On CE - For Dealers, Distributors and OEMs of Consumer Electronics throughout EMEA

Taiwanese chipset maker MediaTek announces the Dimensity 820-- a single-chip solution designed to bring 5G connectivity to upper-mid-range devices thanks to an integrated 5G NR (sub-6GHz) modem.

“Our Dimensity 1000 is already powering impressive flagship 5G devices in a number of markets. With the new Dimensity 820, we’re now making 5G much more accessible,” the company says. “The Dimensity 820 stands out beyond competitors by offering four high-performance Arm Cortex-A76 cores at 2.6GHz within its octa-core CPU, delivering superb performance and responsiveness, among its incredible AI, gaming and photography experiences.”

Global smart speaker sales total 28.2 million units in Q1 2020, Strategy Analytics (SA) reports-- an 8.2% Y-o-Y increase, with Amazon and Google remaining firmly on top even as they face pressure due to global lockdowns.

“Much uncertainty lies ahead of course but the current stay-at-home conditions present an opportunity for smart speaker vendors and voice assistant operators to reinforce the value proposition of voice-first experiences," the analyst says. "The growth in demand for smart displays in recent weeks shows that smart speaker devices are playing their part in alleviating the impact of lockdown conditions by improving access to video chat services for family and friends, amongst other things.”

Customers wanting to check how (or if) a new TV will with in their living room get a means to do so through Envision TV, an app Sony claims can accurately determine which TV size is perfect for the space in question.

"As we continue to stay home, this app offers a new way for our customers to confidently purchase a Sony TV in the comfort of their living rooms," the company says. "We hope this new technology takes the guesswork out of shopping online."

EMEA smartphone shipments are down by -8% Y-o-Y to 76.6 million units in Q1 2020, IDC reports-- results the analyst describes as "strong" if one considers the circumstances, namely the coronavirus pandemic and related shutdowns.

"There were already supply-side issues in China in January following the lockdown of the coronavirus epicenter in Wuhan. Many phone factories extended their Chinese New Year holidays in February, but after this, production recovered very quickly," IDC says. "While countries were already beginning to limit travel earlier in the quarter, the first national lockdown in Europe did not happen until 9 March, in Italy, so the demand side impact was relatively short."