The global VR/AR campaigns that began in 2016 continued into the recently concluded Computex 2017, highlighted by a slew of VR devices for high-end business applications, VR backpacks wirth wireless connections, and also AR-enabled smartphones targeting the consumer market, according to Digitimes Research.However, over 80% of VR devices on display at Computex 2017 were those already unveiled either at E3 2016 or CES 2017. The release of Microsoft 10 MR made itself one of the fresh points at the show. The Windows 10 MR headsets are competitive in price as compared to HoleLens or other VR headsets available in the market. With support from OEMs, Microsoft is eager to expand the VR/MR market.It was also eye-catching to see HTC incorporate Tobii's eye tracking technology into the Vive. The development of eye tracking technology will continue to gain market attention as more VR devices adopt the technology, Digitimes Research said.Judging from the various VR devices displayed by exhibitors, it can be felt strongly that PC makers are trying to maintain the relationship between VR headsets and PC systems. The Windows 10 MR and Star VR are such examples, while VR backpacks are actually mobile PCs. Meanwhile PC makers are also stepping into the VR segment which requires the use of high-end PC systems such as the digital gaming market.

The Japan government, in line with the goal of realizing autonomous driving in Japan before the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, is promoting development and production of high-precision 3D digital navigation maps through directing establishment of Dynamic Map Planning (DMP), a company specifically for the purpose, in June 2016, according to Digitimes Research.Shareholders of DMP include Mitsubishi Electric, Japan-based map producer Zenrin and several automobile makers including Toyota and Nissan, Digitimes Research indicated.High-precision 3D digital navigation maps are used to enable autonomously driven cars to sense gradients and complicated conditions, which can be combined with AI (artificial intelligence) technology to plan optimal routes.Data to be collected include 2D information on roads as well as 3D information such as sign posts and vertical crossing levels. Collection entails use of multiple sensors. In order to minimize collection costs, self-driven vehicles equipped with LiDAR sensors are generally used.In Europe, Germany-based automobile makers have had their cars collect data on road conditions for HD Live Map, an automotive navigation map system developed by Germany-based HERE International.

Because of increased demand from the enterprise market and the fact that the education sector has entered the traditional peak season, the worldwide top-5 notebook vendors saw their combined shipments increase 26%, and the top-3 ODMs 34%, on month in May. The top-3 ODMs together achieved higher growth than the top-5 vendors combined because their proportion of orders from US-based vendors was up from a month ago, while Lenovo performed poorly during the month.Hewlett-Packard's (HP) shipments grew on month in May, helping the company to become the largest vendor worldwide, surpassing the previous month's number one Dell. HP's shipment gap with Lenovo further expanded to more than 1.2 million units. Dell's shipments in May were down slightly on month, but were up over 10% on year thanks to strong shipments to North America's enterprise market, according to Digitimes Research's latest monthly notebook report.Lenovo was the third-largest in May, facing serious challenges in both market operations and personnel management.Quanta Computer's notebook shipments grew 48% from a month ago in May thanks to new projects from HP and increased shipments for Apple's new products. Meanwhile, Compal Electronics and Wistron each saw around 20% on-month growth in May.

The new production lines installed or added at the 6G LTPS TFT LCD plants of Taiwan-based AU Optronics (AUO), Innolux and China-based Tianma Micro-electronics and China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT), as well as at the 5.5G LTPS plant of BOE Technology, for production of smartphone-use panels at the end of 2016 or early 2017 have to be overhauled through technology upgrades in order to compete effectively with rivals in Korea and Japan, according to Digitimes Research.Owing to that China-based smartphone vendors used to purchase on-cell touch AMOLED panels from Samsung Display or hybrid in-cell touch LTPS TFT LCD panels from Japan Display (JDI) for their high-end smartphones, flat panel makers in the Greater China area have developed AMOLED panels integrated with on-cell or in-cell touch sensors to cater to the high-end smartphone segment, Digitimes Research said.Major LCD driver IC suppliers, including FocalTech Systems, Himax Technologies, Novatek Microelectronics and Synaptics have all rolled out in-cell TDDI (touch with display driver integration) solutions supporting mass production of in-cell TDDI panels.Since the development of high-end smartphones has been trending toward designs with bezel-less frames, great screen-to-body ratios, and high aspect ratios for differentiation, panel makers in the Greater China area are also urged to adopt COF (chip on film) solutions instead of COG (chip on glass) ones for panel production. However, flat panel makers in the Greater China area may not be able to start volume production of TDDI LCD panels with COF solutions until year-end 2017 as major LCD driver IC suppliers are not expected to be able to supply COF solutions until the end of July 2017, while there is also a bottleneck in the PCB supply chain to supply flexible PCBs supporting COF production, and back-end module makers are also reluctant to commit new investments to support build-ups of new technology, Digitimes commented.

USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) is a standards organization promoting the advancement and adoption of Universal Serial Bus technology for the last two decades. There are currently more than 900 member companies participating in USB-IF and nearly half of these companies are from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.This year, USB-IF and several exhibiting member companies showcased new USB developments and products in the USB Community booth at Computex Taipei, a longstanding, global electronics exhibition for ICT technology professionals and executives. We had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Jeff Ravencraft, USB-IF’s President and Chief Operation Officer, and Mr. Rahman Ismail, USB-IF’s CTO regarding the new developments and promotion around the USB Type-C specification.According to IHS market research, USB Type-C is forecasted to dominate mobile devices, PCs and other consumer electronics, with an estimated two billion devices shipping into the market in2019. Combined with USB Power Delivery and SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps, the USB single-cable solution offers faster charging, higher data transfer rates and ease of use. Ravencraft highlighted USB Power Delivery and SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps that can enable OEM’s to provide support for power up to 100W and data transmission speed up to 10 Gbps, all over a single USB Type-C connection. Given the complexity, power and performance capabilities, it is important for manufacturers to devote the necessary resources to build compliant products and submit them for testing by the USB-IF Compliance Program to achieve USB-IF certification.This year, it is expected the number of USB Type-C enabled devices will reach mass volume shipments in mobile devices, desktops, entertainment peripherals and other multimedia devices.Enabling the best charging experience via USB Type-CAs recent news has shown, consumers purchasing faulty products have experienced frustration. Now more than ever, consumers want to trust the USB products they purchase and USB-IF certification is the answer."Consumer satisfaction is paramount," said Ravencraft. "Non-compliant cables and power adaptors pose a risk to the functionality and interoperability of USB products. The solution is for manufacturers to certify their devices and for consumers to look for the certified USB logos when purchasing USB-enabled devices."To combat cheap, non-compliant USB devices, USB-IF announced a new Certified USB Charger Logo and Compliance Program based on the USB Type-C and USB Power Delivery specifications. Together with the existing certified USB logos for data transmission, power and speed, the new Certified USB Charger logo will display the available power wattage within the logo. Companies with certified USB chargers may request logos displaying various power ratings. USB-IF anticipates the most common power ratings entering the market will be 15, 27, 45 and 60 Watts. In the long term, power ratings under 45W will have a big market potential considering the lower power consumption design trends.Since a number of non-compliant cables have turned up in the market that are improperly designed and pose a threat to the devices and users, USB-IF released the USB Type-C Authentication Specification, which defines a cryptographic-based protocol for USB Type-C power adaptors, chargers and devices. Using this protocol, host systems can confirm the authenticity of a USB device including capabilities and certification status. This new authentication empowers host systems to protect against non-compliant USB devices and to mitigate risks from maliciously embedded hardware or software in USB devices attempting to exploit a USB connection before inappropriate power or data can be transferred.USB Type-C Alternate Modes (Alt Modes) is defined in the USB Type-C specification which enables the multi-purposing of designated pins in the connector for alternate adaptors such as DisplayPort, HDMI, and Thunderbolt. The beauty of Alt Modes is that it enables a USB Type-C host or device to support other display specifications. This ultimately benefits consumers and systems designers, as a single connector reduces costs and increases system functionality.USB-IF and IEC expanding cooperation to support USB Type-C connector in a Global market for device charging applicationsUSB Type-C and USB Power Delivery were developed with a vision of delivering universal power charging capabilities, to extend ease of use for consumers, and to reduce electronic waste by offering a standards-based alternative solution to proprietary chargers.Mr. Ravencraft mentioned USB-IF has been working with International Electro-technical Commission (IEC) since 2013 to expand international standards cooperation to include the USB specifications. This cooperation supports global recognition and adoption of USB technologies in international and regional standards and regulatory policies including IEC 63002, IEC 62680 and IEC 62684 series. This approach for ongoing standardization work is driven by IEC’s goals of increasing external power supply re-usability, supporting consumer convenience, maintaining product reliability and safety. In addition, widespread adoption of the resulting international standards will help to reduce the poorly designed or manufactured aftermarket substitutes, which may affect the operation of electronic devices in compliance with regulatory requirements.Docking station fulfilling multiple needsVarious USB chipsets feature different functions of USB specifications. For users that are constantly moving from the office to the road, having a docking station connected to an external monitor, keyboard, mouse and Ethernet makes life so much easier. The USB Type-C connectors could unify the design of docking station and connect other devices through one single cable. For old USB ports, such as USB Type-A, Type-B, HDMI or DisplayPort, although these new docks don’t work the same way, they still offer the same level of convenience. Smartphones or notebook PCs need only one USB Type-C connector to connect everything.Leveraging USB Type-C, some of the docking stations implemented audio and 4K video output, allowing for data transmission and music at the same time.USB Audio – an upbeat sound experienceUSB-IF defined USB Audio over USB Type-C as the primary solution for all digital audio applications including headsets, mobile devices, docking stations, gaming set-ups and VR solutions. The benefits of USB Audio allow device manufacturers to consider eliminating the need for multiple ports (i.e. 3.5mm jack) and efficiently deliver data, power, audio and video over a single USB Type-C connector. USB Audio over USB Type-C provides a standardized approach to deliver compelling user benefits, device interoperability and ease-of-use across all digital audio applications.In consumer electronics, TVs often use HDMI to connect with PCs, home theater systems or other peripherals. With USB Type-C becoming a popular industry standard connector, it is very convenient to design a cable with USB Type-C and HDMI. This enables two of the most popular solutions for connectivity to come together. The HDMI Alt Mode specification for the USB Type-C cable/connector will deliver native HDMI signals over a simple cable that is a USB Type-C connection at one end and HDMI connection at the other without the need for protocol or an additional connector adapters or dongles. This will enable PCs or smartphones to connect to the TV directly and support more entertainment systems in the future.Virtual reality devices will be the next important application to consume massive data processing and transmission. USB Type-C is the last cable you will ever need for all your devices. Combining with 10Gbps data transmission speed and reversible plugging features, there is nothing like USB Type-C.*USB Type-C and USB-C are trademarks of USB Implementers Forum."USB single-cable solution offers faster charging, higher data transfer rates and ease of use. USB Power Delivery and SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps can enable OEM’s to provide support for power up to 100W and data transmission speeds up to 10 Gbps," said Mr. Jeff Ravencraft, USB-IF President and Chief Operation Officer.

