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Tag: Qualcomm

  • Qualcomm Introduces First 10 Gigabit 5G Modem

    Qualcomm Introduces First 10 Gigabit 5G Modem

    Qualcomm has introduced the Snapdragon X65, the world’s first 5G modem with 10 gigabit support.

    Qualcomm is the world’s leading cellular modem manufacturer, and the company claims its latest generation of 5G modems is the biggest leap yet. Most notably, the Snapdragon X65 offers full 10 gigabit performance.

    To be clear, 10 gigabit speeds are not currently available from any kind of 5G. However, the fastest flavor of 5G, high-band mmWave, is designed to offer speeds measured in gigabits. Even the slower, but farther-reaching mid-band 5G, has already been proven to be able to deliver speeds in excess of one gigabit. As a result, a 10 gigabit modem ensures there is no bottleneck and allows the phone to benefit from the full range of speeds offered.

    Another major benefit of the Snapdragon X65 is its spectrum aggregation, enabling it to use a combination of all available 5G spectrum bands to provide the best combination of speed and range.

    “The 5G transition presents the biggest opportunity for Qualcomm as mobile technology is poised to benefit virtually every industry,” said Cristiano Amon, president and CEO-elect, Qualcomm Incorporated. “We are reaching a significant milestone with the Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System, unleashing connectivity up to 10 Gigabits per second and support for the latest 5G specifications that will play a critical role in enabling new 5G use cases not only for redefined premium smartphone experiences, but also opening a new realm of possibilities for 5G expansion across mobile broadband, compute, XR, industrial IoT, 5G private networks and fixed wireless access.”

    “Snapdragon X65 brings together all the key 5G breakthroughs expected from the world’s leading wireless innovator,” said Durga Malladi, senior vice president and general manager, 4G/5G, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Our fourth-generation 5G modem-RF system is designed for 5G launches globally and brings major innovations from modem to antenna along with extensive spectrum aggregation capabilities across sub-6 GHz and mmWave. This will fuel the rapid expansion of 5G while enhancing coverage, power efficiency and performance for users. And with extended range, high-power capabilities, Snapdragon X65 and X62 are also at the heart of the expansion of 5G into fixed wireless access and cloud-connected computing opportunities.”

  • Trump Administration Blocking More Companies From Selling to Huawei

    Trump Administration Blocking More Companies From Selling to Huawei

    The Trump administration is moving to revoke the licenses of companies previously cleared to sell products to Huawei.

    The US has engaged in a coordinated effort to isolate Huawei, citing national security concerns. The company is widely believed to have close ties with the Chinese government and intelligence apparatus. While all Chinese firms are required to cooperate with the government, Huawei’s ties are seen as closer than most.

    US officials have already banned Huawei, and pressured allies to do the same, with many following suit. The US even modified the Entity List and Foreign Direct Product Rule to cut the company off from suppliers, including those in other countries that rely on US technology. This resulted in Huawei losing access to chips from TSMC, Samsung and SK Hynix. In spite of that, some companies were granted licenses that allowed them to continue doing business with Huawei, such as Intel and Qualcomm.

    It appears the administration is preparing to revoke a number of those licenses, as well as deny additional applications, according to Reuters. One of the main companies impacted is Intel, with their license being one of the ones revoked.

    Reuters saw an email by the Semiconductor Industry Association, in which it said the Commerce Department intends “to deny a significant number of license requests for exports to Huawei and a revocation of at least one previously issued license.”

    It remains to be seen if the incoming Biden administration will take the same hard stance against Huawei but, for the time being, this is another major blow to the Chinese firm.

  • Qualcomm Purchasing Chip Company Nuvia

    Qualcomm Purchasing Chip Company Nuvia

    Qualcomm has announced it is acquiring Nuvia, a chip company formed by ex-Apple employees, for $1.4 billion.

    Qualcomm is the maker of a popular line of processors used in phones and tablets. While Qualcomm’s chips are based on Arm designs, like Apple’s custom silicon, Apple consistently takes top marks in performance benchmarks. It appears Qualcomm’s planned acquisition of Nuvia may be an effort to change that.

    Nuvia primarily designs chips for servers, but the company appears to have much wider ambitions. Nuvia’s website speaks of “an opportunity to reimagine silicon design to create a new class of processor that delivers the step-function performance and energy efficiency improvements needed to power the next era of computing.” These plans are likely at the heart of Qualcomm’s interest.

