China Scrambles to stem manufacturing exodus as 50 companies leave

I had been curious that this could be an issue. During the ASM trade tensions with China was an issue mentioned and discussed.

This is one possibility of why a 1 quarter delay could be extended. 

One of the many things to watch, I see it as a long-term positive, short term disruptive event.

Thanks Mike

Asia.nikkei.com


TOKYO/SHANGHAI -- China is racing to keep foreign enterprises in-country, dangling special benefits so that the advantages of staying outweigh the heavy tariffs imposed by the U.S.

A year into the trade war with Washington, more than 50 global companies, including Apple and Nintendo, have announced or are considering plans to move production out of China, Nikkei research has found.

And not just foreign companies. Chinese manufacturers, as well as those from the U.S., Japan and Taiwan, are part of the drain, including makers of personal computers, smartphones and other electronics.

Financial Times
Foxconn will start mass production of displays, car electronics and servers for the US market at its new plant in Wisconsin by the end of next year, Mr Liu said, and plans to invest $1.5bn and employ up to 2,000 people by the end of 2020. At the first investor conference Foxconn hosted in its 45-year history, the world’s largest electronics manufacturer and largest assembler of Apple’s iPhone presented a new management structure designed to deal with the exit of Terry Gou, its founder, from day-to-day business as he runs for president of Taiwan.

Samsung a new kind of display

This patent references multiple ways of delivering data to a screen -- to projecting imagery -- which is the key part of the Microvision thesis.

There is nearly endless demand to deliver imagery to consumers. They are all hungry for data, information to be delivered to them electronically. 

People also want those devices delivering data to them to be small and portable.

Microvision's tech uses lasers --- the most efficient way to produce light --- to deliver imagery to consumers. It can be small, portable, and if you want to hang it on a wall, or conceal it in plain site, it's the ticket.

Some larger devices that can be plugged in, hardwired and focused at a fixed distance may use other technology -- that's fine, there's a lot of room in the space.

When you want it tiny, portable and energy efficiency is key... MicroVision's tech rules.

Confidence is pretty high with me that at least one Major Player will use Microvision's Interactive Display. (Amazon) and also quite high that the contract that exists to produce the display only projection is Sharp/Foxconn (the world's #1 electronics maker)


Patently Mobile

Thanks Ron


Early last month the US Patent & Trademark Office published a granted patent from Samsung relating to a new kind of portable projector that could sit on a table, like our cover graphic illustrates, or be easily attached to a wall to show slides, pictures, videos or simply watch live TV. The projection system could be controlled by a smartphone or any other kind of computer such as a tablet, laptop, desktop, wearable device like a smartwatch or even a set-top-box.

(DMD / LCOS / DLP)

Furthermore, the laser scheme may include a light source that consists of a red light emitting device, a green light emitting device, and a blue light emitting device, an optical tunnel to which laser light emitted from the light source is incident, and a display device configured to project an image onto a screen using the laser light incident through the optical tunnel. The laser scheme may also include, as a projection module, a structure including a synthesis module for performing synthesis by transmitting or reflecting some colors of the laser light emitted from the light source and a speckle remover for removing speckles by irregularly changing a phase of the laser light synthesized through the synthesis module.


The sensor module may be an array of sensors that measure a physical quantity or sense an operation state of the electronic device and may convert the measured or sensed information into an electric signal. The sensor module may include, for example, a gesture sensor; a gyro sensor; an acceleration sensor;  an ultrasonic sensor; an infrared sensor; a Hall effect sensor; a proximity sensor; 140G; and an illumination sensor.

Sharp Laser Projectors

Generally this kind of article gets only a cursory scan. They're just keeping things in the news... 

But something on this one caught my eye. The Foxconn nod, and they plan to expand to over 20 models of laser projector.

Looks to me like there's room for a very small portable version.

Digitimes

Sharp's projector products are co-developed with parent company Foxconn Electronics and manufactured by production partner Herng Wei Enterprise using 3LCD technology, Chang noted.

Sharp's most expensive projector model, which comes with a WUXGA (1,920 by 1,200) resolution and a brightness of up to 6,000 lumens, is available at NT$90,000, Chang claimed

Sharp plans to expand its laser projector portfolio to over 20 models by the end of 2019 and aims to become a top-two vendor in the segment in 2020, Chang said.

