Arm has forged a strategic partnership with Hexing to use the Arm Pelion Internet of Things (IoT) platform to create full-stack IoT solutions for Hexing’s customers and expansion into new markets.
Category: Mobile
TPG launches S$10 mobile plan in Singapore

Source: TPGConsumers in Singapore can now get 50GB of mobile data for just S$10 per 30 days. That’s what TPG Telecom is offering for its no-contract SIM Only plan starting today. Plus, the plan comes with 300 local call minutes and 30 local SMS. In May, it will also pack a free 1GB roaming to selected countries.
Planet Computers announces 5G slider phone
There’s hope for those longing for a return of the slider phone with a keyboard for touch typing. Planet Computers has announced the Astro Slide 5G Transformer, the first 5G smartphone with a keyboard.
Huawei and Tencent set up innovation lab on mobile cloud gaming
Huawei Cloud and Tencent Games have set up a joint innovation lab on mobile cloud gaming as part of their strategic partnership.
Singapore combats COVID-19 with new contact tracing app

Singapore’s Government Technology Agency (GovTech) and Ministry of Health (MOH) have colloborated to develop and launch TraceTogether, a mobile app for contact tracing to combat COVID-19 spread.
ZTE to unveil Axon 11 5G on March 23
ZTE will launch the ZTE Axon 11 5G smartphone in China on March 23. The company has given little away from its announcement press release other than the fact that the ZTE Axon 11 will be compatible with both SA (standalone) and NSA (non-standalone) modes.
NTT Docomo to launch 5G in Japan on March 25
NTT Docomo will launch its 5G service with a maximum data rate of 3.4Gbps in Japan on March 25. The downlink speed will increase to 4.1Gbps in June.
Technologies that matter at such a time as this
By Edward Lim
COVID-19 is hijacking life. From Facebook News Feed to printed newspapers, it’s everywhere. And it just seems to get worse with countries taking measures to prevent spread. Telecommuting has now become necessary for many.
Samsung starts mass producing fast mobile storage for flagship smartphones

Samsung eUFS UFS 3.1: 3x faster than previous generationSamsung Electronics has started mass producing the industry’s first 512-gigabyte (GB) eUFS (embedded Universal Flash Storage) 3.1 for flagship smartphones.
Apple shuts all stores outside Greater China

In a surprising reversal, Apple has announced that the temporary closure of all its stores outside of Greater China to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It’s interesting in that Apple has just re-opened its China stores.
Apple stores back in business in China

Apple’s Shanghai store is among all that has reopened.After a month of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, Apple has reopened all its 42 stores in China. The closures had hit Apple’s revenue as China is the company third largest market.
Cancelled MWC Barcelona dishes out awards
Mobile World Congress Barcelona may have been canned but the organiser has decided that the awards must still be handed out. It has announced the winners of its Global Mobile (Glomo) Awards.
GSMA pulls the plug on MWC Barcelona 2020
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, MWC Barcelona 2020 organiser GSMA has announced the official cancellation of this year’s event. Due to take place from 24 to 27 February 2020, the event showed signs of scale […]
MWC Barcelona hit by string of withdrawals
The list is growing. Amazon has joined Ericsson, LG and NVIDIA in pulling out from MWC Barcelona. Held from February 24 to 27, the leading mobile event is expected to see fewer participants this year because of the novel coronavirus situation.
EyeTech launches EyeOn gaze tablet
EyeTech Digital Systems has launched EyeOn, an all-in-one, ultra-slim eye gaze tablet that enables people with mobility and motor impairments to use eye movement to select, type, and speak.
Strong demand for 5G to drive APAC smartphone sale in 2020
5G is expected to boost smartphone sale, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, in 2020. Greater China and emerging Asia-Pacific will retain the top two positions globally with respective sales of 432.3 million and 376.8 million smartphones this year, according to Gartner.
Huawei turns to TomTom for maps

Source: HuaweiSlowly but surely, Huawei is putting together the pieces for its Google alternative in the light of the US ban. The latest is a tie-up with TomTom for maps to replace Google Maps.
Juniper Systems rolls out Mesa 3 rugged tablet

Juniper Systems has released the Mesa 3 rugged tablet for use in rugged handheld computing and data collection.
Zini Mobiles launches “world’s smallest mobile phone”
Zini Mobiles has launched the Zanco tiny t2, dubbed “the world’s smallest mobile phone” at just a tad over 6cm long. The 31g miniature phone is intended for those who need an ultra-lightweight mobile device that can handle essential daily tasks, including taking photos with it’s 2.4cm display.
Huawei grows while smartphone market slumps in Q3

