News

Apple diversifying OLED supply, LG and BOE challenge Samsung

LG is still alive and kicking in the smartphone market, indirectly.

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iPhone 13

It’s a widely known fact that Samsung makes top-notch screens and has enjoyed dominance for the last few years. The OLED displays are used in Galaxy-branded phones and supplied to other phone makers like Apple, OnePlus, OPPO, and more.

However, this dominance is now being challenged by LG and China’s BOE. The two companies are well-known component suppliers globally, and many phones like the Pixel 3 sport display panels that LG makes.

According to The Elec, Apple wants to diversify its supply chain and is considering LG Display (sub-company of LG for display components) and BOE to be suitable candidates. Based on data from Omdia Research, Samsung will continue to be the lead supplier, but the two rivals will eat up a considerable share.

For the next iPhone, Samsung will get 65 percent of the total order while LG will rake in almost 30 percent, followed by BOE at five percent. A total of 169 million OLED panels are expected to ship.

Apple depends on Samsung for its share of OLED screens, and despite their rivalry in the finished phone segment, they’ve enjoyed cordial relations since the start. Samsung isn’t just a phone maker but a true electronics giant that makes everything — processors to camera sensors.

The revelation comes at a critical juncture because LG has shut down its smartphone segment. It’s now focusing on verticals that promise future growth like IoT, electric and autonomous cars, and consumer appliances.

LG has massive production capabilities that can help ramp up component supplies. It may have stopped making phones but intends to capitalize on the segment’s growth by indirectly contributing to it.

It’s also worth noting that the world is undergoing a semiconductor shortage, and companies have realized that they shouldn’t depend on one supplier too much — in this case, TSMC. It’s always better to have redundancy and competition in the market.

Accessories

England, Wales start banning Meta Glasses

The smart glasses are now banned in courtrooms.

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Earlier this year, New York became the first state to issue a blanket ban against smart glasses in courtrooms. The new regulation marks one of the first public spaces to prevent the contentious devices. Now, England and Wales are following suit in their courtrooms by banning Meta glasses inside.

As reported by The Guardian, courtrooms in both countries will confiscate Meta Glasses from those taking them into the building. Owners can retrieve them again upon exit.

Like the decision in New York, the English and Welsh bans are simple enough to follow. As it is everywhere, it’s forbidden to record video inside courtrooms in England and Wales. Because Meta Glasses have cameras (and are primarily used for their video capturing capabilities), they fall under prohibited items.

Notably, smartphones are not included on this list, despite having sizable cameras themselves. Although, to be fair, it’s much more difficult to discreetly record video using a smartphone. Smart glasses pride themselves with the ability to take videos seamlessly.

Meta Glasses are having such a moment today. Though some users, especially creators, are excited for them, a significant chunk of the population is concerned over their ability to take videos without subjects knowing they’re being recorded. Some users have even found ways to disable the built-in LED indicators which should, in theory, warn the public that the glasses are recording. It’s since turned into a privacy nightmare.

SEE ALSO: New York becomes first state to ban smart glasses

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News

TCL expands mobile lineup with latest NXTPAPER series

3 new smartphone models featuring a paper-like viewing experience

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TCL has expanded its mobile lineup with the launch of the latest NXTPAPER smartphone series.

Part of the new NXTPAPER roster are the NXTPAPER 60 Ultra, NXTPAPER 70 Pro, and K70 Power 4G.

The new generation of smartphones is designed to deliver smarter, more comfortable, and more powerful mobile experiences for today’s connected lifestyle.

At the heart of the lineup is the company’s proprietary NXTPAPER technology, and award-winning display innovation.

It combines both hardware and software advancements to reduce eyestrain while preserving vivid colors and sharp picture quality. The result is a paper-like viewing experience.

Bannering the roster is the NXTPAPER 60 Ultra. It is powered by a Dimensity 7400 Elite processor and runs on Android 16.

It comes with up to 512GB of internal storage and 12GB of base RAM, plus 12GB more for expansion.

In front is an expansive 7.2-inch 120Hz FHD+ display featuring Nxtpaper 4.0 and a 32MP selfie camera, while at the back is a 50MP main camera, along with a 50MP 3X telephoto camera.

This variant houses a 5,200mAh battery with support for 33W charging.

Right under the 60 Ultra is the NXTPAPER 70 Pro. It is powered by a Dimensity 7300 processor, and comes with a 6.9-inch 120Hz FHD+ display and a 50MP main shooter.

This model has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. It has a similar 5,200mAh battery with 33W charging.

Lastly, the K70 Power 4G is a budget choice, with a Helio G100 Ultra chipset, 6.75-inch 120Hz display, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 50MP main camera.

Price, availability

In the Philippines, the latest NXTPAPER smartphones are available for the following pricing:

  • NXTPAPER 60 Ultra: PhP 35,995
  • NXTPAPER 70 Pro: PhP 22,995
  • K70 Power 4G: PhP 9,495

All devices are available through Shopee.

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Apps

Canva teams up with SB19 to turn A’TIN’s passion into creativity

Campaign lets fans access assets, editable templates, more

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Canva Philippines has joined forces with SB19 and Sony Music Entertainment to launch the “Kaya sa Canva” campaign.

This first-of-its-kind initiative is aimed at transforming the popular Filipino boy band’s fanbase into creators by giving them access to official design assets, exclusive templates, and powerful creative tools.

That’s of course as fans have a way of creating artwork, banners, and more outputs to honor their idols.

As such, the partnership enables the A’TIN (SB19’s fanbase) to access the Canva-exclusive SB19’s Creative Hub.

This dedicated space lets fans access assets, including SB19-inspired sticker packs, custom typography, and editable templates inspired by the group.

Fans around the world will initially have access to templates for photo-booth strips, wallpapers, posters, and videos.

The campaign will then expand with Canva-exclusive assets celebrating the group’s New Era, as well as their latest single, “Lawless”.

Meanwhile, the original song “KAYA” is accompanied with an upbeat music video, doubling as a love letter to A’TIN and a masterclass in Canva’s tools.

Every visual and animation is fan-inspired, a celebration of the creativity, passion, and dedication that’s defined in the community from day one.

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