Sharp

I wonder what they're up to?

It's not making LCD TVs...

And they're playing with lasers a lot... 


Reuters

Japan Today

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan’s Sharp Corp, an Apple Inc supplier, said on Thursday it would not meet its mid-term profit target in the current fiscal year after a shift in focus, and that a U.S.-China trade war is impacting its relationship with clients.

The weak outlook comes as parent Foxconn, the world’s largest contract manufacturer, tries to cut dependence on smartphone maker Apple as handset sales plateau.

Sharp, which makes screens and camera modules for Apple’s iPhones, expects operating profit to rise 19 percent to 100 billion yen ($909.84 million) for the year through March 2020 versus a year earlier. That compared with a 92.5 billion yen average of 10 analyst estimates compiled by Refinitiv.

Back to Basics...

There's a lot going on lately, and a lot of anticipation about Microvision finally being in products.

I was talking to a friend, and another who created this excellent Reddit Post.

The very basic investing thesis for this company is still intact:

People carry increasingly powerful computers with them everywhere. People universally -- without exception -- want two incompatible things from those small computers. They want their form factor smaller and they want bigger screens from them.

Until smart phones arrived, form factors for cell phones got VERY small. When smart phones arrived and they became small portable computers, the form factors got larger -- sure there was additional function, but mostly it was to fit a larger screen.

These two desires are contrary. It is simply impossible to have a smaller form factor and a larger screen at the same time --- unless you use what Microvision has to offer.

It allows two contrary desires to be answered at the same time.

They can now do this with an interactive screen.

With near eye display you can wear a comfortable hat and make EVERYTHING a screen. This isn't science fiction, it's here, and those who have been paying attention lately are part of a very small exclusive club that knows about this before most people. MWC is popular with mobile providers and enthusiasts, but that's still a very limited audience.

During the discussion the other morning, the ability for a screen to be put nearly anywhere reminded us of this commercial. 

The power of computing now, and significant computing in small packages increases the desire for screens --- if a small thing has a great deal of computing power, what's the point unless you can access that.  (Yes, you can play Doom on a Thermostat)

With this tech, you'll be able to put a "stick up" display almost anywhere.




Microvision has arrived.

Apples biggest manufacturer becomes its top rival

On the Motley Fool.... I suspect it's only a matter of time before the Fool talks about a cool new smartphone feature for smartphones from Foxconn/Sharp.

Foxconn’s Sharp overtakes Sony as the country’s second largest smartphone maker.

Leo Sun
(TMFSunLion)
Feb 20, 2019 at 6:30PM

Foxconn (NASDAQOTH:HNHAF), the Taiwanese contract manufacturing giant that makes Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhones, has transformed its Sharp subsidiary into Apple's biggest rival in Japan over the past three years. Research firm Canalys claims that Sharp controlled 9.8% of Japan's smartphone market in the fourth quarter of 2018, putting it in second place after Apple's 56% share.

Apple still holds a commanding lead, but Sharp's growth -- which helped it surpass Sony's (NYSE: SNE) 8.6% share during the fourth quarter -- could be a worrisome development for the iPhone maker. Is Foxconn quietly evolving from a longtime partner into a formidable rival?

What is Foxconn's strategy?

Foxconn, which has manufactured every iPhone to date, generates nearly half of its revenue from Apple. Therefore, slowing sales of iPhones are a major threat to its core business. To reduce its dependence on Apple and other contract manufacturing clients, Foxconn acquired Sharp in 2016 and revived the struggling consumer electronics brand by launching new OLED TVs and smartphones.

****

So why is Sharp gaining ground in Japan?

In the past, smartphone makers in Japan benefited from aggressive subsidies and carrier promotions. This made premium handsets like iPhones cheaper and more appealing. However, Japanese regulators now want carriers to stop subsidizing device sales with monthly subscriptions in a bid to simplify contracts and promote fair competition.

This means that the cost of iPhones, which are already at historic highs, will keep rising and cause Japanese consumers to either shun upgrades or buy cheaper devices from lower-end device makers like Sharp. However, Canalys also expects Sharp to struggle with the elimination of subsidies, which made its cheap devices even cheaper.

