China: Microsoft`s new smartphone will be launched in 2013.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

 (mock up)

China: Microsoft`s new smartphone will be launched in 2013.

According to Chinatechnews Suning  stores a China company who started to work with Microsoft in 2007 and was its channel in the debut of Windows 7, recieved the visit of Jean-Philippe Courtois, Microsoft's global executive vice president and Microsoft worldwide president, in Suning`s new headquarters in Nanjing and implemented comprehensive talks with Zhang Jindong, chairman of the Chinese consumer electronic retail chain.

The two companies reached an agreement on their comprehensive cooperation over the next few years, and they expressed cooperation intent in various sectors, including e-commerce, product sales, and marketing. 

Based on the agreement, Microsoft's new smartphone, which will be launched in 2013 (before rumors said mid 2013), will be first sold via the retail channels of Suning.

Microsoft said that it will consider Suning as its prior sales channels for these two new products.

In other rumors Foxconn has already secured a manufacturing deal with Microsoft for the Surface phone,

Brazil: Foxconn buys land.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Brazil: Foxconn buys land.

EMS provider Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) has announced that its subsidiary Foxconn CMMSG Industria de Electronicos Ltda has acquired a tract of land of 141.82 hectares (350.45 acres) in Brazil from Toulouse Incorporacao SPE Ltda for BRL26.113 million (US$12.64 million).

The subsidiary started negotiation for the land acquisition on September 4, 2012 and struck the deal on November 15, Foxconn indicated.

Rumours: Amazon preparing its own smartphone.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Amazon smartphone mock-up

Rumours: Amazon preparing its own smartphone.

Foxconn , the Chinese mobile- phone maker, is working with Amazon on the device, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private. 

Amazon is seeking to complement the smartphone strategy by acquiring patents that cover wireless technology and would help it defend against allegations of infringement, other people with knowledge of the matter said. 

Amazon could have a smartphone on store shelves by the fourth quarter of next year, according to Citigroup analyst Mark Mahaney. 

“Based on our supply chain check, we believe Foxconn is now jointly developing the phone with Amazon,” Mahaney wrote in a research note. “However, we believe that Amazon will pay Foxconn but the device and multiple components will actually be manufactured by Hon Hai’s TMS business group.” 

Additionally, Mahaney said that Amazon will likely use a Texas Instruments OMAP 4 processor, and that it will adopt Qualcomm’s dual-mode 6-series baseband chip as well.

“For a normal brand like HTC, they need to price the product at $243 to make 30 percent gross margin,” Mahaney wrote.

“If Amazon is actually willing to lose some money on the device, the price gap could be even bigger,” he explained, noting that Amazon’s device could be sold for between $150 and $170, or about the price it will cost to build the phone.

Sources: Bloomberg and our  Before related article: 

Fox News: 4Q2012: Amazon planning Smartphone. Did they buy HP webOS already?

China: Baidu in talks with Foxconn to build low-priced smartphone with Baidu Yi OS.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

China: Baidu in talks with Foxconn to build low-priced smartphone with Baidu Yi OS.

Baidu is reportedly now in frequent discussions with Foxconn to build a low-priced handset running Baidu Yi mobile operating system (OS), says report.

A report Friday by ZDNet Asia's sister site, zol.com.cn, noted that the handset--to be targeted at the 1,000 RMB (US$159) price range--will be co-launched with a smartphone vendor, which identity has yet to be unveiled.

The device is expected to include hardware features such as a 3.5-inch touchscreen, 1400mAH battery and high-resolution camera. On the software-front, the device will include Baidu's cloud storage service, Baidu Music, Baidu Maps and various apps.

In previous reports, Baidu CEO Robin Li said the company had earmarked mobile as an important growth channel.

According to zol.com.cn, Baidu had been making headway in the mobile Internet space since the launch of its mobile OS. The company set up a developer center, Web storage service and cloud-synced contact list service, among others.

Last September, Baidu announced a partnership with U.S. hardware maker, Dell, to develop tablets and smartphones based on its Yi OS. In late-December, Dell launched a 2,999 RMB smartphone (US$474) for the Chinese market.

China: HP and Foxconn to establish printers production lines in Chongqing.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

China: HP and Foxconn to establish printers production lines in Chongqing.

Hewlett-Packard (HP) has announced it will cooperate with Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) to establish production lines in Chongqing, China for printer manufacturing with annual capacity set for 30 million units.