    “5G, the convergence of computing and mobile architectures, and the expansion of mobile technologies into other industries are significant opportunities for Qualcomm,” said Cristiano Amon, President and CEO-Elect, Qualcomm Incorporated. “The NUVIA team are proven innovators, and like Qualcomm, have a strong heritage in creating leading technology and products. I am very excited to have them join our team. Together, we are very well positioned to redefine computing and enable our ecosystem of partners to drive innovation and deliver a new class of products and experiences for the 5G era.”

    “Creating high performance, low-power processors and highly integrated, complex SoCs are part of our DNA,” said Jim Thompson, Chief Technology Officer of Qualcomm. “Adding NUVIA’s deep understanding of high-performance design and integrating NUVIA CPUs with Snapdragon – together with our industry-leading graphics and AI – will take computing performance to a new level and drive new capabilities for products that serve multiple industries.”

    With Apple’s recent switch to its own custom silicon, the race is on to provide high performance processor solutions to the industry, solutions that go beyond what Intel can offer. Qualcomm acquisition of Nuvia is a big step in that direction.

  • Cristiano Amon Replacing Steve Mollenkopf As Qualcomm CEO

    Cristiano Amon Replacing Steve Mollenkopf As Qualcomm CEO

    Steve Mollenkopf is retiring as CEO of Qualcomm after 26 years at the company, and will be replaced by Cristiano Amon.

    Mollenkopf has served as CEO since 2014. Prior to serving as CEO, Mollenkopf began his career at Qualcomm as an engineer, giving him an invaluable insight into the technical aspects of the company’s business. In recent years, Mollenkops has guided the company through major industry transitions, including the development of 5G, as well as fending off antitrust lawsuits the company faced.

    “Steve navigated through unprecedented circumstances during his tenure, facing more in his seven years as CEO than most leaders face in their entire careers,” said Mark McLaughlin, Chair of Qualcomm’s Board of Directors. “Under Steve’s leadership, the Company remained focused and created immense value for stockholders, inventing key technologies that are driving economic growth and improving lives. On behalf of the entire Qualcomm Board, I want to thank Steve for the vision and leadership he brought during his years as CEO and for leading what I am confident will be a seamless transition. Cristiano was the clear choice to be Qualcomm’s next CEO, having the track record of successful execution, deep Company knowledge, very strong relationships with our ecosystem of partners, and the strategic vision to take the Company forward. He is an authentic leader who has played a critical role in the Company’s success. We look forward to working together with him to lead the Company through its next chapter of growth.”

    Cristiano Amon will replace Mollenkopf after serving as Qualcomm President since 2018. Amon has been responsible for Qualcomm’s semiconductor business and played and important role in the company’s 5G strategy. This experience makes him the obvious choice for the company moving forward.

    “I am immensely proud of all that we have accomplished at Qualcomm and the position the Company currently enjoys as the world’s leader in wireless technologies,” Mollenkopf said. “With our business model clearly validated and our leadership in 5G, this is the right time for Cristiano to assume leadership of the Company and preside over what I see as the single largest opportunity in the Company’s history. Cristiano spearheaded the development of our 5G strategy, including its acceleration, industry-leading technology roadmap and global rollout. He was also a key architect and driver of Qualcomm’s strategy to expand and diversify our business beyond mobile and into new industry segments such as Auto, RF Front-End and IoT. Qualcomm is well positioned for the future and I am confident that with Cristiano as CEO, the Company will continue to invent leading technologies and create value for all of our stakeholders.”

    The transition will effective June 30, 2021.

  • Apple Working to Replace Qualcomm Internal Modems

    Apple Working to Replace Qualcomm Internal Modems

    Apple is working on the next step toward manufacturing independence, beginning work on a replacement for Qualcomm’s modems.

    Apple has had a troubled history with Qualcomm for years. Apple accused Qualcomm of charging unfair prices for its modems, and turned to Intel as an alternate source. Many critics believed Qualcomm had violated antitrust laws, prompting the Federal Trade Commission to file an antitrust case against the company.

