IF / News

Chipsets

[CES2018] NVIDIA and Aurora have announced that they are working together to create a new Level 4 and Level 5 self-driving hardware platform that will use the NVIDIA DRIVE Xavier processor. (TechCrunch, Globe Newswire, 163)

[CES2018] In Nov 2017, Intel and AMD have declared that they are collaborating to produce laptop chips that consolidate Intel’s Core line of processors with AMD’s Radeon graphics. The companies now unveil a pair of Intel Core i5 and i7 chips powered by discrete AMD Radeon RX Vega M GPUs.  (GizChina, GSM Arena, Intel, IT168, iFeng, Intel)

[CES2018] Intel has officially announced the opening of a Los Angeles-based studio space , Intel Studios, dedicated to the production of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and other types of cutting-edge content. Moreover, Intel has forged an “exploratory partnership” with Paramount Pictures. (Engadget, Variety, Sohu, iFeng)

[CES2018] Intel has announced a new deal with Chinese car manufacturer SAIC Motor to develop Level 3, 4, and 5 autonomous vehicles. Intel is also collaborating with NavInfo for this project. SAIC will feed data into, and get access to, Intel subsidiary Mobileye’s Road Experience Management technology. (TechCrunch, Calcalist Tech, Fast Company, iFeng)

OPPO and vivo, which together generate more than 10% of Qualcomm’s USD22B in annual revenue, are against the potential merger of Broadcom and Qualcomm, fearing it could squeeze the mobile companies’ profit margins and benefit large global rivals to their detriment. Xiaomi has also expressed concerns. (Android Authority, WSJ, Sina, Sohu)

[CES2018] Qualcomm has announced an integrated Bluetooth audio system on chip (SoC) that the company says will reduce power consumption and double processing power within small form factor audio products like wireless earbuds and headsets. The QCC5100 series has Bluetooth 5 dual-mode radio, low power audio and application subsystems, and integrated active noise cancellation (ANC) built in. (Android Central, Qualcomm, ZDNet, 9to5Mac, iFeng, Sina)

[CES2018] Qualcomm has announced that more than 60 devices use its aptX HD codec, bringing more detailed music over a wireless connection. (Android Central, aptX, Android Headlines, Sohu)

[CES2018] Future vehicles from Jaguar Land Rover will use Qualcomm Snapdragon 820Am automotive connectivity solution. It will allow Jaguar Land Rover’s vehicles to employ 4G LTE Advanced, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi without the need for any additional hardware, adding in connectivity to both the internet and to local devices for infotainment purposes.  (Android Headlines, Trusted Reviews, Insider Media, PR Newswire, My Drivers)

[CES2018] Qualcomm and Chinese new energy company, BYD Company have announced the selection of Qualcomm’s automotive solutions for upcoming electric vehicles from BYD. Anticipated to begin in 2019, BYD electric vehicles are planned to feature integrated infotainment and digital cluster systems powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820A Automotive platform.  (Android Headlines, Pocket-Lint, PR Newswire, Huanqiu)

[CES2018] Qualcomm has announced that it is significantly expanding the capabilities and product applications for its Qualcomm Mesh Networking Platform and Reference Design, further establishing mesh as the networking platform of choice for today’s smart homes. The platfom has the integration of Qualcomm Aqstic and Microsoft’s digital assistant Cortana. (Android Headlines, VentureBeat, PR Newswire, Qualcomm, iFeng)

[CES2018] Qualcomm announces radio frequency front-end (RFFE) design wins with a host of leading OEM, including Google, HTC, LG, Samsung and Sony Mobile. Qualcomm’s rich portfolio of RF front-end platform solutions is designed to help OEMs deliver advanced mobile devices at scale and with accelerated time to commercialization.  (Semiconductor Today, Qualcomm, iFeng, Huanqiu)

[CES2018] NXP Semiconductors has launched the i.MX 8M family of applications processors. The processors combine robust media capabilities on one chip to deliver a solid foundation for a new sensory world transformation. (Android Headlines, Globe Newswire, Telecompaper, NXP, EE China)

Touch Display

Samsung is reportedly planning to start manufacturing its first foldable phone in Nov 2018 and the device will feature a massive, 7.3” OLED display. The foldable phone is targeting ‘super premium’, both in terms of performance and price. (Phone Arena, ET News, CC Time)

Biometrics

[CES2018] vivo is showcasing a smartphone equipped with Synaptics’ in-display fingerprint sensor. Synaptics is quoting a 0.7s response time for authentication, which is technically slower than the best capacitive sensors out there that quote 0.2s. vivo says that this is a full-production device that will be released. (Android Central, India Today, The Verge, GSM Arena, CNMO, 163, Sohu)

Smartphones

[CES2018] Google has announced that it is collating all its payment systems, primarily Google Wallet and Android Pay, under one brand called Google Pay. (GSM Arena, Google, Tencent)

HTC has ended 2017 on a low note – Dec 2017 saw revenues of NTD4.02B (USD136M). That is a sharp drop of 29% compared to Nov 2017 and an even worse 37.3% compared to Dec 2016. Its total revenue for the year was NTD62.12B (USD2.1B). (GSM Arena, HTC, Sina, 91.com)

