IF / News

Google has removed its open source Zircon-based operating system Fuchsia’s code from the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). Google seemingly started working on Fuchsia back in 2016 and in 2019, it was described as one of the company’s experiments around new operating system concepts. The first-generation Nest Hub became the first device to run Fuchsia in May 2021. Google apparently wants devices running Fuchsia to be able to run apps from other platforms such as Android and Linux. This will theoretically allow Fuchsia to replace other operating systems one day.(Phone Arena, 9to5Google, Fuchsia)

Xiaomi has recently been fined around EUR3.2M in Italy. The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) has said that Xiaomi Technology Italia has made “warranty services subject to repairs of damage beyond the scope of the warranty”, thereby compromising consumers’ rights. The company says it is aware of the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) decision. Therefore, it is evaluating the reasons behind it.(GizChina, IT Home)

Worldwide smartphone shipments fell 9% YoY in 2Q22, according to Canalys. Demand has started to wane following economic headwinds and regional uncertainty. Samsung took first place with a 21% market share as it strengthened its low-end A series supply. Apple came second with a 17% share as the iPhone 13 remained in high demand. Xiaomi, OPPO and vivo continued to struggle in China, suffering double-digit declines to take 14%, 10% and 9% market shares respectively.  (GSM Arena, Canalys)

Samsung Electronics has reportedly decided to close down its feature phone business in India in Dec 2022 and shift the focus to smartphones. Samsung produces feature phones in India through Dixon Technology. Samsung has logged a 12% share in the Indian feature phone market in 1Q22, taking third place after Itel and Lava. Yet, Samsung is gradually losing ground to its competitors. In 4Q21, the company’s feature phone market share in India was 18%. The No. 1 player in this market is Itel, which accounted for 21%.(CN Beta, Business Korea, TechNews)

A new report from “The Information” goes in-depth on Apple Car, including details on the car’s design, Jony Ive’s involvement, Craig Federighi’s skepticism, and the so-called “jogger incident”. Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, is a noted skeptic of Apple’s Project Titan. Federighi is not directly involved in the Apple Car’s development but has reportedly voiced his concerns privately to some other executives at Apple. The report goes on to note that Tim Cook is only overseeing the project from afar and “rarely visits” the offices of Project Titan in Santa Clara, California. Cook has also been “unwilling to commit to mass projection of a vehicle”. Coupled with Cook’s distant leadership and Federighi’s skepticism, Project Titan has also undergone multiple executive changes. (CN Beta, The Information, 9to5Mac)

Xiaomi founder, Lei Jun will reportedly unveil the prototype of the first car in Aug 2022. The company officially joined the EV race at the start of last year and committed USD10B over the next 10 years to the development of its automotive division. The Xiaomi Auto manufacturing plant will be built in Yizhuang where the company will have an R&D center as well. The expected production capacity is 300,000 cars per year once the factory runs at its full speed. The initial phase will see 150,000 vehicles manufactured per year with first models leaving the site in 2024. Xiaomi plans to launch 4 different models spanning across A+ and B segments.  (GSM Arena, ArenaEV, CN EV Post, 163)

BMW is exploring new investments in solar, geothermal and hydrogen energy to lower its dependence on natural gas, the carmaker’s production chief Milan Nedelkjovic, warning an embargo on Russian gas would bring the industry to a standstill. The carmaker, which relied on natural gas for 54% of its energy consumption in 2021, is examining where it can add solar panels to its plants and developing plans with local authorities to transport hydrogen to its plant in Leipzig, Germany. Beyond Germany, a new plant in Debrecen, Hungary, which BMW has said will be the world’s first auto factory to run entirely without fossil fuels, will rely heavily on solar, Nedelkjovic said, adding that the carmaker was also looking into using geothermal energy.(CN Beta, Reuters, Financial Post)

Intel will soon launch its first generation Arc Alchemist desktop GPU line-up. The company has already released its entry-level Arc A380 card to OEMs and system integrators in China. The company has also shown off its higher end Arc A750 Limited Edition graphics card variant and shared some preliminary performance numbers for the same. Intel says the A750 is often better than the Nvidia RTX 3060. Aside from the A380 and A750, there are three other SKUs. One more from the Arc 3 line called A310, which will come under the A380. There is one from Arc 5 dubbed A580, and finally, there is Arc A770, which will be the flagship. Intel seemingly plans to price its upcoming Alchemist SKUs, and it suggests that the company is going to top out at around USD399 for its flagship A770 model.(Neowin, WCCFTech)

Intel and Green Revolution Cooling Corporation (GRC) have co-authored a joint white paper on liquid immersion cooling. The company is exploring the use of liquid immersion cooling technology instead of air cooling in data centres. The practical benefits of the technology include better energy efficiency, lower environmental impact, and better computing density. The two companies announced in Jan 2022 a multi-year project to help the data centre industry reduce the environmental impact of digital infrastructure. GRC is a co-author of the white paper specializing in liquid immersion cooling technology. Intel also revealed in May that it is establishing its own laboratory to qualify, test and demonstrate liquid immersion cooling technology.(GizChina, The Register, Techspot, GRC Cooling, CN Beta)

