IF / News

Samsung Display has unveiled a new generation of products that can be easily folded in and out, as well as rollable and slidable display technologies. The “Flex In&Out Flip” is a foldable device with a flip-phone design. Its unique in-and-out foldable technology allows it to fold 360 degrees. The “Rollable Flex” is a unique device that allows the screen to expand up to 5 times its original size when unrolled, resembling the action of unrolling a scroll. The “Flex Hybrid” combines the functionalities of both foldable and slidable technologies. (Android Central, Android Authority, Android Headlines, Samsung Display, Samsung Display, TechRadar)

Samsung Display has recently registered the “Ironflex” trademark for its next foldable display technology. In the filing, Samsung requested its use for a range of gadgets using foldable displays, including smartphones, monitors and tablet PCs. The company has used “Flex” for its foldable or slidable display products. The “iron” in the trademark hints at upgraded durability, like foldable phones almost free from creases, among other (upgrades). According to Wert Intelligence, an intellectual property market tracker, Samsung Display has secured 1,840 patents on foldable displays alone in the US, about 4 times more than the 481 patents secured by China’s BOE and the 469 patents of crosstown rival LG Display. (Android Central, Gizmo China, The Investor)

TCL has announced NXTPAPER 3.0. TCL says it is optimized for humans and has several enhancements and features designed to promote visual health. NXTPAPER filtered harmful blue light by up to 61% while retaining sharp images, deep contrast, vibrant colors, and natural motion. NXTPAPER 3.0 continues offering these benefits and features “optimized for the senses of sight and touch”. That is achieved by incorporating the Circularly Polarized Light (CPL) screen, which simulates the natural light’s “emission – reflection – refraction” path, producing a visual effect mirroring the experience of reading books in natural light. This improves the CPL screen’s paper-like appearance and provides additional eye comfort.(TCL, USA Today, Liliputing, GSM Arena)

Samsung Display has unveiled its first OLEDoS (Organic Light Emitting Diode on Silicon) display. It is also the world’s first OLEDoS screen with an RGB sub-pixel structure. It is a 1.03” square screen that is created by applying organic materials on a silicon wafer. It has a high pixel density of 3,500ppi, and that is comparable to viewing a 4K screen when wearing an XR / VR headset. Samsung acquired US based eMagin back in May 2023. This display is created by eMagin. (CN Beta, SamMobile, Samsung Display, Digitimes)

SmartSens has unveiled its latest smartphone image sensor, the SC580XS. This compact 1/1.28” sensor features 50Mp resolution. It utilizes the 22nm HKMG Stack process. The sensor boasts a pixel size of 1.22µm, but in a four-in-one mode, this effectively increases to 2.44µm, which is pivotal for high-quality video recording. This feature allows the SC580XS to support 4K video at an impressive 120fps, making it ideal for advanced smartphone camera applications. The SC580XS achieves a low readout noise of 0.7e-, which, combined with its correlated multiple sampling technology, enables a substantial reduction in noise by up to 40%. This results in clearer images, especially in low-light conditions.(Gizmo China, IT Home)

Infinix has showcased Infinix AirCharge and the Extreme-Temp Battery. Infinix’s AirCharge employs innovative multi-coil magnetic resonance and adaptive algorithms, facilitating wireless charging up to 20cm and at 60-degree angles. Ensuring safety with frequencies below 6.78 MHz and delivering 7.5W power, it incorporates protective circuits. The Extreme-Temp Battery incorporates biomimetic electrolyte and fusion solid-state technology in its electrodes, operates seamlessly even in temperatures as low as -40°C. With a charging capability spanning from -40 °C to 60°C, the Extreme-Temp Battery ensures dependable performance and endurance in chilly environments, overcoming the common issue of lithium-ion freezing in standard batteries.(GizChina, PR Newswire)

South Korea’s SK On plans to start mass producing lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries as early as 2026 to supply several automakers as it pushes to deliver a lower cost battery chemistry favoured by its Chinese rivals, according to the company’s Chief Administrative Officer, Choi Young-chan. SK On, a battery unit of South Korean energy group SK Innovation, is actively engaged in supplying electric vehicle (EV) batteries to major automakers such as Ford, Volkswagen, and Hyundai. Choi disclosed that the company is exploring the possibility of manufacturing LFP batteries in Europe or China, acknowledging the challenge of competing with Chinese LFPs on cost. The focus, however, remains on energy density, charging time, and efficiency rather than on price alone. (Gizmo China, Reuters, Electrive)

Chinese electric car-maker BYD has held talks with Brazil’s Sigma Lithium over a possible supply agreement, joint venture or acquisition. BYD said in in Jul 2023 it would invest BRL3B (USD600M) in a new industrial complex in north-eastern Brazil, with operations expected to start in mid-2024. (CN Beta, Reuters, FT, CNA)

