BROWSING: Devices

With ultraBAW filter offering Qualcomm becomes a one-stop-shop for 5G device RF solutions (Analyst Angle)

Qualcomm insists on calling its product offering a “Modem-RF System” highlighting the importance of RF in achieving excellent smartphone performance, as well as the tight integration between modem and RF subsystems that can take the performance even further.  Despite the rapid expansion of its RF...

Supply chain constraints finally caught up to the smartphone market: IDC report

The latest IDC report revealed that global smartphone shipments are down 6.7% as a result of the ongoing chip shortage Despite a double-digit annual growth rate in the first half of 2021— 25% in the first quarter of 2021 and more than 13% in the second...

GSA reports 180 mobile carriers have already deployed 5G in 72 countries

A total of 180 operators in 72 countries had already launched one or more 3GPP-compliant 5G services as of the end of September, according to the latest update from the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA). Also, 465 operators in 139 countries were investing in 5G,...

Huawei’s boss urges industry to deliver more 5G use cases for enterprises

Huawei rotating chairman Ken Hu urged the telecommunications industry to increase efforts to deliver relevant 5G use cases for enterprises and continue to enhance telecoms networks with the main aim of meeting the high-performance requirements of new technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and...

Boost unveils first exclusive 5G phone

Dish's Boost Mobile is touting the affordability of its first exclusive 5G device, the Celero5G, which the company said fills a gap in the market by offering an affordable 5G option at a price point less than $300. Boost Mobile already offers a number...

iPhone 13 improves 5G support, keeps mmWave US for now

Apple anticipates double 5G global support by year end Apple this week introduced new iPhones, Apple Watch, iPad and iPad mini models. The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro goes on sale in the U.S. and more than 30 other countries beginning September 24. Apple...

Verizon, Vuzix bring BlueJeans to smart glasses

The pair are using the Verizon 5G and Mobile Edge Computing network to run BlueJeans on Vuzix’s smart glasses product BlueJeans, acquired by Verizon in April 2020, has tapped Augmented Reality (AR) company Vuzix to help bring its cloud-based video conferencing services to the mobile edge....

The Sunday Brief: The Two Strongest Headed into 2022 – Comcast and Google (Part 2)

September greetings from the Midwest and Southeast.  Pictured is one of the many “Instawalls” in Kansas City that celebrate our local football team, the Chiefs.  We are excited about our return to the City of Fountains and are anxious about the bruising schedule the...

Modest SEP royalties on smartphones have declined and licensing is stabilizing (Analyst Angle)

Aggregate royalty payments for licensing cellular technology standard-essential patents (SEPs) in smartphones have remained in modest single-digit percentages and have declined since 2013.  This defies purported concerns that the stacking of patent royalties paid to multiple licensors have led to or would lead to unreasonably...

ZTE’s operating revenues increase 12.4% year-on-year in H1

Chinese vendor ZTE reported operating revenue of CNY53.07 billion ($8.19 billion) in the first half of the year, an increase of 12.4% compared to the same period the previous year, the company said in its earnings release. During the period, net profit attributable to holders...

Huawei’s revenues decline 29.4% year-on-year in first half

Chinese vendor Huawei reported a decline in earnings in the first half of the year, largely due to the impact of trade restrictions imposed by the U.S. government. Huawei’s revenues declined by 29.4% year-on-year to CNY320.4 billion ($49.5 billion), while its net profit margin rose...

The next Google smartphone will sport an in-house mobile chip

Google: 'Tensor was built for how people use their phones today and how people will use them in the future' Blaming computing limitations of third-party options, Google announced that its newest smartphone series, the Pixel 6, will sport an in-house chip called Tensor. Critical to...

IDC: Smartphone shipments up 13% in Q2

The global smartphone market grew even faster than IDC had expected during the second quarter, beating the analyst firm's predicted growth rate of 12.5% to come in at 13.2%, according to preliminary data from IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. Smartphone OEMs shipped about 313.2...

AIS and vivo conduct 5G standalone network tests in Thailand

AIS launched 5G standalone services in July 2020 Thai mobile service provider Advanced Info Service Plc. (AIS) has partnered with Chinese smartphone manufacturer vivo to run 5G Standalone (SA) network tests in Thailand. This is the first time that vivo has stepped outside of China to participate...

Ericsson, MIT to research AI processing, ‘zero-energy’ devices for 5G, 6G networks

Ericsson exec: '5G is leading to a fully realized IoT and bringing us closer to a truly connected world' Ericsson and MIT have made plans to jointly research and design hardware for 5G and 6G mobile networks. Specifically, Ericsson Research and the MIT Materials Research Laboratory are...

Global 5G connections to reach 1.8 billion by 2025: GSMA

5G connections globally are forecast to reach 1.8 billion by 2025, according to a new study by the GSMA. The study, "The Mobile Economy 2021", revealed that 5G technology will account for 21% of total mobile connections globally by that year. Developed Asian countries and the...

GSA reports continued growth of 5G device ecosystem during May

The number of announced 5G devices has surpassed 800 for the first time and now stands at 822 announced 5G devices, according to the Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA). This is an increase of 8.7% over the last month and 62% of all announced 5G...

Deutsche Telekom tests 5G VoNR call with partners

German carrier Deutsche Telekom said it has completed the first 5G Voice over New Radio (VoNR) call in partnership with Ericsson, Nokia, Qualcomm, Samsung and Xiaomi. The call was made over a 5G Standalone (SA) network set up at Deutsche Telekom's lab in Warsaw, Poland. This...

Lost your car keys? NXP’s Ultra-Wideband technology might be able to help

Ultra-Wideband is a radio technology that can use a very low energy level for short-range, high-bandwidth communications NXP Semiconductors announced that its Trimension Ultra-Wideband (UWB) platform now combines UWB and Bluetooth Low Energy solutions to deliver spatial awareness to the new Samsung Galaxy SmartTag+, making...

Survey: Nearly 60% of global consumers plan 5G device upgrade within two years

Is 2021 the year of the highly anticipated device "supercycle", when consumers upgrade their devices in large numbers in order to get access to 5G? T-Mobile US CEO Mike Sievert has said that for Apple devices, it's already here. Both Gartner and more recently,...

Smartphones get the high score in gaming revenue, according to report

Smartphones account for the biggest source of gaming revenue — 43% of total revenue from all devices Smartphones appear to be dominating the global gaming market, according to new data presented by 123scommesse. In 2020, the global gaming market generated an estimated $177.8 billion, 43% — or...

5G user survey: Cloud gaming, AR and indoor coverage are hot; Wi-Fi gets snubbed

5G is already triggering changes in user behavior and indoor coverage is very important to early adopters, according to a new user survey from Ericsson ConsumerLab. 5G users are often more satisfied with their experience than LTE users are, but they find the selection...

Korean operators end March with almost 14.5 million 5G subscribers

South Korea ended March with a total of 14.48 million 5G subscribers, up from 7 million 5G users in May 2020, local news agency Yonhap reported, citing data from the Ministry of Science and ICT. The total number of 5G subscribers at the end of...

US restrictions impact Huawei’s Q1 revenues

Chinese vendor Huawei’s business felt the impact of the ongoing U.S. sanctions in the first quarter of the year, with a 16.5% year-on-year decline in revenues. In a release, Huawei reported revenues of CNY152.2 billion ($23.5 billion) in the first quarter, while its profit margin...