Foxconn's own brand of phone

I suspect they'll have some new and unique features to add to their own phones.... 

Thx W!

Jari Twitter (Good catch!)

Forbes

Foxconn Technology is best known as the company that assembles iPhones for Apple. The Taiwanese firm chaired by billionaire Terry Gou pumps out the handsets and other gear for U.S. tech giant and other developers at mega-factories in China. But Foxconn, probably seeking income that contract work can't fetch, is essentially making its own phones now via a stake in HMD, the Finnish company behind the Nokia brand of handsets. Foxconn’s subsidiary FIH Mobile owns 6% of HMD and manufactures the phones that its Finnish partner designs. HMD, which is two years into its agreement for use of the Nokia name that runs through to 2026, had thus far been faring better than many had expected.

Now smartphone sales across brands are declining after years of growth, and they’re not expected to rebound just yet. That makes it hard for HMD to gain market traction. Or does it?

“Looking at HMD’s growth over the past couple of quarters, it has not been underwhelming at all considering the global slowdown and the competition from Chinese players,” says Kiranjeet Kaur, research manager with IDC's Asia-Pacific Client Devices. Still, she says, “it is a steep uphill task to continue to grow and compete with other players who have a strong grasp on certain distribution channels, or deep pockets to spend on marketing.”

Sharp Spinning off Semiconductor Business

Pretty interesting... not sure what it means, but it deserves to be watched.



Japan Times


Sharp will set up two wholly owned subsidiaries that will absorb the semiconductor-related operations to be spun off, the company said Wednesday.

One of the two units will focus on semiconductors and sensors and the other on semiconductor lasers.
Sharp Chairman and President Tai Jeng-wu told reporters that the company’s management resources are limited in the field of semiconductors so he wants to tap overseas and domestic resources, showing eagerness to forge alliances with other firms including Sharp’s parent, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. of Taiwan.

Currently, Sharp manufactures semiconductor-related products at its plants in the prefectures of Hiroshima and Nara.

Sharp & Foxconn

When Foxconn made a bid for Sharp

Noticed this back in 2016, and somehow it get's posted as new news today. In 2016 we were sure, because of Robohon, that MicroVision had something going on with Sharp.

Maybe clickbait, or maybe for some other reason, it made the news feed.  This happens, but fairly infrequently... I'm not sure how or why it happens.


From Today Stocksbeat

New York Times 2016

Apple's Turmoil

Apple is in the middle of some turmoil.

They can't improve their phones enough to inspire a new flood of consumers for the new models.

That's good for us -- what phones need is a great new feature. 

Under all of that is that Foxconn has been rumbling for some time about making their own brand of smartphone (possibly through widely recognized name Sharp?)

If Apple has been treating Foxconn like they have often treated other suppliers, they may have created big trouble for themselves.


Apple Lacks and APP for Foxconn

Huawei AR Glasses

I think we have a good shot in being in all of them.

The leaks... they come from the developers, and they, like Apple, have developers building AR applications without the glasses... yet... expect it to explode on the scene.

And they seem to be tight with Foxconn

And Foxconn seems to be everywhere

CNBC

• Huawei is planning to launch its own augmented reality (AR) glasses, Richard Yu, CEO of the company's consumer group, told CNBC.
• Yu said the product would not be ready to be commercialized for at least "one to two years."
• Other technology giants like Facebook and Apple are reportedly working on similar products.

The Chinese technology giant already has augmented reality apps on its latest Mate 20 Pro smartphone.

But Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei's consumer business, told CNBC in an exclusive interview that AR glasses are in the works which could take the experience to the next level. These would be wearable spectacles that allow people to experience AR.

Foxconn may import skilled workers to Wisconsin Plant

I'm sure they will have some special skills needed which won't be readily available in Wisconsin.

France24.com

NEW YORK (AFP) - 

Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer Foxconn is struggling to find enough skilled workers for its planned facility in Wisconsin and may bring in personnel from China, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

The report said Foxconn, which makes devices and components for Apple and other tech firms, is facing a tight labor market for the manufacturing plant, which is getting some $3 billion in incentives from the midwestern state.

