IF / News

Chipsets

Huawei is launching MH5000, the first single-core multimode 5G module for industrial purposes. The Huawei 5G industrial module comes with 2Gbps network speed and has a CNY999 (USD141) price tag. MH5000 fully supports 2G/3G/4G/5G networks. In addition, it supports 5G SA/NSA dual mode. The uplink rate reaches 230Mbps while the downlink rate is up to 2Gbps. (CN Beta, My Drivers, GizChina)

Earlier 2019 ARM unveiled its next-generation GPU architecture called Valhall, debuting on the Mali-G77 GPU – a flagship part expected to show up in chipsets in 2020. The company now unveils a mid-range part based on the same architecture. The ARM Mali-G57 GPU targets mid-range chipset and promises a 30% boost in performance, energy efficiency and silicon density compared to a Mali-G52. (GSM Arena, ARM, ARM, ARM, CN Beta, AnandTech)

ARM has unveiled a new lineup of NPUs under the Ethos brand name. They are based on the same Computation Engines (CE), but pack a different number of them running at up to 1GHz. The top NPU, the Ethos-N77, contains 16 CEs and 1-4MB of SRAM. ARM has also unveiled the Mali-D37 – an entry level DPU. It can handle up to QHD+ resolution (1,440×2,880px) on a smartphone, but has additional optimizations for 1080p devices. (GSM Arena, ARM, ARM, ARM, CN Beta, AnandTech)

Samsung Electronics is announcing Exynos 990, which is a premium mobile processor 5G Exynos Modem 5123 harness 7nm process technology using extreme ultra-violet (EUV). It features tri-cluster CPU structure with 2Exynos M5, 2 ARM Cortex-A76 and 4 ARM Cortex-A55. Both the Exynos 990 and the new 5G Exynos Modem 5123 are scheduled to go into mass production by the end of 2019. (Liliputing, Samsung, Android Headlines, IT Home)

Qualcomm is reportedly working on Snapdragon 735, which has a big Cortex-A76-based Kryo core at 2.36GHz and another one at 2.32GHz. The rest of the CPU is a six-core cluster of Cortex-A55 units, all running at 1.73 GHz. (GizChina, GSM Arena, CN Beta)

Touch Display

Samsung is planning to sell 5M~6M foldable phones in 2020. Samsung is reportedly aiming a 10-fold increase in foldable smartphones production. The company is currently selling the Galaxy Fold in batches of 10,000 units. In order to make such a huge leap, Samsung needs to invest in its Vietnam-based factories. (ET News, Android Headlines, Jiemian, Sina)

Samsung Display will likely supply up to 50M units of OLED display panels for Apple in 2H19, thanks to the positive market response for the latest iPhone lineup. (GSM Arena, The Investor)

TCL is showcasing its prototype dual-hinged phone, which folds in 3 parts and opens into a 10” tablet. The “Dragon Hinge” creates a zigzag shap as it is opened and closed, a silhouette in Z. (Laoyaoba, 163, CN Beta, CNET)

Memory

Samsung has announced that the mass production of the industry’s first 12GB LPDDR4X-based uMCP has now begun. The uMCP or UFS-based multichip package utilizes Samsung’s 24-gigabit (Gb) LPDDR4X chips. Samsung is targeting the mid-range market with these and offers an alternative package with 10GB of RAM (combining two 24-gigabit and two 16-gigabit chips). (Sam Mobile, GSM Arena, IT Home, CN Beta)

Battery

There are OEMs are reportedly preparing for commercial 50W wireless fast charging, using a charge pump solution. One of the OEMs might be OPPO. The measured data shows that wired VOOC flash charging is equivalent to the 30W wireless VOOC flash charging speed, and it can fill 4000mAh battery in 80 minutes. (CN Beta, My Drivers)

Sensory

The Sweden-based company Tobii’s Dynavox has unveiled the 5^th generation of I-Series, namely the I-13 (a 13” device) and I-16 (16”) — are the lightest (under 6.3 pounds), a device lineup aimed at people with disabilities like cerebral palsy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). (VentureBeat, PR Newswire)

Connectivity

ZTE has surpassed by far the milestone of 60 agreements with operators worldwide in the field of 5G, James Zhang, a senior VP at the Chinese vendor. The executive has said that China currently represents approximately 60% of ZTE’s overall revenues. (CN Beta, Mobile World Live, RCR Wireless)

