IF / News

TF Securities analyst Ming-chi Kuo reports that Apple is working on a “refreshed C1” for 2026, which support mmWave. The current C1 supports sub-6GHz 5G only. It consists of a 4nm or 5nm baseband, 7nm low-frequency transceivers, 7nm also for the intermediate frequencies and a 55nm Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC). Kuo reports that Apple is unlikely to shift the baseband to 3nm for the next version. Apple will add mmWave transceivers and front-end components (using a 28nm node) to enable the fastest 5G speeds possible (in the regions that even have mmWave).  (GSM Arena, Twitter)

Huawei allegedly possesses sufficient resources to manufacture approximately 750,000 advanced AI chips amid US trade restrictions. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) reports that Huawei has enough resources to produce 1M Ascend 910C AI chips. Developing these chips involves putting two Ascend 910B through a process called “packaging”. During the packaging, a percentage of the chips become damaged and unusable. Currently, it is estimated that Huawei can produce around 750,000 usable 910C units. Huawei could achieve this milestone in collaboration with SMIC. SMIC has produced the latest Kirin chips for Huawei smartphones. Currently, SMIC is “stuck” on the 7nm process. The company managed to fix the problem by legally acquiring US deposition and other chip manufacturing tools. The equipment acquired “was not restricted on a country-wide basis to all of China”. Additionally, “the equipment was restricted on an end-use and end-user basis, but SiEn and Pensun told U.S. firms that it would exclusively be used for producing chips less advanced than 14nm”. (Android Headlines, CSIS, WCCFTech)

TF Securities analyst Ming-chi Kuo indicates that the first Apple foldable will launch in late 2026. Apple is going for a book-style foldable iPhone with a 5.5” outer screen and a 7.8” OLED display. The main display is reportedly “crease-free” thanks to an advanced hinge mechanism. Kuo shares that Bright Laser Technologies (BLT) is the leading supplier for the foldable iPhone’s hinge and midframe. Both of those components are allegedly made from stainless steel and titanium with their slender profiles requiring advanced 3D printing technology. The foldable phone will feature a Touch ID fingerprint reader integrated into the power button on the side. Kuo speculates that this move will help the device maintain a slimmer profile. The foldable iPhone will reportedly measure just 4.5–4.8mm in its unfolded state and 9–9.5mm when folded. The casing is made from titanium. Kuo suggests the foldable iPhone will get an initial production run in 3Q25. Mass production is expected to start in 4Q26, with the device officially launching later 2026. Kuo says the folding iPhone will cost between USD2,000-2,500. He expects Apple to ship between 3-5M units in 2026, while the second-gen version is expected to reach up to 20M shipments in 2027. (GSM Arena, Ming-chi Kuo, Medium)

The display on the Samsung XR headset will reportedly be sharper compared to the Apple Vision Pro headset. Samsung is planning to use OLED on Silicon (OLEDoS) display panel in its first XR headset, which will be 1.3” in size. This display will supposedly boast an impressive pixel density of around 3,800 pixels per inch (PPI) and will be supplied by Sony. The Vision Pro features 3,391 PPI on a 1.42” display. Samsung’s suppliers will begin mass production of Project Mohan’s components starting Apr 2025, with the XR headset speculated to launch in 2H25. Samsung is taking a cautious approach and plans to ship 100,000 units annually. Apple is speculated to be working on a more affordable XR headset. Apple has requested Samsung to develop a micro OLED display on a glass substrate with a screen size of 2” and a pixel density of 1,700 PPI. (Neowin, The Elec)

Honor Magic8 RSR Porsche Design will allegedly feature a 1” sensor that is developed in-house. The RSR phone will put that sensor behind a lens with a variable aperture. This lens will be able to open wide to gather more light in the dark while still being able to close down for day shots. The self-developed main lens is currently “exclusive” to the Magic 8 RSR. But if accurate, Honor may use this camera technology for the Magic 8 Pro smartphone and some other flagship handsets. (Android Headlines, Weibo, GSM Arena, Huawei Central)

Micron has announced that it has delivered 1γ (gamma) DDR5 samples to customers like Intel and AMD, becoming the first in the memory sector to do so. Micron plans to accelerate cutting-edge DRAM mass production by minimizing the use of advanced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment. Instead, the company relies more on the mature argon fluoride immersion (ArFi) process. According to ASML, its next-gen DUV lithography systems uses argon-fluoride (ArF) excimer lasers, producing light with a 193 nm wavelength, allowing feature sizes down to 38nm to be printed. On the other hand, EUV lithography, exclusive to ASML, uses light with a 13.5nm wavelength—over 14 times shorter than DUV light. (VentureBeat, TrendForce, Chosun)