The company has pledged to hire 13,000 workers at the southern Wisconsin site, but some reports say the total may be lower as Foxconn scales back its initial plans.

Galaxy Beam 5

First time my searches have hit on one of these in a while.

I would take this with a good deal of skepticism for the time being.

Yes, Foxconn does business with Samsung, and does assemble phones for them.

This isn't a mainstream publication, but doesn't have disreputable qualities...

Digital Overload

The users’ attention will definitely be drawn by Galaxy Beam 5’s stainless steel body and built-in projector. Buyers can choose from various colour options – Black and Midnight Blue. Besides, they will be happy to find out that the phone has extended autonomy: it can function for 25 hours without being charged even of the user plays movies. This is possible thanks to the 5,350 mAh massive non-removable battery.

These specs will turn Samsung Galaxy Beam 5 into one of the most wanted smartphones in 2019.

Interesting Smoking gun...

I suspect this was something that wasn't intended to be released like this.

There's some really interesting stuff on this, and it is another smoking gun, because it's Sharp, it shows known Microvision Products.

There are also a couple of components that look like they fit the Hololens picture. (At risk of having it wrong, I'm still posting it that way because it's a busy day.)

Thanks Geo & Joe

ZD Net -- Hololens Sensor

Source SocleTech  (Part of Foxconn )

Neffos P1 -- Coolest smartphone at IFA

Thanks for sending this to me today Joe!

Neffos P1 with built-in projector is the coolest smartphone in the IFA

TechGenius

We are in the middle of IFA 2018, the great European electronics competition and mobile is definitely on the rise with several brands trying to surprise and capture the attention. However, with more or less suspense, there is always someone who can get in the middle of the big ads with something really interesting and this year was Neffos, with its new Neffos P1 with micro-electro-mechanical laser (MEMS) .

"A projector on a smartphone?" Our readers ask, knowing it's not a new idea, or that it has been particularly successful so far, but the Neffos P1 promises a 5000: 1 contrast image, superior to a typical one laser DLP, and did not forget to create a 200-inch image with automatic alignment with the wall. They are five meters diagonal with 150% coverage of the NTSC color space, and all this on a smartphone. Sacrilege!

The hardware of the Neffos P1 is not fully known at the moment, but we already know that it will have a battery of 4000mAh, which Neffos promises a projection of 4 hours.

Of course, Neffos P1 is just a prototype and there is still a question to ask as to whether this device will not only hit the market, but whether it will be a success as a good alternative to tablets or 2 in 1 for presentations corporate and work on the go .

I notice with pleasure that at least the design is bold in its black and gold, although the renders show somewhat shifted edges of the reality of the market, but that is interesting, is, so we hope for news about this peculiar smartphone that for now takes even the most exotic prize in the bestiary of IFA 2018.

Who wants a projector on the smartphone?

Why little robots may be the next big thing in smart home tech

Sharp ahead of its time.


TechRadar

"What people really wanted was a robot from the movies, they wanted a robot that was always on. They didn’t want to pull out their phone in order to just play, this just created a lot of friction."

Vector operates completely autonomously and connects to the cloud which gives it a vast database of knowledge to answer questions. 

In short: it now does things that a virtual assistant does but Palatucci believes Vector has two big USPs that the current crop of Alexa and Google Assistant infused speakers doesn't have - mobility and personality.

"We aren’t trying to compete with Alexa and Google Home, Palatucci notes. "We are trying to create robots where the primary purpose is companionship, but at the same time they can do things that are useful."

Saw Mohammed Yesterday....

Mr. Moviphones.com 

Very nice guy, very sharp. Had a meeting with T-Mobile in the last few days. There is interest... but can't really make any predictions about how things will go.

Says that he's shipped phones to a number of major tech companies. (Google, Apple, etc.) So, at whatever level, they know things are on the radar.

Nod to Sharp/Foxconn.

(Based on e-mail question: Nearly every electronic device made has multiple manufacturers involved in the production of a product. Sharp makes parts for Samsung & Apple, and Sony..... Samsung makes parts for Apple and everyone else. Qualcomm makes parts for everyone.... so naming one company doesn't necessarily eliminate any others.)

Shipping everything he can get, but needs to grow organically unless he finds some capital.


