Is 5G Connectivity Getting Nearer?

It seems there is no time to waste. Apple this week told its suppliers to build 75 million 5G iPhones, according to Bloomberg. Sources told the specialized media shipments of these next-generation iPhones could reach a volume of 80 million units in 2020. Apple plans to launch four new models in October with 5G wireless speeds.

In late August, sources told Reuters that Apple partner and iPhone assembler Foxconn was considering opening a new factory in Mexico. Foxconn has plans to use the factory to manufacture iPhones and is likely to make a final decision on a new factory later this year. Pegatron, a contractor for several phone manufacturers, including Apple, is also considering a facility in Mexico mainly to assemble chips and other electronic components, reports the news outlet.

For Nokia, the story is different as investors think the company moved too slow at the start of the 5G shift. Now, its new CEO Pekka Lundmark said he will take time to re-acquaint himself with the company before making a strategy, according to BNN Bloomberg.

5G technology is also reaching the automotive industry. Last month, GM said it will launch vehicles capable of connecting to the 5G network in China, starting in 2022. The update will provide faster connectivity, better communications with other vehicles and will enable technologies such as autonomous vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems, CNBC reported.

More news below:

• “It is like a Fitbit in your skull with a tiny wire.” That is how Elon Musk described the progress on his brain-machine implant. Neuralink’s brain-machine implant seeks to address neurological diseases and injuries, directly link human brains to the internet and eventually achieve telepathic communication.

• it is an undeniable fact. The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital technology in Mexico. “The digital services industry has advanced three years in just a few months of lockdown. Previous to the pandemic, companies’ IT departments focused mainly on supply chain, administrative and financial management,” said to Mexico Business News Fernando Thompson, Director General of TBSEK.

• In 2Q20, the average spending of Mexicans on a smartphone exceeded MX$4,000 (US$184) despite the health and economic crisis, said an analysis by the consulting firm The Competitive Intelligence Unit (CIU).

• Starting this month, OXXO, one of the best-known convenience store chains in the country, will be selling a new smartphone with the KaiOS operating system at a price of MX$599 (US$27). KaiOS is a Linux-based mobile operating system from KaiOS Technologies, a Hong Kong-based company focused on emerging markets with a lack of digital services penetration.

• India banned 118 apps with Chinese links, including major games and apps from Tencent, Baidu and Ant Group. “In view of information available, they (the apps) are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, its defense, security of state and public order,” said the country’s tech ministry.

• The chances of TikTok terminating its US operations anytime soon have diminished by Beijing's export restrictions on artificial intelligence technology, the Wall Street Journal reported this week. ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, is expected to choose between a combined bid from Microsoft and Walmart and an offer from Oracle.

• OnlyFans’ creators claim their incomes have been substantially reduced after the platform capped prices, apparently following a controversy with actress Bella Thorne.