近期研究
- Blog / PR
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- 9月 14, 2023
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- Team Counterpoint
- Apple announced the anticipated Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 on September 12.
- 手表都有苹果的新S9 SiP,阿宝wering several new features.
- The launch comes amid a slump in Apple Watch shipments over the last three quarters.
- While new features and hardware make the devices a notable upgrade over their predecessors, macroeconomic conditions may undermine the success of these devices.
Apple announced two new Watches – the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Watch Ultra 2 – at its launch event on Tuesday, September 12. The two devices feature several key updates over their predecessors that, on their own, are impressive. However, amid a slump in Apple Watch shipments, will the upgrades be enough to get buying consumers to the store?
Apple’s S9 SiP Brings New Features and Functionality
Central among the upgrades for both the Apple Watch S9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2is theS9 SiP –the first new processor in an Apple Watch since the 2020 Apple Watch S6– which is a big deal. The new S9 SiP features over 60% more transistors, giving a 30% speed boost to its GPU. The chip also features a quad-core neural engine that is twice as fast as that on the Apple Watch Series 8, enabling improved on-device machine learning and AI functionality. Additionally, the S9 SiP features improved power efficiency, helping the Apple Watch S9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 achieve a battery life of 18 hours and 36 hours, respectively.
The upgraded performance of the S9 SiP enables several new features on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. Notably, Siri will now operate on-device, making it faster and more reactive to users’ needs. The improved neural engine also makes dictation up to 25% more accurate, which should reduce the frustration users have when Siri misunderstands their requests. Users will also now be able to ask Siri to log health information or to reply to them with key health metrics. This should be helpful for when users are in the middle of a workout and are unable to look at their watch faces.
The updated neural engine also powers one of the event’s biggest Apple Watch announcements –the new double-tap gesture。Users can now double-tap their forefinger with their thumb on their watch-wearing hand to accept or decline calls, start and stop music, snooze alarms, and more. This feature will be very convenient for users whose other hand is occupied with another task. The neural engine processes data from the watch’s gyroscope, accelerometer, and heart-rate sensor to bring this feature to life. It’s also worth noting that the double-tap gesture is used for the Apple Vision Pro. It seems Apple is slowly introducing its consumers to the vocabulary of gestures that will drive its spatial computing devices.
Brighter Displays
Another upgrade to the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 was in their display technology. While the previous Apple Watch Series 8 and Watch Ultra featured displays of 1,000 nits and 2,000 nits of brightness at their brightest level. The Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 feature up to 2,000 nits of brightness and 3,000 nits of brightness, respectively. This will make reading the display in bright outdoor settings much easier, which should be especially attractive to outdoors enthusiasts as well as athletes.
Sustainability Engineered into the Apple Watch S9 and Ultra 2
Apple engineered sustainability into the DNA of its new Apple Watches. From the materials used in the devices to shipping methods, Apple made a serious effort to reduce its carbon footprint. In fact, when paired with specific bands,Apple Watch S9 and Ultra 2 are carbon neutral.Apple also announced that with recent measures, last year’s Apple Watch SE 2 is now carbon neutral with specific bands, making Apple’s entire lineup of latest watches carbon neutral. This sets a high bar for competitors who will feel the pressure to implement similar measures.
To achieve this feat, Apple moved to replace all cobalt in its Apple Watch batteries with recycled cobalt and moved to use 95% recycled materials for the casing of the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Additionally, Apple is shipping a higher number of units via ocean rather than air, which significantly lowers carbon emissions.
Pricing and Availability
Despite the upgraded chip, pricing for the new Apple Watch S9 matches that of its predecessor, at $399 for the 41mm version and $429 for the 45mm version. The price for the cellular versions each cost $100 more. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 maintains the same price as its predecessor at $799. Consumers can trade-in their current smartwatch for up to $380 off through the Apple website.
Will the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 end the company’s Watch slump?
Apple’s smartwatch shipments have been in a slump. Since 2022, record levels of inflation caused consumers in North America and Western Europe to hold off on non-essential purchases, including smartwatches. This hurt Apple Watch sales, which were down 10% in Q2 2023 with YoY declines for three straight quarters. Due to this, Apple haslost sharein the global smartwatch market. Although macroeconomic conditions continue to impact consumers as they spend more on things like rent, mortgages, loan repayments, the updated chip in the Apple Watch S9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 gives consumers a legitimate reason to upgrade from their Apple Watch S7 or earlier device. However, despite the upgraded hardware and new features, consumers’ budgets may be too strapped to make the upgrade. Therefore, promotions may play the deciding role in the success of Apple’s new devices.