.... Edit... Also said the DLP version he was considering isn't going to happen. They cant compete... 



He wasn't particularly happy with the people who set appointments with him the day before and didn't show.

Order the phone buttons going up.

Ronald Wayne

So a friend and I were having coffee the other day.

We discuss Microvision often.

At this point, everything is looking really good. We knew what was coming, and now it looks that at least one mass market product is imminent -- because there are several close at hand:

• Near-eye display (Hololens? Oclulus? Magic Leap? Glass) MSFT, FB, GOOG
• Interactive display? Smart speakers, smart displays? (AMZN, AAPL, GOOG)
• Home security?
• Auto LiDAR?
• Display only (Contract signed, best guess as to who is Sharp/Foxconn)

Rumors have also been circulating about a "surface phone" -- I sent a note to a tech reporter with a link to a surface phone post I'd done  more than a year ago.  When I did that an hour later, this document was gone.  It's back, but I suspect they hit some traffic limits. The background is interesting.

The amount of upward motion that could occur with this stock if these stories are confirmed or the suspicions widely circulated will be amazing. If one of them is confirmed, we're off to the races.

It's possible we start rising, and the tired investors will panic when there's a hiccup.

and that... reminded me of Ronald Wayne.

---

Ronald Wayne (born May 17, 1934) is an American retired electronics industry worker. He co-founded Apple Computer (now Apple Inc.) with Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs, providing administrative oversight for the new venture. However, he soon sold his share of the new company back to Jobs and Wozniak for $800 US dollars, and later accepted $1,500 to forfeit any claims against Apple (in total, equivalent to $9,498 in 2017). As of May 4, 2018, if Wayne had kept his 10% stake in Apple Inc., it would have been worth over $93.1 billion, making him the second richest man on earth.^[1]

---

At the time, he seemed like a smart investor. He doubled his money in a short time, and he cashed out. Poor move.

A lot of Microvision's investors now are tired.

We have held the stock a long time... many of us have lost a lot of money and would like to get it back.

So, if we get it back and then some -- that's awesome, right? 

Not so fast.

Most of the rest of the people who find this company are going to find it after it gets mentioned in the same breath as some big names. Not before. Shortly after that it will start to rise... or it will before that.

some of the tired investors will be tempted to take the money and run... but if you're more patient, I think you'll do a lot better than Ronald Wayne.

Foxconn...Wisconsin

CNBC

• A groundbreaking for a massive $10 billion Foxconn factory complex in Wisconsin was supposed to be evidence that the manufacturing revival fueled by President Donald Trump's "America First" policy is well underway.

Should Foxconn employ 13,000 workers as envisioned, it would be the largest private-sector employer in Wisconsin.

"Foxconn's state-of-the-art products will be made in the U.S.A. — proudly in the state of Wisconsin!" Walker tweeted Tuesday

Sharp Increasing Brightness

Thanks Joe & Fuzzie

This supports the Sharp/Foxconn theory. 

That's a lot of Lasers... 

Tech News

Sharp's 14th issued press release announced that it will start volume production in the beginning of October this year to achieve the industry's highest light output of green laser diode (LD, Laser Diode), with a monthly production target of 500,000. One sample will be shipped in early August this year, and the sample price will be 10,800 yen.

Sharp's green laser diodes, which will be mass-produced, have a light output of 130mW, which is 3.3 times higher than Sharp's current products and has a wavelength of 520nm. The higher the light output, the more vivid the color can be.

Sharp began mass production of green laser diodes in November 2017. At that time, the mass-produced product had a light output of 30 mW and a wavelength of 515 nm. The three primary colors of light are red, blue and green. In addition to the green laser diodes, Sharp also offers red and blue products.

Sharp pointed out that laser diodes can be used as light sources for laser displays such as head-up displays (HUDs) and head mounted displays (HMDs) and their use is continuously expanding.

Nikkei News reported that laser diodes are currently mainly used in projectors. However, under the demand for vehicles and other support, the laser diode market is expected to show a substantial increase in the future. According to Sharp, the market for monitors using laser diodes is about 26 billion yen in 2018, but in the future, such as demand for vehicles, it will increase to 4.45 trillion yen by 2025.