IF / News

Chipsets

[MWC2019] Qualcomm has unveiled the Snapdragon 8cx 5G, a variant of the 8cx (the first 7nm mobile PC chipset) that comes paired with the Snapdragon X55 5G modem. It aims to modernize the PC industry by addressing the growing connectivity and performance needs of the modern workplace. (Liliputing, Neowin, Qualcomm, Sina, My Drivers)

[MWC2019] Qualcomm is preparing the augmented / virtual reality (AR / VR) worlds for the advent of 5G by announcing full “XR” ecosystem support for its Snapdragon 855. It is combining AR and VR devices into a single category of XR viewer. Qualcomm will create an “XR-optimized” certification program for phones using its Snapdragon 855 processors. (CN Beta, VetureBeat, Times Now, PC Mag)

[MWC2019] Qualcomm is launching QCA6390 supporting up to 1.8 Gbps of Wi-Fi 6 bandwidth over a combined 1024-QAM dual-band (5 GHz and 2.4 GHz simultaneous, up to 80 MHz) connection, as well as WPA3 security, enhanced BlueTooth 5.1, and additional optional features to the Wi-Fi 6 specification. (CN Beta, AnandTech, Qualcomm)

Camera

[MWC2019] Light, the company with a specialty for creating multiple-lensed cameras in small form factors, has announced a new partnership with Xiaomi. (Android Authority, CN Beta, Globe Newswire)

Memory

[MWC2019] SanDisk and Micron have announced microSD cards with 1TB capacities. The 1TB SanDisk Extreme UHS-I microSDXC card can reach speeds up to 160Mbps. The Micron c200 1TB microSDXC UHS-I card uses Micron’s 96-layer 3D quad-level NAND technology to achieve its high capacity. (Android Authority, SanDisk, Micron, Landian News, CN Beta)

[MWC2019] Western Digital (WD) is introducing iNAND MC EU511, which is built on WD’s 96-layer 3D NAND, and boasts a turbo sequential write speed of up to 750MB/s as well a 2× increase in read speeds on its predecessor. Random read and write performance is also given a boost, and it will be available in capacities 64GB~512GB. (Android Central, CN Beta)

SK Hynix and Samsung have presented their goals for DDR5 memory. Both companies plan to release DDR5 products by the end of 2019, with SK Hynix focusing on desktops and Samsung on mobile devices. (CN Beta, Tom’s Hardware)

Battery

[MWC2019] Energous, the developer of WattUp, a wireless charging 2.0 technology, has announced a collaboration with vivo to explore integrating WattUp into smartphone designs that charge wirelessly over-the-air. (CN Beta, Digital Trends, Globe Newswire, CNET)

[MWC2019] Qualcomm has announced Qualcomm Quick Charge technology for wireless power. Charging pads (with matching chargers) that meet Qualcomm’s guidelines should not only deliver electricity quickly, but in a “consistent and safety-conscious” fashion. (Android Headlines, Qualcomm, GSM Arena, Engadget, CN Beta)

Connectivity

[MWC2019] Ericsson CEO Börje Ekholm indicates that Asia and North America are leading the way on 5G. Ericsson has publicly announced 5G deals with 10 named service provider customers. The company is currently rolling out 5G networks in the US, Europe, Asia and Australia. (CN Beta, PR Newswire, ZDNet)

[MWC2019] OnePlus has showcased a prototype of its first 5G phone. The company has recently confirmed via a Finnish carrier Elisa and United Kingdom carrier EE that it expects to launch it in 2Q19. (Digital Trends, The Verge, TechRadar, USA Today, Huanqiu, CN Beta)

[MWC2019] Sony has showcased its 5G prototype phone, which adopts 21:9 display, powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 with X50 5G modem. It is claimed to be the first 5G 21:9 phone. (CN Beta, GSM Arena, Pocket-Lint)

[MWC2019] TCL has shown off its first functional 5G USB data terminal, and it intends to release it in 2Q19. This device has been made in partnership with China Mobile, and uses MediaTek’s first-generation 5G chip, the MediaTek Helio M70. It will be able to provide PC end users with high-speed downlink rates of 4Gbps, and 2Gbps uplink rates. (Digital Trends, GSM Arena, CWW)

Wearables

[MWC2019] Flexible smartwatch or wearable smartphone nubia α is announced – 4” 960×192 flexible OLED, Qualcomm Snapdragon 3100, 1+8GB, Bluetooth / 4G eSIM, 500mAh, heart rate / sleep quality / various exercise tracking, EUR449 (Bluetooth) / EUR549 (4G eSIM). (Android Authority, Engadget CN, TechRadar, The Verge, Trusted Reviews)

Augmented / Virtual Reality

[MWC2019] Microsoft is announcing HoloLens 2. The company boasted the headset’s “more than 2×” field of view compared to the original. HoloLens 2 is priced at USD3,500. And it can be purchased with a Dynamics 365 Remote Assist bundle for USD125/month.  (Neowin, Upload VR, Forbes, CN Beta, Microsoft)

[MWC2019] Microsoft is introducing the HoloLens Customization Program, understanding that different businesses might have different needs in terms of design. Trimble made a hard hat design with HoloLens 2. (Neowin, Microsoft, CN Beta)

[MWC2019] Augmented reality (AR) glasses company Vuzix has announced the M400 Smart Glasses. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1 platform. It will run on Android and will have USB-C connectivity. It will have built-in GPS, a multi-finger support pad and better noise canceling. (Android Headlines, Engadget, PR Newswire, Sina)