    While Qualcomm lost the initial case, it ultimately prevailed on appeal. In the meantime, Intel was forced to exit the modem business, citing Qualcomm’s business practices as the reason. In the meantime, Apple settled its legal battle with Qualcomm and ended up buying Intel’s failed modem business.

    Last October, we covered a story that suggested Apple was using the purchased Intel modem business to develop its own line of components, with plans to begin using them as early as 2022.

    According to Bloomberg, Apple has now begun working on its own modem.

    “This year, we kicked off the development of our first internal cellular modem which will enable another key strategic transition,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technologies, in a town hall meeting with Apple employees. “Long-term strategic investments like these are a critical part of enabling our products and making sure we have a rich pipeline of innovative technologies for our future.”

    The move follows Apple’s decision to ditch Intel in favor of its own custom silicon, based on ARM chips. Apple, more than almost any company in the tech industry, is well-known for integrating its hardware and software. Building its own modems is another critical piece of that strategy, and will likely give Apple the ability to innovate even more.

  • Qualcomm Intros Snapdragon 888, Promises ‘Breakthrough Performance’

    Qualcomm Intros Snapdragon 888, Promises ‘Breakthrough Performance’

    Qualcomm has announced the next iteration of its Snapdragon line of processors, the flagship Snapdragon 888.

    Qualcomm is one of the leading makers of mobile chips, used in Android smartphones and tablets. Based on ARM designs, Snapdragon is used in some of the premier devices on the market.

    The new Snapdragon 888 makes significant improvement on previous generations, especially in performance, AI and connectivity.

    “Qualcomm’s history of breakthrough technology inventions has paved the way for our continued leadership in the premium-tier mobile segment,” said Alex Katouzian, senior vice president and general manager of mobile, compute and infrastructure, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “The new flagship Snapdragon 888 Mobile Platform will enable OEMs to further differentiate their devices and allows users to experience the latest cutting-edge mobile technologies.”

    When it comes to performance, the Snapdragon 888 is based on 5nm process technology, giving up to 25% better overall CPU performance and top speeds up to 2.84 GHz. The 888 also includes an integrated 5G modem, unlike the previous generation that had to be paired with a discreet modem.

    Qualcomm touts the Snapdragon 888’s AI abilities as “the biggest architectural leap forward in AI. The completely re-designed 6th generation Qualcomm AI Engine with the new Qualcomm® Hexagon 780 processor enables premium experiences that blend AI with professional cameras, personal voice assistants, elite gaming, lightning-fast connectivity and more.” Meanwhile, “the integrated 3rd generation Snapdragon X60 5G Modem-RF System enables support for 5G sub-6 carrier aggregation and mmWave to deliver the world’s fastest commercially available 5G speeds, up to 7.5 Gbps.”

    The Snapdragon 888 should help smartphone manufacturers push the envelope of what’s possible, and usher in a new generation of mobile devices.

  • Microsoft Unveils Pluton: A New Security Chip For Windows PCs

    Microsoft Unveils Pluton: A New Security Chip For Windows PCs

    Microsoft has unveiled Pluton, a new security chip designed to improve the security of Windows PCs.

    As threats from hackers and bad actors increase, and as more companies rely on remote work and cloud-based technologies, companies are working harder than ever to secure devices and systems. Microsoft’s latest announcement is a big step in that direction.

    The company has announced its new security chip, Pluton, that applies lessons from Xbox and Azure Sphere, bringing them to the Windows PC. The new chip was designed in cooperation with AMD, Intel and Qualcomm.

    This chip-to-cloud security technology, pioneered in Xbox and Azure Sphere, will bring even more security advancements to future Windows PCs and signals the beginning of a journey with ecosystem and OEM partners.

    The new chip is a substantial improvement over the existing Trusted Platform Module (TPM). Because the TPM is a separate hardware component, hackers have been targeting communication between the TPM and the CPU. Pluton addresses that by being integrated directly into the CPU.

    The Pluton design removes the potential for that communication channel to be attacked by building security directly into the CPU. Windows PCs using the Pluton architecture will first emulate a TPM that works with the existing TPM specifications and APIs, which will allow customers to immediately benefit from enhanced security for Windows features that rely on TPMs like BitLocker and System Guard. Windows devices with Pluton will use the Pluton security processor to protect credentials, user identities, encryption keys, and personal data. None of this information can be removed from Pluton even if an attacker has installed malware or has complete physical possession of the PC.

