06-11: It is rumored that MediaTek is re-organizing internally; Apple’s 4.7” model and a 5.5” model both featuring reinforced glass chassis with aluminum metal frame; etc.
Chipsets
MediaTek will fully acquire power amplifier (PA) vendor Airoha Technology in Jul 2017 as one of its subsidies. It is rumored that MediaTek is re-organizing internally, and planning to spin out its IoT department and Airoha as an independent company, and apply for IPO. In particular, Airoha’s PA department might be sold to other companies including Vanchip, Lansus Technologies. (UDN, Laoyaoba, Reuters)
Touch Display
Sharp is reportedly investing JPY100B to increase its OLED panel production, and expecting to achieve monthly production of 30K pieces by 2018. At the upfront there is Sharp handling OLED panel, and at the backend there is General Interface Solution (GIS) handling module, and integrated by Hon Hai Precision Industry. This will cause high pressure to TPK, which only handles module. (Laoyaoba, TechNews, Money DJ)
According to Display Supply Chain (DSCC), markets for display equipment during 1Q17 were worth USD4.5B which is about 93% growth from 1Q16. Also USD8.9B worth of facility investments were carried out which is about 106% growth from 1Q16. South Korean display equipment manufacturers such as SFA (3rd), AP Systems (9th), Tera Semicon (11th), Jusung Engineering (13th), AVACO (14th) and others were placed at the top of a ranking for global sales. (ET News, Display Supply Chain, press)
According to Digitimes, Apple’s upstream supply chain has begun mass producing components for the vendor’s 3 next-generation iPhones: a 4.7” model and a 5.5” model both featuring reinforced glass chassis with aluminum metal frame; and a 5.8” model featuring reinforced glass chassis with metal frame and an AMOLED panel, with Samsung Display set to supply up to 80M AMOLED panels for the new 5.8” iPhone in 2017. (CN Beta, Mac Observer, Digitimes, press, 9to5Mac)
Idemitsu Kosan plans to boost production capacity for organic light-emitting diode (OLED) materials by 70% over 2 years, moving to cultivate a new income stream as its mainstay oil segment falters. The Tokyo-based company is aiming for an annual output capacity of 12 tons, about 70% over current levels, across its Japanese and South Korean plants in fiscal 2018. (OLED-Info, Asia Nikkei)
Connectivity
As there is been a lot of hype around the embedded SIM (eSIM), IHS Markit, an information and analytics expertise, does not see the incorporation of eSIMs into cellular handsets coming anytime soon from Tier 1 suppliers like Apple, Samsung and Huawei until 2019. Rather, eSIM incorporation is likely to happen first with Tier 2 and 3 handset suppliers as part of small-scale introductions to test the market. (Laoyaoba, Smart Insights, Android Headlines, IHS Markit, press)
Smartphones
LeEco subsidiary Leshi Internet Information & Technology has canceled its CNY2B (around USD294M) bond fundraising initiative that was filed in Sept 2016. (Android Headlines, Financial Times, Sina)
Internet of Things
Huawei and world-leading automation company, Kuka, have deepened their global partnership in an effort to accelerate ‘smart manufacturing’. (Laoyaoba, Huawei, The Manufacturer)
