Tablets 3Q 2016: WorldWide Market share: Apple 21.5%, Samsung 15.1%, Amazon 7.3%, Lenovo 6.3% says IDC. Market declines 14.7%

Notes:
• Total tablet market includes slate tablets plus detachable tablets. References to "tablets" in this release include both slate tablets and detachable devices.
• Data is preliminary and subject to change.
• Vendor shipments are branded device shipments and exclude OEM sales for all vendors.
• The "Vendor" represents the current parent company (or holding company) for all brands owned and operated as subsidiary.

Low-Cost Detachables and Slates in the Lead as Tablet Market Slump Persists in the Third Quarter, According to IDC       

The worldwide tablet market continued its slump as vendors shipped 43 million units in the third quarter of 2016 (3Q16), a year-over-year decline of 14.7%, according to preliminary data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker. In contrast to the annual decline, 3Q16 shipments were up 9.8% over the second quarter of 2016 as the larger vendors prepared for the holiday quarter.

Low-cost (sub-$200) detachables also reached an all-time high as vendors like RCA flooded the market. "Unfortunately, many low-cost detachables also deliver a low-cost experience," said Jitesh Ubrani, senior research analyst with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Device Trackers. "The race to the bottom is something we have already experienced with slates and it may prove detrimental to the market in the long run as detachables could easily be seen as disposable devices rather than potential PC replacements."

"Beyond the different end-user experience delivered by low- and high-end tablets, we're witnessing real tectonic movements in the market with slate companion devices sold at the low-end serving a broader platform strategy, like Amazon is doing with Alexa on its Fire Tablets, and more expensive productivity tools closer to true computing and legitimate notebook replacement devices that should manage to keep average prices up," said Jean Philippe Bouchard, research director, Tablets at IDC.

Tablet Vendor Highlights

Despite Apple's marketing push for the iPad Pro, the iPad Air and Mini lines have been the models with mass appeal, accounting for more than two-thirds of its shipments this quarter. Although Apple's tablet shipments declined 6.2% year over year, total iPad-related revenues were flat for the quarter, thanks to the iPad Pro offering.

Samsung continued to hold the number 2 position. Fortunately, the negative press from the Note 7 did not bleed over into its tablet business. However, overreliance on the declining slate market led to a decline of 19.3% compared to 3Q15. Samsung's attempt to enter the detachable market with its TabPro S at the beginning of 2016 seems to have taken a backseat as its price and positioning remain uncompetitive.

The Amazon Prime Day sale in early July led to a huge surge in shipments of its Fire tablets. The already low-priced device was offered at a 30% discount then, and continued to remain popular throughout the rest of the quarter. The new Fire HD 8 released in early October will likely perform well in the holiday quarter as it follows Amazon's strategy of selling low-cost tablets as a gateway and companion to its ecosystem. It is important to note that Amazon's unprecedented growth is partially attributed to the fact that IDC did not include the 6-inch tablets offered by Amazon in 3Q15.

Lenovo continued to maintain its stronghold in Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) as well as Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Though the company has many aspirational products across all its entire consumer electronics portfolio, none were enough to raise the company's profile in the tablet market, resulting in a 10.8% decline this quarter. While the latest Yoga Book announced at IFA garnered some praise, it is important to note that IDC will be counting this as a traditional PC.

Huawei's strong presence in the adjacent smartphone market and overall brand recognition has cascaded into the tablet market. The vendor offers a very strong value proposition as many of its tablets (over two-thirds) come integrated with cellular connectivity while maintaining a similar price to rivals who only offer WiFi-enabled devices. Huawei's presence in Asian, European, and Middle Eastern & African markets remains strong. 

iCharts

3Q 2016 China Smartphone Market share: OPPO 17.5%, ViVo 16.7%, Huawei 15.7% says IDC.

According to IDC’s latest Asia/Pacific Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, the China smartphone market grew 5.8% YoY and 3.6% QoQ in the third quarter of 2016, with OPPO and vivo overtaking Huawei for the first time in the market.