    Pluton promises to be a substantial step toward increased security for Windows PCs, and will hopefully see rapid deployment.

  • Huawei Throws In the Towel, Decides to Sell Smartphone Business

    Huawei Throws In the Towel, Decides to Sell Smartphone Business

    Huawei is selling its Honor line of smartphones in the midst of crippling sanctions by the US government.

    The US has been waging a campaign to isolate Huawei, painting the company as a threat to national security. While all Chinese companies are required to cooperate with the Chinese government, Huawei is believed to have stronger ties with military and intelligence officials than many companies. As a result, US officials have accused the company of being part of Beijing’s spying apparatus, a claim Huawei has vehemently denied.

    Despite the denials, the US has banned Huawei and pressured its allies to do the same. The UK, Australia and New Zealand have instituted similar bans, as have a number of other countries around the world. The US also used the Entity List and Foreign Direct Product Rule to cut Huawei from its suppliers, specifically TSMC, which manufactured Huawei’s line of smartphone chips. The company was forced to work out a deal with Qualcomm, with the latter receiving an exception to sell 4G chips to Huawei.

    It appears those measures were not enough to stave off disaster, as Huawei is selling Honor to salvage the smartphone unit. According to The Houston Chronicle, the buyers are a group of 40 Chinese companies, including a number of retailers that carry Honor. The deal is reportedly worth as much as $15 billion and will leave Huawei with no ownership stake in the smartphone line.

    It remains to be seen if this will result in sanctions being lifted.

  • Qualcomm Granted Exemption to Sell 4G Chips to Huawei

    Qualcomm Granted Exemption to Sell 4G Chips to Huawei

    Qualcomm has been granted an exemption, allowing it to sell 4G chips to Huawei despite the sanctions currently in effect agains the company.

    Huawei has increasingly been under pressure from the US government, which has sought to cripple the company’s ability to conduct business. US officials have pressured allies to ban Huawei’s equipment from their 5G networks, with many doing so.

    The Trump administration even modified the Entity List and Foreign Direct Product Rule to cut Huawei off from US technology, even if that tech is being used by foreign companies. This helped the US cut Huawei off from TSMC, one of its largest suppliers. Since Huawei outsourced its chip manufacturing to TSMC, this severely impacted its ability to produce chips for its devices.

    According to Reuters, Qualcomm has been granted an exemption that will allow it to sell 4G chips to Huawei. Although no specifics were given, Huawei did confirm the chips in question were for mobile devices.

    It was reported in August that Huawei was running out of the chips it used in its smartphones, with production slated to stop in mid-September. As Reuters points out, Huawei was never a large Qualcomm customer in the past. Given its current situation, that seems likely to change, possibly resulting in a big boost to Qualcomm’s business.

  • Dish Network Utilizing Qualcomm For Its 5G Rollout

    Dish Network Utilizing Qualcomm For Its 5G Rollout

    Dish Network has announced it is using Qualcomm to help roll out its 5G network.

    Dish is moving ahead at warp speed to roll out a 5G network to compete with the three big carriers. The company received a big boost thanks to the T-Mobile/Sprint merger. In order to receive approval for their merger, the two companies had to sell some of their spectrum, as well as Sprint’s Boost Mobile, to Dish.

    Dish has been lining up deals with the major network equipment providers as it works on building the first O-RAN compliant 5G network. O-RAN (open-radio access network) is a specification that enables carriers to use components from multiple vendors, thanks to a common set of defined interfaces.

    In its latest move, Dish has tapped Qualcomm’s 5G RAN platform.

    “By further expanding its portfolio of 5G infrastructure solutions to include O-RAN specifications that are compliant with DISH’s open architecture and implementation, Qualcomm Technologies will enable greater flexibility in the deployment of our 5G vRAN equipment. With this move, Qualcomm Technologies will also enrich a diverse ecosystem of RAN applications by delivering data insights natively through the future chipset family. These insights are the foundation of our data-centric and fully-automated network architecture. We are pleased to see Qualcomm Technologies embracing O-RAN and virtualization, creating even more possibilities for the future of 5G across the industry,” said Marc Rouanne, DISH executive vice president and chief network officer.