Of China's top-25 best-selling smartphones sold at the country's physical stores (excluding Apple and Samsung devices) in the first quarter of 2017, 52% adopt Qualcomm's application processors while 36% incorporate MediaTek's solutions, according to Digitimes Research.Qualcomm's chips are being used for flagship, high-end and mainstream smartphone devices, while MediaTek remains competitive in the entry-level and mid-range segment, said Digitimes Research.Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835, 660 and 630 chips are popular among mid- to high-end smartphones sold in China, Digitimes Research identified. Qualcomm has also rolled out its Snapdragon 205-series for feature phones.Affected by Huawei's product roadmap, HiSilicon's most-recent solutions are designed mostly for flagship and high-end devices, Digitimes Research indicated. HiSilicon has also provided Huawei with the Kirin 960-series that supports the LTE Cat. 12 standard.MediaTek's late availability of its Cat. 10-based Helio P30 solution has affected its competitiveness in the high-end segment, but specs of the solution could help the company regain orders, Digitimes Research noted.ARM's Cortex-A53 CPU architecture combined with 28nm process technology was the most popular in the first quarter of 2017, Digitimes Research indicated. Of China's top-25 best-selling smartphones in the first quarter of 2017, APs based on the ARM Cortex-A53 accounted for 84%. Meanwhile, 28nm chips accounted for 68% of the APs used in China's top-25 best-selling smartphones during the period.With China's smartphone market facing a slowdown, AP suppliers have shifted their focus to emerging markets, according to Digitimes Research. Qualcomm's smartphone clients have been expanding their businesses in Brazil, Indonesia and Mexico, while MediaTek has grown its market presence in Brazil by supplying chips to the local phone makers. Spreadtrum has also cut into the supply chain of Indonesia's smartphone industry.