Vendor dynamics

OPPO and vivo rose because the Chinese market has evolved beyond operator and online driven channels over to an offline structure that dovetails with OPPO and vivo’s strengths.

There were three key growth phases of the Chinese smartphone market seen in the past few years. The first phase (before 2014) was when it was driven mainly by operators. Samsung, Lenovo, and Coolpad led the smartphone market then with the help of huge subsidies offered by operators. In the second phase (2014-2015), with e-commerce booming in China, Xiaomi was one of the first vendors that rode on that e-commerce wave and disrupted the market by selling its phones online through its flash sales. 

That kicked off another trend as other vendors soon tried to follow suit and created their own online brands and sold their phones through their own websites and that of eTailers.

The third phase unfolded this 2016, where the share of phones sold online has started to stabilize. OPPO and vivo triumphed due to their strengths in the offline channels especially in Tier 3 to Tier 5 cities. That, coupled with their other strengths in marketing and advertising, helped them to see strong growth in the market in 2016Q3.

“OPPO’s success is not something that was achieved overnight. Back in the earlier years when vendors depended on operator subsidy to grow, OPPO was clear in its direction and focused on expanding its offline channels. It also had key strengths such as its VOOC fast charging technology and in the elegant design of its phones. This, coupled with its aggressive marketing tactics, helped it succeed in the market,” says Xiaohan Tay, Senior Market Analyst, Client Devices Research, IDC Asia/Pacific.

Huawei continued its momentum with its P9, and we expect the momentum for Apple to pick up in 2016Q4 where we expect its iPhone 7 to do better than the 6s. Key highlights for Xiaomi includes the launch of its Redmi Note 4 and Redmi Pro in 2016Q3.

Outlook for the coming years

“As the growth in online channels stabilizes, many other vendors have expressed interest in increasing their offline channels. However, given the huge amount of cost involved in this, vendors need to focus on targeting key customers in specific cities or provinces where they can find their target audience. Blind expansion may eventually lead to higher risks and losses,” comments Tay.

“It is also important for vendors to focus on investments in technology to have a key flagship product that stands out in the market. We have seen in the case of OPPO how its single product, the R9, played a huge part in increasing its shipment numbers and in getting people to talk about its brand,” adds Tay. In 2016Q4, IDC expects the market will continue to see both a QoQ and YoY growth and lead to a low single-digit YoY growth for 2016.

iCharts

3Q 2016 WorldWide Smartphone Market share: Samsung 20%, Apple 12.5%, Huawei 9.3%, says IDC.

Notes:

• Data is preliminary and subject to change.

• Vendor shipments are branded device shipments and exclude OEM sales for all vendors.

• The "Vendor" represents the current parent company (or holding company) for all brands owned and operated as subsidiary.

According to preliminary results from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped a total of 362.9 million smartphones worldwide in the third quarter of 2016 (3Q16). Despite the recall of Samsung's Galaxy Note 7, volumes were up 1.0% compared to 3Q15 when vendors shipped 359.3 million units. Sequentially, shipments grew 5.3% from 344.7 million in the second quarter of 2016.

 (Note: IDC's totals for Samsung exclude Galaxy Note 7 shipments for both recalled and unsold devices in 3Q16.)

"Samsung's market dominance in the third quarter was unchallenged in the short term even with this high-profile Galaxy Note 7 recall, but the longer term impact on the Samsung brand remains to be seen. If the first recall was a stumble for Samsung, the second recall of replacement devices face-planted the Note series," said Melissa Chau, associate research director, Mobile Devices. "In a market that is otherwise maturing, Christmas has come early for vendors looking to capitalize with large-screened flagship alternatives like the Apple iPhone 7 Plus and Google Pixel."

"With Samsung’s Note 7 finally laid to rest, both Samsung and other vendors will need to invest both time and money into properly testing devices to avoid a future incident of this proportion," said Anthony Scarsella, research manager, Mobile Phones. "The recall of the Note 7 represents an industry-wide wake-up call that will undoubtedly lead to a more vigorous testing and certification process moving forward."

