IF / News

Chipsets

Qualcomm announces Snapdragon 730G, 730 and 665. The Snapdragon 665 will take over from the Snapdragon 636 and 660, and the mid-range is getting two new additions in the 7xx series: the Snapdragon 730 and 730G. (Android Headlines, Android Central, AnandTech, CN Beta)

Qualcomm has announced their first discrete dedicated AI processors, the Qualcomm Cloud AI 100 family. The Cloud AI 100 family of accelerators are products that Qualcomm is putting together for the 2020 timeframe, with samples going out later in 2019. (CN Beta, Android Authority, VentureBeat, AnandTech)

Qualcomm is going to offer a new chip for use in data centers that will help accelerate artificial intelligence processing. The executive Keith Kressin indicates that the company will use its mobile expertise, and ability to design chips made with the latest manufacturing technology, to start supplying the new products that will compete in a market worth USD17B by 2025. (CN Beta, Bloomberg, CNET, Android Pit)

Qualcomm and Swisscom, together with OPPO, LG Electronics, Askey and WNC have announced the arrival of commercial 5G services in Europe with the launch of Swisscom’s 5G network. The launch marks the beginning of a fast-paced and broad roll out of 5G networks and Android smartphones in the region expected throughout 2019. (CN Beta, GizChina, Yahoo, PR Newswire, GizChina)

MediaTek is fully committed to the 7nm advanced process. Since 2Q19, there will be 5G smart phones, 5G data machines and servers and other related chips to complete the tape-out. In 2H19 will begin to gradually ship, and will enter the volume production in 2020. MediaTek’s first 7nm 56G high-speed deserializer (SerDes) chip has been finalized, focusing on Cisco’s corporate network service market. (China Times, CN Beta)

Touch Display

MagnaChip Semiconductor has announced its intention to actively seek out partnerships in the OLED display industry via an initiative aimed at spreading and reducing the cost of next-gen devices featuring touch, stylus, and fingerprint support.  The company, well-known for its OLED display driver integrated circuit (DDIC) technology, is effectively looking to standardize those types of technology through strategic team-ups, driving growth across the entire industry. (Android Headlines, PR Newswire)

JOLED, which absorbed the OLED operations of Sony and Panasonic, currently uses a 4.5 Gen production line in Nomi, Japan, to make its printed OLED screens. In addition, the company is building a new 5.5 Gen pre-process printed OLED plant near the same location that will become operational in 2020. (CN Beta, AnandTech)

Taiwan-based display and touch solution providers HannsTouch Solution and Emerging Display Technologies (EDT) are expected to receive more windfall orders in 2019 as clients of the financially-troubled Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT) are seeking new suppliers, according to Digitimes. (Digitimes, press, Digitimes, LTN)

Phone

Samsung CEO DJ Koh reveals that Samsung has been a leader in the smartphone market for 10 years and will remain so for the next 10 years by continuing to innovate and imagine new mobile experiences. (CN Beta, Android Pit, Le Figaro)

OPPO has announced that in 2019 the company will invest more than CNY10B in R&D for 5G, AI, cloud computing, imaging, etc. OPPO SVP Brian Shen reveals that 2019 is 11^th year of OPPO entering smartphone market, which now has entered more than 40 countries or regions globally and owning 250M users. (CN Beta, Sina, 52RD)

OPPO Reno series is announced, equipped with front pop-up 16MP, 6+128GB / 6+256GB / 8+256GB, under-display fingerprint scanner, powered by Android 9.0: Reno – 6.4” 2340×1080 FHD+ AMOLED, Qualcomm Snapdragon 710, rear dual 48MP-5MP, 3765mAh VOOC 3.0, CNY2,999 / CNY3,299 / CNY3,599. Reno 10x Zoom – 6.6” 2340×1080 FHD+ AMOLED, Qualcomm Snapdragon 855,  rear tri 48MP OIS-13MP tele-8MP OIS ultrawide, 4065mAh VOOC 3.0, CNY3,999 / CNY4,499 / CNY4,799. (CN Beta, Gizmo China, CN Beta, Engadget CN, OPPO)

Samsung Galaxy A80 is announced – 6.7” 1080×2400 FHD+ Super AMOLED, Qualcomm Snapdragon 6150, rotating tri 48MP-8MP ultrawide-ToF, 8+128GB, Android 9.0, under-display fingerprint scanner, 3700mAh 25W fast charging, EUR649. (GSM Arena, Samsung, TechRadar, Engadget, The Verge, CN Beta)

Samsung Galaxy A20e is announced – 5.8” 720×1560 HD+ TFT, Samsung Exynos 7884, rear dual 13MP-5MP + front 8MP, 3+32GB, Android 9.0, rear fingerprint scanner, 3000mAh 15W fast charging. (GSM Arena, Samsung)

Augmented / Virtual Reality

3Glasses is launching ultra-thin VR headset 3Glasses X1. The bare metal weight of this device weighs less than 150 grams, and its size is 165×61.8×23.5mm. In addition, the pixel density is 806 PPI, for a resolution of 2400×1200. The company also releases the streamlined mini-host 3Box A2, which  features a Qualcomm Opteron XR1 processor with a three-degree-of-freedom feel controller and supports both the 3Glasses VR SDK and the Qualcomm VR SDK. (CN Beta, VRtuoluo, Sohu, VR Room)

Robotics

After months of testing, Alphabet’s Wing division is launching a drone delivery service in Australia. It will cover roughly 100 homes in the suburbs of Crace, Palmerston and Franklin, just outside the capital city of Canberra. Customers will be able to request small goods, such as medicine, coffee and groceries, from a range of local businesses. (CN Beta, Engadget, Medium)

Payment

OPPO SVP Brian Shen reveals that the company is working with China Unionpay to trial launch OPPO Pay. He also indicates that OPPO’s NFC function already supports 10 types of transportation cards, and can be used in 150 cities. (CN Beta, Sohu, 52RD)