After the ex-Communist Party of China (CPC) Chongqing Committee Secretary, Bo Xilai, stepped down from office, the Chongqing government has been trying to reassure IT investors, and has agreed to maintain the promises in contracts it signed with the investors.

After meeting with Acer chairman JT Wang, the Chongqing government also met HP CEO Meg Whitman to sign a contract to establish printer production lines in the city.

China: Apple CEO Tim Cook visited Foxconn plant . Bloomberg Video.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

China: Apple CEO Tim Cook visited Foxconn plant .

Apple Says Cook Visited New Foxconn Plant in Zhengzhou

 A handout photo shows Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple Inc., center, visiting the iPhone production line at the Foxconn Technology Group facility in Zhengzhou, yesterday.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook visited Foxconn Technology Group’s newly built manufacturing facility for the iPhone in Zhengzhou, China, as the U.S. company seeks to improve working conditions.

The iPhone production line is at the new Foxconn Zhengzhou Technology Park, which employs 120,000 people, Carolyn Wu, a Beijing-based Apple spokeswoman, said in an e-mail today. She didn’t provide other details on Cook’s visit or say how much longer he’ll be in China after having held high-level talks in Beijing earlier this week. 

Source:  Bloomberg.

Partnership Foxconn/Sharp to target Apple orders. Apple TV ?

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Partnership Foxconn/Sharp to target Apple orders. Apple TV ?

Sharp has announced a strategic alliance with Foxconn (Hon Hai). 

Through third-party allotment, four Foxconn subsidiaries will obtain an about 9.88% stake and become the largest shareholder of Sharp. Foxconn will also hold shares in Sharp Display Products (SDP), a joint venture of Sharp and Sony producing large-size panels and modules.

Sharp indicated that Foxconn will procure panels and related modules from Sharp's 10G plant in Sakai, Japan. The procurement will keep the 10G plant at high capacity utilization.

Sharp and Foxconn are suppliers of Apple. Hence this cooperation may be aimed at obtaining orders for Apple TVs. Apple may want to use Sharp's technology to produce Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO) panels for Apple TVs.

Foxconn has been investing in Taiwan-based LCD panel maker Chimei Innolux (CMI). The market believes the cooperation between Foxconn and Sharp will not benefit CMI. Sharp has been replacing CMI as the panel supplier for Apple's iPads, hence cooperating with Sharp seems more beneficial to Foxconn.

iPhone 5: Foxconn building base in Taiyuan.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

 

iPhone 5: Foxconn building  base in Taiyuan.

According to china news Foxconn is building an exclusive base manufacturing plant for the iPhone 5 in Taiyuan and is making a recruitment of 20.000 people.

M.I.C. Gadget specifically notes that “Foxconn has already received orders for the production of iPhone 5,” and that the company will handle as much as 85 percent of the production, which comes down to about 57 million handsets a year.

Brazil: Foxconn ready to start production of smartphones and tablet PCs.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) has finished preparations at its assembly lines for smartphones and tablet PCs in Brazil and is ready to kick off production.

Foxconn's investments in Brazil started in 2002 when the company acquired Finland-based Eimo Oyj and its production lines in Manaus, Brazil.

 As labor costs in China continue to rise, Foxconn has been seeking new production bases, and Brazil's rich labor resources and potential domestic demand have already become major attractions for Foxconn investment.

During the Lunar New Year, Brazil announced that the products manufactured by Foxconn will receive tax relief of 95% until 2014 and Foxconn has also agreed to use 4% of its net profits to invest in R&D in return.

As for rumors that Foxconn may establish panel plants in Brazil.

Commenting about its investment in Brazil, Foxconn pointed out that the company is following its plans and will make official announcements about investments when needed.

Are we going to see Brazil made iphones and ipads only.?

2012: Motorola to outsource all sub-US$350 smartphones.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Motorola Mobility will subcontract all of its orders for entry-level and mid-range smartphones with a price tag of below US$300-350 to handset ODMs in 2012, with Foxconn International Holdings (FIH) and Arima Communications to benefit from the vendor's outsourcing policy, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.

FIH is expected to snap up to 70-80% of new models to be released by Motorola in 2012, while Arima will still land orders for five models.

Motorola launched on December 13 its sub-NT$10,000 (US$330) Android smartphone, the XT532, as well as the dual-core ME865 Android phone in the Taiwan market. Motorola has outsourced the XT532 to FIH, noted the paper.