The top five vendors remain unchanged from last quarter despite double- and triple-digit growth from the leading Chinese vendors Huawei, OPPO, and Vivo. While Samsung and Apple continue to challenge each other at the top, these upcoming players have delivered value-packed devices that offer consumers top-shelf features at a fraction of the cost compared to the market leaders. Phones like the OPPO R9 and the Vivo X7 have become serious competitors in China and are also witnessing mild success in Western Europe thanks to new athletic sponsorships across various countries. Whether or not these brands can make an impact in the U.S. market remains to be seen, but success will be crucial if aspirations of growth are a top priority.

Smartphone Vendor Highlights

Samsung: The continued success of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge helped maintain volumes in 3Q16 despite the recall and negative publicity of the Note 7 fiasco. Outside of Samsung's flagship S7, the more affordable J-series of devices continued to steadily drive volume in both developed and emerging markets with flagship-styled devices across various price points and display sizes. Samsung will need to put the Note series to rest as quickly as possible and look to their S7/S7e to captain the ship and keep Samsung users on board for the long haul.

Apple: The new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus drove third quarter shipments of 45.5 million units, down 5.3% from the 48 million units last year. Higher than expected iPhone 7 Plus demand outstripped supply, which should be alleviated through the fourth quarter, helped by new features such as water resistance, faster processing, improved optics, and larger storage capacities. A new "jet black" color option has also proven popular with many carriers and retail partners are still showing the device on back order. IDC believes that the iPhone could witness greater success come next quarter as it stands to likely benefit from the Note 7 recall that took place earlier this month.

Huawei: The Chinese giant shipped 33.6 million units, up a notable 23% from last year. The current dual-camera P9 flagship continued to help with its momentum in China despite the higher price tag compared to some of its rivals. Huawei's Honor brand also found success with the new V8, as the mid-tier device sold well both in and outside of its home country. Outside of China, shipments have grown drastically as China now represents 53% of shipments compared to 60% last year. Huawei continues to maintain a strong brand in Europe and is finding success with the P8 and P9 family, where it is taking away share from Samsung and Apple with competitive specs at lower price points with the Lite versions. Huawei may now have it sights set on the U.S., as we have the New York unveiling of its next Mate series flagship (Mate 9) in early November.

OPPO: In China, OPPO continued to do well largely due to its R9 device that saw continued success in the market and its domestic popularity helped it further close the gap to global number #3, Huawei. OPPO has also pursued an aggressive expansion strategy outside of China, with shipments to the rest of Asia/Pacific tripling since the same quarter a year ago. It particularly experienced good growth in India as it employed more staff to be positioned at storefronts to promote smartphones to consumers.

vivo: On its home turf, vivo plowed more investment into marketing in order to expand its reach via TV advertising, targeting high-tier all the way down to lower-tier cities in China. vivo also held a number of promotional activities and saw growth in China largely due to its X7 series. Its strong coverage in the Tier 3 to Tier 5 cities continued to help it to excel. Outside of China, its presence is still relatively small, but it managed to double its shipments quarter year over year in 3Q16. In India, it grew by increasing its marketing investments to expand its reach via television advertisements.

iCharts

Microsoft introduces the Surface Studio, Surface Dial, a new Surface Book. And Windows 10 Creators Update. Videos.

Microsoft announced it first desktop PC an all-in-one Surface PC called Surface Studio ($2,999), which has a strong focus on creativity.

The Surface Studio  comes with a 28-inch display. Is the thinnest LCD monitor ever made at 12.5 mm. The computer comes with a powerful four-core i7 chip, 2TB hard drive, an HD camera and 13.5 million pixels -- more than double that of a 4K TV. There's also a built-in microphone that lets you talk to its voice-assistant software Cortana from across the room.

Microsoft Studio will be available in limited quantities for the holidays.

To compliment the Surface Studio, Microsoft introduced an accessory called the Surface Redial that "turns your desk into a studio." The circular device responds to touch and works alongside the Surface Pen stylus. After tapping it, it's possible to rewind your progress, whether it's typed text or a drawing, and adjust colors in real time. 

