News

Huawei could ship lesser smartphones by 2021

From 170 million units to 45 million according to TrendForce

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The recent years have been challenging for Huawei and it might not get better soon. A recent report by TrendForce predicts that Huawei will drop to seventh place in total smartphone production volume by 2021, which is huge considering the company placed third last year.

For perspective, Huawei shipped a total of 170 million smartphone units last 2020. This puts it firmly in third place, trailing behind Samsung and Apple. As 2021 comes, TrendForce predicts that Huawei will only ship a total of 45 million smartphones. Such a huge drop in production volume will allow Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo, and Transsion to overtake the embattled company.

The company will also see a huge drop in the 5G market share. Last year, Huawei commanded a huge 30% market share for 5G smartphones, putting it in second place after Apple with a 31% lead. This 2021, TrendForce predicts a drop to 8% which is a considerable loss. Other companies like Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo will overtake Huawei with 13%, 11%, 14%, and 13% market share, respectively.

TrendForce attributes their predictions for Huawei to these things: US export restrictions and the spin-off of Honor as an independent brand. Honor became an independent brand after Huawei sold it to a conglomerate last November.

TrendForce now predicts that the two companies will compete with each other, imposing an obstacle to Huawei should it regain the lost market share brought about by the loss of its former sub-brand.

As for the latter, the entity ban that took effect last 2019 will continue to strain the company even if the global smartphone market share improves.

Smartphone market on uncertain times

While the times are hard for Huawei, the global smartphone market is also experiencing difficulties imposed by the pandemic. TrendForce recorded an 11% year-on-year decrease in global smartphone production. Overall, smartphone production for 2020 reached a mere 1.25 billion units. This is a far cry from the 1.4 billion units and upward of 2018 and 2019.

Things are shaking up to improve by 2021, however. As more people become accustomed to the “new” normal, TrendForce predicts a surge in device replacements. Emerging markets will also see a growing demand for smartphones this year. Assuming that these scenarios play out, the global smartphone production will increase to 9%, amounting to a total of 1.36 billion units.

However, TrendForce also warns that these scenarios are dependent on how the pandemic affects the global economy by 2021. Other factors that could affect global smartphone production include geopolitical instabilities and the limited production capacity of the semiconductor foundry market. TrendForce notes that banning SMIC has resulted in additional strain for semiconductor foundries.

Regardless of how the global smartphone production plays out, the 5G market share will continue to increase this 2021. Last year, the global penetration rate stands at 19% amounting to 240 million 5G-powered smartphones. TrendForce predicts an increase of 37% penetration rate for this year alone thanks to projected 500 million 5G-powered units.

Lifestyle

Nike’s Alphafly 4 is built for the part of the marathon ~that actually hurts~

Made to protect your stride when fatigue sets in.

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Every marathoner knows the exact moment the race truly begins.

It’s not at the starting line amidst the early morning excitement, but around the 32-kilometer mark, when your legs begin to feel heavy and your form starts to fall apart.

Nike designed its latest marathon racer specifically for that critical window. The Alphafly 4 shifts the focus away from chasing sheer top-end speed, targeting instead the physical breakdown that happens late in a long run.

By studying how fatigue alters a runner’s mechanics over time, Nike rebuilt its flagship distance shoe to help athletes maintain their stride when energy starts to dip.

Holding the line when fatigue sets in

On the road, the shoe operates as a complete, unified system designed to protect your stride.

A redesigned Atomknit upper wraps the foot with breathable support, using targeted midfoot cables and an integrated heel unit to keep your fit secure without adding unnecessary weight or friction over long distances.

Underfoot, the new ZoomX LT foam layer works alongside Nike’s contoured carbon-fiber Flyplate. The lighter foam returns maximum energy with every footfall, while the plate smooths out your rolling motion.

Together with dual forefoot Air Zoom units and a durable Fast Shot outsole, the setup keeps your cadence consistent and your legs feeling fresh well into the back half of the race.

As Emily Farina from the Nike Sport Research Lab notes, their goal was to help runners stay confident, balanced, and capable from the start line all the way to the finish.

Built on the miles that came before

That focus on real-world endurance stems directly from athlete testing.

Nike developed the shoe using feedback from its Project Dreamweaver initiative and extensive trials with women distance runners, prioritizing stability and comfort alongside high performance.

The lineage carries significant weight. The Alphafly family has grounded some of distance running’s greatest moments, from historic sub-two-hour efforts to major course records.

With the Alphafly 4, that legacy translates directly into everyday marathon training, helping athletes hold their target pace just a little bit longer. Marathoners won’t have to wait long to feel the difference on race day.

The Nike Alphafly 4 drops in an early, limited release on September 17 at nike.com, followed by a wider global release on October 29 online and at select retail stores.

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Entertainment

SEGA, Netflix announce Crazy Taxi film adaptation

1st in planned slate of film adaptations, including Sonic and STRANGER THAN HEAVEN

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SEGA and Netflix have announced a new Crazy Taxi film adaptation. This will usher in a new collaboration era with the parties also developing adaptations for Sonic and STRANGER THAN HEAVEN.

Such a slate of future adaptations reflects the range of SEGA’s library as it draws on Netflix’s experience bringing beloved game worlds to new audiences.

The first project features Crazy Taxi, which will be written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. The beloved writing duo was behind the 2025 reboot of The Naked Gun.

Also on board to help helm the production are the same visionaries behind the Sonic franchise: Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, and Toru Nakahara.

Crazy Taxi has been an arcade hit since 1999, putting players behind the wheel of a fearless cabbie racing the clock through chaotic city streets.

There’s flying off ramps, dodging traffic, and chasing tips with punk-rock energy that has become the series’ signature.

The latest title in the franchise, Crazy Taxi: World Tour, is set for a 2027 release. You can watch its trailer below:

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Finance

HONOR, Fidesmo partner for contactless payments across Europe, Middle East

Enabling contactless payments on the HONOR Watch 6

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HONOR and Fidesmo have partnered to launch contactless payments across Europe and the Middle East on the HONOR Watch 6.

Powered by Fidesmo Pay, the integration enables users to connect an existing Mastercard or Visa card to their watch and complete contactless transactions directly from the wearable device.

This brings Fidesmo’s network of over 900 banks and financial institutions to HONOR’s customers. Users can connect an existing card to the HONOR Watch 6 instantly through the HONOR Health App, which installs a unique token directly onto the watch.

Acting as a secure reference to the payment method, this token allows customers to pay without storing their actual payment details on the device. Once installed, users can tap the watch at any
contactless terminal to pay, just as they would with a card or phone.

HONOR joins a group of device partners that already includes Swatch, Polar, and Mondaine as Fidesmo continues to build momentum across categories.

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