IF / News

Chipsets

Guizhou-based Huaxintong Semiconductor Technology and Chongqing ‘Fei Xiang’ internet company have signed strategic collaboration. Both parties will aim at application based on Huaxintong’s ARM architecture server.  (CCIDNet, EE World, Elecfans, Laoyaoba)

Pure-play foundry United Microelectronics (UMC) plans to expand its 80nm process capacity by over 100% in 4Q18 to satisfy the growing demand for TDDI chips for use in smartphones featuring edge-to-edge displays, according to Digitimes. UMC’s 80nm process technology adopted by many Taiwan-based TDDI chip providers, including Novatek Microelectronics, Himax Technologies, FocalTech Systems and Parade Technologies, had monthly production capacity maintained at about 20,000 wafers in 1H18. (Yahoo, Digitimes, press)

Touch Display

Visionox has announced a complex restructuring move indicating that the company (which recently reversed-merged with Black Cattle Foods) aims to focus on its AMOLED business and sell its PMOLED business. Visionox has been producing PMOLED displays since 2008, at two 370×400 mm production lines, each with monthly capacity of around 8K substrates. (OLED-Info, Visionox, CE.cn, Tencent)

Camera

HMD Global has acquired the PureView trademark from Nokia and Microsoft. Nokia and Microsoft previously used the branding for phones with a great camera experience. According to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) listing, the trademark ownership has now been transferred from Microsoft to HMD Global on 23 Aug 2018. (Android Authority, Gizmo China, EU IPO, Phone Arena, Baijiahao)

The first camera that can be embedded under a phone’s display might launch in 2019. If this comes to pass, it would remove the need for the screen cutout in the iPhone and many rival Android models. (Cult of Mac, iFeng, BGR, Twitter)

Storage

Silicon Motion is previewing their first SSD controller designed specifically for enterprise and datacenter SSDs. The new SM2270 will be Silicon Motion’s largest and most powerful SSD controller yet, with a 16-channel NAND interface and support for a PCIe 3.0 x8 host interface. (CN Beta, My Drivers, Tweak Town, AnandTech)

Nantero is showcasing new RAM design based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which is poised to become a replacement for DRAM. As a first step, partner Fujitsu aims to ship in 2019 a DRAM alternative using the technology. Its non-volatile NRAMs use electrostatic charge to activate stochastic arrays of CNT cells it claims are relatively easy to spin coat on to any CMOS process. (EE Times, AnandTech, Wall Street CN, EE World)

Sensory

Taiwan-based makers in the 3D sensing components supply chain, including VCSEL suppliers and 3D packaging firms, have seen their shipments start picking up recently after a slowdown in Jun-July 2018 caused by inventory adjustments at clients, according to Digitimes. (Digitimes, press)

Biometrics

China-based fingerprint recognition vendor Silead in-display fingerprint senseor has entered mass production, and being adopted by OPPO R17 series. GigaDevice Semiconductor has acquired Silead for CNY1.7B (USD269.17M). OPPO R17 series in-display fingerprint is based on optical technology, which is using CMOS solution and MicroLens equipped with 3P lens and 4mm² sensing component. This could achieve 0.41s to unlock the display. (Laoyaoba, IC Smart, Sohu, Sina, Reuters)

Phone

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and Debby Wu say that some inside Apple are labeling this another “S year” — meaning that the new phones will keep existing designs, but update the internals.  (Bloomberg, The Verge, CN Beta)

Archos Access 57 is announced – 5.7” 480×960 FWVGA+, Spreadtrum SC9832E, rear 8MP + front 2MP, 1GB+8GB (3G) / 16GB (4G), Android Oreo (Go Edition), 2400mAh, EUR80. (GSM Arena, Archos)

Huawei Mate 20 Lite is official in Poland – 6.3” 1080×2340 FHD+ IPS, Hisilicon Kirin 710, rear dual 20MP-2MP + front dual 24MP-2MP, 6GB+64GB,  Android 8.1, rear fingerprint scanner, 3750mAh, PLN1,599 (USD436). (GSM Arena, The Android Soul, Gizmo China)

Wearables

China-based Huami, a main ODM of Xiaomi’s smart wrist bands and weight scales, launched its own-brand smartwatch, Amazfit, in Europe and US in Sept 2016 and has since sold over 1M units, and will expand into the Asia Pacific region, especially Indonesia and India, company founder, chairman and CEO Huang Wang has told Digitimes. (Digitimes, press, Mirror Media, Tencent, My Drivers)

Automotive

Jaguar has confirmed that their 2017 concept electric E-Type will go into serial production, and that current owners can bring in their E-Type to install an electric motor. The new E-Type is made possible by combining their in-house restoration expertise with technology from the I-Pace. (Ubergizmo, Mashable, CN Beta)

Dongfeng Motor Company (DFL), a Chinese joint venture between Nissan and Dongfeng, re-confirmed its goal to introduce 20 electrified models (all-electric or e-POWER series hybrids) under 4 brands by 2022. The “Green 2022 Plan” rollout envisions a focus on green products, production and materials reuse. Some 30% of total car sales by the DFL are to be electrified models. (Electrek, Inside EVs, Sina, JRJ)

Fintech

Alipay has officially banned over-the-counter (OTC) Bitcoin trading, prohibiting traders from utilizing Alipay accounts to initiate digital asset trades. (CN Beta, Ethereum World News, Coin Desk, Crypto Slate)