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In the past, Huawei had maintained a strong position in the global smartphone market, stably ranking among the top three in market share, thanks to the differentiation advantage of its self-developed Kirin SoC chip. However, since May 2019, Huawei has been heavily impacted by the US sanctions and has been unable to access high-end 5G chips. As a result, Huawei's market share in the smartphone industry has experienced a significant decline. The market initially believed that the US sanctions would severely impact Huawei and its smartphone supply chain, potentially pushing Huawei into a dire situation. However, Huawei has made a comeback by launching the new Mate 60 Pro, which supports 5G technology. This comeback is a testament to the Nietzsche saying, "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger."
With the global semiconductor industry increasingly adopting specialization, the design and development of application processor (AP) and system on a chip (SoC) for smartphones are primarily undertaken by integrated circuit (IC) design companies. However, in the wake of Apple’s successful release of in-house developed chips, various smartphone brands have started to adopt the same strategy.
For smartphone brands, developing semiconductor components in-house requires a significant initial investment. Additionally, a SoC consists of various modules and architectures, such as image signal processors (ISP) and modems. Chip designers are tested to see if they can achieve the best balance between performance and power consumption by optimizing the allocation of resources between these modules and architectures. Overall, developing semiconductor components in-house is a complex task for smartphone brands without sufficient prior experience and technological expertise. Nevertheless, driven by various motivations, smartphone brands still want to pursue this goal.
An increase in demand for 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) was seen throughout 2023 to complement last-mile wired broadband deployments. This will bring 5G experiences to homes, businesses, factories, and other areas. 5G FWA also helps to bridge the digital divide in rural areas by providing fast and cost-effective broadband access. FWA enhances the feasibility of wireless as a home broadband solution, which in turn drives opportunities for 5G FWA device manufacturers. The analysis on the global 5G FWA chip market is as follows.
Development conditions for foldable phones are becoming increasingly mature due to the active involvement of smartphone brands. This report probes into the positioning, market segmentation, and hardware specifications of foldable phones, whilst examining their market competitiveness under price changes, future development trends, global market dynamics, and key component suppliers.
The recent promotion of the BEAD Act in the US, coupled with the gradual opening of the Wi-Fi 6E frequency band in the global regional market, are expected to drive a wave of upgrades for Wi-Fi 6E devices among general household and enterprise users. This trend will also stimulate global and Taiwanese equipment manufacturers to launch their previously introduced Wi-Fi 6E devices, thus potentially increasing the shipment volume of Wi-Fi 6E devices for international equipment manufacturers.
Today, using smartphones to take photos has become a popular way for people to record and share everyday memories. Camera performance has also become an important factor for consumers when deciding to purchase a new smartphone. However, unlike traditional digital single-lens reflex cameras (DSLRs), smartphones are designed to be lightweight and slim. Therefore, adopting a larger CMOS image sensor (CIS) or a heavier lens assembly to improve photoshoot is not practical. To overcome this physical limitation, advanced image signal processors (ISPs) and innovative computational photography algorithms are used to significantly enhance the imaging quality of smartphone cameras. These solutions can effectively compensate for the shortcoming of not being able to incorporate larger optical components into a smartphone camera.
With the advancement of chip and cable technologies, the data network landscape is continuously evolving, and 40G Ethernet switches in business networks are experiencing rapid growth. Positioned between 10G and 100G switches in terms of performance, 40G switches are typically used as the core/backbone switches for small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as aggregation/leaf switches in data centers. As enterprises, service providers, and mega-corporations continue to build Ethernet switch capacity and enhance connectivity and network infrastructure, the demand for high-speed internet services is increasing, which is expected to drive the development of the Ethernet switch industry.
CMOS image sensor (CIS) is the core component of a smartphone camera module, and its size and design architecture have a decisive impact on image quality. The optical format, which is the shape and size of the image sensor, is crucial for imaging. A larger optical format or optical size allows for capturing more light, thereby providing higher imaging resolution and a higher dynamic range. Hence, the larger the CMOS image sensor, the better the smartphone camera performs in low-light conditions. Conversely, a smaller optical format restricts the amount of light captured and results in a smaller pixel size. This ultimately leads to a drop in image quality.
The designs and technologies related to CIS units embedded in smartphone camera modules continue to evolve. Through innovations, CIS units now provide smartphones with more advanced and outstanding performance in terms of photography and imaging.
The global rise of smart cars has pushed the automotive industry toward developing smart cockpits—in addition to advancements in Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) and the deployment of smart roads. This strategic move aims to accelerate the commercialization timeline of smart vehicles. This report will delve into smart cockpit development trends from a communication perspective, while also exploring the current status of international automakers and suppliers in the realm of communication-related smart cockpits.
With the maturation of the smartphone market, smartphone brands face increasing difficulties in launching innovative products. At the same time, consumers lack compelling reasons to replace their existing smartphones. Looking at brands for Android smartphones, they are under pressure to offer new highlights in terms of features and designs. To give consumers a sense of “meaningful upgrade,” brands in the Android camp have introduced the most notable innovation in device appearance to date—foldable smartphone.
To build a foldable smartphone, brands have to incorporate several components that are exclusive to this design. These components include flexible display, uniquely structured hinges, etc. Due to the significant manufacturing costs of the specialized components and the relative immaturity of the related technologies, brands have been unable to keep production cost down for foldable devices. The price of the whole device has to be raised in order for foldable smartphones to have a decent profit margin. Hence, foldable smartphones have remained in the flagship segment of the market since 2019, when Samsung launched the first of their kind. Currently, foldable devices still represent a very niche market segment with limited demand.
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