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- Blog / PR
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- 9月 14, 2023
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- Blog / PR
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- 9月 13, 2023
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- The USB Type-C connector is the biggest upgrade for the iPhone 15 series.
- The regular iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus now feature the Dynamic Island.
- Pro models get the latest A17 Pro SoC and 5x optical zoom camera.
It is mid-September and time to talk about the new and shiny iPhones. Yes, Apple just announced its latest iPhone 15 series and there are a lot of changes it brings, even if some are just incremental. As usual, there are four new models in the series – the base iPhone 15, the slightly bigger iPhone 15 Plus, and then the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
The biggest change for the entire iPhone 15 line-up is the switch to the USB Type-C connectivity port, which is now a universally accepted standard. However, Apple has still managed to add differentiation between the regular and Pro models in terms of transfer speeds. There are many other significant changes that the new iPhones bring to the table, so let us dive right in to talk about them.
WATCH: iPhone 15 series, Apple Watch Series 9, Watch Ultra 2: First Impressions
iPhone 15Pro, Pro Max: Titanium body, Action Button, A17 Pro SoC and more
The iPhone 15 Pro models bring the absolute best that Apple has to offer. Both the Pro models feature a titanium body with a brushed finish and rounded edges. The glass at the back has a textured matte finish. All this adds to their gorgeous look and feel, while also making them lighter.
Thealert slider,which has been there since the first-generation iPhone model, is finally going and being replaced with theAction Button。可以配置为执行,这个新按钮ck tasks, like switching on the torchlight, camera or voice recorder. All you need to do is press and hold the Action Button to quickly launch those functions. But sadly, it can only be configured to perform one function, and there is no double- or triple-press function, which is a missed opportunity.
The latest A17 Pro SoC powers the iPhone 15 Pro series:
- It is built on TSMC’s 3nm process.
- It has a six-core CPU (two performance cores and four efficiency cores).
- It has 19 billion transistors.
- It has a six-core GPU with shader architecture and ray tracing.
- It has a 16-core Neural Engine (2x faster with 35 TOPS).
The CPU and GPU bring faster performance and better efficiency than the predecessor. But the biggest takeaway here is theray tracingandimproved mobile gamingcapabilities that Apple spoke at length. Console games likeResident Evil Village,Resident Evil 4andAssassin’s Creed Mirageare coming to the iPhone 15 Pro, clearly showing how Apple is getting serious about unlocking the Pro models’ capabilities.
The next big upgrade comes in the photography department. Both smartphones feature:
- 48MP main camera, 24mm wide, f/1.8 aperture, 1/1.28-inch sensor size with 1.22um pixels, sensor-shift OIS
- 12MP sensor, 13mm ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size with 1.4um pixels, PDAF
- ToF 3D LiDAR scanner (for depth)
The biggest difference between the Pro and Pro Max camera systems is in the zooming capabilities of the telephoto lens. Both feature a 12MP camera with f/2.8 aperture telephoto lens. But while theiPhone 15Pro hasa77mmequivalent lens enabling3x optical zoom,iPhone 15Pro Maxhas a120mmequivalent lens enabling5x optical zoom。This is enabled by the newtetraprism designandfolded glassstructure, allowing for a compact design compared to the bulky camera modules of competitors with periscope lenses.
Utilizing the power ofcomputational photography,iPhone 15Pro Max also offers seven different focal lengths – 13 mm using the ultrawide lens; 24mm, 28mm and 35mm from the main 48MP wide lens; and 48mm and 120mm using the 12MP tele lens. In the case of the 15 Pro, you still get seven different focal lengths, but instead of 120mm, you get a maximum of 77mm.
Apple has one more trick up its sleeve in offering differentiated features on the premium Pro models. The cameras can also captureSpatial Videosusing the ultrawide and main cameras to create a3D video。Users can then relive these memories on theApple Vision Pro。
In terms of other features, both the iPhone Pros feature LTPO Super Retina XDR displays with120Hz adaptive refresh rate, support for HDR10, and Dolby Vision, with a maximum peak brightness of 2000nits. The iPhone 15 Pro is offered in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage variants. The Pro Max model base storage starts at 256GB and goes all the way up to 1TB. Both smartphones are also IP68-rated for water and dust resistance. Besides the Satellite SoS and Crash Detection, Apple has also addedRoadside Assistance via satellitefeature. There is also a newsecond-generation UWBchip which will help in connecting with other devices such as iPhones, Apple Watch, and AirTag from up to three times farther away.
