Technology - Google News

iPhone camera embedded into display a step closer as tech improves - 9to5Mac
Sony’s $499 PS5 is no longer selling at a loss - The Verge
Apple Brings China's Luxshare Precision into iPhone 13 Supply Chain to Meet Production Targets - MacRumors

iPhone camera embedded into display a step closer as tech improves - 9to5Mac

Posted: 04 Aug 2021 05:24 AM PDT

An iPhone camera embedded into the display is likely Apple's long-term plan as it works toward its ambition of an iPhone being effectively "a single slab of glass." That possibility got a step closer today as two early players both claim to have improved on the fledgling technology.

We saw some first attempts more than a year ago, but the results weren't very impressive …

Background

The notch design Apple first used in the iPhone X is currently needed because there's a lot of technology on the front of the device. Some of this can be moved into the top of the case, and Apple is working on embedding both Face ID and Touch ID into the display.

The biggest challenge, however, is the front-facing camera. Apple prides itself on the quality of iPhone cameras, and embedding one beneath a display is extremely tricky without sacrificing quality.

The problem is that light needs to pass through the gaps between the pixels, so you're effectively trying to shoot through a tight mesh screen. Some Android smartphone companies have tried it, with poor results.

Oppo is effectively admitting that the camera suffers from haze, poor dynamic range and inaccurate white balance.

A step closer to an iPhone camera embedded into display

Engadget reports that two companies that have previously tried this are now claiming to have take the technology to the next level.

Despite much criticism of its first under-screen camera, ZTE worked what it claims to be an improved version into its new Axon 30 5G, which launched in China last week. Coincidentally, today Oppo unveiled its third-gen under-screen camera which, based on a sample shot it provided, appears to be surprisingly promising — no noticeable haziness nor glare.

Oppo claims several improvements.

Breakthroughs include resolving issues such as inconsistent display quality in the screen area above the under-screen camera, poor image quality caused by obstruction of the camera by the screen, as well as issues with product reliability and lifespan. Thanks to advances in these areas, OPPO has been able to deliver an upgraded under-screen camera solution that takes end-to-end, full-screen experience to new levels.

However, it's just another prototype, and the company has so far shown us only a single photo in less than challenging circumstances, with the subject in shade despite some overhead sun (which causes some flare).

Apple won't adopt this tech until results are practically indistinguishable from existing iPhone front-facing cameras, with a punch-hole display the likely next step.

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Sony’s $499 PS5 is no longer selling at a loss - The Verge

Posted: 04 Aug 2021 05:24 AM PDT

Sony's $499 PlayStation 5 console is no longer selling at a loss. Bloomberg reports that Sony chief financial officer Hiroki Totoki shared the news just a week after the company announced it had sold 10 million PS5 consoles.

While the PS5 with a disc drive is no longer selling for less than the cost to produce it, the less expensive and disc-less $399 PS5 Digital Edition is reportedly on track to have Sony's related losses offset by other hardware sales like accessories and the PS4. Sony sold 500,000 PS4 consoles in the most recent quarter, bringing lifetime sales up to an impressive 116.4 million.

It took Sony years to stop losing money on PS3 sales, but the company stopped selling the PS4 at a loss around six months after its debut in 2013. The PS5 has taken ever so slightly longer, but it's clearly not repeating the costly exercise of the PS3 despite early reports suggesting Sony was struggling with PS5 pricing due to expensive parts.

Microsoft revealed earlier this year that it sells its Xbox consoles at a loss and doesn't turn a profit on pure hardware alone. Microsoft has not been reporting hardware sales since early on in the Xbox One lifetime, but an Xbox executive revealed during the Epic v. Apple trial that Microsoft turns a profit from game sales and online service subscriptions.

Sony also reported (PDF) its biggest Q1 revenue ever for PlayStation today, and its second biggest revenue for PlayStation during a non-holiday quarter. There are also 104 million monthly active users on PlayStation Network, spending an average of $37.09 each during Q1 2021 across digital software, add-ons, and services.

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Apple Brings China's Luxshare Precision into iPhone 13 Supply Chain to Meet Production Targets - MacRumors

Posted: 04 Aug 2021 12:19 AM PDT

Apple is tapping more Chinese suppliers as it seeks to meet ambitious targets for iPhone 13 production, according to a new report by Nikkei Asia.

Apple is set to produce between 90 million and 95 million iPhones through January, according to a previous Nikkei report, and China's Luxshare Precision Industry has won 3% of orders away from Taiwanese rivals Foxconn and Pegatron.

Luxshare will start building the iPhone 13 Pro -- as the premium model is expected to be called -- this month, according to sources, a major breakthrough for a company that has never produced iPhones on its own. Newcomers to the Apple supply chain normally start out making older iPhone models. Two companies that Luxshare acquired last year, South Korean camera module maker Cowell and metal frame maker Casetek of Taiwan, will also supply key components and parts for this year's new iPhones, sources familiar with the matter said.

Despite Luxshare's small percentage of iPhone production this year, its involvement has reportedly rattled rival ‌iPhone‌ suppliers are said to be wary of the Chinese manufacturer's competitiveness and the possibility that it could steal away bigger chunks of orders in the future.

Luxshare's ability to break into ‌iPhone‌ production comes despite U.S. trade restrictions on China, whose increasing involvement in Apple's lucrative supply chain has reportedly come at the expense of rivals in the U.S., Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea.

For example, China-based Lens Technology has only supplied glass backs and cover glass for iPhones in the past, but this year it will also supply metal casings for the first time, according to Nikkei.

Meanwhile, China's biggest maker of smartphone camera lenses, Sunny Optical Technology, is also said to have entered the ‌iPhone‌ supply chain for the first time, supplying a small amount of rear camera lenses.

The news comes on the heels of multiple reports suggesting BOE Technology will soon begin supplying OLED panels for the ‌iPhone 13‌, pending approval from Apple, with several other Chinese suppliers and assemblers waiting in the wings.

Today's report highlights Apple's continuing mission to diversify its supply chain as much as possible, reducing risk and improve its bargaining power between major supply chain players like Foxconn and Samsung, which have traditionally dominated ‌iPhone‌ production.

The ‌iPhone 13‌ models are expected to be announced next month and will look similar to the 2020 ‌iPhone‌ lineup, with four devices in sizes that include 5.4-inches, 6.1-inches, and 6.7-inches, with two of the iPhones being higher-end "Pro" models and two positioned as lower-cost, more affordable devices.

For everything we know about what's new in the ‌iPhone 13‌ series, be sure to check out our dedicated roundup.

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