9-9: MediaTek has reported consolidated revenues of USD827.9 million for August 2016; Facial recognition grows the fastest, and tech giants have already started development for a long time; etc.
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Chipset |
| MediaTek has reported consolidated revenues of NTD25.87 billion (USD827.9 million) for August 2016, up 4.2% sequentially and 36.1% on year. The monthly results were also a record high. MediaTek generated revenues of NT$72.53 billion in 2Q16 – a record high. (Phone Arena, TechNews, Digitimes, press) |
| Samsung Electronics is selling EUR606 million (USD681 million) of shares in Dutch semiconductor company ASML Holding NV. (TechNews, Market Watch, Business Insider) |
| GlobalFoundries uncorked its 12FDX platform, incorporating a 12nm fully-depleted silicon-on-insulator (FDSOI) process technology. The foundry’s Fab 1 in Dresden, Germany, will support customer development with the 12nm process, with product tape-outs scheduled for 1H19. (EE Times, Semiconductor Engineering, EE Focus, TechReport, GlobalFoundries, CN Beta)
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| Samsung has cut its foundry quotes to vie for new orders particularly for LCD driver ICs, power management ICs and CMOS image sensors. Samsung is also looking to snatch orders from its foundry rivals’ second-tier customers by offering prices much lower than competitors. (Digitimes, press, OfWeek, 52RD) |
| IC Insights has reduced the IoT semiconductor market’s projected CAGR — between 2014 and 2019 — from an original projection of 21.1% to 19.9%. Hence, semiconductor sales for IoT system functions in 2019 are now expected to reach USD29.6 billion in 2019, instead of USD31.1 billion, according to IC Insights. (IC Insights, press, EE Times, EEPW)
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| SEMI has published an August update of its world fab forecast report, which shows increased equipment spending, reaching 4.1% on-year in 2016 and 10.6% in 2017. The largest growth drivers for the industry are mobile devices (including devices using SSDs), automotive, and soon anticipated to be IoT, with these applications frequently requiring 3D NAND and logic 10nm/7nm, SEMI said. (Digitimes, SEMI, press, EE Focus)
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Camera |
| Apple iPhone 7 Plus dual-camera may lay the groundwork to let users capture content with more depth, exactly the kind of technology that could lend itself to user-generated VR content. Piper Jaffray’s analyst Gene Munster predicts in coming 3 years iPhone will be added more functionalities to enhance the AR experience. (TechNews, CNBC, Stratechery) |
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Memory |
| TENAA, Geekbench confirm that there is 3GB of RAM on the Apple iPhone 7 Plus. (Phone Arena, TEENA, 9to5Mac, GFXBench, CN Beta)
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Sensory |
| UC Berkeley engineers have built the first dust-sized, wireless sensors, so-called “neural dust” that can be implanted in the body, which could monitor internal nerves, muscles or organs in real time. (CN Beta, Daily Mail, Energy Harvesting Journal)
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Biometrics |
| According to Qianzhan’s study, the growth rate of biometric market size from 2007 to 2013 was 21.7%, and globally most industry growth rate, which is less than 5%. Global market size of biometrics technology in 2015 grows to USD1.3 billion, and by 2020 the number will increase to USD2.5 billion—the growth rate within 5 years is about 14%. (LED Inside, article, TechNews)
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| According to Qianzhan’s study, from 2015 to 2020 the growth of biometrics segment is: fingerprint 73.3%, voice 100%, face 166.6%, iris 100%, and others 140%. Face recognition is deemed grow the most, and expects the market size of face recognition could grow to USD2.4 billion by 2020. (LED Inside, article, TechNews)
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| Tech giants have already started facial recognition development. (LED Inside, article, TechNews)
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Battery |
| According to Samsung, they offered a brief explanation as to what the battery problem of Galaxy Note 7 might have been: An overheating of the battery cell occurred when the anode-to-cathode came into contact which is a very rare manufacturing process error. (Ubergizmo, BGR, Samsung, ChinaZ) |
| The German utility RWE will expand its solar and storage capacity by purchasing Belectric Solar and Battery Holding GmbH. RWE’s renewable energy subsidiary, Innogy SE, agreed to pay in the “high double-digit-million euro range” for Belectric. The deal is expected to close early 2017. (TechNews, Green Tech Media) |
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Connectivity |
| AT&T’s Tom Keathley (SVP, Wireless Network Architecture and Design) already in the process of conducting a number of 5G trials – suggested that commercial deployment of the technology could be sooner than expected—late 2017—if the industry, in particular, the chipset sector, rallies around efforts to advance deployment of 5G. (Android Headlines, Mobile World Live) |
| U.S. Cellular’s EVP and CTO Michael Irizarry said that the carrier will be conducting its first 5G test in mid Sept. 2016 in the 28GHz band and will follow it up with another test in the 15GHz band later on. Karri Kuoppamaki, T-Mobile’s VP of network technology development and strategy, recently confirmed that they will be migrating from lab tests to field tests. (Android Headlines, Fierce Wireless)
