1)Sony's Image Sensor Business Drives Company Turnaround
Sony Corp said on Friday it expects annual operating profit to surge 73.2 percent, closing in on a two decade-old record, as its cash-cow image sensor business recovery from quake damage and enjoys strong demand from smartphone vendors.
Sony forecast profit to reach JPY 500 billion ($4.50 billion or roughly Rs. 28,877 crores) in the financial year through March 2018 from JPY 288.7 billion (roughly Rs. 16,670 crores) a year prior, when earnings were roughly in line with a revised estimate announced earlier this month.
The outlook compared with the JPY 510.58 billion (roughly Rs. 29,483 crores) average of 27 analyst estimates compiled by Thomson Reuters.
If achieved, profit would be at its highest since peaking at JPY 525.7 billion (roughly Rs. 30,357 crores) in the year through March 1998, when strong consumer electronics sales combined with the popularity of the first PlayStation console and box-office hit "Man in Black".
Profit is nearing that of Sony's golden era after a massive overhaul under Chief Executive Officer Kazuo Hirai, including exiting the laptop business and downsizing television set operations.
Image sensors are now likely to be the biggest contributor to the profit growth, as operations at a factory damaged by earthquakes a year ago have returned to normal at a time when smartphone vendors are increasingly adopting dual-lens rear cameras in their handsets, requiring extra sensors.
Sony forecast its chip division, which includes image sensors, to book an operating profit of JPY 120 billion, compared with the previous year's loss of JPY 7.8 billion.
The firm expects profit in the gaming business - another growth driver - to expand 25.4 percent. It anticipates a slight decline in sales of PlayStation 4 consoles but expects to benefit from online businesses.
Sony expects its pictures segment - which it has said is in need of restructuring - to return to profit after a $1 billion write-down in the previous year.
2)Planing : Apple Patent Tips Plans for iPhone Wireless Charging via Wi-Fi Router
US tech giant Apple is experimenting with wireless charging technologies that could see you charge your iPhone with a Wi-Fi router.
"Apple's patent application for 'Wireless Charging and Communications Systems With Dual-Frequency Patch Antennas' is a method for transferring power to electronic devices over frequencies normally dedicated to data communications," Apple Insider reported on Friday.
The patch antennas may be used for wireless power transfer at microwave frequencies or other frequencies and may be used to support millimeter wave communications. The patch antennas may be used to form a beam steering array. The wireless circuitry may include adjustable circuitry to steer wireless signals associated with the antenna array,
"Apple's patent application merely covers the theory behind wireless power transmission using existing communications link frequencies, and does not divulge specific operating details beyond the implementation of specialized beam forming patch antennas," the report noted.
There have been several reports about Apple finally offering wireless charging as a feature for its iPhone handsets. The company in the recent past was tipped to be using Qi-standard inductive wireless charging technology, and recently also joined the Wireless Power Consortium. The Cupertino giant has also been rumored to be planning wireless charging at a distance, which if true would be a bold entry into the market.
Written with inputs from IANS
3)Mi-Xiaomi the Second Biggest Smartphone Vendor in India, Overall Shipments Grew 15 Percent in Q1 2017: Counterpoint
Smartphone shipments in India registered a growth of 15 percent annually in the first quarter of 2017, reaching 29 million units, a report said on Saturday.
According to findings by market research firm Counterpoint, Samsung continued to retain the top spot, followed by Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo and Lenovo (that also includes Motorola) occupied the other three spots.
Together, all these top five brands contributed to almost 70 percent of the total smartphone market.
"India's smartphone market is witnessing a focus shift in distribution strategy by major brands. Offline brands have now started focusing on online channels as well to gain extra market share while online-only brands are moving fast into offline markets to widen their reach to the mass market, addressing consumers in tier-2 and tier-3 cities," said Karn Chauhan, Research Analyst at Counterpoint Research.
The findings revealed that almost four out of five mobile phones shipped were made in India during the first quarter.
"The imposition of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) will have an impact on domestic manufacturing and the government will need to continue incentives for locally manufactured mobile phones to further push the domestic manufacturing ecosystem," the report noted.
LTE-capable smartphones contributed 96 percent of total smartphone shipments in the first quarter. LTE is now a default feature for smartphones in India.
Smartphones in the mid-end segment witnessed the highest growth of 158 percent Year-on-Year during the first quarter of 2017. Brands like Samsung, Oppo, Vivo, Gionee and Motorola contributed most to the growth.
"The ASP (average selling price) of smartphones in India increased by $31 (roughly Rs. 2,000) during first quarter of 2017 as compared to the Q1 of 2016," added Shobhit Srivastava, Research Analyst at Counterpoint Research.
Srivastava attributed the increase in ASP to the growing number of users that are upgrading to the high-end specifications offered by brands in the $125 - $310 (roughly Rs. 8,040 - Rs. 19,300) price segment.
To appear as market leaders in key segments, smartphone brands are focussing on their strong points. For example, Gionee plays with "Battery and Selfie", Oppo sells on "Selfie expert" and Vivo focuses on "camera and music".
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