4-23: Huawei might consider 2K because of VR; China panel makers making OLEDs; Apple might release iPhone 8 one year earlier; 9.6mln VR sold in 2016; etc.
Huawei might consider 2K because of VR; China panel makers making OLEDs; Apple could skip the iPhone 7s in 2017 in favour of the iPhone 8; Google and Microsoft announced a mutual agreement to drop regulatory complaints against each other around the world; Apple Watch sales for the second fiscal quarter (first calendar quarter) are down 40% compared to the first; 9.6mln VR sold in 2016; etc.
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Chipset |
| AMD has signed for a new joint venture to produce chips in China using its own proprietary IP. It will license that x86 technology to a new venture it is forming with Tianjin Haiguang Advanced Technology Investment Co., which in turn will use it to develop processors for server systems to be sold only in China. (TechNews, Forbes, WSJ, eWeek) |
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Display |
| Huawei CEO Richard Yu acknowledged that many users would prefer a 2K display over a 1080p and that Huawei is making big efforts to achieve a technological breakthrough. (Gizmo China, GSM Arena, My Drivers, ChinaZ)
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| Samsung is reportedly testing two Galaxy Note 6 variants: one with a regular, flat display, and another one with a curved screen. (Ubergizmo, Sam Mobile, Phone Arena, My Drivers, iFanr) |
| Barclays analyst Mark Moskowitz indicates that Apple iPhone 8 will be a completely overhauled phone with some “major design changes” and some long awaited features such as wireless charging, a display based on the superior OLED technology and the front plate without the Home button. (iDownloadBlog, Mac Rumors, My Drivers, TechWeb, TechNews) |
| Chinese display panel manufacturers are thinking about using their investments that are originally planned to be used for LCD facilities for OLED facilities. Major Chinese panel manufacturers such as BOE, CSOT, Tianma and others are thinking about using their investments that are originally planned to be used for 7th and 8th Generation LCD facilities for OLED facilities. (Shoujibao, TechNews, ET News, press)
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Battery |
| Qualcomm indicates that its Quick Charge is designed to be connector-independent. It can be implemented in a device that supports a variety of connectors, including USB Type-A, USB micro, USB Type-C, and others. (Android Central, Softpedia, Yesky) |
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Connectivity |
| MIT uses 4D maps to help robot teams navigate moving obstacles, MIT’s new algorithm takes a decentralized approach and factors in not just stationary obstacles but also moving ones. (IT World, TechCrunch, Sina, ChinaSo, CN Beta)
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Smartphones |
| Barclays analyst Mark Moskowitz suggests that Apple could skip the iPhone 7s in 2017 in favour of the iPhone 8. (Value Walk, Ubergizmo, Fortune, CN Beta) |
| Indian government officials are reportedly prepared to waive a longstanding regulatory hurdle that prohibited Apple from operating its own brick-and-mortar retail shops. (Apple Insider, India Times, CN Beta) |
| Google and Microsoft announced a mutual agreement to drop regulatory complaints against each other around the world, further promising to try and settle any disputes themselves before using governments as a weapon. (Apple Insider, Re/Code, Tencent) |
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Tablets |
| Huawei, Xiaomi and some other phone vendors are joining the PC segment. Samsung, which indicated to exit the PC segment also hinted in the supply chain it will come back to PC. 2016 will be a very happening year for PC. (TechNews, BNext)
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Wearables |
| Worldwide shipments of VR reach 9.6 million units. Led by key products from Samsung, Sony, HTC, and Oculus, the category should generate hardware revenues of approximately USD2.3 billion in 2016. AR and VR device markets will see hardware shipments surge past 110 million units (64.8 million VR and 45.6 million AR) in 2020. (IDC, press, Tencent, CENA, CN Beta)
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| Citing proprietary data, ITG senior analyst Matthew Goodman says that Apple Watch sales for the second fiscal quarter (first calendar quarter) are down 40% compared to the first, which concluded on December 26, 2015. Between January and March, Goodman estimates Apple sold 3.1 million units globally. (Phone Arena, Fortune, IT168) |
| Acer CEO Jason Chen has pointed out that Acer’s new Predator series will be able to connect with the four current major VR platforms: Facebook’s Oculus, HTC’s Vive, OSVR and StarVR, but Acer has no interest in making VR products. (Digitimes, Mobile Syrup, Mashable, 163, Hexun, Tencent, Sohu)
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| SMARTvr is a simple but effective mobile headset made by DODOcase. SmartVR meets Google’s certification standards for Cardboard. It is a thin rectangle made of black nylon. Two hinged wings swing out to hold your smartphone, and a protective lens cover flips over the top. (Digital Trends, Indiegogo, Shejipi)
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| Garmin Approach X40 is a new fitness tracker for golfers. It is a slim and lightweight band with GPS built in for calculating distances from the green and hazards like sand bunkers and ponds on over 40,000 golf courses worldwide. It is priced at USD249. (CN Beta, CNET, PC Mag)
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Internet of Things |
| Apple has picked up two more workers from the auto industry, both are now believed to be at Apple’s “Product Realization Lab”, where prototype hardware is developed. (Apple Insider, 9to5Mac, DoNews) |
| Baidu is building a 100-person autonomous car team in Silicon Valley, dubbed Autonomous Driving Unit (ADU-US). (Baidu, The Verge, iFeng, 21CN) |
