Connecting an application processor to a DRAM chip through a 3200 Mbps LPDDR4 interface is not any easier than routing a 2600 MHz 4G LTE antenna. While RF front ends enjoy ceramic packages and careful routing in electromagnetic proof modules, digital signals flow through ball grid array packages and small dense printed circuit boards (PCB) making them more liable to high frequency effects.
There were 178 million handsets shipped in the China market during January-May 2014, decreasing over 70 million units on year. The decrease was mainly because China Mobile shifted marketing resources to promote 4G TD-LTE smartphones and reduced subsidies for 2G and TD-SCDMA (3G) handset purchases, according to Digitimes Research.
Buoyed by back-to-school demand, global notebook shipments are expected to grow 4.3% sequentially in the third quarter of 2014 before taking a dive of 1.1% in the fourth quarter, according to Digitimes Research.
Facing a funding shortage for local IC manufacturers, the China State Council in June 2014 published guidelines to strengthen government support for China's semiconductor industry, while stating the short-, mid-, and long-term goals for the related industry supply chains through 2030...
Samsung Electronics recently launched the 8.4- and 10.5-inch AMOLED-based Galaxy Tab S flagship tablets. Although the new Galaxy Tab S tablets feature specifications exceeding those of Apple's iPads, the series is still unlikely to boost Samsung's sales in the second half of 2014 as demand in the high-end tablet market is gradually approaching saturation, according to Digitimes Research.
In June 2014, the digital home industry saw several developments worth noting. Google-owned Nest Labs released a new smart home API that is open to iOS and Android developers. Digitimes Research believes the new platform will open up cross partnerships across the digital home industry as well as bring increased advantages to end-user products.
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has issued two FD-LTE pilot operation licenses to China Unicom and China Telecom on June 27 for several cities in China...
Google has recently announced its new wearable device platform, Google Fit, which is expected to change the business model for wearable devices to horizontal partnerships with different industries with its hardware/software integration and connectivity, according to Digitimes Research.
The on-cell touchscreen technology led by US-based touch control IC maker Synaptics and China-based Focaltech have accumulated total unit shipments of one million since the beginning of the technology's mass production in October 2013.
Global notebook shipments dropped 4.9% on year in the second quarter of 2014, according to Digitimes Research. Despite the end of Windows XP bringing about a surge of notebook orders, panels and some key components were in limited supply, and demand in China and South and Central America was down, resulting in the sequential decline.
