IF / News

Chipsets

Samsung has announced that it has developed Exynos Modem 5100, the industry’s first 5G modem that is fully compatible with 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 15 (Rel.15), the most up-to-date standard specification for 5G New Radio (5G-NR). It supports both sub-6GHz and mmWave spectrums specified in 3GPP’s 5G standard as well as legacy networks, including 2G GSM/CDMA, 3G WCDMA, TD-SCDMA, HSPA, and 4G LTE. (CN Beta, Business Wire, Samsung)

Alongside announcement of their new Turing GPU architecture, NVIDIA has also announced the first 3 products that will use the first Turing GPU. Turing is an evolution of the Volta architecture. Quadro RTX Turing GPUs are already being touted for their ability to support real-time 8K video playback.  (AnandTech, Apple Insider, Nvidia, Engadget, EET China, Leiphone, Sina)

Apple reportedly has a team exploring a custom processor that can make better sense of health information coming off sensors from deep inside its devices. Building custom chips for narrow functions can help Apple add new features and improve efficiency of its hardware while protecting its intellectual property from would-be imitatotrs. (Ubergizmo, CNBC, Apple, HQEW, Wall Street CN)

Rockchip and SenseTime have jointly announced strategic collaboration. Rockchip’s platforms will integrate SenseTime’s facial recognition SDK. The first lines of products include RK3399Pro, RK3399, and RK3288. Rockchip indicates that with SenseTime SDK integration, the product development and mass production efficiency will increase, and the cost can decrease with one-stop solution provider without paying IP royalty fees. (My Drivers, iFeng, Wall Street CN)

Touch Display

According to Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), Japan Display Inc (JDI) has taken 70% orders of the LCD version of new iPhone, which is much more than LG Display (LGD). JDI plans to mass produce OLED panel in 2019. (TechNews, CN Beta)

Camera

OPPO R17 Pro shooter can reportedly switch between f/1.5 and f/2.4—The f/1.5 mode will be used for low-light shooting and natural bokeh, f/2.4 for sharp photos in daylight. The camera sensor is reportedly based on IMX519 sensor, the same one that was used in the R15 (1/2.6” sensor, 1.22µm pixels). (GSM Arena, NDTV, Gizmo China, My Drivers, CN Beta, Baijiahao)

Sensory

University of California-San Diego has developed a stretchable 3D ‘smart bandage’ that can help wirelessly monitor signals, from respiration, to eye movement, to heart and brain activity, as well as a robotic arm. It consists of 4 layers of interconnected stretchable, flexible circuit boards. (First Post, Nature, CN Beta)

Material

Samsung has patented self-healing oleophobic coating that is applied on the Gorilla Glass with WIPO. Since the oleophobic coating also keeps massive fingerprints away, the self-generating substance should provide even smoother experience over time. (GSM Arena, Android Headlines, WIPO, Anzhuo, iFeng)

Connectivity

Sprint said it has partnered with phone manufacturer LG Electronics to launch a 5G smartphone in 1H19, marking the first 5G device deal for the No. 4 U.S. wireless carrier. (VentureBeat, CNET, ZDNet, Sprint, BBT News, iFeng)

Phone

U.S. President Donald Trump signed the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act into law. Along with allocating USD716B in defense funding, the bill put restrictions on government use of products manufactured by a number of China-based technology firms, such as ZTE and Huawei, cover any “substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system.” (CN Beta, The Verge, Mashable)

Huawei deems the federal ban on its products put in place by the United States government an exercise in futility on Washington’s part. Huawei indicates the company supports the US government’s goals for better security, but this random addition to the NDAA is ineffective, misguided, and unconstitutional. (Android Headlines, MeriTalk, iGao7)

According to TrendForce, all Apple’s 3 models would continue to feature Face ID, and two of them would be premium versions with an AMOLED screen. Apple Pencil would be offered as an option as well. With the production volume estimated by TrendForce at around 83M~88M units. For 2018, TrendForce expects the sales volume of iPhones to remain flat or grow marginally by 2%~3%. (TrendForce, press, TrendForce[cn])

According to Counterpoint Research, Apple iPhone ASP is still the highest in 2Q18, which is USD724, a 20% increase on year. OPPO follows with USD275 ASP, a 20% increase on year. Huawei smartphone ASP is USD265, a 28% increase on year; vivo’s ASP is USD259, a 16% increase on year. (CN Beta, 199IT, Indian Express, CN Beta, Pulse News)

Facebook has hired the team behind Vidpresso, a startup focused on helping broadcasters with streaming videos to Facebook Live and other social platforms. Facebook has also acquired certain assets related to Vidpresso’s technology, and the startup is transitioning its existing live streaming clients to Facebook as it is winding down its own operations. (Android Headlines, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, Variety, 36Kr, TechWeb)

The president of Brazil’s antitrust watchdog Cade Alexandre Barreto indicates that the agency is considering opening an investigation into Google over alleged abuses in its cell phone operating system. (CN Beta, Reuters)

Lenovo Group has announced results for its first fiscal quarter ended 30 Jun 2018. For the second straight quarter, Lenovo achieved strong double-digit growth in revenue year-on-year. Group revenue reached USD11.91B, up 19% year-on-year. The company also reported strong pre-tax income during the quarter of USD113M, an improvement of USD182M year-on-year, as profitability improved across all businesses. (My Drivers, CN Beta, Financial Post)

HTC U12 Life allegedly will be built by ODM manufacturers. It implies that HTC might not manufacture its own phones in the future. (CN Beta, Mobile Syrup, SlashGear)