    “We are excited about working with DISH to accelerate their strategy to bring flexible, scalable, and interoperable 5G deployments to a more competitive North American market. With our vast 5G portfolio, from smartphone to infrastructure, we are committed to supporting DISH’s network vendors and device partners to bring new capabilities to life, with standalone 5G and Vo5G across all DISH spectrum bands,” said Durga Malladi, senior vice president and general manager, 4G/5G, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

    Thanks to its adoption of O-RAN, Dish stands poised to build out a 5G network in record time. The move will help Dish diversify its business at a time when customers are dropping cable and satellite in favor of streaming options.

  • Qualcomm CEO: 5G Rollout Faster Than 4G

    Qualcomm CEO: 5G Rollout Faster Than 4G

    Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf says that 5G is rolling out faster than 4G:

    The 5G rollout is actually faster than the 4G rollout if you just look at the number of networks launching in the first year and a half to two years of the launch. Also, just look at the degree to which the new technology is existing in the portfolios of handset manufacturers and how deep they go in terms of the price tiers. The other thing that is really important is that the handset market has actually already made the switch to that technology even before you start to see the deployment.

    When we look at it with the eyes of seeing many of these transitions we’re quite pleased with the way the 5G rollout is occurring.

    5G Handsets Grew 150% Year-Over-Year

    5G handsets grew by 150% year-over-year. What gives us confidence is if you look this year the real question was how would the market react to the COVID pandemic? Obviously, a couple of quarters ago, there was a lot of concern about how different industries would react. What’s happened in the handset industry is it’s probably come back a little stronger than people expected. One of the reasons that we had such a good print this quarter was because the handset market in total was a little stronger than we thought.

    We thought it might be down about 15% due to COVID but it ended up being about 5% down. We’ve used that as an assumption moving forward. So we have a lot of confidence actually in our 5G forecast and the handset forecast overall. I think our visibility into the way that the market is performing even in this pandemic environment has increased over the last several quarters.

    Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf: 5G Rollout Faster Than 4G
  • Verizon, Ericsson and Qualcomm Deliver 5 Gbps 5G

    Verizon, Ericsson and Qualcomm Deliver 5 Gbps 5G

    Verizon, Ericsson and Qualcomm have hit another major 5G milestone, delivering download speeds of 5 Gbps.

    Verizon has mainly been focusing on mmWave 5G, the fastest variety of 5G. It promises speeds in the gigabits, with latency in the single digits, or low double digits at most.

    Now, a week after announcing speeds of 4 Gbps, Verizon, Ericsson and Qualcomm have achieved 5 Gbps download speeds.

    “We have been driving the evolution of 5G technology from the early days and we continue to aggressively drive innovation — pushing the limits of the technology farther and faster for our customers,” said Brian Mecum, Vice President of Device Technology at Verizon. “This latest achievement is yet another milestone in providing a genuinely differentiated service for our customers on mmWave.”

    Verizon says that, when fully mature, its mmWave 5G will deliver speeds up to 10 Gbps, along with latency under 5 milliseconds.

    “Our strategy from the beginning has always been to reshape the world by driving innovation and leading the way in deploying the keenly differentiated 5G Ultra Wideband experience customers can only get from the mmWave based 5G network. It is the 21st century infrastructure that will shape the future,” said Mecum. “Today’s demonstration shows the advancements we are making to provide our customers with the mobile technology and capabilities they don’t even yet know they need.”

    The one issue Verizon still faces, however, is coverage. While it offers blazing speeds, mmWave has extremely short range and terrible building penetration. Verizon recently invested heavily in mid-band spectrum at the latest FCC auction. Prior to that, the company did not have enough mid-band spectrum to effectively compete with T-Mobile, especially since most experts consider mid-band spectrum to be the 5G sweet spot for both range and performance.

    Similarly, the company does not have enough low-band spectrum to roll out a dedicated, nationwide 5G network. Instead, it has had to rely on Dynamic Spectrum Switching (DSS) to share the spectrum used by its 4G LTE network. Unsurprisingly, early reviews report less-than-impressive performance.

    While Verizon’s 5G is the undisputed king of speed, it has a long way to go before it can effectively deliver that performance to the majority of its users.

