08-17: MediaTek reportedly actual delivery volume of Helio P23 / P20 has reached 2M units; Qualcomm and Xiaomi are allegedly working on their own facial recognition technology; etc.
Chipsets
Qualcomm introduced the Spectra ISP powered Clear Sight dual-camera system in 2016 with the promise of “astonishing results that mimic human vision.” Now it is launching 2nd generation Spectra Module Program that brings 3D computer vision to Android products using the Qualcomm Snapdragon Platform. (Android Central, ZDNet, Qualcomm, My Drivers, Engadget)
Qualcomm says that 2018 Snapdragon processors will offer much more sophisticated 3D camera capabilities, including the ability to use infra-red for facial recognition. (CN Beta, 9to5Google, CNET, Hot Hardware)
MediaTek to announce Helio P23, Helio P30 processors end of Aug 2017, aiming at the mid-range segment. (Android Headlines, Laoyaoba, SEMI, IT168, CN Beta, Gizmo China, GSM Arena)
MediaTek reportedly actual delivery volume of Helio P23 / P20 has reached 2M units, and expects to ship 3M units per month. (CN Beta, My Drivers, 163)
Broadcom, Qualcomm and NVIDIA respectively took 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in TrendForce’s latest ranking of the global top 10 fabless IC design houses for 2Q17. With MediaTek and Marvell as exceptions, the 8 other design houses in the top 10 ranking posted year-on-year revenue growth. (TrendForce, press, TrendForce[cn], press)
Biometrics
Qualcomm and Xiaomi are allegedly working on their own facial recognition technology. Xiaomi’s own facial technology is said to debut in 4Q17, just in time for it to be used o the expected flagship Mi Mix 2. (Sina, Gizmo China, My Drivers, On.cc)
Connectivity
Broadcom is unveiling its Max Wi-Fi chips based on the next-generation Wi-Fi standard, 802.11ax, which is designed to improve download speeds by 4 times and upload speeds by 6 times. Max Wi-Fi also promises 4 times better coverage and 7 times better battery life than the current 802.11ac standard. (CN Beta, VentureBeat, PC Mag, Broadcom)
Smartphones
Apple has issued CAD2.5B in 2.513% notes maturing in Aug 2024. The bond is underwritten by HSBC Securities (Canada) Inc., RBC Dominion Securities Inc., BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC with co-managers CIBC World Markets Inc., Merrill Lynch Canada Inc. and TD Securities Inc. (Apple Insider, Apple Insider, Market Watch, SEC, Sina)
According to Canalys, Samsung led the smartphone market in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in 2Q17, shipping 4.9M units, a year-on-year increase of 14%. This was due to strong demand for Galaxy A and J series products. Huawei retook the number two spot from Apple in CEE in 2Q17. It shipped 1.8M smartphones to take a 12% market share. (GSM Arena, Canalys, press, CN Beta)
IDC reports that 28M smartphones were shipped to India in 2Q17, which is a modest 3.7% QoQ growth and a mere 1.6% YoY growth. Just as the market had started to recover from the impact of demonetisation from late 2016, the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the country from Jul 2017 meant weak sell-in shipments in 2Q17 as the focus was on clearing the existing inventory. (Android Headlines, IDC, press)
According to Strategy Analytics, Samsung Galaxy S8 was the world’s best-selling Android smartphone model in 2Q17. Samsung Galaxy S8 series models shipped an impressive 19M units worldwide. They estimate Apple iPhone 7 shipped 16.9M units and captured 5% share worldwide in 2Q17. (Phone Arena, Strategy Analytics, press, Apple Insider, Sina, CN Beta)
Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos revealed the media giant plans to spend USD7B on content in 2018. The figure is up from more than USD6B in 2017 and USD5B in 2016. (Apple Insider, Variety)
According to a newly discovered Federal Communications Commission (FCC) listing, HTC has filed some documents that could indicate that it will be the manufacturer behind the upcoming successor to Google Pixel. (CN Beta, Neowin)
Nokia 8 is official – 5.3” QHD IPS 2.5D curved display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, rear dual 13MP colour – 13MP monochrome + front 13MP cameras, 4GB RAM, 64 / 128GB storage, Android 7.1.1, IP54 certified, 3090mAh battery, EUR599. (Android Authority, Android Central, Android Headlines, CN Beta)
Coolpad Cool M7 is announced – 5.5” FHD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, rear 12MP + front 13MP cameras, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, 3200mAh battery, CNY2699. (CN Beta, Sina)
ASUS announces 6 new ZenFone: ZenFone 4 – 5.5” FHD IPS display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 / 660 processor, rear dual 12MP-8MP + front 8MP cameras, 4 / 6GB RAM, 64GB EOM, 3300mAh battery, from USD399. ZenFone 4 Pro – 5.5” FHD AMOLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, rear dual 12MP-8MP + front 8MP cameras, 4 / 6GB RAM, 128GB ROM, 3600mAh battery, starts at USD599. ZenFone 4 Selfie – 5.5” HD IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor, rear 16MP + front dual 20MP-8MP cameras, 4GB RAM, 64GB ROM, 3000mAh battery, USD279. ZenFone Selfie Pro – 5.5” FHD AMOLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, rear 16MP + front dual 12MP-12MP cameras, 3 / 4GB RAM, 64GB ROM, 3000mAh battery, from USD379. ZenFone 4 Max – 5.5” HD IPS display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 / 430 processor, rear dual 13MP-5MP + front 8MP cameras, 2 / 3 / 4GB RAM, 16 / 32 / 64GB ROM, 5000mAh battery, from USD235. ZenFone 4 Max Pro – 5.5” HD IPS display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 / 430 processor, rear dual 16MP-8MP + front 16MP cameras, 2 / 3GB RAM, 32GB ROM, 5000mAh battery. (Android Central, Android Authority)
PCs / Tablets
TrendForce reports that the global notebook shipments for 2Q17 registered a sequential quarterly increase of 5.7% and a year-on-year increase of 3.6%, totaling 39.96M units. HP has retained first place in the shipment ranking for 5 consecutive quarters. (TrendForce, press, TrendForce[cn], press, CN Beta)
Wearables
The next-generation Apple Watch reportedly set to begin shipments in 4Q17, some market watchers expect Quanta’s financial performances to gradually pick up in 2H17. Quanta’s in Changshu factory is already ready for manufacturing. (CN Beta, Patently Apple, IB Times, Digitimes, press)