The Surface Studio 1TB Intel Core i5 6th Gen 8GB RAM/2GB GPU will be available in December 15, 2016 for US$ 2.999.-

The Core i7 6th Gen 1TB version 16GB RAM/2GB GPU will cost US$3.499.- and the Core i7 6th Gen 2TB version 32GB RAM/ 4GB GPU at US$4.199.- and both will be available in early 2017.

All versions will include a Ultra-thin 28-inch adjustable PixelSense Display, a Surface Pen and Windows 10 Pro.

The new Surface devices will be available for pre-order starting today.

More details and videos on the:

Press Release:

Empowering a new wave of creativity with the Windows 10 Creators Update and Surface Studio.

Today, we shared our aspiration to empower a new wave of creativity, with the Windows 10 Creators Update and the introduction of Surface Studio, Surface Dial, and a new Surface Book.

With Windows 10, our goal is to have the effect of the Gutenberg Press on this next generation of computing, enabling 3D creativity, mixed reality, and eSports & game broadcasting for everyone.

At our core, we believe each of us are creators. I’m personally inspired by creators who use technology to build a better world for each of us, who build communities with technology, and who develop revolutionary new ways to educate all types of students. However you choose to create, we are building Windows for each of you. We want to help you make your mark on the world and for Windows to be the place you love to create and play.

New Surface Devices Designed for Creators

From the beginning, our Surface journey has been about empowering people to work and create in new ways. It led us to create the first tablet that could truly replace your laptop with Surface Pro and to redefine the ultimate laptop with Surface Book. We believe there is a special alchemy when a device and software pair perfectly to create something new – a profound experience that can create an entirely new category. Today, we unveiled our next new category – an all new Surface device, designed for creators and professionals.

With a 4.5k ultra HD screen, Surface Studio delivers 63% more pixels than a state-of-the-art 4K TV.

Surface Studio turns your desk into a creative studio. It is a new class of device that transforms from a desktop PC into a powerful digital canvas, unlocking a more natural and immersive way to create on the thinnest display ever built. With a 4.5k ultra HD screen, Surface Studio delivers 63% more pixels than a state-of-the-art 4K TV.  Surface Studio works beautifully with pen, touch, and the new Surface Dial.

Surface Dial is a new input device designed for the creative process, enabling you to work with both of your hands. It integrates with Windows 10 to work with any Surface device for a faster and more intuitive way to scroll, zoom, and navigate. It also enables a set of unique experiences exclusive to Surface Studio, such as app-specific digital tools that allow you to quickly access shortcuts and move seamlessly through your workflow.

Surface Book with Performance Base, the most powerful Surface Book yet, packs 16 hours of battery life into the same sleek, versatile design people love. It has more than twice the GPU processing power than the original Surface Book. No other laptop combines this combination of  battery life, performance and pixels, in as lightweight a package.

The new Surface devices will be available for pre-order starting today.

The Windows 10 Creators Update

Coming as a free update early next year to the more than 400 million devices running Windows 10 and available to Windows Insiders this week, the Creators Update will bring 3D and mixed reality to everyone, empower every gamer to be a broadcaster, connect people faster to those they care about most, and much more.

3D for Everyone

With the Creators Update, you and the millions of other Windows 10 users will turn on your laptop and be able to start capturing in 3D, printing in 3D, creating in 3D, sharing in 3D, and experiencing mixed reality.

With more than 100 million monthly users, Paint is one of the most popular creation tools today, and with Paint 3D, anyone can now create and build 3D objects. We also unveiled Remix 3D, a online community to connect creators and creations around the world and bring 3D content to the masses. Trimble’s 3D modelling program SketchUp – and their millions of creators and creations from 3D Warehouse will be part of Remix3D.com. Office will be adding native support for 3D content next year. You can learn more about 3D for everyone from Megan Saunders.

With Microsoft HoloLens, rich 3D content can break free from your screen and Microsoft Edge is the first browser to fully embrace 3D across devices. Showcasing the potential of this level of 3D immersion, we demo’d a prototype Houzz site where you can select furniture in the site and visualize it in your home before you buy it.

