5-30: MediaTek warned its clients of potential overbooking; ARM new CPU and GPU also for VR; Next year Android flagships will start adopting 4K display; etc.
MediaTek warned its clients of potential overbooking; ARM new CPU and GPU also for VR; Next year Android flagships will start adopting 4K display; Out-OLED touch solutions, OLED panels matched with add-on touch panels, will come into use in 2017; ZTE denies the rumor that the company is moving out of Shenzhen; HTC smartwatch is rumoured delayed again; etc.
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Chipsets |
| MediaTek has reportedly warned its China-based handset clients that they might have placed more orders than their actual demand, in consideration of potential overbooking. (Digitimes, press) |
| ARM announces new products that it expects to see deployed in high-end phones next year. The Cortex-A73 CPU and Mali-G71 GPU are designed to increase performance and power efficiency, with a particular view to supporting mobile VR. (CN Beta, The Verge, Android Headlines, Android Central, AnandTech, article)
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Touch / Display |
| Out-OLED touch solutions, OLED panels matched with add-on touch panels, will come into use in 2017 and this could transform the touch panel industry, with new competition to culminate in 2018-2019, according to Michael Chiang, chairman for TPK Holding. (Digitimes, press, Sanwen8, 52RD) |
| In 2017, Google Android flagships might adopt 4K resolution display. Google newly announced Daydream VR does not specifically mention the display resolution. However, current 2.5K display smartphone looks rough on the VR headset, thus it is necessary to upgrade to 4K display. (Sigmaintell, CEB2B)
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Biometrics |
| Google Trust API trust score is based off various user-specific data points, including current location, facial recognition, and typing patterns. Certain apps could require different scores. The Trust API always runs in the background of users’ devices, monitoring its sensors and information to so that it can provide apps with the current trust score. (TechNews, MSN, Green Bot, The Hack News, TechPP, Digital Trends)
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Smartphones |
| According IDC, because of the work time affected by Lunar New Year holiday, weak demand, some manufacturers clearing inventory in 1Q16, global smartphone production has decreased 14.9% compared to 4Q15. The top 5 China smartphone manufacturer (excluding in-house design and assembly) from the aspect of assembly are Huaqin, Wingtech, CNCE, TINNO and CK Telecom. (TechNews, TOM, IDC, press)
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| ZTE denies the rumor that the company is moving out of Shenzhen, and also indicates that there is no such plan. (CN Beta, 163) |
| Fuze has conducted survey on 5,000 workers and 2,500 teens across Europe. The result argues that 40% of employees are using their personal devices for work. The same goes for software and apps. (Beta News, CN Beta, report)
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| ASUS announces 3 models of Zenfone 3: Zenfone 3 – 5.5” FHD LCD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, 16MP + 8MP cameras, up to 4GB RAM, up to 64GB storage, fingerprint sensor, USB Type-C, 3000mAh battery. Zenfone 3 Deluxe – 5.7” FHD OLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 23MP OIS + 8MP cameras, up to 6GB RAM, up to 64GB storage, fingerprint sensor, USB Type-C, 3000mAh battery. Zenfone 3 Ultra – 6.8” FHD LCD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor, 23MP + 8MP cameras, up to 4GB RAM, up to 64GB storage, fingerprint sensor, USB Type-C, 4600mAh battery. (The Verge, Engadget, Gizmo China, Mobile Syrup)
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Wearables |
| According to some data, kid’s smartwach is shipped about 1 million units in 2014, and in 2015, from supply chain data, the supply is tight and the prices are going up. In 2015, kid’s smartwatch shipment reached more than 500,000 units per month, and in total year it has reached 6-8 million units. It forecasts that this segment will grow to 50 million per year before 2020, which shows a huge market potential. (CN Beta, Sohu) |
| HTC smartwatch is rumoured delayed again, this time until the fall in 2016. (Phone Arena, Ecumenical News, 163)
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Internet of Things |
| French smart home startup Netatmo has unveiled its new Netatmo Connect platform, which allows developers to can build software and hardware integrations with Netatmo products. Netatmo sells weather stations, thermostats, indoor and outdoor cameras. (Digital Trends, TechCrunch, Read/Write, Netatmo)
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| Morgan Stanley analysts Katy Huberty and Adam Jones estimate Apple had spent nearly USD5 billion in incremental R&D on some kind of auto/auto services project from 2013 till 2015. (Forbes, 199IT, PED30, Bloomberg)
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| Bowhead Technology Gululu is a durable-looking water bottle with a small display on the front. One of several small “pets” floats around on the screen and interacts with child as the water bottle gets used. (Android Central, EE Times, Gululu, Tencent, ChinaSo)
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| Xiaomi unveils a new Mi Smart LED Desk Lamp, which comes with four modes for different lighting needs — focus mode, read mode, child mode and computer modem, and can be controlled via smartphone app. It is priced at CNY169. (Gizmo China, My Drivers, Huanqiu)
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| Google is reportedly in talks with the Toyota Research Institute to sell its robotics division Boston Dynamics. A price for the deal has not yet been disclosed, but the deal is closely done. (Ubergizmo, Tech Insider, iFeng, Yesky) |
| According to IDC, in 1Q16 China aerial photography drone shipment has exceeded 80,000 units, a 33.6% increase from 4Q15. In the past 2 years, a lot of customers have attempted using drone products, and in the coming few years, China, even worldwide, drone market will enter 2.0 era. (EE Trend, IDC, press) |
| Edward Jones analyst Bill Kreher believes that the IoT market is a massive opportunity, and the autonomous vehicle is a part of that. Over time, this market will experience widespread adoption. Simply, the promise of greater productivity will drive demand over the long run. Kreher expects the IoT industry overall, including automotive, to grow 10%-15% annually in the next 3 years. (CN Beta, Investors, article, Financial Content) |
| ASUS announces ZenBo, which is connected to the internet, able to perform a wide variety of tasks, including communicating with contacts and interacting with smart home appliances, with a touch screen and priced at USD599. (Android Central, Engadget, Tuicool)
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