IF / News

In 2020, the foundry industry revenue reached about USD82B, representing a 23% YoY growth. Despite this high base of 2020, the double-digit growth will persist in 2021. Counterpoint forecast a 12% YoY growth with a total revenue of USD92B. TSMC has started its 5nm mass production from 1Q20, and Samsung followed after 6-9 months. 5nm is considered a fully adopted EUV node for both foundries as Intel’s equivalent 7nm announced another delay in production in 2020. Based on Counterpoint’s estimates, the total wafer shipment volume of 5nm will account for 5% of 12” wafers in the global foundry industry in 2021, up from less than 1% in 2020. Apple is the top customer (with all orders to TSMC) in 5nm in 2021.  (Gizmo China, Counterpoint Research, 9to5Mac)

[CES2021] Samsung has unveiled Exynos 2100, which is built on the 5nm EUV process node. The new chip has an octa-core chipset with a 1+3+4 core arrangement. There is a prime Cortex-X1 core clocked at 2.9GHz, three high-performance Cortex-A78 cores, and four Cortex-A55 power-efficient core.  (Gizmo China, Neowin, Samsung, AnandTech)

[CES2021] Samsung LSI president and general manager Dr Inyup Kang has revealed that its “next flagship product” would have a “next-generation mobile GPU” by AMD. Samsung’s next Exynos flagship processor would use an AMD GPU and to land in 2022. (Android Authority, YouTube)

[CES2021] TCL has unveiled 2 new rollable display concepts. The first is a smartphone that expands upwards, while the second is a tablet that expands outwards. The first model starts off in a 6.7” form factor and expands upwards into a more “standard” aspect ratio at 7.8”. The second model a tablet that can be expanded outwards, with a “Printed OLED” display that resembles a scroll when opened or closed. (Android Central, Slash Gear, CN Beta)

[CES2021] TCL has unveiled its third-generation mini-LED backlighting tech labeled “OD Zero”. OD Zero represents the optical distance between the Mini LED backlight layer and the LCD display layer (diffuser plate), which has now been reduced to an astonishing 0mm, to create an ultra-thin high-performance backlight module. (Android Authority, PR Newswire, LED Inside, Sina)

[CES2021] TCL has unveiled a concept tablet built around a 17” rollable, printed OLED display. The display offers a “100% color gamut” and could translate to other devices, including TVs, foldables and commercial displays. (Engadget, Digital Trends)

[CES2021] TCL has unveiled NXTPAPER reflective display technology, which is designed to offer a paper-like viewing experience since the screen is easily visible using ambient light. That means it also consumes less power than a typical LCD or OLED display and does not emit blue light. (Liliputing, TCL)

TCL’s plan to shift the liquid crystal display (LCD) factory it is buying from Samsung Display from TV panels to IT panels is likely to be delayed. This is due to the shortage of LCD TV panels, and customers are requesting TCL extend LCD TV panel production at Suzhou. In Aug 2020, TCL announced that it is buying Samsung Display’s Suzhou LCD factory for USD1.08B. (Gizmo China, The Elec)

[CES2021] LG has shown off a rollable smartphone. LG is reportedly planning to release its own rollable smartphone in in 2021.  (Digital Trends, Neowin)

Samsung Electronics is expected to adopt a two-pronged approach to push the sales of its QLED and microLED TVs in 2021, in response to fellow company LG Electronics’ efforts to promote its rollable OLED TVs, according to Digitimes Research. (Gizmo China, Digitimes, press, Digitimes)

Qualcomm announces its second-generation in-display fingerprint sensor called its 3D Sonic Gen 2. The next-generation Qualcomm 3D Sonic Sensor promises to be 50% quicker than its predecessor and 77% larger. Qualcomm says that the second gen 3D Sonic Sensor will debut in smartphones “in early 2021”. (GSM Arena, Qualcomm, The Verge, Sina)

NIO has officially announced a groundbreaking upcoming battery option for its electric cars – 150kWh battery packs, consisting of ultra-high energy density solid-state cells. The company is confident that it will start customer deliveries of those new 150kWh packs from 4Q22. (Pocket-Lint, Inside EVs, NIO, 36Kr, Sina)