[CES2018] Huawei will sell Mate 10 Pro in the US online through Amazon, Best Buy, and other retailer after AT&T calls off deal. Huawei is pricing the unlocked device at USD799. (TechCrunch, The Verge, TechRadar, CNET, iFeng, 163)

OPPO and vivo, which together have a 17% share of the market in India, have slashed trade margins by over 40%, leading to a backlash by neighbourhood stores and mobile phone retail chains. Industry executives said OPPO and vivo have lost about 10,000 sales outlets each. Both had about 70,000 outlets each in the country before the margin cuts and the number of stores selling their phones may fall further, they said.  (CN Beta, Economic Times, Money Control)

Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro (2018) is launched in Vietnam – 5” qHD Super AMOLED display, quad-core processor, rear 8MP + front 5MP cameras, 1.5GB RAM, 16GB storage,  Android 7.0, 2600mAh battery, VND3,290,000 (USD144). (Android Authority, Samsung, GSM Arena, NDTV)

Tablets / PCs

[CES2018] JBL Link View is announced, featuring 8” touchscreen with the Google Assistant built-in, 5MP camera and 2 front-firing 10W stereo speakers with a rear-facing passive radiator. (Engadget, TechRadar, CNET, 9to5Google, Sohu)

[CES2018] Lenovo Miix 630 is announced – 12.3” WUXGA+ display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, rear 13MP + front 5MP cameras, 4 / 8GB RAM, 64 / 128 / 256GB storage, Microsoft Windows 10 S, 48Wh battery, from USD800. (Liliputing, CNET, PC World)

Wearables

[CES2018] Energous has opened pre-orders for the first WattUp-enabled product — the Myant SKIIN, which is a smart underwear range featuring integrated sensors to monitor body’s heart rate, activity, posture, and even your hydration levels and temperature. In addition, Energous is demonstrating WattUp technology usage in hearing aids from Delight and SK Telesys. (Android Authority, Skiin, CNET, Market Wired, Liliputing)

[CES2018] Lenovo has announced the first self-contained VR headset based on Google Daydream, Lenovo Mirage Solo. It will sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. It also has dual microphones, a headphone jack and a 2560×1440 LCD screen. The company claims 7 hours of battery life. (Business Insider, TechCrunch, The Verge, iFeng)

[CES2018] Lenovo is launching a point-and-shoot camera designed to live stream 180º VR video, Lenovo Mirage Camera. It has two fisheye cameras that record super-wide-angle 3D footage. It can store images and video locally, but Google and Lenovo collaborated to connect it with Google Photos and YouTube. (CN Beta, The Verge, Lenovo)

[CES2018] Misfit announces new Misfit Path hybrid smartwatch. The Misfit Path is Misfit’s smallest smart watch yet, allowing it to look much like a traditional analog watch while also providing smart features.  (Android Headlines, Mac Rumors, The Verge, ZDNet, CN Beta)

[CES2018] ZTE, Qualcomm, and Wearsafe have announced a new partnership designed to bring personal security tracking to wearables devices. The partnership will see ZTE designing and building security focused-wearables based on Qualcomm’s existing Snapdragon Wear 1100 platform, combined with personal security software provided by Wearsafe. (Android Authority, CNET, Business Wire, Digital Trends, East Money, CCIDnet)

TrendForce reveals that global shipments of VR devices reached 3.7M units in 2017. In terms of shipments ranking, Sony took first place, followed by Oculus Rift in second and HTC Vive in third. As for 2018, TrendForce estimates that the shipments will come to 5M units. (TrendForce[cn], TrendForce, press, Android Headlines)

Internet of Things

[CES2018] Google has announced that “Google Assistant is coming to Android Auto.” Apparently, the previous implementation was just a simpler voice search.   (Android Authority, 9to5Google, Android Police)

[CES2018] French smart home company Netatmo has created an artificially intelligent (AI), smart home controlling chat bot that lives inside Facebook Messenger. Netatmo’s Smart Home Bot is a free chatbot available exclusively through Facebook’s Messenger service. (TechCrunch, CNET, TechHive, Ars Technica, Android Headlines, Dadou)

[CES2018] Hisense has announced new televisions for its 2018 lineup, and the 2 highest-end models (H10E and H9E Plus) are both powered by Android TV, supporting Google Assistant. (Android Central, 9to5Google, The Verge, Huanqiu)

[CES2018] TCL Roku Smart Soundbar is announced, which is powered by the newly announced Roku Entertainment Assistant. The Roku Entertainment Assistant is a voice-controlled assistant to control devices like TVs, speakers, and soundbars.  (CNET, TechCrunch, Gizmodo, Yesky)

[CES2018] Colgate Smart Electronic Toothbrush E1 uses Apple ResearchKit with the user’s permission to crowdsource toothbrushing data so the company can “anticipate the future of oral care”. It features real-time sensors and artificial intelligence algorithms to detect brushing effectiveness in 16 zones of the mouth.  (Apple Insider, iFeng, Sina)

[CES2018] Ring, the connected home security gadget startup, has acquired Mr. Beams, a maker of LED lighting with wireless connectivity and motion-sensing capabilities.  (TechCrunch, VentureBeat, Business Wire)