02-27 MWC2019: UNISOC has launched its 5G technology platform Makalu and its first 5G modem Ivy510; Samsung has announced that it has begun mass producing the industry’s first 512GB eUFS 3.0; etc.

Chipsets

[MWC2019] UNISOC has launched its 5G technology platform Makalu and its first 5G modem Ivy510. The company said it plans more products under the Ivy brand based on the Makalu platform in the near future. The Ivy510 is the first 5G modem based on the Makalu platform, produced with TSMC’s 12nm process. The multimode 2G/3G/4G/5Gplatform complies to the latest 3GPP R15 standard, supports sub-6GHz 5G spectrum with a channel bandwidth of 100MHz, and can be used for both standalone (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) network configurations in 5G deployment. (CN Beta, PR Newswire, Telecom Paper)

[MWC2019] The decision to end Intel’s partnership with Unisoc is “just made recently”, said Robert Topol, general manager of Intel’s 5G Strategy and Program Office. Both companies have decided mutually that we would not continue the partnership. (CN Beta, Asia Nikkei)

China-based Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) reportedly will begin mass production 14nm-class chips in 2H19. The company expects its 95% yield rate to offer its customers a trusted platform that might help it increase revenue for further investment on its 10nm and 7nm EUV nodes. (CN Beta, eTeknix, Tech Powerup)

[MWC2019] Qualcomm and Robert Bosch GmbH have announced a research collaboration focused on 5G NR technology applications for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Qualcomm Technologies and Bosch believe that the wide range of connectivity services 5G NR provides will be an essential element in the smart, connected factories of Industry 4.0. (Android Headlines, Qualcomm, EE World)

Memory

[MWC2019] Samsung has announced that it has begun mass producing the industry’s first 512-gigabyte (GB) embedded Universal Flash Storage (eUFS) 3.0 for next-generation mobile devices. (Engadget, Samsung, CN Beta)

Connectivity

HTC has created a 5G mobile smart hub that combines a 5G hotspot, an Android hub, and a battery pack into a single device – 5” 720×1280 display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 + X50 5G modem, 4+32GB, Android 9.0, 7660mAh. Sprint will launch in US in 2Q19. (The Verge, CN Beta)

[MWC2019] Telna, a vertically integrated Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) provider of global end-to-end connectivity solutions, today is adding eSIM technology to its platform. (Android Central, Business Wire)

[MWC2019] Sprint and Google have will expand their Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) partnership to include 5G, delivering innovative technology to Google Fi customers, enabled by 5G services from Sprint. Sprint is executing its 5G strategy with 2.5GHz spectrum and Massive MIMO technology to launch its service beginning in 9 top cities in 1H19. (CN Beta, TechRadar, 9to5Google, PR Newswire)

Phone

[MWC2019] Google has announced to bring a dedicated button for Google Assistant to some new phones. The new phones with dedicated Assistant buttons include: LG G8 ThinQ, LG K40, Nokia 3.2, Nokia 4.2, Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G, Xiaomi Mi 9, as well as TCL and vivo’s new phones. Google said it expects 100M devices to launch with a dedicated Assistant button. (CN Beta, CNET, TechCrunch, Business Insider)

[MWC2019] Google has announced that its Google Assistant is available on feature phones running KaiOS. Google notes a 7 times increase in the number of active users for the Assistant in India, Indonesia, Mexico, and Brazil in 2018. Google is launching Voice Typing on KaiOS in the coming months. (Android Authority, Sohu, CN Beta, 9to5Google, Google)

Samsung and Huawei have been involved in legal battles since 2016 when they sued each other on allegations of patent infringement. Lawsuits were filed in the United States and China with Samsung contesting them in both markets. A joint motion has been filed confirms that Huawei and Samsung has entered into a settlement agreement this week. (CN Beta, CNET, Foss Patent, SamMobile)

[MWC2019] Xiaomi VP Wang Xiang reveals that the company wants to triple its physical stores in Europe. Currently, the manufacturer is a few stores shy of 50 and wants to go over 150 by the end of 2019. (Gizmo China, The Verge, GSM Arena, 36Kr)

Automotive

Volkswagen AG (VW) is reportedly planning to invest around USD1.7B in a self-driving car venture with Ford Motor’s Argo subsidiary. VW is preparing to invest USD600M as an equity investment in Argo, with each company owning half of the business. VW would invest USD1.1B in working capital for the entity’s research and development. (CN Beta, WSJ)

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