LG Electronics has opened its first U.S. factory here to assemble charging stations for electric vehicles.  The factory will have an annual capacity of more than 10,000 units. The EV charger operation currently occupies about 60% of the 100,000-square-foot building, leaving room for expansion as the business grows in the years ahead. The new plant, which uses 100 percent green power, will bring dozens of new tech jobs to North Texas. The first products being assembled in Fort Worth are level 2 AC chargers with a load management system and variable current settings, providing 11 kilowatts (kW) of output power through a standard SAE J1772 connector. The charger will be designed for simple wall mounting with an optional stand that enables placement anywhere.(CN Beta, LG, Assembly, PR Newswire, InsideEVs)

Nearby Share was officially announced in Aug 2020 to let Android users locally send files from one device to another. Google is now “collaborating with Samsung” to create a “singular cross-Android solution” called “Quick Share”. In integrating the two experiences, Google says Quick Share is the “best default, built-in option for peer-to-peer content sharing across all types of devices in the Android ecosystem, including Chromebooks”. Meanwhile, Google is “working with leading PC manufacturers” to make Quick Share a pre-installed app on Windows.  (Android Authority, TechCrunch, 9to5Google)

Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong has emphasized “unwavering” investment in next-generation telecommunication technology including 6G during his visit to the Samsung Research Center at Woomyeon-dong, southern Seoul. Samsung Research formed a unit dedicated to 6G in 2019. In 2022, it held its first 6G forum. Academics forecast standardization work on 6G to start in 2025 and commercialized sometime in 2030.  CN Beta, Pune.News, Digitimes, Korea JoongAng Daily)

Infinix has unveiled its E-Color Shift technology featuring E Ink Prism 3. This technology uses microstructures in which color particles carry positive and negative charges. By applying different voltages, the electric field within the microstructure changes, causing the corresponding color particles to move and display the desired colors. This innovative approach allows the phone’s shell to change “skins” at will, maintaining the display without consuming power. (GizChina, PR Newswire)

Samsung has announced that its partnership with Microsoft is set to bring “Intelligent Connectivity” features to its Galaxy Book 4 series and Galaxy phones. One such feature involves turning a user’s Galaxy phone into a webcam for the laptop, packed with AI camera filters, and camera swap abilities. Samsung states it will also bring more AI features to its laptop, courtesy of Microsoft’s AI helper, Copilot for texting and searching.(Android Central, Samsung)

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman and co-CEO Han Jong-hee said the company may set out a plan for megasized mergers and acquisitions in 2024 as a way to solidify its leadership in the global market. According to Han, Samsung made investments in some 260 venture firms over the past 3 years across five business sectors: artificial intelligence, digital health, fintech, robots and electronics. To discover new growth engines, it also signed small and medium-sized M&A deals and invested in venture companies. In 2023, the company acquired eMagin and Roon. The company’s last major acquisition was Harman International back in 2017, and the major audio and connected car technology firm was acquired for USD8B. The company reportedly wants to acquire South Korean firm Rainbow Robotics, but talks haven’t materialized into an acquisition yet.(Android Headlines, Korea Herald, SamMobile)

Volkswagen presents the first vehicles in which OpenAI’s artificial-intelligence-based chatbot ChatGPT is integrated into its IDA voice assistant. In future, customers will have seamless access to the constantly growing artificial intelligence database in all Volkswagen models equipped with the IDA voice assistant and have researched content read out to them while driving. Cerence Chat Pro from technology partner Cerence is the foundation of the new function, which offers a uniquely intelligent, automotive-grade ChatGPT integration. Volkswagen will be the first volume manufacturer to offer Chat GPT as a standard feature from 2Q24 in many production vehicles.(Volkswagen, GizChina)

Amazon and BMW have unveiled an innovative partnership set to redefine the driving experience by integrating artificial intelligence into vehicle-based voice assistants. The collaboration introduces a system that takes advantage of AI technologies by engaging a large language model (LLM) with Alexa, Amazon’s voice service, and the actual driver’s manual. The result is a seamless and intuitive interaction. It allows drivers to query an Alexa-powered chatbot about their car, eliminating the need for the traditional driver’s manual. The Amazon and BMW collaboration for BMW’s in-car voice assistant brings forth a transformative tool designed to enhance the interaction between drivers and their vehicles. Users can now engage with the Alexa-powered chatbot to obtain real-time and accurate information about their cars.(Android Headlines, Engadget, Amazon, Quartz)

OpenAI has shared plans to put together a team of researchers and engineers that will crowdsource public opinion on the behaviour of its AI models and implement suggestions.The Collective Alignment team aims to design systems that incorporate public inputs to steer models while addressing challenges ranging from a digital divide and polarised groups to the representation of diversity and “anxieties” around the future of AI governance. The AI start-up said the new team will work with external advisors and grant teams, including running pilots to incorporate the grant prototypes into steering its models.(Yahoo, Silicon Republic, OpenAI)