Enterprise

Foldable phones are not the future, OnePlus CEO says

No plans for a foldable OnePlus anytime soon

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Foldable smartphones have dominated the year. Since the start of 2019, smartphone makers have declared their intentions of joining the foldable craze. Samsung, OPPO, Huawei, and Energizer have each announced (or hinted at) their own entries coming later in the year. Undoubtedly, everyone wants to cash in on the market’s latest innovation. Except OnePlus, that is.

In an interview translated from Italian, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau confirmed his company’s absence from the foldable craze. While the company has contemplated on a foldable phone before, OnePlus ultimately decided against the idea. Lau believes that the foldable market does not represent the future of smartphones. He cites the device’s high production cost and lack of truly innovative features.

Of course, the high production cost has always been a factor. Currently, the foldable smartphone is the market’s most expensive device. On the other hand, the lack of innovation has only been a sneaking suspicion. Current marketing strategies have hyped the form factor as the next best thing.

However, Lau raises a good point: It adds a lot of uncertainties, particularly the increased weight. Ultimately, a foldable smartphone does not offer anything completely different from regular phone.

At the very least, Lau still recognizes the potential of the foldable screen. Tech companies can still incorporate the new technology into other devices.

Currently, OnePlus is prioritizing the development of a TV that can seamlessly communicate with smartphones. Ultimately, the company is developing ecosystems built around its devices.

As for the smartphone industry, OnePlus is gearing up for a monumental year again. Leaks have already revealed the OnePlus 7 and the OnePlus 7 Pro. The company is lining up a slew of smartphones in the future. Just don’t expect a foldable OnePlus device anytime soon.

SEE ALSO: OnePlus will reveal a 5G-enabled device at MWC 2019

Enterprise

Meta faces record-breaking US$ 1.3 billion fine

Over cybersecurity concerns

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Lately, Chinese companies, such as TikTok, found themselves in a tizzy over alleged cybersecurity issues in the United States. Cybersecurity isn’t a localized concern, though. All over the world, tech companies are finding themselves under the microscope for the same issue. Recently, Meta was on the receiving end of such a policy in Europe.

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has announced a record-breaking US$ 1.3 billion fine against Meta, via The Verge. The fine, which has been in the making for ten years, is in response to the company’s transferring of European data to its servers in the United States. Lawmakers are adamant that the handling of data opens up cybersecurity concerns in the European Union.

Meta alleges that its current method of handling data is within the legal framework agreed upon by both the European Union and United States. The former claims that the current framework does not handle the privacy of European citizens with care. Of note, the claims only affect Facebook, not Meta’s other companies.

As a result, the European Union is ordering Meta to stop the transfer of data and to delete data currently stored in the United States. This is, of course, in addition to the hefty fine, which is currently the largest one of its kind. Though the fine is record-breaking, it’s still an unknown whether it will lead to a change for Meta, which bags multiple billions on a regular basis.

To prevent future incidents, the European Union and the United States are working on a new framework for data transfers between the territories.

SEE ALSO: Facebook, Instagram verification badge launches in the US

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TikTok sues US over ‘unconstitutional’ ban

Allegedly against right to free speech

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Last week, the state of Montana executed the first official ban against TikTok in the United States. Of course, no one expected the popular app to just stay down. Today, the company is suing the state over the attempts to ban the app.

The already signed bill tackles the issues put forth by the government years prior. According to the bill, TikTok is too risky as a security threat to allow into the country’s digital space. Should the bill go unopposed, TikTok will be effectively forbidden in the state starting next year, taking it away from app stores.

Now, the opposition is pretty clear. Via CNN, TikTok’s case alleges that the ban is unconstitutional and violates the right to free speech. Likewise, the company claims that the state of Montana should not have the right to ban the app. Since the issue is about national security, only the federal government should have that right.

Notably, TikTok’s own case isn’t the only opposition against the ban. A few days after the ban was announced, creators on the platform also sued the state. Their specific case tackles the issue of free speech especially among those who use the app in the state.

Even without the state’s localized ban, TikTok is already busy fighting off a statewide ban from the federal government. The company’s CEO even issued a call to arms, asking users to tell the government how much the app is valued in the United States. In Montana, the company now has another battle to wage. And, as mentioned before, a lot of parties are certainly looking at the results of the legal battle.

SEE ALSO: TikTok enlists users’ help to fight against ban

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Samsung, LG reportedly ink deal for OLED screens

Going up to 5 million units

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Samsung Crystal UHD TV 2021

The impossible has just happened. After years of calling the brand a rival, Samsung has reportedly inked a deal with LG for OLED TV panels for the foreseeable future.

According to Reuters, LG Display will supply Samsung with high-end TV panels starting this quarter. The report mentions that the deal will involve “77-inch and 83-inch white OLED (WOLED) TV panels.”

The supplier plans to ship 2 million units by next year. Additionally, the deal will eventually expand to as many as 5 million units in two years.

While Samsung remains on top of the TV-centric food chain, OLED panels are not cheap to produce. The brand has notably delayed an eventual transition to OLED panels in light of the higher costs of production.

With the new deal, both LG and Samsung stand to benefit in the market. The latter will, of course, offload production costs without shifting manufacturing to purely OLED.

LG, on the other hand, will get a boost in business to bolster its already thriving lineup of branded displays out in the market. Besides the reported deal above, the South Korean display maker also ships out components to Sony and Apple (albeit smartphone screens for the latter).

Unfortunately, neither LG nor Samsung have confirmed the deal pushing through. As such, it’s too early to tell which products will receive the first shipment of LG-branded screens in Samsung’s lineup.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Neo QLED, OLED: Free soundbar, Disney+, 96K off

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