Powerful and affordable virtual reality is coming to everyone with the Creators Update. HP, Dell, Lenovo, ASUS, and Acer will ship the first VR headsets capable of mixed reality with the Windows 10 Creators Update. And these accessories will be the first and only with inside-out, six-degrees of freedom. Unlike every other virtual reality headset in the market today, there will be zero need for a separate room and complicated setup. While the less immersive VR accessories today cost more than $500, or require a new expensive device, these accessories will start at just $299 and work with affordable laptops and PCs.

The Best Experience in 4K Gaming and in Game Broadcasting

The Creators Update will make it easy for you to create and enjoy live game streams and customized eSports tournaments on Xbox Live.

Gaming is incredibly popular on Windows 10 – increasing 500% in the last year. The Creators Update will make it easy for you to create and enjoy live game streams and customized eSports tournaments on Xbox Live. Beam system integration will enable interactive broadcasting and viewing of gameplay on Xbox Live, so you can watch your favorite streamer play and interact with them in real time. The Creators Update will also bring user-generated tournaments via Arena on Xbox Live, so you can define the rules of competition, invite friends and track tournament progress seamlessly across devices.

Plus, with a Windows 10 gaming PC, you’re able to play games like “Forza Horizon 3,” “Gears of War 4,” and more in 4K, in the highest possible visual fidelity. Visit Xbox Wire to learn more about what today’s news means for gamers.

A Faster Way to Connect and Share with People who Matter Most

The common thread between our most productive and our most fun moments is our people, those we share these moments with. Yet today, they are confined within separate applications, social networking apps, and email.

With the Creators Update, we are placing people at the center of your Windows experience – right where they belong. Your most important friends, family, and co-workers will be instantly accessible. 

With Windows MyPeople, you can pin your favorite contacts to the Windows task bar and easily drag and drop any document, photo or video right on top of the contact for easy sharing. 

You can receive unique notifications, Shoulder Taps, and easily view and open emails, IMs, shared documents and more, all in one place. The Windows MyPeople experience is also integrated across universal Windows apps for easy sharing.

We are excited for you to try the Creators Update and our expanded family of Surface devices, and we can’t wait to see what you’ll create.

Terry

XIAOMI to launch in Nov 4th the Mi Mix Bezel-less smartphone. Videos.

xiaomi facebook

XIAOMI is launching the Mi Mix Bezel-less smartphone in China in Nov 4th.

Specifications:

6.4-inch display with edgeless design, ultra-high 91.3% screen-to-body ratio

• Full ceramic body: Back cover, frame, and buttons

• Custom 17:9 display, 16:9 viewing area even with soft keys

• Up to 6GB LPDDR4 RAM; up to 256GB UFS 2.0 storage

• 2.35GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor

• High-capacity 4400mAh battery, Quick Charge 3.0

• 16MP PDAF rear camera, 5MP front camera

• High-precision GPS with sensor-assisted positioning

• Full NFC functionality: Read, write, card emulation, P2P

Two versions: 

 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. support for two SIMs,  it has a 192Hz / 24-bit DAC chip for higher-resolution audio. There’ll also be a ¥3,999 ($590) option with 6GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and 18-karat gold accents around the camera and fingerprint sensor on the rear of the Mix. 

4,400mAh, Battery, the rear camera comes in at 16 megapixels with phase-detect autofocus

Edgeless display, 93% screen-body ratio, piezoelectric ceramic earpiece speaker, behind-display ultrasonic proc sensor

More videos about the device:

Apple`s iPhone 7 hits the South Korea market.

Customers line up to purchase Apple’s iPhone 7 at a Frisbee store in Myeong-dong, central Seoul, Friday.  (Yonhap)

According to the Korea Herald, sales of Apple’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus began in South Korea on Friday, amid high expectations that the US tech giant could reap added success here in the absence of Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Note 7.

Apple officially launched its latest iPhone series through Korea’s three major mobile carriers SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus as well as local Apple retailer Frisbee, with sales starting from 8 a.m. on Friday.

