IF / News

Chipsets

Qualcomm has announced to release Qualcomm Vision Intelligence Platform with 2 new chips specifically designed for the Internet of Things (IoT). The QCS605 and QCS603 are the first installments in the Qualcomm Vision Intelligence Platform. The chipsets will likely be used in things like smart security systems, autonomous robots, and action cameras. (Android Authority, Engadget, Qualcomm, CN Beta)

Touch Display

The world’s first wave of foldable smartphone is likely to make its debut at the end of 2018 as a number of brand vendors are accelerating their R&D efforts on related projects, according to Digitimes. Global shipments of foldable smartphones are expected to total 700K units in 2019 and further expand to 30.4M in 2021 and to 50.1M in 2022, according Strategy Analytics. (Digitimes, press, Gizmo China, Sohu)

Shenzhen Refond Optoelectronics has announced that the company has invested about CNY467M I SMD LED, Mini LED and Micro LED research and development. (Laoyaoba, EE World, OfWeek)

Taiwanese Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has showcased  a prototype for an AMOLED display technology that could allow for truly foldable devices. The panels are abrasion-resistant and folding resistant, and can be folded up to 200,000 times with a folding radius of 3 mm. The panels can also withstand being subjected to 1 kg of steel wool friction over 50,000 times. (Android Headlines, OLED-Info, Yesky, Sina)

According to DSCC, from 2017 to 2022, display suppliers are predicted to spend USD109B, down from USD116B predicted in 4Q17, to meet the demand for larger and higher resolution TVs and thinner, lighter and flexible mobile displays. DSCC’s 2018 equipment spending of USD21B is expected to be evenly split between LCD and OLED fabs with LCD spending rising 16% and OLED spending falling 30%. However, from 2019, OLED spending and growth is expected to outpace LCD spending. (OLED-Info, DSCC, press, Elecfans)

Camera

Samsung is sourcing Sony’s imaging sensors for its certain Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus models being equipped with hardware from Sony, according to a new teardown performed by TechInsights. While Samsung develops its own camera sensors, it does source them from other sensor suppliers such as Sony too, particularly for flagship devices. (Ubergizmo, TechInsights, Android Headlines)

Storage

Elite Semiconductor Memory Technology (ESMT), Nanya Technology, ADATA Technology enjoy a great revenues in Mar 2018, thanks to the shortage, cost up and back to normal working days. ESMT enjoys NTD1.085B revenues, Nanya and ADATA also have the best revenues record in 11 years. (Digitimes, UDN, Laoyaoba)

Sensory

Based on 5G network, OPPO has developed a high-definition 3D video communication technology. Not only using the front camera to capture the object or person, OPPO seems to be using 3D structured light components. (CN Beta, OfWeek, My Drivers, Sohu)

Connectivity

Sprint and T-Mobile have allegedly restarted deal talks. The combined company would have more than 127M customers. T-Mobile’s and Sprint’s previous round of negotiations ended in Nov 2017 over valuation disagreements. (Phone Arena, WSJ, USA Today, The Verge, CNBC, Reuters, Tencent, 163)

Google is allegedly in talks to acquire Nokia Oyj’s airplane broadband business as the Alphabet unit seeks to tap into new services and reach more users by offering in-flight high-speed internet. Nokia’s LTE A2G cellular-based system creates a direct link between an aircraft and the ground instead of bouncing the signal off of a satellite, enabling in-cabin high-speed internet services using Wi-Fi. (Android Headlines, CNBC, Bloomberg, iFeng, Sohu)

Qualcomm and vivo have demoed 5G application, in which there are several tests ranging from the download testing, online video playback testing, speed testing, download testing, upload testing, and high-definition 3D live video testing. (My Drivers, WCCFTech)

Phones

Samsung C&T, de facto holding company of Samsung Group, is allegedly considering raising up to KRW3T (USD2.8B) to buy a 30% stake in sub-subsidiary Samsung Bioepis. However, the former has denied the rumor. Samsung Bioepis is 94.6% owned by Samsung BioLogics and 5.4% owned by a unit of Biogen Inc as of end-2017. (CN Beta, Reuters, Reuters)

HMD Global, the exclusive licencee of the Nokia brand for phones and tablets, will progressively switch to manufacturing all components in India by 2022. According to Ajey Mehta, Vice President and Country Head-India, HMD Global, they have started having conversations with Foxconn to manufacture our own components in the country. (NDTV, Live Mint, CN Beta)