The Honor Pro has helped Huawei grow in Q3.Amid a 0.4 percent contraction in the global smartphone market in Q3 compared to the corresponding quarter last year, Huawei continued to stride ahead with 26 percent growth. It has narrowed the gap with Samsung at the top while pulling away from Apple in third spot.
5G: US$13.2t sales and 22.3m jobs by 2035
5G is expected to have more impact that originally predicted. According to the IHS Markit 5G Economy Study, the new mobile technology will generate US$13.2 trillion is sales enablement by 2035 — that’s a near US$1 trillion increase from the estimate in 2017.
Huawei narrows gap with Samsung at top of smartphone market

Huawei achieves strong domestic performanceDespite the challenges of US sanctions, Huawei has steamrolled ahead and narrowed the gap with Samsung for global smartphone supremacy in Q3.
Smartisan reveals flagship Jianguo Pro 3 smartphone
Smartisan may not ring a bell to those in the region but what about TikTok? Smartisan and TikTok are both owned by ByteDance. The China-based technology company has launched the Jianguo Pro 3, its flagship smartphone that’s packed with leading features, including dual-video.
Google acquires Fitbit for US$2.1b

The Fitbit Versa 2 was launched in Septermber.The rumours have come true. After days of speculation, Google has confirmed that its is acquiring Fitbit for US$2.1 billion.
China steps up to 5G

The Huawei Mate X is one of the devices that’s ready for 5G.5G mobile phone services will be available across China from tomorrow (November 1, 2019). China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom have announced on their 5G plans which from 128 yuans a month.
Qualcomm to invest US$200m in 5G ecosystem
Qualcomm has launched the Qualcomm Ventures 5G Ecosystem Fund, which will invest up to US$200 million in building the 5G ecosystem.
Infineon inks 3 MOUs to accelerate innovations in Singapore

SM Tharman: Keep pushing the frontiers of innovationInventing the future together was the theme of this year’s OktoberTech Asia Pacific conference in Singapore organised by Infineon Technologies. And the semiconductor giant certainly walks its talk. At the opening of the event, it inked three memorandums of understanding (MOUs) to help accelerate innovations in Singapore.
Singapore eyes up to 4 5G networks
5G is about to become a reality for the masses in Singapore. With 20 times faster surfing speed than 4G, the next generation mobile technology is expected to drive the nation’s digital economy.
Google Pixel 4 loses key edge

By Edward Lim
The much awaited Google Pixel 4 and Google Pixel 4 XL smartphones were announced at Google 19 yesterday. Interestingly, Google chose to talk more about the software capabilities rather than the hardware specifications, avoiding direct comparison with other flagship smartphones.
Samsung, China Mobile and Alibaba among world’s top 10 tech companies
Samsung, China Mobile and Alibaba have made it to the top 10 of Forbes 2019 top 100 digital companies. The Korea giant came in third behind Apple and Microsoft, but edged out Google and Intel.
Maxis goes with Huawei for 5G
Malaysia’s second largest mobile network operator Maxis has inked a deal with Huawei to roll out 5G in Malaysia next year.
Avast survey: 1 in 5 smartphone photo is terrible or a duplicate
The average person stores 952 photos on their smartphone, of which 22 percent are of bad quality, blurred, dark, or duplicates, according to an Avast survey.
China and Brazil buck trend as smartphone sales slump in Q2
The signs are not good for smartphone sales as Gartner reports a 1.7 percent decline in Q2. Bucking the trend among the top five markets are China and Brazil. China clocked up 101 million smartphone sales, up 0.5 percent year on year in Q2, to maintain its top position.
Samsung Galaxy Note comes of age
By Edward Lim
When it was first introduced in 2011, the Samsung Galaxy Note received brickbats for its 5.3-inch screen size with critics wondering if this was a wrong move for the Korean smartphone maker. History has proven that Samsung had made the right bet as others followed suit with larger screen sizes as well.
Japan to lead APAC in smartphone decline in 2019

It’s not going to be a good year for smartphones. The global market is expected to dip 2.5 percent year on year, with Japan leading with a 6.5 percent drop.
Qualcomm and Tencent Games ink MOU

Qualcomm and Tencent Games have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a strategic cooperation on digital entertainment. This includes joint efforts to optimise future projects such as Qualcomm Snapdragon-based mobile gaming devices, game content and performance optimisations, Snapdragon Elite Gaming enhancements, cloud gaming, AR/VR, 5G gaming use case developments and additional relevant technologies.
Malaysian teams top first Infineon-LG Hackathon

Malaysia scored big at the first Infineon LG </> Make Hackathon on breakthrough Internet of Things (IoT) solutions in Singapore on June 17.
Goodbye and good riddance, iTunes!

