3-15: Samsung might use Mini S7 to answer Apple iPhone SE; 2015 Sony ASP was USD422 – Top in Android; Samsung C-Lab showcases;
Samsung might use Mini S7 to answer Apple iPhone SE; 2015 Sony ASP was USD422 – Top in Android; Samsung C-Lab showcases – Social network Waffle, capable of converting humming into song app Hum On!, and stopping dizziness from VR headset Entrim 4D; Analyst believes Apple to release car in 2020/2021; etc.
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Chipsets |
| Qualcomm has announced their own set of SDK’s and tools to have better, more efficient VR experiences on their Snapdragon 820 chipset. (CN Beta, eWeek, PC World, Tweak Town) |
| AMD has enjoyed is the fact that it is now (according to Jon Peddie Research) the proud owner of 83% of the total addressable market for VR HMDs. (CN Beta, PC World, WCCF Tech)
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| Lattice Semiconductor and MediaTek release joint reference designs that create power efficient solutions to drive 4K over a USB Type-C connector. It enables UHD video output on smartphones on the latest 4K TVs. (TechNews, Business Wire)
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| SEMI reported that worldwide sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment totaled USD36.53 billion in 2015, representing a YoY decrease of 3%. 2015 total equipment bookings were 5% lower than in 2014. (SEMI, press, EEPW)
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Display |
| Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) showcasing a concept of “Augmented Windows” that would allow passengers to “look” out the windows during rides. (TechNews, PR Newswire, Engadget, Yahoo)
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Memory |
| Taiwan-based New Kinpo Group expects construction of a NAND flash packaging factory (joint venture with Phison Electronics, Dawning Leading Technology, and Longsys Electronics) in Brazil to complete by the end of March with trial production to begin in May. (Digitimes, Sohu, China Times) |
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Sensors |
| Samsung patent suggests to integrate lasers into their future smartphones which in turn could be use to monitor the user’s health and vitals. Alternatively the laser could also be used to scan for other vitals such as blood pressure, blood flow velocity, pulse rate, and also be used to check skin conditions. (Ubergizmo, Sam Mobile, Tencent)
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| UNIQLO launches UMood in Australia, is a wearable headset that’s placed on the forehead, monitoring brainwaves in order to track wearer’s state of mind. Thereby, the system would curate a small selection of t-shirts that match the wearer’s mood. (TechNews, Mashable, UNIQLO, Gizmodo)
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Battery |
| MIT is developing an alternative to lithium batteries that uses absolutely no toxic materials and is not prone to spontaneous combustion. This alternative source of power takes the form of wires made out of carbon nanotubes. (MIT News, Engadget)
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Connectivity |
| LG announced a new Stylus 2 variant as the world’s first smartphone to feature DAB+ for digital radio broadcasting. DAB+ is expected to replace FM analog radio and already reaches over 500 million people in 40 countries around the world. (CN Beta, Fone Arena, Ubergizmo)
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Smartphones |
| According to Strategy Analytics, US unlocked smartphones shipments grew 140% annually to hit a record 14.6 million units in 2015. BLU took the lead, capturing a share of 36% of the unlocked smartphone market in US last year. (Strategy Analytics, press, Android Central)
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| Sony 4Q15 ASP of USD422, which was 78% higher than second-placed HTC (USD237). Samsung was just behind HTC with an ASP of USD225. Apple reigns supreme overall, with an ASP of USD691. Sony makes an estimated average of USD26 on each phone sold, up from Samsung’s USD23. (Xperia Blog, The Overspill, article, GSM Arena, TechNews)
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| A new Apple 4” iPhone is coming. Apple is now selling iPhones to an installed base of more than 550 million users with a multitude of wants, needs, and desires regarding their smartphones. Apple is making a bet that it is time to expand iPhone development to three different screen sizes in order to appeal to the 20% of the user base that prefer single-handed iPhone usage over larger screen options. (Above Avalon, press, Seeking Alpha, CN Beta)
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| Samsung has sold more than 100,000 units of Galaxy S7 series in South Korea, in first two after the sales started. (Yonhap News, ZOL, 163) |
| Samsung is rumored to launch Galaxy S7 Mini with 4.6” HD display and powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 or Samsung Exynos 8890 to compete with Apple’s 4” iPhone SE. (CN Beta, GSM Arena, Sam Mobile) |
| Samsung C-Lab is building an app that makes music from humming, called “Hum On!”. (Samsung, The Verge, 163)
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| Samsung C-Lab is building a new social network called Waffle. (The Verge, Samsung, Phones Review, 163)
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| Samsung Flux D app will allow users to integrate their Samsung smartphones with the company’s Windows 10 tablets, like the recently launched Galaxy TabPro S. (Ubergizmo, MS Poweruser, My Drivers) |
| LG officially launches K8 LTE and K5: K8 LTE – 5” HD 2.5D curved glass display, 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 8MP + 5MP cameras, 1.5GB RAM, 8GB storage, Android 6.0, LTE, 2125mAh battery. K5 – 5” FWVGA display, 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 5MP + 2MP cameras, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, Android 5.1.1, 1900mAh battery. (Android Headlines, Pocket Now, Android Central)
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Wearables |
| Digi-Capital forecasts USD120 billion in revenue from AR/VR by 2020. While the success of VR is mostly consumer related, AR poses an opportunity for revenue from myriad vertical markets. (EE Times, Digi-Capital, press, DoSpy, 199IT)
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| A new company called BigScreen has come up with an application that enhances the social elements of virtual 2D displays by letting participants see each other’s computer screen. (CN Beta, Technabob, Slash Gear, BigScreen)
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| vTime, the first virtual reality social network from Starship, has now launched on Google Cardboard. (Digital Trends, Sina, vTime) |
| Entrim 4D from Samsung C-Lab uses a combination of algorithms and Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS), a safe and simple technique that sends specific electric messages to a nerve in the ear, the VR accessory synchronizes user’s body with changing movements in video content. (Phones Review, Samsung, 163, CN Beta)
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| Sulon Q is a tether-free VR headset – 2560×1440 OLED display with 110º field of view, AMD FX-8800P APU with 8 integrated Radeon R7 graphics core, 3D spatial audio, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, micro-HDMI, USB 3.0 Type-A. (Ubergizmo, PC World, China Tech, 163)
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Internet of Things |
| Philips Lighting has announced Philips Hue white ambiance lights that gradually brighten to help you wake up naturally and gently dim to help you drift to sleep more peacefully. Delivering every shade of white light from cool daylight (6500k) to warm white (2200k). (CN Beta, CNET, iClarified)
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| Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster speculates that when Apple starts selling its car in 2020 / 2021 it will be around USD75,000. (Jalopink, Apple Car Fans, Piper Jaffray paper)
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| Wall Street analysts have been touring Tesla’s massive factory in Fremont, California, and they’re returning with the same conclusion: Elon Musk’s electric-vehicle company is getting ready for something big. (Bloomberg, Yahoo, CN Beta) |
