Samsung will launch models with in-display fingerprint sensors, following Vivo, Huawei, Xiaomi, and OPPO, says TrendForce. The adoption by these major Android smartphones has constantly increased the penetration of in-display fingerprint technologies, among which ultrasonic and optical fingerprint sensing have made considerable breakthroughs. TrendForce estimates that ultrasonic and optical in-display fingerprint sensors will account for 13% of all fingerprint sensor technologies in 2019, significantly up from 3% in 2018.
According to TrendForce, the sales of Apple’s iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X that were released in 2017 were lower than expected for models that celebrate 10th anniversary of the iPhone line. Sales of the iPhone 8/X series were affected by the delayed launch. Moreover, the demand for iPhone X has not been as strong as anticipated because consumers still need time to adjust to the high prices. While the market performance of the iPhone 8/X series has fallen short of the high expectations, iPhone sales as a whole are sustained by the popularity of models from the earlier generations. TrendForce finds that total iPhone sales for the whole year of 2017 reached around 216 million units, roughly the same as the annual figure for 2016.
DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce, reports that DRAM suppliers have in turn completed their 3Q18 contract negotiations with their clients this July. In the specialty DRAM market, prices have not changed noticeably between June and July. Looking ahead to 3Q18, DRAMeXchange expects the quotation trend of DDR4 specialty products to align more closely with the quotations of mainstream PC and server DRAM products. This is because suppliers can use different bonding options to change the application of the DDR4 memory. As for DDR3 specialty DRAM, its market is forecast to stay at a healthy supply-demand balance. In sum, the overall price trend for specialty DRAM is projected to be relatively stable in 3Q18.
Chinese smartphone brands have been growing rapidly driven by the strong domestic market and their heavy investments in R&D, according to the latest research by TrendForce. Since last year, the brands’ combined share has reached above 50% in the global smartphone market, where Korean and American brands used to dominate. The intensified competition would eliminate brands faster and make the market more concentrated. This year, the Chinese smartphone brands, independent design house (IDH) included, are expected to achieve a combined share of 54% as a result of successful expansion in overseas markets.
Qualcomm, the leading manufacturer of telecommunications chips and mobile processors, announced its decision to terminate the $47 billion purchase agreement to acquire NXP, a Dutch company known for automotive and IoT chips, after China’s Ministry of Commerce failed to approve the deal. Qualcomm’s business has been influenced by the slowing smartphone sales recently, and would face more risks brought by the saturated market in the future, says TrendForce.