Lastly, the iPhone 15 Pro series getsUSB-C 3with up to10Gb/second transfer speeds。Users can also use USB-C to USB-C cable to charge the updated AirPods Pro and Apple Watch with the iPhone’sreverse wired chargingfeature.
iPhone 15, 15 Plus: Dynamic Island, 48MP main camera and more
Coming to the iPhone 15 series there are two big changes compared to the iPhone 14 series. Both devices now come with theDynamic Island, which is Apple’s pill-shaped notch. Leveraging the developer ecosystem Apple is expanding its utility to show more details such as sports scores, and even flight information, from timing to the gate and even seat details.
与iPhone 6 s,苹果从一个8 mp凸轮era to a 12MP main camera. But since then, till the iPhone 14, there have been no major camera upgrades. So, the48MPprimary camera on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus brings a significant upgrade now. It also has awider f/1.6 apertureover the iPhone 14 Pro’s f/1.8 aperture, enabling better low-light photography experiences. Making use of the larger sensor, the iPhone 15 also gets2x lossless zoomsupport. The main camera is paired with a 12MP f/2.4 aperture ultrawide angle lens.
Under the hood, theiPhone 15and15 Plusare powered by theA16 Bionic SoCfrom the iPhone 14 Pro series, which is already known to offer great performance. We have already covered the same in ouriPhone 14 Pro review, and we can expect the same level of performance on the 15 series now.
Apple iPhone 15 series pricing, sale date
With all the new changes, Apple has still managed to price the iPhones well. The base iPhone 15 model will retail starting at $799, whereas the iPhone 15 Plus will be available starting from $899. The iPhone 15 Pro, on the other hand, will start at $999. However, the iPhone 15 Pro Max sees a slight price change, getting dearer by $100, and will start at $1,199. They go on pre-order starting September 15 and will be available starting September 22.
- Blog / PR
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- 9月 13, 2023
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Given the absence of most major smartphone OEMs from IFA 2023, HONOR grabbed most of the headlines. And it didn’t disappoint, launching two products that were sure to get people talking: one a masterpiece of engineering, and the other, a masterpiece of thinking outside the box.
HONOR Magic V2
First, we have the Magic V2, HONOR’s latest foldable smartphone that comes only six months after its Magic Vs was launched internationally at MWC 2023. But as we learned from HONOR executives, why wait when such a leap in technology has been achieved? This was quite a poignant statement in an era when most smartphone vendors launch new devices annually, usually without any major upgrades to shout about.
HONOR certainly does have something to shout about with the Magic V2, as the hardware is simply staggering. HONOR has managed to produce a smartphone so thin that it seems to defy physics: at 4.7mm thick when unfolded and 9.9mm thick when folded, the V2 is only slightly thicker than a standard smartphone even when folded. For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 measures 13.4mm thick when folded, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra is 8.9mm thick. Similarly, at 231g, the HONOR Magic V2 actually weighs less than the iPhone 14 Pro Max or the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, and significantly less than Samsung and Google’s foldables respectively. Overall, it’s the closest to a standard candybar smartphone than any other foldable on the market. And since the dimensions of the front screen are similar to a normal phone, not tall and thin like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5, it’s easy to forget it’s a foldable!
But a foldable it is, and the hinge is superbly slick. It occasionally fails to hold itself in an upright position, but it feels solid and leaves no gap at all. The internal screen is beautiful with a 2K resolution, a super-smooth adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, and the crease is hardly noticeable. It feels very premium indeed. The camera is yet to be tested, but the 50MP main, a 50MP ultrawide, and a 20MP 2.5x telephoto lenses, plus AI Falcon Capture, on-paper at least, put it ahead of the Galaxy Z Fold5 and even the Google Pixel Fold. Of course, the latter has Pixel Fold benefits from Google’s image processing technology, but the Magic V2 looks like it will be a very capable snapper.
