9-25: Huawei and Leica have created a new R&D center in Germany; Huawei will start to manufacture smartphones in India in partnership with Flex; etc.
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Chipset |
Spreadtrum announced that its WCDMA//HSPA(+) chipsets SC7731C and SC7731G have been adopted by Burmese leading mobile operator Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) for its latest flagship smartphone models M40 and M50, which have been launched into the market. (EE Trend, Yahoo, The Gadgets Freak) |
| IBM’s computer chip called TrueNorth is designed to emulate the functions of a human brain. IBM says TrueNorth can engage in deep learning and make decisions based on associations and probabilities, much like human brains. It can do so while consuming a fraction of the power used by chips in other computers for the same purpose. (CN Beta, PC World)
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| Chip orders placed for Apple iPhone 7/7 Plus will likely fall about 20% sequentially in 1Q17, according to Digitimes. Apple has requested its manufacturing partners stock ICs for a combined 50 million iPhone 7/7 Plus units in 3Q16, and another 45 million units in 4Q16. The estimated volume for 1Q17 has reduced to 35-37 million units. (Digitimes, press, Laoyaoba) |
| Touch Display |
| A lot of Taiwanese vendors have entered Micro LED technology development, including PlayNitride, ITRI, AUO, Innolux, Numonyx. Other international vendors include Sony, Samsung, LG, Nichia, Sharp, etc. mLED, spun-out from University of Strathclyde, Texas Tech University, Leti and X-celeprint, which is spun-out from University of Illinois are also aggressively developing Micro LED technologies. (TechNews)
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| China-based AMOLED panel maker EverDisplay Optronics (Shanghai) will invest CNY27.278 billion (USD4.09 billion) to set up a 6G AMOLED factory with monthly production capacity of 30,000 glass substrates, trial production scheduled for the end of 2018 and volume production of 1- to 13-inch panels to begin in 2019, according to Digitimes. (Digitimes, press, OLED-Info, Laoyaoba, 52RD)
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| Camera |
| LG Innotek will stand to benefit from Apple new iPhone introduction, as the firm is the only vendor for the highly profitable dual-camera modules, says Kevin Lee, an analyst at Korea Investment & Securities. (Forbes, Korea Times, CN Beta) |
| Huawei and Leica have created a new research and development center to create better camera modules for future smartphones. The lab, which is called the “Max Berek Innovation Lab” is located in Wetzlar, Germany. (Android Headlines, TechCrunch, Digital Trends,163,Huxiu)
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| Battery |
| Some users in South Korea are reportedly complaining about the replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7. These problems include overheating and also how the phones are losing battery power despite the fact that they are being charged. (WSJ, Ubergizmo, TechWeb, Android Authority) |
| Biometrics |
| Lenovo, Intel, Synaptics, PayPal are partnering to bring FIDO-compliant fingerprint authentication to upcoming Lenovo laptops, starting with the Yogi 910 convertible PC. (CN Beta, The Verge, eWeek)
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| Smartphones |
| Huawei will start to manufacture smartphones in India from next month, in partnership with Flex. The plant in Chennai will have the capacity to make 3 million units by the end of 2017. (Android Headlines, The Hindu, WSJ, SCMP, Sina, Zaobao, SouthCN)
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| Apple has entered a direct partnership with Indian’s biggest e-commerce storefront, Flipkart, in advance of the local iPhone 7 launch on Oct. 7. (Apple Insider, Mashable, iFeng, CNFOL) |
| German research firm, GfK, issued a report based on “channel checks” suggesting that Apple iPhone 7 sales would be down from last year based on data from Europe and Asia. It claims that iPhone 7 unit sales are down 25% on an annual basis against 2015 iPhone 6S model, although it does not measure sales in the United States. (CN Beta, Business Insider, Barron’s) |
| According to data from Chipworks and teardown.com, it costs USD292 to build an Apple iPhone 7 (128GB model), and speakers take up USdD1.50 of the cost and batteries contribute just USD4. Cameras, meanwhile, cost USD26 and are the third most expensive part after the logic board (USD74) and screen (USD37). (Forbes, Chipworks) |
| According to Branding Brand, Samsung Galaxy Note7 recall put a dent in Samsung consumer confidence, with 34% of current customers saying they will not buy another smartphone from the brand. Of these customers, 81% have always owned a Samsung or Android smartphone. (PR Newswire, Branding Brand, blog, Phone Arena)
