04-04: Apple will stop using Imagination’s intellectual property starting sometime between 15~24 months from now; It is expected the smartphone ASP in 2017 will go up 17.6%; etc.
Chipsets
Imagination Technologies says Apple has notified the company that Apple will stop using Imagination’s intellectual property starting sometime between 15~24 months from now. According to Imagination, Apple says it is working on its own graphics technology which will replace PowerVR in upcoming products. (Pocket-Lint, The Verge, Imagination Technologies, iFeng, 163)
Intel’s push into the foundry business, or making chips for other companies, is increasingly taking it into the arms of traditional rivals. Intel can invest as much as USD10B in a single chip factory. By the end of 2017, Intel will have its first 10nm manufacturing process in place. That will be used to make the chips for ARM’s customers. (My Drivers, Laoyaoba, VentureBeat)
Intel has followed through on its pledge to divest itself of its Intel Security division, which it acquired for USD7.68B in 2010. Now the new company will go by its old name, McAfee, and it is valued at USD4.2B. (VentureBeat, TechCrunch, NY Times, Yahoo, CN Beta)
Touch Display
Apple has reportedly placed orders for bendable organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels with Samsung Electronics for use in 70M iPhone in 2017. (GSM Arena, Asia Nikkei, CN Beta)
Kim Tae-woong, Samsung Display’s principal engineer, said that the highly-anticipated foldable smartphones will not be released before 2019. (Android Authority, Korea Herald, Android Central, Atman360)
Smartphones
In an effort to promote growth and build a safe harbor against patent litigation, Google and some of its major partners including Samsung, LG and HTC have created PAX. PAX is the latest cross-licensing patent initiative where members provide royalty-free use of patents that cover everything Android-related. (CN Beta, Google, Android Central, Android Headlines)
Chinese branded smartphone prices are rising because of the highly competitive market and component costs are raking up. It is expected the smartphone ASP in 2017 will go up 17.6%.TrendForce analyst Avril Wu indicates that the global average sales price of Chinese branded smartphones stayed at a level of about CNY1,700 during the course of 2016 and by the end of 2017, the global average sales price of Chinese branded smartphones is estimated to climb to around CNY2,000。 (China Times, UDN, Laoyaoba, TrendForce[cn], press, TrendForce, press)
Wearables
Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC and Casio Computer Co. Ltd. announced a new patent licensing agreement that includes broad coverage for smartwatch technologies. (Microsoft, Ubergizmo, CN Beta)
Internet of Things
Tencent and Baidu are currently engaged in an ongoing O2O (online-to-offline) ecosystem war in China. Those battles are now moving toward the growing artificial intelligence market. (The Motley Fool, article, Daily Times, CN Beta)
