY17](. It also reported a revenue increase of 35 percent to Rs 1,606 crore in the financial year 2018 from Rs 1,176 crore in FY17. With two large players, Amazon and Flipkart entering the online grocery market, competition has been on an upward trajectory. A survey by [LocalCircles found that taxation and raising funds are major challenges for startups in India in 2019](. The year 2018 did not end on a high note for the Indian startup ecosystem as the demon of angel tax dampened their spirits once again. But these young firms are cautiously optimistic about 2019, with a focus on increased hiring and aggressive growth plans. -- [Click Here]( to unsubscribe from this newsletter.