IF / News

Chipsets

Samsung has added a new manufacturing technology into its roadmap. The 11LPP fabrication process is designed for mainstream and higher-end smartphone SoCs. The technology will come online next year and will build upon the company’s 14nm as well as 10nm-branded process technologies. (Laoyaoba, AnandTech)

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) chairman Morris Chang has revealed that the company to invest USD20B to build a new 3nm fab, which will be located in the Tianan Science Park in southern Taiwan. (Phone Arena, Bloomberg, The Register, EE Times, Sina, Sohu)

Germany’s Dialog Semiconductor is to acquire California-based Silego Technology for up to USD306M, helping to strengthen its position in the market for Internet of Things (IoT). Dialog’s business is largely focused on power management chips used in mobile phones by companies like Apple. (VentureBeat, Reuters, Dialog, Laoyaoba)

Touch Display

Thanks to smartphone small-sized LCD driver IC and TDDI IC increasing demand, in addition to the demand of PA / RF packaging, Chipbond Technology consolidated revenues in Aug 2017 amounted to a new record of NTD1.681B. As for 2018, Chipbond already started planning for OLED panel driver IC market expansion. (Laoyaoba, Read House, China Times)

According to Digitimes, Aixtron SE has recently debuted the AIX G5+C for micro LED production. It cuts back defects by nearly 50% versus older equipment, and cuts deposition deviance from 3nm, down to 1nm. The upcoming micro LED display technology is reportedly an obvious choice for a future Apple Watch. (Laoyaoba, Apple Insider, Digitimes, press, LED Inside)

Biometrics

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 may have an “under-display optical fingerprint” sensor when it is released in 2H18, according to Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with KGI Securities. However, Samsung embracing the under-display fingerprint sensor may be a stop-gap until it can match Apple’s Face ID. Kuo believes that is where the biometric technology industry is going.  (Android Authority, Business Insider, Sina, CN Beta, Neowin, 21CN)

Microsoft has applied for a patent called “Keyset Fingerprint Sensor” to integrate the fingerprint reader in the keyboard keys. The fingerprint recognition might be done with the help of ultrasonic image sensing technology that can work past a thickness of 500 microns. (Laoyaoba, Foss Bytes, Tech News)

Connectivity

On Semiconductor (Onsemi) mobile market senior FAE manager Li Wenhui indicates that, as for USB Type-C, the company is the top 3 supplier in China. In China, more than 20% of smartphones are using USB Type-C solution, and within these 20%, about 1/3 is using Onsemi’s products. (Laoyaoba, IT168, Dianyuan)

Smartphones

TCL Group announced that it will sell its shares of TCL Communication to Tsinghua subsidy Unisplendour Technology Venture Capital Ltd,  Oriente Grande Investment Fund L.P and Vivid Victory Developments Limited, in total of 49% share, which value of about HKD1B. (CN Beta, Caixin, Sina)

Microsoft executive Joe Belfiore said that Microsoft will continue to support all mobile platforms, but Windows Mobile is no longer the company’s focus when it comes to smartphones. (Phone Arena, Ubergizmo, TechWeb, My Drivers)

Apple iPhone 7 outsold all other smartphone models globally during 1H17, followed by the iPhone 7 Plus, according to a new report from IHS Markit. Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime Plus held the number three spot, followed by iPhone 6s and Galaxy S8 in in fourth and fifth places, respectively.  (CN Beta, NDTV, IHS Markit, Phone Arena)

All touchscreen BlackBerry Motion is announced – 5.5” FHD IPS LCD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, 12MP PDAF + 8MP cameras, 4GB RAM, 32GB storage,  Android 7.1, IP67 rated, USB-C, 4000mAh battery, for Middle Eastern markets (UAE and Saudi Arabia). (Android Central, Android Authority)

Internet of Things

Adore has created an artificially intelligent (AI) scale that promises to provide a holistic view of how a body is performing at any given time. With the Adore Sense scale, you will be able to monitor nine vital signs, including visceral fat, muscle mass, BMI, bone density, and body water. (Android Central, Kickstarter, Digital Trends)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed his latest groundbreaking concept in a bid to once again transform the automobile industry: a gasoline-powered car. Musk announced that Tesla will begin mass production of a gas-powered vehicle in 2022. He plans to call this vehicle the Model T. Urban Outfitters committed to purchase 400,000 of the vehicles. (CN Beta, Fortune)