The Japanese government has opened an investigation into whether Apple engaged in anti-competitive behavior when it applied pressure to prevent publishers from working with Yahoo Japan’s Games Plus platform.  (Ubergizmo, Asia Nikkei, Apple Insider, My Drivers)

Motorola P30 is announced in China – 6.2” 2246×1080 FHD+ IPS LCD, Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, rear dual 16MP-5MP + front 12MP, 6GB + 64/128GB, Android 8.0, face unlock, rear fingerprint scanner, 3000mAh, CNY2099 / CNY2499. (CN Beta, Gizmo China, Gizmo China, GSM Arena)

vivo Y81 is launched in India – 6.22” 720×1520 HD+ IPS LCD, MediaTek Helio P22, rear 13MP + front 5MP, 3GB+32GB, face unlock, rear fingerprint scanner, 3260mAh, INR12,990. (GizChina, Gizmo China, GSM Arena, Flipkart)

OPPO F9 is announced in Vietnam – 6.3” 1080×2340 FHD+ LTPS IPS LCD, MediaTek Helio P60 MT6771, rear dual 16MP-2MP + front 25MP, 4/6GB + 64GB, Android 8.1, rear fingerprint scanner, 3500mAh, VND7.69M (USD330). (Gizmo China, The Verge, GSM Arena, OPPO, Qudong)

PCs / Tablets

Xiaomi Mi Pad 4 Is launched – 10.1” 1920×1200 IPS LCD, Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, rear 13MP + front 5MP, 4GB+64/128GB, Android 8.1, 8620mAh, CNY1899 / CNY2099.  (My Drivers, CN Beta, Gizmo China, GSM Arena)

Wearables

Google is reportedly working on a health and well-being coach for Wear OS devices. Internally, the project is being referred to as Project Wooden. But to the public, the assistant is being called ‘Google Coach’ — although, it could change before it launches. (Digital Trends, Android Police)

Fossil Group has released a new Wear OS smartwatch, the Michael Kors Runway, featuring Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 alongside a classy design and heart rate tracking. This is a smartwatch version of the classic Michael Kors Runway watch, adding new silicone band options while retaining the same generally small size. (CN Beta, Engadget, 9to5Google, SlashGear, PR Newswire)

Augmented / Virtual Reality

StarVR has announced new VR headset StarVR One, which adds a suite of new features and improves on some of the standout specs of the original device.  With the StarVR One, the company continues to target enterprise and professional VR installations. (CN Beta, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, TechRadar)

FundamentalVR has launched the SaaS software platform, which combined VR and haptic feedback technology to create a scalable simulator experience for surgeons. The company built the platform on its Surgical Haptic Intelligence Engine, which has been designed to mimic the real-life sensation of several medical tools and tissue variants.  (VR Focus, The Verge, CN Beta)

Robotics

Yuneec has added to its existing line of consumer drones with the Mantis Q. Pitched as a “travel drone”,  it features foldable arms, a 33-minute battery, a 4K camera and a tiny, portable controller. In addition to facial detection and gesture controls, the Mantis Q also takes voice commands. (CN Beta, The Verge, Digital Trends, New Atlas)

Home

According to NPD, sales of voice-activated speakers will add an incremental USD1.6B to the U.S. technology industry through 20191. Alongside voice-activated speakers, sales of home automation devices will add an additional USD1.7B to the technology industry through 2019, with 19% of consumers planning to purchase a device in the next 12 months. Demand for voice control in streaming speakers will grow the segment to nearly USD2.7B by 2019. (TechCrunch, NPD, Business Insider, Baijiahao)

Automotive

TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo indicates that Apple could release augmented reality (AR) glasses by 2020, and a car 3~5 years after that. Kuo says that the Apple Car, Apple Glass, and Services will help propel the company to a USD2T market cap. (Apple Insider, Mac Rumors, Business Insider, iClarified, CN Beta)

Nio has filed to raise USD1.8B in an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. Nio is started in 2014, initially as NextCar, by Bin Li, an entrepreneur who founded online automotive services platform Bitauto. The company is backed by Baidu and Tencent, and it has developed two vehicles so far: the EP9 supercar and ES8. (Leiphone, TechCrunch, SEC, 36Kr, FT Chinese)

Swiss authorities have halted registrations of some new Mercedes-Benz Vito and Porsche Macan and Cayenne vehicles which had diesel engines that disguised emissions levels, the Astra roads agency said. Mercedes Vitos with 1.6-litre diesel engines, Porsche Macans with 3-litre diesel engines and Cayennes with 4.2-litre diesel engine are affected by the action. (CN Beta, First Post, Reuters)

Payment

Ant Financial, the payments and financial services arm of Alibaba, is expanding to Africa. In a partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) along with the International Financial Corporation, the firm says it will promote digital financial inclusion in the continent through investments and technical assistance. (CN Beta, Quartz)

E-Commerce

Alibaba Group has paid USD750M to become a major shareholder of Turkish e-commerce startup Trendyol. The Turkish fashion sales firm counts the likes of Tiger Global, Kleiner Perkins, and Earlybird Venture Capital as backers. (CN Beta, China Money Network, KrAsia)

JD.Com and Xiaomi have teamed up to develop a targeted marketing platform that enhances user experience by offering more suitable ads. The two firms have announced the deal to mark the 11th such agreement for JD, which has already penned similar partnerships with the likes of Tencent, Baidu and Beijing Bytedance Technology, online news portal Sina reported. (My Drivers, Sina, Yicai Global)