  • Qualcomm Fighting Misinformation With Photo Validation Tool

    Qualcomm Fighting Misinformation With Photo Validation Tool

    Qualcomm is the latest company to tackle misinformation, announcing a tool designed to ensure the validity of photos and videos.

    Shallowfakes (photos manipulated through traditional means) and deepfakes (photos manipulated with AI) are a growing concern for researchers, tech giants, security experts and politicians. A single photo or videos manipulated to portray someone in a compromising position, or saying something inflammatory, can have profound repercussions.

    Qualcomm is the latest company to tackle the problem, teaming up with Truepic. Most digital images contain metadata, such as the time the photo was taken and the location where it was taken. Normally, this metadata is relatively easy to edit and change, either via the camera’s settings or with a third-party application after the picture is taken. Truepic’s software makes it harder to modify the metadata, thereby protecting the integrity of the media.

    Qualcomm plans to embed Truepic’s software in its smartphone chips. According to NBC News, “the feature enables a ‘secure’ photo capture mode within a device’s native camera app to sit alongside other modes such as portrait, slow motion and time-lapse. The mode allows users to take a photo that has a digital signature to prove its provenance, including the pixels that were captured in the original image and where and when the photo was taken.”

    By partnering with Qualcomm, one of the largest smartphone chipmakers, this deal is a huge win for Truepic. Thanks to Qualcomm’s reach, the technology will hopefully have a meaningful impact in the fight against shallow and deepfakes.

  • Qualcomm Helping Bring 5G to Low-Cost Phones

    Qualcomm Helping Bring 5G to Low-Cost Phones

    Qualcomm has announced it is bringing 5G to its Snapdragon 4-series line of chips.

    While many 5G phones have been announced, the vast majority of them are high-end models, such as the iPhone. As with any new technology, it is easier to roll it out at the top-end of the market first, using the purchases to help offset the cost of the new tech. As the technology matures, however, it inevitably becomes cheaper.

    Qualcomm’s latest announcement is a big step in that direction, as it is bringing 5G to its Snapdragon 4-series chips, used primarily in low-cost devices. Motorola, Oppos and Xiaomi have all committed to using the chip in upcoming phones.

    “Qualcomm continues to pave the way for 5G commercialization at scale, and the expansion of 5G into our Snapdragon 4-series is expected to address regions that currently have approximately 3.5 billion smartphone users combined,” said Cristiano Amon, president, Qualcomm Incorporated. “The Snapdragon 4-series 5G Mobile Platform is designed to exceed expectations for the mass-market segment by bringing an assortment of predominately high- and mid-tier features to a broader audience. It will deliver on the promise of making 5G accessible to all smartphone users.”

  • Qualcomm Doubles Range of mmWave 5G to 2.36 Miles

    Qualcomm Doubles Range of mmWave 5G to 2.36 Miles

    Qualcomm and Ericsson have successfully doubled the range of mmWave 5G, completing a phone call over data 2.36 miles away.

    mmWave is the fastest variety of 5G available, with speeds measured in gigabits. Its Achilles heel, however, has been its poor range and building penetration. In most applications, it requires base stations and repeaters to be placed every couple of hundred yards in order to provide stable coverage.

    Qualcomm’s latest test, however, has extended that range, specifically in the context of fixed wireless access (FWA). Because of its speed and low latency, 5G shows promise as a broadband replacement in areas where it would be cost prohibitive to run fiber. FWA equipment can have far more powerful antennas and radios than the average smartphone, helping to extend mmWave’s range.

    “With the introduction of the Qualcomm QTM527 mmWave antenna module as part of the Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF System, we are empowering operators and OEMs to offer high-performance, extended-range multi-gigabit 5G broadband to their customers – which is both flexible and cost-effective, as they can leverage existing 5G network infrastructure,” said Gautam Sheoran, senior director, product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “With this major milestone being the first step in utilizing mmWave for an extended-range 5G data transfer, our collaboration with Casa Systems and Ericsson is paving the way to implement fixed broadband services for broad coverage in urban, suburban and rural environments.”

    This is a big step forward for Qualcomm and the 5G industry in general, and should help further its adoption.

  • Magic Leap Snags Microsoft’s Peggy Johnson As CEO

    Magic Leap Snags Microsoft’s Peggy Johnson As CEO

    Spatial computing company Magic Leap has snagged Microsoft executive Peggy Johnson as its new CEO.