According to Zhao Likun, general manager for Huawei South Africa’s consumer business group, their first Android Go smartphone is named Y-series 2018. This is the first Huawei’s product equipped with Android Go. (Android Authority, Gear Burn)

82% of teens of teens currently own an Apple iPhone, according to Piper Jaffray’s “Teens Survey”, which questions thousands of kids across 40 states with an average age of 16. That is up from 78% in fall 2017, and it is the highest percentage of teen iPhone ownership Piper’s seen in its survey. (Android Authority, Business Insider, Phone Arena, iFeng, Piper Jaffray report)

Nubia has announced its very own gaming brand, and it’s called ‘Red Magic’. Red Magic claims that it’s put “all possible specs under the microscope” before it went about creating its first smartphone. The end result of its efforts should be “a product to bring all gamers – casual and competitive – together”. (Android Headlines, GSM Arena, Sohu, Sohu, IT Home)

Apple has announced a new update that seems to support Ripple’s Inter-Ledger Protocol (ILP). This is a network through which cryptocurrency and blockchain payments can be facilitated. (Finance Magnets, Crypto Daily, Coin Speaker, CN Beta)

Gionee is reportedly cutting as much as 50% of jobs at its headquarter. Gionne has already begun laying off almost half of its workers at its main manufacturing plant in Dongguan. (CN Beta, TechNode, 163)

ZTE A530 is official – 5.45” 720×1440 HD+, MediaTek MT6739, rear 5MP + front 2MP, 2GB+16GB, Android 8.0, 2660mAh, CNY799. (Android Headlines, NDTV, Gizmo China, The Mobile Indian)

Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo is launched in India – 5.5” HD Super AMOLED, Samsung Exynos 7, rear dual 13MP-5MP + front 8MP, 4GB+32GB, 3000mAh, front fingerprint scanner, INR16,990. (Android Headlines, GSM Arena, TechRadar, Samsung)

nubia Z18 mini is announced – 5.7” FHD+ 2160×1080, Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, rear dual 24MP-5MP + front 8MP, 6GB + 64/128GB, Android 8.1, 3450mAh, from CNY1799. (CN Beta, GizChina, GSM Arena)

Entry level Cubot Nova is launched – 5.5” HD+ IPS, MediaTek MT6739, rear 13MP + front 8MP, 3GB+16GB, Android 8.1, 2800mAh. (GizChina, Gizmo China)

vivo Y71 is launched in India – 5.99” 720×1440 HD+, Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, rear 13MP + front 5MP, 3GB+16GB, Android 8.0, 3360mAh, INR10,990. (GSM Arena, 91Mobiles)

PCs / Tablets

Lenovo Group CEO Yang Yuanqing has announced that the company is setting its sights on 4 key areas for 2018: a “return to the PC top spot without compromising profitability,” turning its mobile division into a “healthy business,” transforming its data center into a “sustainable, profitable growth engine,” and building a competitive edge for its artificial intelligence business. (Laoyaoba, Sohu, Sina, WRAL, Caixin)

Worldwide PC shipments totaled 61.7M units in 1Q18, a 1.4% decline from 1Q17, according to preliminary results by Gartner. The PC market experienced a 14th consecutive quarter of decline, dating back to 2Q12. The top 3 vendors — HP, Lenovo and Dell — accounted for 56.9% of global PC shipments in 1Q18, compared with 54.5% of shipments in 1Q17. (VentureBeat, Gartner, press, Tencent, Sina)

Wearables

Google has announced its VR180 video and photo format for VR open to any developer or manufacturer. Google’s VR180 video is based on the Spherical Video Metadata V2 standard, but there are a few additions to make it suitable for mobile VR. (VentureBeat, Google, Extreme Tech, Linux IDC)

IDC China indicates that in 2017 VR market in China is dropping to the low point, with only 72.2% growth YoY. In particular, desktop HDR and “box” VR only sustain at about 40% YoY growth. Standalone VR is the only category that keep at a great speed, with 264.6% YoY growth. (IDC, press, Laoyaoba)

Internet of Things

Committed to improving China’s agricultural infrastructure through smart technology, the country’s largest retailer, JD.com has launched the JD Smart Agriculture Development Community. The new initiative leverages smart technology to transform China’s agriculture industry. JD has teamed up with over 50 partners and several local government representatives to launch this initiative. (CN Beta, East Money, CE.cn, West Dollar, JD.com)

Tencent is all set to release its own smart speaker, Tencent Ting Ting, under its Tencent Smart Innovation division and has reportedly teamed up with WeChat to make that happen.  (Android Headlines, TechNode, 36Kr, Baidu, Qianjia)