A small technology company that once worked with British Telecom (BT) to connect remote fishing villages along the English-Scottish border to basic phone services is angling to fill the gap left by Huawei, after the UK government decided to phase out the Chinese group from 5G telecoms networks. Airspan, which is based in Boca Raton in Florida and majority-owned by Oak Investment Partners, has made several forays into the UK in the past.  (CN Beta, FT, Telecom Paper)

[CES2021] Samsung is expanding its Galaxy Upcycling program with “Galaxy Upcycling at Home”. The new program reimagines the lifecycle of an older Galaxy phone and offers consumers options on how they might be able to repurpose their device to create a variety of convenient IoT tools. Users can use their Galaxy phones for a variety of IoT solutions. (Android Central, Samsung, C114)

Messaging app Telegram has hit 500M users, a milestone the company had been inching towards slowly ever since it crossed 400M users back in 2020. The company has attributed this growth to massive uptake over the past 72 hours, with more than 25M new users signing up within that time frame. It is very likely that this is a direct response to the backlash against Facebook over its new terms of service for WhatsApp. (Android Central, Business Insider, Telegram)

[CES2021] TCL 20 5G and TCL 20 SE are announced: TCL 20 5G – 6.67” 1080×2400 FHD+ HiD IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 5G, rear tri 48MP-8MP ultrawide-2MP macro + front 8MP, 6+128GB, Android 10.0, side fingerprint, 4500mAh 18W, EUR299. TCL 20 SE – 6.82” 720×1600 HD+ v-notch, Qualcomm Snapdragon 460, rear quad 16MP-5MP ultrawide-2MP macro-2MP depth + front 8MP, 4+64GB, Android 10.0, rear fingerprint, 5000mAh 18W, EUR149. (Android Authority, GSM Arena, TCL, NDTV)

vivo iQOO 7 is announced in China – 6.62” 1080×2400 FHD+ HiD AMOLED 120Hz, Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, rear tri 48MP OIS-13MP portrait 2x optical zoom-13MP ultrawide + front 16MP, 8+128 / 12+256GB, Android 11.0, fingerprint on display, 4000mAh 120W, CNY3,798 (USD586) / CNY4,198 (USD648). (GSM Arena, GizChina)

vivo Y51A is launched in India – 6.58” 1080×2408 FHD+ u-notch IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 665, rear tri 48MP-8MP ultrawide-2MP macro + front 16MP, 8+128GB, Android 11.0, side fingerprint, 5000mAh 18W, INR17,990 (USD246). (GizChina, Fone Arena)

vivo Y12s is announced in India – 6.517” 720×1600 HD+ v-notch, MediaTek Helio P35, rear dual 13MP-2MP depth + front 8MP, 3+32GB, Android 10.0, side fingerprint, 5000mAh 10W, INR9,990 (USD136). (Gizmo China, NDTV, vivo)

vivo Y31s 5G is announced in China – 6.58” 1080×2408 FHD+ v-notch, Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G, rear dual 13MP-2MP depth + front 8MP, 6+128GB, Android 11.0, side fingerprint, 5000mAh 18W, CNY1,698 (USD262). (Gizmo China, IT Home, Sohu)

According to Canalys, worldwide PC market growth accelerated in 4Q20, as shipments of desktops, notebooks and workstations increased by 25% from a year ago to reach a record 90.3M units (excluding tablets). On the back of this remarkable recovery after a supply-constrained in 1Q20, total PC shipments in 2020 grew 11% to reach 297M units. This represents the highest full-year growth since 2010 and the highest shipment volume since 2014. (Neowin, Mac Rumors, Canalys)

With the pandemic still in full swing, traditional PCs (inclusive of desktops, notebooks, and workstations) were once again an in-demand consumer technology. The 4Q20 saw global shipments grow 26.1% year over year to 91.6M units, according to IDC. The same category of devices grew 13.1% year over year for the full year 2020 with the catalysts being work from home, remote learning, and restored consumer demand. (GizChina, IDC)

[CES2021] TCL has announced new tablets: TCL NXTPAPER – 8.88” 1440×1080 NCVM (non-conductive vacuum metallization) composite display, MediaTek MT8768e, rear 8MP + front 5MP, 4+64GB, Android 10.0, 5500mAh 18W, EUR349. TCL TAB 10s – 10.1” 2000×1920 FHD+ IPS LCD, MediaTek MT8769, rear 8MP + front 5MP, 3+32 / 4+64GB, Android 10.0, 8000mAh 18W, EUR199 (Wi-Fi only) / EUR249 (4G variant).  (GSM Arena, Liliputing, Engadget, XDA-Developers)