Korea has long been a tough market for Apple, as Samsung has maintained its undisputed leadership in the local smartphone business with a market share of approximately 70 percent.

But now, expectations are high that Apple could score new purchases from Korean customers who may be willing to try out the new iPhone as Samsung has pulled its new smartphone from the market due to battery safety issues.

The 4.7-inch iPhone 7 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus are available in five colors -- rose gold, silver, gold, black and the all-popular jet black edition. Both run on the iOS 10 operating system.

Unlike previous models, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus do not have earphone sockets and are instead accompanied by wireless earphones -- a design change made by Apple to make the new devices waterproof.

The iPhone 7 is priced at 869,000 won ($767) while the iPhone 7 Plus costs 1.02 million won for the 32GB model. Prices are higher for the 128GB and 256GB models.

Korea’s three mobile carriers have begun a fierce competition to attract more iPhone 7 customers to their own retailers, introducing varying subsidies and discount promotions.

In terms of immediate savings, customers can choose to receive either an upfront subsidy -- which varies by carrier -- or a unilateral 20 percent discount on the monthly payment plan of their choice.

The three firms have also introduce their own warranty programs for new iPhone customers.

SKT introduced the “T iPhone Club” on Friday, which offers repair and loss warranties for iPhone 7 devices starting from 4,900 per month. Club members can also receive discount benefits when changing to a new iPhone device after 12 months.

KT and LG Uplus also launched similar programs which offer discount benefits to customers who want to upgrade to a new iPhone device after 12 months at 2,300 won per month.

Even with the Galaxy Note 7 out of the way, Apple’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are geared to compete against LG Electronics’ newly-launched V20 and even older smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S7, according to industry insiders.

“While some Galaxy Note 7 owners looking for alternative devices may choose to purchase the new iPhone 7, others may choose the LG V20 or even older smartphones made by Samsung because they’re used to Android-based devices,” said one owner of a local cell phone retailer in southern Seoul.

Customers looking for an upgraded Android handset are likely to lean toward the 5.7-inch LG V20, which boasts high-end audio and camera features.

They could also wait for the local launch of Google’s 5-inch Pixel and 5.5-inch Pixel XL smartphones which have begun sales abroad. Google has yet to announce an official launch date for Korea.

At the same time, some customers who are reluctant to choose new brands other than Samsung may choose wait for next year’s release of the Galaxy S8.

South Korea: Samsung offering Galaxy 8 and Note 8 Upgrade to the Galaxy Note 7 owners

According to the Korea Herald, Samsung Electronics Co. said Monday it is offering a special upgrade program for owners of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone in South Korea who swap the fire-prone device for the Galaxy S7 or the S7 Edge smartphone.

The program allows South Korean owners of the Note 7 who exchange the device for the S7 or the S7 Edge smartphone to upgrade the replacements to either a Galaxy S8 smartphone or a Note 8 phablet, Samsung said in a statement.

Note 7 customers will pay about the half the price of the S7 or the S7 Edge until they exchange the replacements with either an S8 or a Note 8. The S8 smartphone is scheduled to be released in February or March next year and the Note 8 phablet is expected to be launched in August or September next year. 

The upgrade program in South Korea will be carried out by the end of November. 

Samsung is expected to announce similar upgrade programs in other countries. 

An official at Samsung said the program is aimed at "lightening the burden" for those who swap their Note 7s for the S7 or the S7 Edge. 

The Samsung official also urged owners of the Note 7 to swiftly exchange their devices for other smartphones. 

KH

Taiwan : iPhone 7 tops market share in September.

There were 684,000 smartphones sold in the Taiwan market in September, increasing 3.1% on month, and iPhones had the largest market share at 29% in sales volume and 61.6% in sales value, according to the Apple Daily citing retail channels.

Samsung Electronics ranked second in sales volume with 16.5%, followed by Asustek Computer 15.4%, HTC 11.8% and Sony Mobile Communications 8.5%. In terms of sales value, Samsung recorded the second largest market share at 10.9%, followed by Sony Mobile 8%, Asustek 7.1% and HTC 6.6%.

iPhone 7 128GB was the top selling single model in sales volume, followed by the iPhone 7 Plus 128GB, Samsung J7, Asustek ZenFone 3 ZE552KL, iPhone 7 32GB, Asustek ZenFone 3 ZE520KL, HTC Desire 728, Sony Xperia XA, Taiwan Mobile Amazing X3S and Asustek ZenFone 2 Laser ZE550KL.

