Qualcomm announced a second-generation 5G New Radio modem, a 7-nanometer single-chip integrated 5G to 2G multimode device. The Snapdragon X55 supports 5G NR mmWave and sub-6 GHz spectrum bands with up to 7 Gbps download speeds and 3 Gbps upload speeds over 5G, along with Category 22 LTE with up to 2.5 Gbps LTE download speeds, it said. The modem is designed for global 5G rollouts with support for all major frequency bands, said the company. Currently sampling to customers, the Snapdragon X55 is expected to be in commercial devices late this year.
Savant announced compatibility between its control platform and Resideo’s Honeywell Home T Series smart thermostats, including voice control via Savant’s touch-screen Pro remote and Pro 8 app. A homeowner with a compatible Resideo smart thermostat can say, “I’m hot” or “I’m cold” into the Pro remote to trigger a 2-degree adjustment of the temperature setting, said the company. Users also can integrate climate adjustment into a programmed scene.
The top smartwatch vendors will see their collective 58 percent market share in 2018 shrink to 47 percent by 2023, Juniper Research reported Tuesday, with Garmin, Huami and Huawei poised to gain ground. Apple is expected to continue to lead the segment in shipments over the next four years, but Huawei will grow faster, at a 20 percent compound annual growth rate. Increased focus on healthcare integration will lead to overall shipment growth over the forecast period, with Apple and Withings among the leaders in the category, followed by Fitbit and Garmin. Smaller players will grow via niche market targeting, use cases or price points, while others deliver premium devices combining fitness, outdoor activity and health features, it said. China shipped 24 million smartwatches last year vs. 19.5 million by North America companies, and it’s expected to continue to widen the gap with lower priced devices. Adoption of hybrid smartwatches, which comprised 22 percent of last year's smartwatch shipments, will be slower than expected as smaller players focus on digital offering apps, connectivity and sensors.
Cirrus Logic announced Tuesday a smart power amplifier it said will improve the audio listening experience for mono and stereo applications on mobile devices, while conserving battery life. The CS35L41 supports stereo audio in smartphones and portable devices and is said to boost audio clarity and loudness with advanced power management. It’s half the size of other digital signal processing amps, said the company.
Samsung bowed its next-generation tablet Friday, first to incorporate Bixby voice control, as an “ideal hub” to control smart home devices. Samsung highlighted the tablet's smart home functionality, including scene creation through Quick Command, which enables a user to flip on lights and a TV simultaneously with one voice command. The Tab S5e has a 10.5-inch edge-to-edge display, is 0.2-inch thick and weighs 14 ounces. Battery life is given as 14.5 hours. An accessory keyboard is an option. The four speakers have auto-rotate stereo technology that adjusts to portrait or landscape orientation. Sound is by Harman brand AKG and the mobile device integrates Dolby Atmos sound. Spotify is preloaded and users get a free premium subscription to the streaming music service for three months. The Wi-Fi version will be available in Q2 at $399 with a cellular model due later in the year. Samsung also announced it’s expanding its experience stores, opening locations Wednesday in Los Angeles; Garden City, New York; and Houston. Like the company’s first experience center in New York City, the stores won't be shopping destinations. They're designed to educate visitors about Samsung TVs, SmartThings products, wearables, smartphones and tablets; offer support and walk-in repair service for mobile devices; and provide hands-on experiences. The centers feature virtual reality and 8K demos, 4K gaming lounges and stations for visitors to create AR emojis, it said.
After reaching a third of U.S. homes at the end of 2018, smart speakers will see more than 64 million in sales by 2022, blogged Parks Associates Thursday. Voice is becoming a “key complement to smart home device adoption and ownership,” providing a simple way to interact with devices and creating the opportunity for a centralized user interface in the connected home, said analyst Dina Abdelrazik. The next step will be “integration of voice among multiple device categories,” which will help reduce smart home fragmentation, she said. Voice control of smart home devices is on the rise, with 21 percent of smart home owners having used voice to power devices on and off, 18 percent to check a device’s status, said Parks. With voice popularity and use cases expanding, device makers and service providers are looking to capitalize on the market opportunity by integrating voice with their current offerings, either by creating a proprietary technology or integrating with an available one. Amazon and Google have made it easier for companies to bring voice-based solutions to market “while creating competition for consumer mindshare," Abdelrazik said, and Apple and Samsung are promoting their own solutions in the increasingly crowded market.
Beyerdynamic calls its new wireless headphones “an audible piece of jewelry” on its e-commerce site. The $1,199 product capable of phone calls meets Hi-Res Audio specs, includes aptX HD Bluetooth and is customizable via the company’s app.
InnoPhase's single-chip wireless IoT platform cuts "the power cord" and is "battery-based with a DTIM3 specification at least half that of leading lowpower Wi-Fi solutions." It has a transceiver for MAC/PHY and embedded ARM processor, said the fabless chipmaker Wednesday. Teknique likes being able to have Wi-Fi connectivity without a wireless hub, said that customer company's CEO, Ben Bodley.
Google Pixel in Q4 was the fastest-growing “major” smartphone brand in the U.S., outpacing its top-10 rivals, including the iPhone, Samsung and Lenovo’s Motorola, blogged Strategy Analytics Tuesday. Overall U.S. smartphone unit shipments declined 23 percent in the quarter from “a lack of wow designs,” but Pixel shipments “bucked the downtrend” and increased 43 percent, it said. The Pixel 3 “is starting to resonate” with American consumers “searching for something new,” such as eSIM connectivity or artificial intelligence, said SA: Questions abound how Google might exploit this year’s impending Pixel 4 introduction to tap into momentum.
Some 65 percent of smart thermostat owners are interested in a dealer service that periodically cleans and performs preventive maintenance on their HVAC equipment, blogged Parks Associates Tuesday. “Connectivity, data analytics, and ecosystem convergence in the smart home are creating opportunities to expand traditional services and realize new revenue streams,” and that’s driving a transition in vertical industries from products to services, said President Elizabeth Parks. Service opportunities, paired with smart home solutions, include installation and technical support, maintenance and repair services, remote monitoring and network security, which can bring recurring revenue opportunities to companies and potential cost savings to consumers.