05-07: Qualcomm is expected to launch the 5G-enabled Snapdragon 865 chipset (codenamed Snapdragon 8250) in 2 variants; Samsung and LG are reportedly either shutting down their production lines in South Korea or are curtailing domestic output; etc.
Chipsets
Semiconductor maker Marvell has reached an agreement to purchase ethernet connectivity company Aquantia for USD452M. The acquisition complements Marvell’s portfolio of copper and optical physical layer product offerings and extends its position in the Multi-Gig 2.5G/5G/10G Ethernet segments. (CN Beta, The Street, PR Newswire)
Qualcomm is expected to launch the 5G-enabled Snapdragon 865 chipset (codenamed Snapdragon 8250) in 2 variants — one with a built-in 5G modem and the other with an external X55 5G modem. Qualcomm has already confirmed the upcoming Snapdragon 5G mobile platform will use the second-gen sub-6 GHz and mmWave antenna modules. (CN Beta, 91Mobiles, Live Mint)
Touch Display
Touch panel maker TPK Holding is expected to begin shipping its silver nano wire-based touch solutions to China-based BOE Technology for its production of large-size digital whiteboards in 3Q19 at the earliest, according to Digitimes. According to TPK CEO and president Leo Hsieh, sampling and verification of the company’s silver nano touch solutions for either foldable smartphone or large-size display applications have been underway, with clients’ devices built using the new solutions likely to hit the market at the end of 2019 or in early 2020. (Digitimes, press, China Times, Yahoo)
At FPD China 2019, more flat panel production equipment and related component suppliers were present, while the number of flat panel makers decreased. But the main focus of its technology forums was still on emerging display technologies, in particular foldable AMOLED. Flexible AMOLED technology has been drawing much attention after the debut of Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Fold smartphone at MWC 2019. (Digitimes, press, Digitimes)
Connectivity
According to TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple’s 2019 iPhones will feature “vast changes” in antenna structures due to a shift in suppliers and technology. Kuo explains that the 2019 iPhones will use a new modified-PI antenna structure. He predicts that the production cost will be 10%~20% up year-over-year due to the new ultra-wideband upgrades. This will have a significant impact on indoor navigation with the new iPhones. (GSM Arena, TF Securities, press, 9to5Mac, My Drivers)
Phone
Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are reportedly either shutting down their production lines in South Korea or are curtailing domestic output. Smartphone makers are moving their local production lines to Vietnam and other countries where labor costs are lower. According to Strategy Analytics, smartphones produced in Korea accounted for 11.4% of the total shipped in the global market in 2008, but the figure fell sharply to 1.3% in 2018. (Gizmo China, Korea Times, CN Beta)
Shipments of smartphones by China’s handset makers shrank 30.5% on quarter and 5.8% on year to 140M units in 1Q19, affected by weakened consumer confidence in the domestic market amid the US-China trade tensions and off-peak season effects in overseas market, according to Digitimes Research. (Digitimes, press, Digitimes)
Following 4 consecutive quarters of negative growth in 2018, the global smartphone market continued to struggle in 1Q19 suffering a 6.3% year-over-year decline in shipments. Shipments totaled 323.8M units in 1Q19, down from 345.6M during 1Q18, according to IHS Markit. Samsung Electronics maintained the top rank in the smartphone market in terms of volume with shipments of 70.8M units during the quarter. (Digitimes, press, CN Beta, Apple Insider)
ZTE Blade A7 is announced in China – 6.1” 1560×720 HD+ TFT, MediaTek Helio P60, rear 16MP + front 5MP, 2+32GB / 3+64GB, Android 9.0, 3200mAh, CNY599 / CNY699. (GizChina, Gizmo China, GSM Arena, ZTE)
ZTE Axon 10 Pro with a 5G edition is unveiled in China – 6.47” 2340×1080 FHD+ curved AMOLED, Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (with X50 modem for 5G version), rear tri 48MP-20MP ultrawide-8MP telephoto + front 20MP, 6+128 / 8+256 / 12+256GB, under-display fingerprint scanner, 4000mAh QC4+ fast charging, CNY3,199 / CNY3,699 / CNY4,199. (Gizmo China, Liliputing, IT Home, Qualcomm)
Home
In the past 2 years, Xiaomi smart TV has risen so high in the Chinese market. Its annual growth rate for 2018 is as high as 229% and the sales volume in 4Q18 exceeded 3M units, becoming the largest TV brand in China. (GizChina, My Drivers, OfWeek)
Artificial Intelligence
Huawei has presented a global AI development strategy that aims to help businesses to implement and integrate various AI solutions. Huawei’s Atlas AI computing platform, which is based on Huawei’s self-developed Ascend series AI chips, covers the cloud, edge, and terminal. (My Drivers, Huanqiu, TechRadar)
