4-20: Intel layoffs 12000; Samsung develops new CIS of 1/1.7-inch; Samsung to get back Apple’s NAND orders; Huawei to focus on IoT, VR and 5G in 2016; etc.
Intel layoffs 12000; Sony has issued a statement disclosing its manufacturing sites in the Kumamoto region; Samsung develops new CIS of 1/1.7-inch; Samsung to get back Apple’s NAND orders; Feature phones still have demand in emerging markets; Huawei to focus on IoT, VR and 5G in 2016; LeEco unveils LeSEE first car; etc.
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Chipset |
| Intel is laying off 12,000 employees globally, or about 11% of its workforce. (The Verge, Intel, Sina, Sohu) |
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Display |
| Synaptics announced that Meizu is featuring Synaptics’ ClearForce technology for its new flagship PRO 6 smartphone. (EE Trend, Synaptics, NADSAQ) |
| Sony Xperia X Premium to feature world’s first High Dynamic Range (HDR) display. It is a technique used in imaging and photography to reproduce a greater dynamic range of luminosity than is possible with standard digital imaging or photographic techniques. (Pocket-Lint, Phone Radar, CS, My Drivers)
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Camera |
| Sony has issued a statement disclosing its manufacturing sites in the Kumamoto region which have been affected by the earthquake of April 14 and subsequent earthquakes. (Digitimes, press, 163, People.cn) |
| Samsung to develop a huge 1/1.7” CMOS camera sensor with an aperture as wide as ƒ/1.4 for its future smartphones, capturing 18MP-24MP images. (GSM Arena, Photo Rumors, Sam Mobile, CN Beta) |
| Apple patent “folded telephoto camera lens system” describes a method of forming a telephoto lens into a sort of lowercase “r” shape, reminiscent of an old-fashioned periscope. (Apple Insider, ZOL, iFeng)
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Memory |
| Since iPhone 5, Apple has been requesting to use EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) shielding technology for NAND-Flash package. Samsung Electronics is reportedly co-developing EMI shielding process that uses spray method with Protec. It is planning to supply NAND flash memories to Apple for iPhones. (ET News, TechNews) |
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Biometrics |
| Average iPhone user unlocks device 80 times per day, 89% use Touch ID, Apple says. (Apple Insider, Techpinions, Sohu) |
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Smartphones |
| Some China-based handset suppliers are still ramping sales of feature phones at lower prices to emerging markets where demand for such devices remains strong due to insufficient next-generation mobile communication networks and lower purchasing power. (Digitimes, press) |
| Huawei expects to sell over 10 million P9 and P9 Plus units in 2016. (Android Headlines, GSM Arena, IT168) |
| Xiaomi managed to sell 14.8 million smartphone units in 1Q16 worldwide according to an estimate made by IHS Technology analyst Kevin Wang. (Phone Arena, Android Headlines, iFeng) |
| Google Play Store – which hosts a total of around 2 million apps – saw more than 11.1 billion app downloads in the last quarter, an increase of around 6.7% compared to the figure reported during the same time last year. The top 3 apps were social media applications, owned by Facebook — WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Facebook. (GSM Arena, Phandroid, Statista)
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| Apple has elected to pay USD24.9 million to Dallas-based company Dynamic Advances to settle a four-year-old lawsuit relating to Siri. (The Verge, Business Journal, DoNews, ZOL) |
| Pulling data from Apple December 2015 earnings report, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster estimates gross margins on Apple services business could be above 60%. The analyst estimates gross margins for Apple’s cut of App Store revenue is 90%-95%, while Apple Care is at 70%. (Apple Insider, Tencent, Regator) |
| China-based Oukitel K6000 Premium is official – 5.5” FHD AMOLED display, MediaTek Helio X20 MT6797 processor, 13MP + 13MP cameras, 6GB RAM, 32GB storage, Android 6.0, LTE, dual-SIM, 6000mAh battery. (Android Headlines)
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| LeEco unveils: Le Max 2 – 5.7” QHD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 21MP OIS + 8MP cameras, 4GB RAM + 32GB storage / 6GB RAM + 64GB storage, Android 6.0 (EUI 5.5), LTE, dual-SIM, USB Type-C, ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, 3100mAh battery, CNY2100 / CNY2500. Le 2 Pro – 5.5” FHD display, MediaTek Helio X25 processor, 21MP PDAF + 8MP cameras, 4GB RAM, 32GB storage, Android 6.0 (EUI 5.5), LTE, USB Type-C, fingerprint sensor, 3000mAh battery, CNY1500. Le 2 – 5.5” FHD display, MediaTek Helio X20 processor, 16MP + 8MP cameras, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, Android 6.0 (EUI 5.5), USB Type-C, 3000mAh battery, CNY1100. (GSM Arena, TechWeb, Android Central, ZOL)
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| ZTE unveils two new smartphones: ZTE A910 – 5.5” HD Super AMOLED display, MediaTek MT6735 processor, 13MP PDAF + 8MP cameras, 2GB RAM + 16GB storage / 3GB RAM + 32GB storage, LTE, dual-SIM, fingerprint sensor, 2540mAh battery, CNY1299 / CNY1499. ZTE V7 MAX – 5.5” FHD Super AMOLED display, MediaTek octa-core preocessor, 16MP PDAF + 8MP cameras, 3GB RAM + 32GB storage / 4GB RAM + 32GB storage, LTE, dual-SIM, fingerprint sensor, 3000mAh battery, CNY1799 / CNY1999. (CN Beta, PC Home)
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Wearables |
| Chinese device maker Pico has unveiled a new VR system Pico Neo – 3.81” 1200×1080 AMOLED display with 102º field of view, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB RAM, 32GB eMMC, physical buttons plus a touchpad on the back and a 6-axis motion sensor, 5000mAh battery, CNY1899. (The Verge, Pico VR, Liliputing, Geekbuying, Sina, TechWeb)
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Internet of Things |
| In a recent survey of more than 600 IT leaders from K-12 and higher-education organizations conducted by Extreme Networks, almost half – 46% – reported that they believe Internet of Things (IoT) technology will transform the way students learn at their schools within the next two years. (Re/Write, Extreme Networks, Cloud IoE)
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| A startup called Timeular is building a strange new Bluetooth paperweight for time tracking, ZEI°. User can write different tasks on each side of the polyhedron, and then when you flip ZEI° to a new side, it tells the computer or phone to start a timer for that side’s task. (The Verge, Timular, LMTW)
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| Huawei has revealed its vision for 2016 at its annual analyst summit (HAS), with a focus on the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, and 5G internet. (Read/Write, Indian Express, Huanqiu, CC Time)
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| LeEco unveils its LeSEE all-electric concept car to be a “smart”, “connected” and “automated self-driving” car. (CN Beta, LA Times, Yahoo)
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