Phone

Huawei has announced that it shipped over 200M smartphones globally in 2019. (Android Authority, CN Beta)

During the initial announcement for Stadia, Google has announced the creation of Stadia Games and Entertainment, which would be focused on creating games for the platform. Today, the company revealed that it will open its first game studio in Montréal, a city that is fairly well-known for being home to game development studios from other major companies, including Ubisoft, Warner Bros., Eidos, and Gameloft. (CN Beta, The Verge, Neowin)

Sony is rumored to launch a 5G-ready Xperia by spring 2020. The reason behind it is that Japanese carrier DoCoMo will begin its 5G services in Japan by spring 2020. There is a possibility that the company may sell 5G-enable flagship phones in Japan and some select markets while other regions may receive its 4G variants. (Phone Arena, Sumaho Info, Gizmo China, My Drivers, Sina)

RED founder Jim Jannard has announced that he is “shutting down the HYDROGEN project” as he retires due to “a few health issues”. The company is working on a new “pro camera version” of the Hydrogen One smartphone with a camera designed by the RED team. (CN Beta, The Verge, Engadget, H4V)

Meizu 16T is announced in China – 6.5” 1080×2232 FHD+ Super AMOLED, Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, rear tri 12MP-8MP ultrawide-5MP depth + front 16MP, 6+128 / 8+128 / 8+256GB, Android 9.0, under display fingerprint scanner, 4500mAh 18W, CNY1,999 (USD280) / CNY2,299 (USD320) / CNY2,499 (USD350). (CN Beta, GSM Arena, Meizu)

Motorola announces new phones in Brazil: Moto G8 Plus – 6.3” 1080×2280 FHD+ IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 665, rear tri 48MP-16MP ultrawide-5MP depth + front 25MP, 4+64GB, Android 9.0, rear fingerprint scanner, 4000mAh 18W, EUR269. Moto G8 Play – 6.2” 720×1520 HD+ IPS, MediaTek Helio P70 MT6771, rear tri 48MP-16MP ultrawide-5MP depth + front 25MP, 2+32GB, Android 9.0, rear fingerprint scanner, 4000mAh 10W, MXN4,999 (USD260). Moto E6 Play – 5.5” 720×1440 HD+ IPS, MediaTek MT6739, rear 13MP PDAF + front 5MP, 3+32GB, Android 9.0, rear fingerprint scanner, 3000mAh 5W, EUR109. Moto One Macro – 6.2” 720×1520 HD+ IPS, MediaTek Helio P70 MT6771, rear tri 13MP-2MP depth-2MP macro + front 8MP, 4+64GB, Android 9.0, rear fingerprint scanner, 4000mAh 10W, EUR199. (GSM Arena, Digital Trends, GizChina, Engadget, Android Central)

Hisense A5 is launched in China – 5.83” 640×720 HD+ e-ink, Qualcomm Snapdragon 439, rear 13MP + front 5MP, 4+32 / 4+64GB, Android 9.0, no fingerprint scanner, face unlock, 4000mAh 10W, CNY1,199 (USD169) / CNY1,499 (USD212). (Gizmo China, JD.com)

Augmented / Virtual Reality

Huawei is launching VR Glass, priced at CNY2,999. The glasses can be adjusted in the range of 0~700 degrees myopia, 55~71mm distance adaptive, breathable sunshade mask. The glasses provide 3200×1600 resolution, PPI up to 1058, 90º field of view, 70/90Hz refresh rate, support for 3D sound effects, IMAX giant screen, VR mobile screen, and 30,000 hours of VR video for content resources. , 3 major VR live broadcast platforms, 100+ mobile VR games and thousands of computer VR games (6DoF degrees of freedom), etc. (CN Beta, Sina, My Drivers, Sparrow News)

Samsung’s new design patent describes a VR headset that would offer two displays, with one for each eye, and looks to have a cable running along the right arm. That cable could be for connecting the headset to a phone or another device, or could even connect to a module that would house processors and other internal components. Alternatively, the cable could just be for charging. (Digital Trends, CN Beta, KIPRIS, Galaxy Club)

MediView XR has raised USD4.5M to equip surgeons with augmented reality imagery that effectively gives them 3D X-ray-like vision. With Microsoft HoloLens or other AR goggles, surgeons can insert an instrument into a patient and see an animation that shows exactly where the instrument is going under the skin. The AR Surgical Navigation Platform tool will help surgeons remove cancer tumors in a way similar to controlling a video game. (VentureBeat, Venture Deal)