10-05: HMD would consider Nokia 4G feature phone; The Indian government is considering exemptions sought by Apple for setting up a unit to assemble iPhone; etc.
Touch Display
Japan Display (JDI) is reportedly looking to secure USD900M for a new OLED production method. Its affiliate, JOLED, which is majority owned by a state-backed fund, has been working towards using the technology to start mass production of medium-sized screens for medical equipment monitors in late 2018 or early 2019. (Android Authority, Reuters, Now News, China Times)
According to IHS, China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT) as a LCD panel module vendor is ranked top 5 globally, and top 1 in China—it owns 21.6% market share of 55” globally. Based on TCL’s 1H17 financial report, CSOT’s t1 and t2 fab producing panels for TV has constantly kept full production capacity. (Laoyaoba, Quamnet)
According to the data compiled by IHS Markit, the market for flexible OLEDs that are 9” and below was estimated at USD2B in 2Q17, rising sharply from USD886M posted a year earlier. Samsung Display accounted for 98.3% of the market for flexible OLED products in 2Q17. (Korea Herald, OLED-Info, Business Korea, PJ Time)
Memory
Seagate would contribute up to USD1.25B toward the purchase of Toshiba Corp’s chip unit by a consortium led by Bain Capital. Toshiba has signed an USD18B deal to sell the unit to the group, overcoming a key – albeit not its last – hurdle as it scrambles for funds to stave off a potential delisting. (Today Online, Laoyaoba, NY Times)
UMC is allegedly involved in Micron’s trade secrets scandal. UMC’s chairman Jian Shanjie has no comments on the lawsuit, yet he insists the company has banned staff from trading company’s secrets. He also emphasizes that the in-house R&D DRAM plan will not change, and expects to finish first phase tech R&D by 4Q17. (TechNews, China Flash Market, Taipei Times)
Battery
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has spun off a second wireless recharging start-up. Pi Inc. (San Bruno, Calif.) is readying a beam-forming magnetic induction wireless recharging station that will charge multiple devices within a range of about a foot from the charger in any direction. (EE Times, EE News Europe, Laoyaoba)
Biometrics
KGI Securities analyst Kuo Ming-chi thinks Android manufacturers will not be able to match the iPhone X camera’s features or functionality for 18~30 months, leaving Apple with a strong exclusive feature on high-end smartphones and clearing the way for growth in 2018 and 2019. (CN Beta, Business Insider, Mac Rumors)
Smartphones
KGI Securities analyst Kuo Ming-chi has revised its 2017 Apple iPhone X shipping estimates from 40M to 30M~35M units. Rumors suggest the difficulty of manufacturing the TrueDepth camera is what has led to significant iPhone X production issues, severely limiting initial available supply. (CN Beta, Business Insider, Mac Rumors)
The Indian government is considering exemptions sought by Apple for setting up a unit to assemble iPhones, says Ramesh Abhishek, the top bureaucrat in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion. Apple has asked federal government officials for a range of tax and policy changes to help build out its iPhone assembly work in India. (VentureBeat, Economic Times, Reuters)
Ajey Mehta, India VP for HMD Global mentioned JioPhone and accepted that it may have some impact on the feature phone market. He also made it clear that HMD may consider making a 4G Nokia feature phone if JioPhone does create some ripples. (Android Headlines, Money Control, GSM Arena, Nokia Poweruser, Business Standard)
ZTE Blade Vantage is announced with Verizon Wireless – 5” FWVGA display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor, 8MP + 2MP cameras, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, Android 7.1, 2500mAh battery. (Android Headlines, Verizon Wireless)
PCs / Tablets
Canalys CEO Steve Brazier said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella would exit the Surface product line because he is a “software guy, a cloud guy” and pointed to the demise of the smartphone line. Gianfranco Lanci, corporate president and chief operating officer at Lenovo, said he believed Microsoft may pull the plug on its PC hardware unit before 2019. (CN Beta, The Register, TechRadar)
Google touts Pixelbook – 12.3” QHD 2400×1600 full 360º rotate display, Intel Core i5 / i7 processor, 720p webcam, up to 16GB RAM, up to 512GB SSD, Chrome OS, USB-C, battery life up to 10 hours, from USD999, supports Pixelbook Pen (USD99). (Gizmo China, The Verge, PC World, Wired)
Wearables
Bose has announced SoundWear Companion, which is basically a wearable speaker. The SoundWear can be twisted so that it fits around neck (the way that feels the most comfortable). It is priced at USD299. (Ubergizmo, Android Headlines, Bose, PC Online)
Internet of Things
Google hardware chief Rick Osterloh announced that the company has sold 55M Chromecasts. Google had previously shared it had sold 25M devices in May 2016 and 30M in Jul 2016. (VentureBeat, Tencent)
Google announces a “Made for Google” program for certified accessories. The program will start with 25 partners. The certified accessories span everything from cases to wall adapters, USB cables, and earbuds. (Android Authority, The Verge, 9to5Google, 163)
Tesla cars are set to be a far more common sight on roads around the world, says Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas. The total number of Tesla vehicles out in the wild will grow by about 100 times through the year 2040. The global on-road population of Tesla vehicles will reach nearly 300,000 units by the end of this year and, rise nearly 80% to 531,000 the following year, Jonas said. (CN Beta, CNBC)
Google announced life-logging camera Google Clips, priced at USD249. The camera has a 12-megapixel sensor and a 130-degree f/2.4 lens with a 3 feet to infinity fixed-focus design. (CN Beta, The Verge, TechCrunch, PC Mag)