Samsung Rolls Out Industry’s First 8GB LPDDR4 DRAM Package for mobile.

Samsung Electronics, announced in October 20,2016 that it is introducing the industry’s first 8-gigabyte (GB) LPDDR4 (low power, double data rate 4) mobile DRAM package, which is expected to greatly improve mobile user experiences, especially for those using Ultra HD, large-screen devices. 

The 8GB mobile DRAM package utilizes four of the newest 16 gigabit (Gb) LPDDR4 memory chips and advanced 10-nanometer (nm)-class* process technology.

“The advent of our powerful 8GB mobile DRAM solution will enable more capable next-generation, flagship mobile devices around the world,” said Joo Sun Choi, executive vice president of Memory Sales and Marketing at Samsung Electronics. 

“We will continue to provide advanced memory solutions offering the highest values and leading-edge benefits to meet the escalating needs of devices having dual camera, 4K UHD and VR features.”

The new 8GB LPDDR4 operates at up to 4,266 megabits per second (Mbps), which is twice as fast as DDR4 DRAM for PCs working typically at 2,133 Mbps per pin. Assuming a 64 bit (x64) wide memory bus, this can be viewed as transmitting over 34GBs of data per second.

While many high-end ultra-slim note PCs use 8GB of DRAM currently, Samsung’s new 8GB LPDDR4 package will help other next-generation mobile devices take full advantage of its extremely high capacity. For example, equipping tablets with 8GB of LPDDR4 will enable virtual machine operation** and smoother 4K UHD video playback, popular features of many premium PCs.

The Samsung 8GB LPDDR4 DRAM provides much more efficient power consumption thanks to its use of the latest 10nm-class process technology and Samsung’s proprietary low-power circuit design. This circuit design enables the memory chip to double the capacity of the company’s 20nm-class 4GB DRAM package, while consuming approximately the same amount of power.

The 8GB LPDDR4 package has XYZ dimensions of under 15mm by 15mm by 1.0mm, which satisfies space requirements of most new, ultra slim mobile devices. Using a DRAM package thinner than 1.0mm enables stacking the package together with UFS memory or a mobile application processor, depending on device manufacturers’ preferences, which will allow further space savings on the printed circuit board.

In August last year, Samsung introduced the industry-first 20-nanometer 12Gb LPDDR4 DRAM. After only a 14-month development period, Samsung is now introducing the first 10nm-class 16Gb LPDDR4 DRAM and this single-package solution of 8GB LPDDR4 DRAM, which will speed up the launch of next-generation mobile devices with even more advanced performance.

Samsung will continue to rapidly expand production of its DRAM products based on 10nm-class process technology. The company has been manufacturing 10nm-class DRAM on a leading-edge fabrication line and plans to also use the 10nm-process technology in other fabs in the near future, to meet ever-increasing demands for advanced, high-density mobile DRAM.

*10nm-class is a process technology node somewhere between 10 nanometer and 20 nanometer, and 20nm-class is a process technology node somewhere between 20 nanometer and 30 nanometer.

**A virtual machine (VM) is an emulation of a computer system that provides the functionality of a physical computer. Virtual machines allow users to run multiple operating systems (OS) on a single PC.

Apple sends out invitation for October 27th event.

Finally It Is Official. Apple will hold an event in October 27th to unveil the new models of Macs. 

As we said before Apple could present a new iMac desktop, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops, along with a new standalone 5K monitor and probably the new MacBook Pro will be slimmer than the existing one, with a flatter keyboard and a "Dynamic Function Row," or a touchscreen OLED for standard function keys.

The event will start at 10 a.m PDT in San Francisco Apple`s Cupertino Campus.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus Unlocked Phone 32 GB - US Version (Black):