By Edward Lim
Apple’s announcement that it is killing of iTunes is music to my ears. It’s about time!
Google fires first salvo at Huawei
By Edward Lim
It was only a matter of time before the spat between the US and China went up another level. And this week, Google joined in the fight by pulling out support for China’s world number 2 phone maker Huawei.
Singapore aims for 5G in 2020
Singapore aims to roll out at least two 5G networks by 2020. With its greater reliability, lower latency and ability to connect more devices, the next generation network will enable applications such as augmented reality/virtual reality content and live streaming of 4K/8K videos.
Huawei bucks the trend as global smartphone shipment shrinks in Q1

While its competitors struggled, Huawei strode ahead and emerged the winner in the worldwide smartphone market in Q1. Though it’s still behind market leader Samsung, the China-based smartphone giant narrowed the gap with an astounding 50 percent growth in the quarter, according to IDC.
China Unicom ready for 5G rollout
China Unicom is readying to roll out 5G in China with the support of Qualcomm and in collaboration with device partners nubia, OnePlus, OPPO, Vivo, Xiaomi, and ZTE.
OnePlus 7 coming on May 14?
Leaks of the launch of the OnePlus 7 keep coming and CEO Pete Lau seemed to be fanning the flame.
Hope for lost photos
Have you ever accidentally deleted a photo on your mobile phone and felt really lousy afterwards? A new photo recovery tool can help ease your frustration. The newly-launched Recoverit lets you find lost photos on Android-based mobile devices.
eSIM Alliance launched
Hong Kong-based eSIM solutions provider 10T Tech has announced the launch of the eSIM Alliance, the world’s first global alliance of mobile operators (MNOs) and virtual mobile operators (MVNOs).
Thailand to trial Huawei 5G
Thailand has bucked an attempt by the United States to block Huawei by letting the Chinese telecom giant trial 5G in the country.
The day my Google Pixel died
By Edward Lim
When my trusty Google Pixel froze last week, I took it as a case of overuse and attempted a reboot. It proved to be a series of fruitless attempts as the Android-based smartphone simply could not be revived. The furthest I got was to the opening screen (see above) but there was absolutely nothing I could do there — the screen just froze again before launching into another reboot.
OnePlus 6T: Impressive, nifty and fun
By CY Lim
The OnePlus 6T has been out in the market for a couple of months now and as one who received it as a gift within the first few days of its launch, I am definitely glad I made the switch from my sluggish Oppo A77. Setting up and transferring data was a breeze especially since it was an intra-Android migration. Within an hour or so, I was ready to go.
Apple misses Q1 revenue projection

Apple has lowered its revenue guidance for Q1 to US$84 billion, down from the earlier projection of between US$89 billion and US$93 billion.
Gojek goes nation-wide in Singapore
Indonesia-based Gojek is taking its ride-hailing service island-wide in Singapore from today. This follows a successful beta launch in November which covered the southern-central and eastern part of Singapore.
Elephone debuts full screen smartphone for US$249
US-based Elephone has announced the PX, which it dubbed “The Most Affordable Full-Screen Smartphone” that is packed with top features for users on a budget.
Zhao becomes 1st female managing director of Samsung Electronics HK

Samsung Electronics HK (SEHK) has appointed Yiyin Zhao as its first female Managing Director. She was previously Vice President & Head of IT and Mobile Communication Business
China bans some Apple iPhone models

Qualcomm has dealt a blow to Apple with Fuzhou Intermediate People’s Court banning the sale of selected iPhone models in China. The move was for the violation of two Qualcomm patents.
OnePlus to launch first 5G smartphone in the UK
OnePlus has fired the first salvo in the 5G race. At a Qualcomm event in Hawaii, the China smartphone maker announced its intention to launch its first 5G handset in the United Kingdom.
Global wearable market to grow 26% in 2019

Worldwide shipment of wearable devices will touch 225 million in 2019, an increase of 25.8 percent from 2018, according to Gartner.
Smartphone and feature phone neck-to-neck in India

For the first time, the smartphone market is on par with the feature phone market in India, according to IDC. Overall, the India market reached 42.6 million units for a 9.1 percent year-on-year growth in Q3.
SoftBank targets US$21b mobile IPO
Japanese conglomerate SoftBank plans to raise US$21 billion for its mobile telecommunications unit, making it the world’s biggest IPO since Alibaba in 2014.
The SXFI Amp: Creative’s 2nd coming?
By Edward Lim
Spending three days manning a booth in an IT show can take a toll on the body and mind. What more a constant repetitive blasting of sound from a booth just across the aisle. The vendor was an up and coming Singapore company called Creative Technology. The product was the Sound Blaster.
Global smartphone shipment slides 6% in Q3
Smartphone vendors shipped 355.2 million units in Q3, down six percent from the corresponding quarter last year, according to preliminary estimates by IDC. This is the fourth straight quarter of year-on-year decline.
OnePlus 6T launches with world’s fastest fingerprint display sensor
OnePlus announced OnePlus 6T, its latest smartphone to a hall packed with enthusiasts in New York City on October 29 — one day ahead of schedule to avoid conflicting with an Apple event the next day.