    Magic Leap is a well-known company working on revolutionizing the computing industry. The company is considered to be one of the leaders in spatial computing, which includes elements of virtual, augmented and mixed reality. The company claims its wearable, Magic Leap 1, is the most advanced XR device on the market.

    Peggy Johnson brings much to the table for Magic Leap, including over three decades in leadership positions within the tech industry. She previously worked for 24 years at Qualcomm before joining Microsoft in 2014. As executive vice president of business development, she oversaw the LinkedIn acquisition, and has a solid background growing business endeavors.

    “Since its founding in 2011, Magic Leap has pioneered the field of spatial computing, and I have long admired the relentless efforts and accomplishments of this exceptional team. Magic Leap’s technological foundation is undeniable, and there is no question that has the potential to shape the future of XR and computing,” said Ms. Johnson.

    “As CEO, I look forward to strategically building enduring relationships that connect Magic Leap’s game-changing technology and pipeline to the wide-ranging digital needs of enterprises of all sizes and industries,” explained Ms. Johnson. “It is with great pride and sincere appreciation to the Magic Leap Board, Rony and the entire team, as well as to Satya Nadella at Microsoft, that I assume the role of leading this visionary business into the future.”

    Ms. Johnson will likely be a big asset as Magic Leap continues to compete in what is becoming a highly competitive field.

    Image Credit: Magic Leap

  • Taking a Page From Apple, Google Is Working On Its Own Chips

    Taking a Page From Apple, Google Is Working On Its Own Chips

    Google is working on its own ARM-based chips to power its Pixel line of smartphones and help it better compete with Apple.

    ARM licenses its processor designs to companies for use in their products. Apple’s iPhones have long had a performance advantage over similar flagship Android phones, thanks to Apple’s customized A-series line of ARM chips. Apple also has an advantage of tight integration between their hardware and software. As a result, year after year, model after model, Apple’s iPhones and iPads continue to dominate the competition when it comes to speed and performance.

    According to an Axios, however, Google is preparing to follow in Apple’s footsteps with its own line of chips for Pixel and Chromebook devices. Axios reports that “the chip, code-named Whitechapel, was designed in cooperation with Samsung, whose state-of-the-art 5-nanometer technology would be used to manufacture the chips, according to a source familiar with Google’s effort.”

    If the report is true, it would be a big blow to Qualcomm, Google’s current chip supplier. The move would, however, finally give Apple’s devices some real competition for the performance crown.

  • Verizon Hits 4.2Gbps 5G Speeds

    Verizon Hits 4.2Gbps 5G Speeds

    Verizon achieved an industry first, hitting 4.2Gbps speeds on its live 5G network.

    Ericsson was recently in the news for achieving 4.3Gbps 5G speeds, setting a new record. One big difference, however, is that Ericsson’s results were achieved in a lab, whereas Verizon’s 4.2Gbps was achieved on a live network. Verizon conducted the test in partnership with Samsung, Motorola and Qualcomm.

    “We’re continuing to expand our 5G Ultra Wideband network, built to enable unique and transformational experiences for our customers,” said Adam Koeppe, Senior Vice President of Technology Planning at Verizon. “We are only beginning to scratch the surface of what 5G can do, demonstrated by this latest milestone.

    “We continue to innovate and introduce advanced technologies on our 5G network that will help us reach never-before seen mobile capabilities and create new and exciting use cases across the consumer and enterprise landscape. Using 5G carrier aggregation, we are able to achieve unprecedented mobile speeds and bring the massive bandwidth available with mmWave spectrum to life.”

    The fastest type of 5G, mmWave, has held the promise of gigabit speeds. It’s good to see Verizon delivering on that promise.

  • Apple May Delay mmWave 5G Phones Till 2021, Ship Only Low-Band In 2020

    Apple May Delay mmWave 5G Phones Till 2021, Ship Only Low-Band In 2020

    According to a new report, Apple may not release mmWave 5G iPhones until December 2020/January 2021.

    As 5G continues to roll out, carriers are deploying two types of 5G. Low-band 5G offers speeds anywhere from 20 percent to four times faster than 4G LTE, but has excellent building penetration and range. mmWave 5G, on the other hand, has speed measured in gigabits instead of megabits, but has extremely poor range and penetration.