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| Google, Salesforce and other technology companies are “engaged in conversations” with Twitter over a possible sale. (CNBC, Engadget, TechCrunch, China Times, iFeng) |
| Smartisan CEO Luo Yonghao indicates that Smartisan T3 has entered mass production, and the exact date of launch to be confirmed soon. (CN Beta, 163)
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| LeEco’s 19 Sept 2nd “buy membership gift hardware” festival has generated more than CNY4.48 billion sales. However, analysts reckon that LeEco has been selling hardware at lost more, and it will bring a huge pressure on its ecosystem. (CN Beta, iFeng, TV Home)
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| LeEco hires Richard Ren, Huawei’s Former Executive, as President of Smart Devices for its Overseas and North America operations, and as Acting President of North America. (Oigel, Yahoo, PR Newswire)
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| An Android and Chrome OS merger, dubbed “Andromeda” reportedly may be in the works. (Digital Trends, Android Police, 163) |
| Samsung Galaxy On 5 (2016) and On 7 (2016) is launched in China: On5 – 5” HD LCD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor, 13MP + 5MP cameras, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, Android 6.0, 2600mAh battery. On7 – 5.5” FHD LCD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, 13MP + 8MP cameras, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, Android 6.0, 3300mAh battery, CNY1599. (CN Beta, Android Authority, India Today, Sam Mobile)
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| Wearables |
| The penetration rate of VR-enabled smartphones and tablets, as well as shipments of VR devices bundled with gaming consoles or PCs will continue to soar in 4Q16, according to Digitimes Research. Shipments of VR video-enabled smartphones are expected to reach 70 million units in 2016, accounting for 5% of global smartphone shipments, Digitimes Research estimated. (Digitimes, press) |
| Experts say soon VR could be coming to the workplace. Virtual business meetings will replace conference calls, as the technology has started to be tested in offices worldwide – and this could happen in the next 2 years. (TechNews, Daily Mail) |
| Jawbone abruptly ended its relationship with the customer-service agency NexRep earlier this month after Jawbone failed to make payments. (Business Insider, Engadget, Android Headlines) |
| Snapchat is rebranded as Snap Inc., and has set up a firm called Spectacles to sell the device later 2016. The glasses will cost USD130 and are aimed at young consumers who are already avid users of Snapchat. The cameras employ a 115° lens. (Daily Mail, Telegraph, WSJ, The Verge, DoNews, 36Kr)
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| Internet of Things |
| IDC has conducted a survey in July~August 2016 and includes over 4,500 respondents from more than 25 countries worldwide, spanning a wide array of industries. 31.4% of organizations surveyed have launched IoT solutions, with an additional 43% looking to deploy in the next 12 months. 55% of respondents see IoT as strategic to their business as a means to compete more effectively. (IDC, press, TechNews) |
| A rumored two-year project of Apple implementing Siri directly in an Apple TV-sized device has reached the prototype phase. Allegedly, the prototypes “control appliances, locks, lights and curtains via voice activation: according to sources, suggesting a HomeKit controller. (Bloomberg, Apple Insider, 36Kr, Sina, iFeng) |
| China’s LeEco raises USD1.08 billion to build its electric car. Faraday Future currently has over 1,000 staff, some of whom have previously worked at automobile leaders including Tesla, BMW and GM. (CN Beta, China Money Network, TechCrunch, Business Insider, Bloomberg) |
| Volkswagen has unveiled its e-Crafter van. The near-production-ready concept EV provides a cleaner option for delivery services, with a load capacity of 3,768 pounds, 399ft3 of cargo space, and up to 129 miles of driving range between charges. The 43kWh battery pack is located beneath the load floor. (CN Beta, Auto Blog)
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Economics |
| Bank of America, Santander and the Royal Bank of Canada have today announced they have joined forces to create a global blockchain payments network using Ripple’s distributed ledger technology. UniCredit, Standard Chartered and the Westpac Banking Corporation have also joined the effort. (CN Beta, Banking Technology, Crypto Coin News) |
