Sony to Build first new Smartphone Factory in 20 years

From Xperia Blog

From Nekkei

Sony Mobile will launch a new smartphone factory in Thailand, which will be the first Sony plant dedicated to its mobile business in 20 years. The factory will consists of a start-to-finish production system that will cover all steps through o assembly. Production at the plant is expected to begin in fiscal 2016 with Sony producing several million units of Xperia smartphones per year.

Initial investment is expected to be in the region of several billion yen according to a report from Nikkei, with a production line to be added to an existing site in Pathum Thani Province that was suspended since the 2011 floods in the region. 

The previous plant built 20 years ago was in partnership with three local partners, having full ownership of the Thailand plant will lead to speedier decision making. The news sends a strong message that Sony is committed to the mobile space and that it has no plans to give up just yet.

Accessory Projector = NOT too big.

The vast majority of the people who read this are in the US. I live in the US. One of the things I hear about having a projector *attached* to a cellphone is that it would be "too big."

Lately as I do my digging around MicroVision I have been seeing a lot of reference to accessory lenses for mobile phones.

So, what's too big? If people are willing to carry these things around to take pictures... they'll be willing to carry that and more around to SHOW them. (We like to look at pictures a lot more than we like to take them.)

It might fit expectations in the US. But there will be nothing "too big" about PicoP in other markets.

Kodak Pixpro

Action Life Media

SONY



Google Search Cellphone accessory Lenses ($80+)

Ericsson Mobility Report

• Enormous number of smart phones and smart devices being used, with many more on the way.
• Video counts for more and more of the traffic
• Big screens matter a lot  (We have the biggest.)
• Special events drive a lot of traffic

MicroVision's technology is in the right place at the right time. The demand for what MVIS offers is staggering, and people don't know they can get it yet. As investors, we're absolutely at the right place at the right time.

There are more and more devices being dreamed up on a daily basis that can incorporate PicoP. 

Mobile consumers consume mostly video -- which is where MicroVision's technology really shines.

Big screens allow people to SHARE the video experience -- so the fact that special events drive a lot of traffic --- that's fantastic --- people like to watch the big game together, even more than they like to share the Big Bang Theory. You can't share it on a phone, only with difficulty with a pad, but with PicoP -- it's easy.

Mobility Report from Ericsson

Forbes 

From TechCrunch

"Today there are 2.6 billion smartphone subscriptions globally, and while growth has been levelling off in developed markets like the U.S. and Europe, it’s not stalling altogether by a long shot. By 2020, globally there will be 6.1 smartphone users led by huge growth in less mature markets. And with 6.1 billion smartphones in circulation, we will see a tipping point of sorts: smartphones will finally overtake the number of active fixed line subscriptions worldwide in 2020."

"The numbers come from the latest annual Mobility Report from Ericsson, which is being published today. Using data gathered from around 100 carriers globally, Ericsson uses this to paint a picture of what is going on right now, as well as what to expect in the future, covering not just how many people are using mobile networks but also how they are using mobile."

"Those 6.1 billion smartphone users works out to some 70 percent of the world’s population using smartphones in five years’ time, a measure of just how central these devices are becoming to how we communicate with each other and do much more."

"In fact, “total mobile” subscriptions by 2020 will actually number 9.2 billion. When you take into account Internet-of-things and M2M services, mobile broadband and even some basic remaining feature phones, there will be 26 billion connected devices in five years’ time. (As some point out, however, this is actually a downward revision from Ericsson’s previous forecast of 50 billion connected devices.)"

"Video already accounts for 45 percent of app traffic, will rise to 60 percent. The story here is about OTT providers like YouTube and Netflix, which are the two most popular and therefore the biggest gobblers of bandwidth. This is a fact that is not going away: video consumption on mobile is currently growing at a rate of 55 percent annually, Ericsson says. It further notes that YouTube alone accounts for between 40-60 percent of all video traffic today. Interestingly, music streaming is in a firm second place, and although it is “gaining popularity” its unlikely to overtake video at any point. Part of the reason for this is because a lot of music consumption is offline. Social network only accounts for 15%."

Marquee events are driving huge amounts of usage. Ericsson notes that the 2014 football world championship was “one of the biggest social media events of 2014,” and that boom also played out on mobile with people using their smartphones to text, talk and post on social networks. In all the World Cup generated 26.7 TeraBytes (TB) of traffic, “the data equivalent of 48.5 million digital photos plus 4.5 million voice calls.”

Size matters. It’s long been known that the size of the screen impacts what and how much a person consumers. Specifically, video continues to be a magnet service for tablet users — no surprise, given the larger screen and overall better experience. What’s interesting is that this does not trickle down to other kinds of functions that are more interactive.