    Susquehanna analyst Mehdi Hosseini believes Apple will stagger its 5G iPhone launch, debuting the low-band models first, with the the faster 5G models at the beginning of 2021. According to Hosseini, the reason is at least partly due to Apple’s decision to design and use its own antenna-in-package (AiP) instead of using a third-party component.

    If the report is accurate, it represents further efforts on Apple’s part to bring more of the iPhone’s components in-house. Recent reports project Apple will try to use its own modems as early as 2022. The company bought Intel’s 5G modem business after Intel was forced to abandon the effort as a result of what it described as anticompetitive behavior on the part of Qualcomm. Apple has been trying to end its reliance on Qualcomm, and it now appears they are trying to end their dependence on third parties for AiP components.

  • Motorola Returning to Premium Phones: Razr Just the Beginning

    Motorola Returning to Premium Phones: Razr Just the Beginning

    CNET is reporting that Motorola is recommitting to the premium phone market, after years of making budget and midrange phones.

    Motorola made headlines in November with an updated version of its iconic Razr phone. The new model keeps the old-style, flip-phone form factor, but reimagined as a folding touchscreen smartphone. The new design has the advantage of a relatively small footprint, while still being able to unfold into a full-size 6.2-inch smartphone.

    At Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Tech Summit in Maui, Hawaii, the company made it clear the new Razr is just the beginning. According to CNET, Sergio Buniac, Motorola Mobility president, credited advancement in new technologies as part of the reason for the brand’s return to the premium market.

    “Thanks to the new technologies announced today, we’ll have new premium products to announce in early 2020,” Buniac said.

    The move is perfectly timed, as the mobile company has finally turned a profit after years of struggling, being sold to Google and finally Lenovo. In addition, with the cell phone market in a transformative stage—with 5G and foldable devices being the two hottest trends—companies that focus exclusively on entry-level phones risk becoming marginalized as the industry continues to evolve.

    If Motorola can bring back the sense of quality and style it was once known for, it should be a welcome readdition to the premium phone market.

  • Intel Supports FTC in Qualcomm Antitrust Appeal

    Intel Supports FTC in Qualcomm Antitrust Appeal

    Intel filed a brief supporting the Federal Trade Commission and in opposition to Qualcomm’s appeal of a judgement finding it violated antitrust laws.

    In a blog post on the company’s site, Intel’s general counsel Steven Rodgers outlined the Intel’s position:

    “Qualcomm would have you believe that its position in the market today — as the last surviving U.S. supplier of premium modem chips — is due to its ‘ingenuity and business acumen,’ and that its rivals in the market failed simply because ‘they did not offer good enough chips at low enough prices.’ This is simply not true.

    “Instead, as detailed in the District Court’s opinion and in our brief, Qualcomm maintained its monopoly through a brazen scheme carefully crafted and implemented over many years. This scheme consists of a web of anticompetitive conduct designed to allow Qualcomm to coerce customers, tilt the competitive playing field and exclude competitors, all the while shielding itself from legal scrutiny and capturing billions in unlawful gains.”

    Mr. Rodgers then goes on to describe the amount of effort Intel put behind their efforts to break into the modem business.

    “We invested billions, hired thousands, acquired two companies and built innovative world-class products that eventually made their way into Apple’s industry-leading iPhones, including the most recently released iPhone 11. But when all was said and done, Intel could not overcome the artificial and insurmountable barriers to fair competition created by Qualcomm’s scheme and was forced to exit the market this year.”

    This is not the first time Qualcomm has been accused of antitrust behavior, having “been fined nearly $1 billion in China, $850 million in Korea, $1.2 billion by the European Commission and $773 million in Taiwan (later reduced in settlement).”

    Qualcomm’s practices have managed to make bitter enemies of the very companies it does business with, including Apple and Intel. Apple and Qualcomm were involved in multiple legal actions over a two-year period, with Apple repeatedly making the claim that Qualcomm was abusing its position in the industry. Although the two companies arrived at a settlement, Apple ultimately purchased Intel’s modem business, with experts believing they intend to use their own modems by 2022.

    With so much evidence against Qualcomm, not to mention such powerful companies standing against it, it seems unlikely the company will be able to get the judgement reversed.