The popularity of Bluetooth LBS (location based service) apps is rising as the related applications can be used for direction-tracking or as electronic fences to trace and analyze the footprints of confirmed COVIC-19 cases, helping curb the spread of the coronavirus, Digitimes Research has found

The development of on-device AI chips for smart speaker applications is gaining momentum as brand vendors are incorporating those chips into their speaker products to improve related real-time voice services and sound quality and enhance the protection of user privacy by reducing the reliance on cloud applications, Digitimes Research has found

The ongoing shortage of notebook-use chips, panels and other components is expected to improve substantially in the fourth quarter of 2021, according to Digitimes Research

US cable operators Comcast, Charter, AT&T and Verizon have seen huge growth in users as remote learning and working are still dominant. Meanwhile, small and medium DSL Internet providers who do not offer high-speed Internet connectivity are struggling, seeking bankruptcy protecion or suffering huge declines in revenue. These DSL providers are now being subsidized by the US government to upgrade to fiber network. This year, the US telecom market will continue to robust growth, as the US government plans to funnel US$3 billion out of the Biden administration's US$1.9 trillion COVID relief bill into paying for low- and middle-income families' Internet bills

Smart manufacturing and remote collaboration have been in hot demand since the pandemic hit the manufacturing industry. Augmented reality (AR), for one, can be integrated into both remote and on-site operations and can help improve efficiency. However, site regulations and evaluations of benefit must not be overlooked. Manufacturers should go through trial phases before investing in advanced AR wearables, 5G private network, AR software, etc

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix will see their combined sales of memory products (mainly DRAM and NAND flash chips) increase 16.7% sequentially to KRW26 trillion (US$23.3 billion) in the second quarter of 2021, buoyed by rising chip ASPs, according to Digitimes Research

Global top-5 notebook brands, not including Apple, saw their combined shipments drop 7% on month in May. Despite strong notebook demand from the end market, IC supply remained constrained, while the issue of incompatible components at vendors worsened

Vodafone has announced the construction partners for its Open RAN (O-RAN) networks that are being installed in the southwest of England and Wales, setting the stage for the further advancement of the O-RAN market

Global top-5 notebook brands, not including Apple, saw their combined shipments drop 7% on month in May. Despite strong notebook demand from the end market, IC supply remained constrained, while the issue of incompatible components at vendors worsened, according to figures from Digitimes Research

China's top-3 pure-play foundries are expected to see their combined revenue grow 16% on year to hit another record high in 2021, buoyed by continued strong demand for power devices, CMOS image sensors, radio-frequency ICs and other chip solutions demanding specialty-node manufacturing, according to Digitimes Research

Taiwan's PC monitor shipments are expected to grow about 3% on both sequential and on-year bases in the second quarter of 2021, as shortages of related components and materials continue to constrain growths, according to Digitimes Research

The 5G private network architecture outlined in 3GPP Release 16 allows businesses to deploy private networks by themselves, which will not only bring changes to the previous model that relies on telecom operators in the 4G era but also the rise of Open RAN (O-RAN) market, according to Digitimes Research