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| T-Mobile and Samsung Electronics America have announced their collaboration on a series of 5G lab tests and field trials over 2017. The partnership will see the companies initially use T-Mobile’s 28GHz mmWave spectrum in combination with Samsung’s 5G proof-of-concept beam-forming technology in outdoor trials, while trials early 2017 will use Samsung’s pre-commercial system. (ZDNet, Android Community, OfWeek, Samsung) |
| Qualcomm Incorporated has announced that its subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. (QTI) and AT&T, will test Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), or drones, on commercial 4G LTE networks. (UAS Vision, TechWire, OfWeek)
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| Apple explains the reason and benefits of removing 3.5mm audio jack on their iPhone 7: (1) for a new and better camera with OIS, (2) easier to install taptic engine, (3) increase the size of the battery, and (4) water resistant is possible now. (Phone Arena, Buzzfeed, Apple) |
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Smartphones |
| According to Digitimes, China-based smartphone vendors are likely to place more orders for mid-range to high-end models with Taiwan-based ODMs as they are shifting their focus to the high-end segment. Increasing shipment volumes from vendors, including Huawei, OPPO, vivo and Xiaomi, is another reason for these vendors to look for additional suppliers to secure enough production capacity to fulfill their orders. (Digitimes, press) |
| Android Pay will be up and running on the mobile web “soon”, says Google, letting users pay for their online shopping with their stored credit cards. (CN Beta, The Verge, Venture Beat) |
| Alphabet Inc.’s Google is buying software company Apigee for roughly USD625 million, the latest move to bolster its offerings to corporate customers. (Google, NASDAQ, WSJ, Business Insider, Venture Beat, IT Home, 36Kr) |
| According to LG spokesman Ken Hong, the next G series handset will also come sporting a modular design too. (Android Authority, CNET, Tencent) |
| Uniloc Corporation filed a number of lawsuits against HTC America, LG, Motorola, Kyocera America, Huawei, and ZTE. Uniloc claims that all 6 companies have infringed on a number of patents it owns, in regards to voice instant messaging technologies. (Android Headlines) |
| Microsoft rumored Surface Phone might only arrive in 2017, around fall season. (ZDNet, Ubergizmo) |
| Samsung Galaxy Folder 2 is announced in China – 3.8” WVGA TFT-LCD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor, 8MP + 5MP cameras, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, Android 6.0, LTE, dual-SIM, 1950mAh battery. (Android Headlines, Phones Review, Liliputing)
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| UMi Plus is unveiled – 5.5” FHD 2.5D curved glass display by Sharp, MediaTek Helio P10 MT6755 processor, 13MP PDAF + 5MP cameras, 4GB RAM, 32GB storage, Android 6.0, fingerprint scanner, USB Type-C, 4000mAh battery, USD220. (Android Headlines, Gizchina, GSM Dome)
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Tablets |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 is unveiled – 8” 1280×800 IPS LCD display, MediaTek quad-core processor, 2MP + VGA camera, 1.5GB RAM, 16/32GB storage, Fire OS 5, 4750mAh battery, from USD90. (CN Beta, Beta News, Amazon, Phone Arena)
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Wearables |
| Apple to meet with augmented reality contact lens firm EP Global Communications (EPGL), discuss possible iOS support. (Apple Insider, Mac Daily News)
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| Taiwan-based motherboard / graphics card player Chaintech recently signed letter of intent with China-based IT channel retailer Pason to provide product planning assistance and capacity to help it manufacture products. The two will also push into China’s VR market with an integrated platform. (Digitimes, Gamersky, Hexun, PC Online)
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| According to Federation of Swiss Watch Industry, July 2016 marked another weak month with exports of timepieces falling 14.2% compared to July 2015, netting a total of CHF1.5 billion (USD1.56 billion) in sales. (TechCrunch, Swiss Watch Industry report, CNBC, CS)
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Internet of Things |
| Tesla can borrow up to USD300 million for its vehicle leasing program through an agreement with Deutsche Bank as part of a broader effort to bolster the company’s finances. (CN Beta, Fortune) |
| Taiwan’s Foxconn has invested USD119.9 million in Chinese ride-hailing firm Didi Chuxing via one of its subsidiaries, Xiaoju Kuaizhi. (TechNews, Fortune, Reuters) |
| Midea launches Alibaba YunOS-powered refrigerator – a touch display to monitor the stored food freshness, quantity and entertainment purpose; with built-in network function, user could search for recipe or order food online on Tmall; standard version priced at CNY3999, premium CNY4999. (CN Beta, My Drivers, ChinaZ, Sohu)
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| Google’s parent company Alphabet Inc. and Chipotle are bringing burritos delivery with drone to the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. The trial runs start this month using Alphabet’s experimental Project Wing drones flying out of a Chipotle food truck. (Engadget, Bloomberg, Sina, 91) |