AMOLED smartphone panel shipments to China are expected to keep increasing, but Samsung Display's dominance in the market will start seeing challenges from local competitors in 2018 when they ramp up production for AMOLED panels, according to Digitimes Research.China's AMOLED smartphone panel shipments will increase to 3.53 million units in 2018, compared to 2.43 million units in 2016, figures from Digitimes Research's latest Special Report, China AMOLED panel capacity expansion forecast, 2016-2020, show.When it started promoting its AMOLED panels to China-based customers in 2015, the South Korea-based vendor was almost the only maker capable of supplying meaningful volumes to the market.But Samsung Display's limited production capacity means that when Samsung Electronics began to promote handsets with AMOLED displays in other emerging markets in first-half 2016, the panel supplier was forced to reduce its AMOLED supply to China. In the second half of 2016, major China-based smartphone vendors began shifting AMOLED panel orders for their flagship models to Japan-based JDI.Samsung Display is now expected to resume strong promotion of its AMOLED panels in China in 2017, which is likely to curb the shipment growth of China-based AMOLED panel makers. But China-based AMOLED panel makers are not sitting idly.Seven China-based panel makers have been expanding existing or setting up new AMOLED production capacities, with the total annual capacity estimated to increase from 272,000 square meters in 2016 to 1.584 million square meters in 2018, 4.464 million square meters in 2019, and 7.864 million square meters in 2020, representing an overall CAGR of 131.9% from 2016-2020.

China is striving to substantially improve the self-sufficiency rate for ICs in the nation. With strong government support, manufacturing capacities at China-based IC foundries and backend firms are set to expand significantly during the period of the country's 13th five-year plan, according to Digitimes Research.China-based suppliers of processors, FPGA chips, IoT and information security related chips, and memory chips are also being supported by local governments according to the central government's "Internet Plus" and "Made in China 2025" initiatives, said Digitimes Research.During China's 13th FYP period, China aims to increase the number of 4.5/5G base stations locally while expanding the fiber backbone network and pushing data center expansion for a high rate of network Infrastructure penetration, Digitimes Research indicated. Demand for related chips such as server processors and memory ICs made locally will be robust.China's central government has also shifted from direct financial support to subsidies through government-led investment funds during the country's 13th FYP period, Digitimes Research noted. The investment funds will provide local companies financial support to foster the development of local IC industry sectors.

All-in-one (AIO) PC shipments are expected to stablize in both 2017 and 2018 after declining for three years in a row. Due to weak demand from the consumer sector, AIO PC shipments were down 1.7% on year to reach only 12.18 million units in 2016.Since AIO PC shipments had an on-year decline smaller than the overall desktop market, the share of AIO PCs to overall desktop shipments hit a new high at 10.4% in 2016 and the percentage will continue to grow in both 2017 and 2018.Lenovo was the largest vendor worldwide and its shipment gap with second-place Hewlett-Packard (HP) widened in 2016. The Top-4 AIO PC vendors together contributed 83.8% of the worldwide AIO PC shipments in 2016.Lenovo is seeing increased shipments and HP is enjoying strong sales for its enterprise AIO PC models in 2017. Apple is also ready to launch new AIO PC products this year. The top-4 vendors' combined share of worldwide AIO PC shipments is expected to rise to 85.2% in 2017, according to Digitimes Research's latest report on AIO PCs.After TPV-Inventa left the AIO PC market, orders that were originally given to the maker have mostly been taken by Compal Electronics, allowing Compal to have the largest AIO PC shipment growth in both 2016 and 2017 compared to others. Compal will also become the second-largest AIO PC maker in Taiwan in 2017.

Head-up displays (HUDs), navigation information reflected on windshield glass to exempt drivers from watching screens of navigation devices for driving safety, have been increasingly adopted for high-end automobile models by Japan- and Germany-based car makers and there is expected to be large potential demand for such devices, according to Digitimes Research.In view of large potential demand, automotive electronics makers, including Japan-based Nippon Seiki and Denso and Germany-based Continental, and automotive navigation device makers, such as Japan-based Pioneer, Mitsubishi Electric, Panasonic and Kenwood, as well as Japan-based Konica Minolta have stepped into HUD production, Digitimes Research indicated.HUDs are through reflecting navigation information displayed on LED or TFT-LCD panels onto windshield glass via lenses or flat mirrors. There are two types of HUDs based on TFT-LCD panels, one is installed by automotive electronics makers on an OEM basis and the other is added by automotive navigation device makers on an ex-factory basis.In addition, pico-projection has been applied to HUDs. There are four such pico-projection technologies, that is, DLP with Texas Instruments being leading developer, LCoS developed by Sony and JVC, MEMS laser-scanning projection developed by MicroVision, and HTPS (high-temperature poly-Si) TFT-LCD developed by Seiko Epson.