Micron has announced the world’s first G9-based UFS 4.1 and UFS 3.1 storage solutions for smartphones, enabling more on-device AI features. The new storage chips will be available on flagship products shortly after Micron’s 1y LPDDR5X chips, which will be available in early 2026. The UFS 4.1 and UFS 3.1 mobile storage chips are based on Micron’s G9 process node and offer improved power efficiency and read/write speed. Capacities will vary between 256GB and 1TB chips and will be suitable for ultra-thin and foldable smartphones. The UFS 4.1 storage solutions support Zoned UFS, improving the read-write efficiency and reducing write amplification, while Data defragmentation improves the data relocation and defragmentation inside the UFS device by 60%. (GSM Arena, VentureBeat)

Apple is allegedly working on a foldable iPad Pro, and one of Apple’s prototypes for the device features under-display Face ID technology. One of Apple’s engineering prototypes features an 18.8” foldable screen with a “metal superstructure lens” that integrates the receiver and transmitter components of Face ID for under-display facial recognition. According to analyst firm Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), Apple is planning to launch an 18.8” foldable iPad Pro with an OLED display in 2027. Separately, TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has claimed LG aims to begin mass production of display panels for a MacBook with a 20.2” or an 18.8” foldable screen in 4Q25. (MacRumors, Weibo, Apple Insider)

Infinix has showcased a concept phone that could use solar power for charging. Infinix calls this Solar Energy-Reserving technology, which uses perovskite solar cells. These cells are thinner and cheaper to produce than traditional silicon solar cells. That is paired with a system that helps regulate voltage called Maximum Power Point Tracking. The idea is to maximize power while managing heat. As it exists now, this technology can charge a phone at up to 2W, and is intended to pad out a phone’s reserved charge while it is not in use.(The Verge, Android Headlines)

Honor is allegedly working on a new “Mini” phone release and an ultra-slim smartphone. The phone would measure about 6.3”. (Android Central, 9to5Google, Weibo)

According to Meizu’s executive director of the group and head of overseas operations Gu Binbin, Meizu has successfully entered 30 markets within its first year back on the international stage. Meizu’s smartphone division has changed hands and has been acquired by Dreamsmart Group. Dreamsmart provided substantial investment for developing, producing, and distributing smartphones. The plans involve Meizu further expanding into Southeast Asia, followed by Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America. The executive expressed optimism about leveraging the partnership with automaker Geely as vehicles and smartphones are already marketed together in certain regions. He has disclosed that the strategy initially focuses on launching midrange devices in overseas markets, with plans to broaden to a greater product range later. (GSM Arena)

OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has confirmed that future OnePlus phones will no longer feature the alert slider. Upcoming OnePlus devices will come with a customizable button. This button may change its functionality depending on user needs, but will still be able to change ringer modes. The Alert Slider is a three-stage switch that jumps between ringer modes, including vibrate and silent, and has been in place on virtually every OnePlus device since the OnePlus 2 in 2015. (Neowin, OnePlus, The Verge, GSM Arena, 9to5Google)

Apple is still discussing the possibility of making smart glasses similar to Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Gurman says that such a product wouldn’t be a proper augmented reality device like Apple Vision Pro, but it would include AI, microphones, and cameras to create a “pretty good user experience”. Meanwhile, Apple is still “actively developing” a product that would combine AirPods with cameras, according to Gurman. The cameras would help power AI features by gathering information on the surrounding environment, similar to the Visual Intelligence feature on supporting iPhone models. (Apple Insider, Bloomberg, MacRumors)

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has put its smart hub device (code-named J490) on hold and will postpone its launch, which was rumored to take place in Mar 2025. Siri’s new AI features which include improvements to conversation mode, personal context awareness and the App Intents framework, are an integral part of the project. Seeing how the updated Siri is still postponed, Apple’s smart home hub device is also getting delayed for an unspecified amount of time. (Bloomberg, GSM Arena)

Xiaomi has announced that it will expand the availability of its large home appliances, such as ACs, refrigerators, and washing machines (and dryers), to global markets later in 2025. It will compete with Samsung, LG, and other home appliance brands globally. (Gizmo China, SamMobile, Twitter)

Amazon is launching generative AI version of Alexa namely Alexa Plus. Alexa Plus is USD19.99 per month on its own or free for Amazon Prime members. Alexa Plus is more conversational, smarter, personalised. Alexa Plus will work on “almost every” Alexa device released so far, starting with the Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21. The new system will be free for anyone in early access, which will start rolling out in Apr 2025. Alexa Plus can control smart home with products from Philips Hue, Roborock, and more; make reservations or appointments with OpenTable and Vagaro; explore discographies and play music from providers including Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, and iHeartRadio; order groceries from Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market, or delivery from Grubhub and Uber Eats; remind when tickets go on sale on Ticketmaster; and use Ring to alert if someone is approaching house. (The Verge, Amazon)

Anthropic has closed a USD3.5B series E funding round, valuing the AI company at USD61.5B post-money. With this investment, Anthropic will advance its development of next-generation AI systems, expand its compute capacity, deepen its research in mechanistic interpretability and alignment, and accelerate its international expansion. The company’s annualized revenue reached USD1B by Dec 2024, representing a tenfold increase year-over-year. The company’s Claude chatbot has gained significant market share since its public launch in Mar 2023, particularly in enterprise applications.(VentureBeat, Anthropic)