Statistics from CINNO Research show that in May, the shipment of smartphone SoC in mainland China was about 19.12M units, an increase of approximately 8.6% MoM and a YoY decrease of about 19.7%. In terms of brands, MediaTek SoC shipments were about 8.4M units, an increase of about 15.1% MoM, the largest MoM increase, a YoY decrease of about 3.3%, and the smallest YoY decrease; Qualcomm SoC shipments were 6.5M units, a MoM increase of 4.1% ; Apple’s SoC shipments remained at around 3M, and the iPhone 13 series still occupied the top 3 sales; from the MoM value of May, only HiSilicon declined. (CINNO Research, Laoyaoba)

According to Strategy Analytics, after a decade, the TSMC 28nm chips still have considerable gains. TSMC, UMC, and SMIC are further expanding their 28 nm capacity. In 2021, the total revenue of the 28 nm wafer foundry will exceed $7.2 billion. TSMC will account for about 75% of the revenue. The company is still investing in 28nm and will set up a fab in Kaohsiung to produce 7nm and 28nm processes. The company will begin construction in 2022 and start mass production in 2024. In addition to that, TSMC will establish a subsidiary, Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM), to provide foundry services in Kumamoto, Japan. It will provide the initial technology of the 22 / 28nm process. JASM’s fab in Japan will begin construction in 2022 and start production by the end of 2024. TSMC clearly still sees good demand for 28 nm chips in the upcoming years. Otherwise, it would not invest money in manufacturing plants for these chips. (GizChina, IT Home, TechNews)

Samsung has developed an AI-powered image enhancement app, Galaxy Enhance-X. The app uses artificial intelligence (AI) to make photos better. Users can edit their photos, and improve dynamic range, brightness, and sharpness with just a single tap. Plus, users can also fix blurred objects in the images, remove reflections, and so on. Moreover, the app detects faces in photos to adjust smoothness, tone, jawline shape, and eyes.(Android Headlines, GizChina, SamMobile, CN Beta)

SK hynix has reportedly suspended a factory expansion plan as global economic uncertainty is growing with red-hot inflation squeezing consumers’ buying power for electronic devices. SK hynix has been mulling over adding a new chip plant, M17, in the central city of Cheongju, some 140km south of Seoul, where it has the M11, M12 and M15 fabrication plants, with the construction starting early next year and being completed as early as 2025. Global memory chip makers have moved to moderate supply growth in light of a slowdown in global consumer tech companies’ spending. (CN Beta, YNA, Korea Times)

SK hynix is allegedly considering cutting its 2023 capital expenditure by about a quarter to KRW16T (USD12.16B). The move by SK Hynix, the world’s second-largest memory chip maker after Samsung Electronics , is in response to slower-than-anticipated electronics demand. High inflation, concerns about a downturn in major markets, China’s latest COVID lockdown, and the war in Ukraine have dampened consumer spending on PCs and smartphones, souring the memory chip industry’s outlook for 2023. (Reuters, Bloomberg, CINNO Research)

China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co (CATL) is reportedly considering at least 2 locations in Mexico for a manufacturing plant to potentially supply Tesla and Ford Motor. The battery manufacturer is considering Ciudad Juarez, in the state of Chihuahua, and Saltillo, in Coahuila. Both are near the Texas border. The company is contemplating an investment of as much USD5B in the project. Ciudad Juarez is attractive in part because it’s close to the San Jeronimo-Santa Teresa port of entry into the U.S. state of New Mexico. CATL is also considering splitting its investment across two locations — one in the U.S. and one in Mexico. (CN Beta, Bloomberg, Auto News)

Northvolt has succeeded in developing a cylindrical battery with a diameter of 21mm and a height of 70mm and is preparing to mass-produce it. Competition in the cylindrical-type batteries is expected to intensify, as LG Energy Solution and Samsung SDI are also focusing on them. Northvolt’s success in developing a 2170 cylindrical battery does not mean that it has the same level of technological power as that of the three companies. LG Energy Solution and Panasonic are preparing to supply 4680 batteries to Tesla. Samsung SDI has finalized the diameter of its next-generation cylindrical battery at 46 mm and is fixing its height through discussions with customers. (CN Beta, Business Korea, IT Home)

The U.S. telecoms regulator needs an additional USD3B to fund the removal from U.S. networks of equipment made by Huawei and ZTE, bringing the total cost to USD4.9B. Reimbursement Program will require USD4.98B, reflecting a current shortfall of USD3.08B, says Jessica Rosenworcel, the chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission, in a letter to Senator Maria Cantwell, who heads the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (Phone Arena, GizChina, IT Home, Reuters)