Why MicroVision? Because THIS. -- UPDATED 5/25/2015

Everyone wants (and consumers DEMAND) bigger smartphone screens.

MicroVision's PicoP technology makes a HUGE screen (bigger than most people's television sets) fit in a pocket.

Like this: (through a Celluon PicoAir)

Down at the bottom of this picture, is my phone, showing the same content. (These are delicious Dungeness crab I caught for dinner last year.)

Wouldn't you rather share you pictures like this -- so the whole family can see them at once, instead of passing your phone around?

These are ONE picture. That is how big the projected image was, and the phone was sitting right there. It isn't tweaked or size adjusted in any way.

My phone is featured in the same place for each picture. It works for video too.

THIS is why soon EVERYONE will want this technology. 

Taking these pictures was pretty tricky. Due to the nature of a laser-scanning display, with a fast shutter speed, only part of the display will appear. That is one reason the phone screen is a little brighter than it should be in these photos.

I may try to do the same setup and find out what the speed of a single frame is, which would allow a more accurate light comparison. (this one isn't bad, but it's not perfect.)

UPDATE: 5/25/2015

For those of you who would like to see HOW these pictures were taken, see the image below.

* The room was dark -- certainly not totally dark, but the shades in the room are good. It was not too dark for us to see and do the things we needed to do.

* The white wall was a very white wall, and excellent for projected images.

* The camera was on a tripod, because of a slowish shutter speed. (As indicated above, a "snapshot" would end up showing only a band of the projected image.) The shutter was open probably about a quarter to a third of a second -- the target was as fast a shutter speed as possible without seeing a scan line (which you can't seen when you're looking at the projected image.)

* The projector was about four feet from the wall. (the picture of the setup -- including the phone against the wall, is below.)

Thanks T!!

Projector Smartphone

This has been scraped this because the source isn't familiar.

There really isn't any way to know how much weight to give this report as the the source and the company the report is about are fairly unknown.

Would a projector on the BACK of the phone would fit any PicoP engine we've seen so far? Not sure here.

This report is here, and worth paying attention to because it's in the space. 

An early adopter from India wouldn't surprise anyone who is following the company closely.

Wickedleak

From Deccan Chronicle

New smartphone teaser, rumoured with holographic laser keyboard

Francis D'Sa | May 12, 2015, 18.05 pm IST

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The smartphone company teased earlier about 3GB of RAM too

Wickedleak, the Indian smartphone company, which is struggling to make a difference in India by offering higher-end devices on lower costs, has just spilled out a new smartphone launch teaser. According to the image, the new smartphone seems to be having something different on the rear panel.

Just below the rear camera is a boxy window, which seems to be highlighted. The company was teasing earlier, on their social page, about a holographic laser keyboard. However, having a holographic laser keyboard would require the projection on the front of the device. With the weird window on the rear, below the camera, it could be a smartphone with a projector. So could it be a smartphone with a holographic rear projection display or a simple smartphone with a projector on the rear panel. Samsung had earlier hosted a similar projector-based smartphone, which was not easily welcomed by the consumer. Sony had also pitched the projector on a video camera, which again was not a success. Is Wickedleak trying something different to impress its fans?

Also some time earlier, the company had also spilled out about a smartphone having 3GB of RAM. This time again there is a ‘4’ in the teaser, which could also mean that it could have a larger battery life.

Recently, Wickedleak had launched their flagship smartphone with a mammoth battery for a 4-day run time. The Titan 4 was pitched for a long battery life along with offering a full HD display, 16 GB of RAM and a fingerprint sensor for a price tag of just Rs 14,999.

So what will the new Wammy smartphone sport? If it is true, the Wammy would take a plunge into the future of communication by implementing a holographic laser keyboard to make texting and email easier for the consumer. However, the specifications are presently up in the air and there is nothing concrete at this moment. 

Xperia Z4 Imminent? (New Features Ad Campaign) -- UPDATED

The Mystery Port is worth paying attention to in this context.

FCC License Granted expertreviews.co.uk

And More Pictures (Haven't had a chance to really go through this....)

Android Headlines

"Sony Mobile...will be continuing to develop new and exciting mobile products for users around the globe"

"...Sony Mobile is starting that process with a new globally spanned ad campaign that is reportedly going to be using a big budget, although Sony wouldn’t disclose the amount in regards to an actual dollar figure,..."