[CES2021] Fossil has partnered with Michael Kors to launch new styles of the Gen 5E. The high-end Darci watch features a stainless steel case and starts at USD350. The MKGO watch is made with an aluminum case and starts at USD250. (GSM Arena, Engadget, Android Central, Digital Trends)

[CES2021] TCL MoveAudio S600 is announced. It features a 10mm audio driver unit, Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency Mode (Ambient Mode), Smart Wear detection, Touch Controls for play/pause, hands-free calling, etc. It also supports Google Fast Pair, IP54 rating, and wireless charging. It is priced at EUR149. (The Verge, Gizmo China)

[CES2021] Amazfit launches new GTS 2e and GTR 2e fitness trackers, equipped with the latest BioTracker 2 PPG high-precision optical sensor as well as Personal Activity Intelligence (PAI), which is a health assessment system. Both priced at USD140: GTS 2e – 1.65” 341×341 rotatable AMOLED. GTR 2e – 1.39” 326×326 circular AMOLED. (Neowin, XDA-Developers, GSM Arena, PR Newswire)

[CES2021] A Japanese startup Quantum Operation has showcased its prototype wearable that can accurately measure blood sugar from the wrist. The prototype crams in a small spectrometer which is used to scan the blood to measure for glucose. Quantum’s pitch adds that the watch is also capable of reading other vital signs, including heart rate and ECG. (Gizmo China, Engadget)

[CES2021] TCL Wearable Display is announced, which is a pair of glasses with 2 1080P mini OLED display. TCL says they produce the effect of viewing a 140” display from 4m away, with a density of 49 pixels per degree. They are also capable of displaying 3D content. (Digital Trends, The Verge, Engadget, Sohu)

[CES2021] Lenovo has introduced the ThinkReality A3 lightweight smart glasses. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1 which drives stereoscopic 1080p displays, can show “up to 5 virtual displays”. A single 8MP RGB camera provides 1080p video for remote expert training, and dual fisheye cameras provide room-scale tracking. (Digital Trends, Lenovo, Road To VR)

Thanks to the stay-at-home economy brought about the by the COVID-19 pandemic, TV shipment in North America saw the start of an upturn in late Mar 2020, while demand in the European market also gradually ramped up in 2H20, according to TrendForce’s latest investigations. On the whole, global TV shipment rebounded from rock-bottom levels in Apr and peaked in Oct 2020. Nonetheless, recent shortages in IC products from upstream semiconductor suppliers led TV brands to push back their 4Q20 shipment schedules, resulting in a global TV shipment of 217M units in 2020, a 0.3% YoY decline. (Gizmo China, The Elec, TrendForce, TrendForce)

[CES2021] LG has released a handful of details about its upcoming 2021 series of OLED televisions. There are at least 5 models of OLED TVs available in 2021, including the Z1, G1, C1, B1, and A1. The Z1, G1, and C1 models feature LG’s new α9 Gen 4 image signal processor. It uses deep learning algorithms to upscale content and has a feature called AI Picture Pro, which can recognize objects such as faces and bodies as well as the foreground and background in the image. (GSM Arena, LG, Pocket-Lint)

[CES2021] Sony has announced the Airpeak drone. The Airpeak aircraft is designed to carry Sony’s Alpha cameras in its 3-axis stabilized center-hanging gimbal. It keeps images steady as it flies through the sky. It has four rotors, two landing arms that lift with takeoff. (Android Authority, Engadget, Sony, Sina)

[CES2021] Samsung has demoed a robot household assistant called Bot Handy. The robot, which has one long arm, can do chores around the house. The robot has a single arm that can pivot at three points — essentially a shoulder, elbow, and wrist — with a clamp-like hand at the end of it. There are cameras mounted on top of the robot’s body and hand for recognizing objects. (CN Beta, Business Insider, Samsung, The Verge)

[CES2021] Samsung has announced the JetBot 90 AI+ a robot vacuum cleaner that’s aiming to be smarter than other robot cleaners thanks to AI. It is loaded with sensors, including Lidar and a 3D sensor, so that it can recognise objects and separate those from the floor it is trying to clean. (CN Beta, Sam Mobile, CNET)