There are a few downsides. First, the Magic V2 has no IP rating, compared to the Galaxy Z Fold5 IPX8 rating. And secondly is the question of software. Previous HONOR foldables have featured polished software in the way they handle apps and images on the internal screen, but scaling and optimisation are areas for improvement. Time will tell if HONOR has improved with the V2, but I suspect things may still lag the Samsung experience.
However, HONOR has still produced what I think is the best book-type foldable smartphone the industry has seen so far. Sadly, it may not be coming to international markets until next year, which does leave me wondering why HONOR decided to “launch” it now. If the tech is ready (and it’s already available in China), then why not launch it now and get the jump on Samsung? Leaving it until next year gives Samsung a few extra months to try to catch up.
HONOR V Purse
荣誉的其他主要声明在IFA, one that attracted most of the headlines was its concept outward folding smartphone, the HONOR V Purse. The device features interchangeable straps and chains that allow it to be carried like a purse or a handbag and uses its outward-facing display to show wallpapers designed to mimic different purse styles.
Little else is known about the device, including whether it will actually be put into production, and to be honest, I don’t think it will be taken very seriously. The personalization possibilities are fun, but I can’t really picture anyone using it with the strap as a “clutch bag” and whacking it on every surface. Also, having such an expensive device clearly on display is asking for trouble.
Even so, it’s a nice example of creative thinking from HONOR, and a welcome attempt to differentiate in a segment where devices are already all looking the same.
- Blog / PR
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- 9月 12, 2023
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Infographic: Semiconductors Top 7 in Q2 2023
英特尔维护# 1在2023年第二季度在记忆arket slow down, which dragged down major memory players performance such as Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron. In addition, Nvidia took over the second place from Samsung due to the revenue booming on its data center business supported by strong AI server demand. Nvidia expects to see another wave of revenue growth in the upcoming quarter which could make its revenue expand again. Qualcomm’s revenue was capped by looming handset revenue and thus ranked #4 in the quarter. Broadcom and AMD’s revenues were relative resilient amid demand uncertainty.
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Infographic: Global Smartphone AP Share in Q2 2023
Global Smartphone AP Market Share by Shipments
MediaTek dominated the smartphone SoC market with a share of 30% in Q2 2023. MediaTek’s shipments slightly increased in Q2 2023 as the inventory levels came down and the competition is growing in the entry level 5G. New smartphone launches in the low and mid-end segments have increased the shipments in Dimensity 6000, Dimensity 7000 series. Qualcomm captured a 29% share in the quarter. Qualcomm shipments increased by 14.5% sequentially in Q2 2023 due to the high shipment for flagship chipset Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Also, Key design wins for the Snapdragon 600 and 400 series have also contributed to the growth of Qualcomm’s shipment in Q2 2023.
Global Smartphone AP Market Share by Revenue
Qualcomm dominated the AP market in Q2 2023 with a 40% revenue share. This growth is coming from the premium segment due to the adoption of snapdragon 8 gen 2 in Samsung flagship smartphones and Chinese OEMs. The launch of the Samsung Flip and Fold series has also contributed to this growth. Apple had a 33% share in the AP SoC market in Q2 2023 in terms of revenue. Apple’s share declined by 24% QoQ due to seasonality. The iPhone Pro series is doing better. MediaTek captured the third position with a share of 16% in the total global smartphone AP/SoC revenues. MediaTek revenue remained flat in Q2 2023 due to the weak demand and slow China market.
Use the button below to download the high resolution PDF of the infographic:
Infographic: Foundry Revenue Share in Q2 2023
Foundry Companies’ Share by Revenue
TSMC maintained its leadership in the foundry market with a stable 59% market share in Q2 2023. In contrast, Samsung Foundry’s market share dipped by nearly 1% to 11%, primarily due to ongoing smartphone inventory adjustments and the loss of smartphone AP SoC orders from a US client. On the other hand, UMC saw an increase in market share, driven by the continued strength of DDICs and automotive applications in Q2 2023.
Foundry Industry Share by Technology Node
In Q2 2023, the 5/4nm segment continued to dominate the market, holding a significant 21% market share. This strength was driven by robust demand, particularly in the field of AI, with key customers like Nvidia and Broadcom fueling this momentum. In contrast, the 7/6nm segment experienced weakness due to a slower-than-expected recovery in the smartphone market. On the other hand, the 28/22nm segment remained robust, as demand for primary applications, including DDIC and automotive-related applications, remained strong throughout Q2 2023.
Use the button below to download the high resolution PDF of the infographic:
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