"The new ads will focus on informing consumers how they can make their everyday life extraordinary, which is Sony’s internal goal. To help consumers turn their ordinary days into extraordinary events and moments utilizing what Sony’s devices have to offer. With each ad spot, which will be seen across TV, billboards, and online, Sony will be telling consumers what their phones can do using the words “I Can” to express specific features or capabilities. Two of the most notable capabilities of Sony Mobile’s more recent devices are exceptional two day battery life (at least) and the IP68 waterproofing. For these particular features, Sony is releasing ads that state “I can stay awake for days,” and “I can survive underwater,” as well as another that mentions “I can see in the dark” meant to highlight the low-light photo quality of Sony’s devices. They don’t come right out and say exactly what the features are, but the ads are new and bold and just attention-grabbing enough to leave consumers with wanting to know more,


Android Headlines
Z4 MobileChoiceUK

"A new smartphone made an appearance today with the code-name Sony E6553. Even though this code-name may have no meaning for us, it is most definitely the Xperia Z4, Sony's next flagship.

Sony let Mobile World Congress pass by without launching the Xperia Z4 and we are yet to hear about the release date or specifications from the tech giant. However, the new device captured at GFXBench revealed quite a few specifications today that seem to indicate a real deal is in the offing.

Powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor, the device features 23GB internal storage and 3GB RAM. A 5.1 inch full HD display is complemented by the powerful Adreno 430 graphics."

Android Guys

"The Xperia Z4 is definitely headed for a debut some time this month or next, as more and more details continue to come out. A few days ago, purported specs of the Xperia Z4 leaked out on GFXBench. Yesterday, it seems as if the upcoming Sony device has passed through the FCC."

"According to the FCC documents, the unnamed Sony device packs nearly the same dimensions as the Xperia Z3. One of the highlights of the latest info on what could be of the Xperia Z4, is that it features a microSD card slot. It’s good to see that Sony is sticking to their guns, because as we’ve seen with Samsung, microSD expansion isn’t that important.

Not much else is mentioned throughout the FCC documents, although Phandroid notes that “the device in question is packing a nice amount of frequency bands to support US networks.”

So, multiple cores for efficient video playback, a "mystery port," easy-access MicroSD... and rigged up for Support on American networks. 

Note -- we have no idea whether PicoP is involved with the Z4 at all -- but it's a place to watch, and apparently we'll know more about this device very soon.

Where are Smartphones are Going

This accessory has arrived.

At CNET

'Appcessories'

An extension of the smartphone as medical device is what Ideo's Blakely terms "appcessories," a set of highly specialized peripheral software that fulfills very targeted needs, stuff that most people wouldn't want on their everyday phone.

Let's say you've downloaded an art app that maps out a paint-by-numbers schematic of your favorite Picasso. Now let's say you've bought an after-market appcessory, a tiny pico projector with an NFC chip installed that, when you slip it onto the phone, beams out the image onto your surface so that you can get to work on your painting, or vegetable garden planting, or DIY home project.

Xiaomi Smartphone Share Triples.

Xaiomi phone share triples

Xiaomi’s China Smartphone Share Triples as Apple Declines

By Bloomberg News  Nov 7, 2014 1:29 AM PT

Xiaomi Corp. led China smartphone shipments in the third quarter as local brands including Vivo ate into the share of global market leaders Samsung Electronics Co. and Apple Inc. (AAPL), researcher Canalys said. 

Xiaomi more than tripled its share of the world’s largest smartphone market to 16 percent in the three months ended September from 5 percent a year earlier, Canalys said in an e-mail today. Samsung fell to second place from first as its market share dropped to 14 percent from 21 percent, the researcher said. 

Lenovo Group Ltd. (992) maintained its 13 percent share of the China market, yet still slipped to third place from second a year earlier. The country’s smartphone market is coming to the end of a period of “hypergrowth” that saw shipments double in the past two years, Lenovo Chief Executive Officer Yang Yuanqing said in an interview yesterday. 

“China market competition is very fierce,” Yang said by phone yesterday. “It’s the most fiercely competitive smartphone market in the world.” 

The fourth place was a tie as two more Chinese vendors, Huawei Technologies Co. and Coolpad Group Ltd., each captured 9 percent, Canalys said. In sixth place was the Vivo brand of BBK Communication Technology Co., which tripled share to 6 percent from 2 percent a year earlier, when it was ranked 11th, according to the researcher. 

Apple fell to seventh place from fifth as its market share dropped to 5 percent, compared with 6 percent a year earlier, Canalys said. While new iPhones made their global debut on Sept. 19, they didn’t officially go on sale in China until Oct. 17, after the quarter ended. 

Xiaomi’s surging sales at home lifted it to third place globally in the quarter ended September, trailing only Samsung (005930) and Apple, researcher International Data Corp. reported Oct. 29. 

To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Edmond Lococo in Beijing at elococo@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Michael Tighe at mtighe4@bloomberg.netSubramaniam Sharma, Robert Fenner

(I scraped this content because often, in my experience, this kind of link disappears.)