Thierry’s Connectivity Newsletter #219
Semiconductors, IP & Standards
Onsemi Q4 revenues dropped 15% yoy yo $1.72b (GM 45% / OP 24% ). eyes weak 1Q25 amid slow automotive market - link
China's SMIC Q4 profit slumps below estimates despite 31% revenue growth to $2.2b- link
GlobalFoundries reports revenue down 1% yoy to $1.8b (GM 24%) and a loss due to a one-off impairment - link
U.S. chip curbs hit China harder than expected as TSMC treads carefully - link
NXP buys Edge AI Pioneer Kinara for $307m to Redefine the Intelligent Edge - link
Knowles reported Q4 revenue up 2.4% yoy to $142m following divestiture of consumer mics business- link
CEVA reports Q4 revenue of $29m, +11% yoy - link
Arm recruits from customers as it plans to sell its own chips, starting with Meta - link
U.S. Whitelist Shake-up Spurs China’s Order Shift, Boosts Taiwan’s OSATs & IC Firms Like ASE - link
ListenAI Licenses Ceva-Waves Wi-Fi 6 IP, Bringing Seamless Wireless Connectivity to its Edge AI Portfolio - link
OEMs & Ecosystems
Nokia Names Intel’s Data Center and AI Head Justin Hotard as New CEO - link
Apple's new home product with smart display reportedly 'months away' - link
OpenAI set to finalize first custom chip design this year - link
Cisco reports Q4 revenue up 9% to 14b & forecasts robust future growth amid strong networking demand - link
Meta "performance terminations" Job Cuts Begin As Tech Giant Increases Focus On AI - link
Sony reports Q3 revenue up 18% YoY to $28.6B, operating income up 1% YoY to $3.05B, driven by strong PS5 sales - link
Tim Cook teases Apple launch for February 19 — iPhone SE 4 expected - link
Audio
Huawei kicks off 2025 with FreeArc unique hook-style earbuds - link
Sonos’ chief marketing officer has left the company - link
Why dedicated translation earbuds won't survive - link
Spatial audio: What is it and what does it mean for your AV setup? - link
Beats brings heart rate monitoring and ANC to the Powerbeats Pro 2 - link
Noble FoKus Rex5 review: Incredible sound, if you’re willing to pay for it - link
India TWS Market Grows 14% YoY in 2024; Offline Shipments See Double Digit Growth - Counterpoint
Noise Master Buds with Sound by Bose with up to 49dB Adaptive ANC, LHDC 5.0, up to 44h total playback launched - link
Marshall Monitor III ANC review: A worthy alternative to Sony and Bose? - link
Wearables and XR
Sales of Huawei's Watch D2 grow in China : now registered as a medical device it can be purchased via medical insurance - link
Smart Home & Smart Cities
Panasonic considering selling its TV business - link
Apple releases an Apple TV app for Android phones and tablets, without casting & limited to few content services - link
Roku reports Q4 revenue up 22% YoY to $1.2b but a net loss of $35m, and streaming households up 12% YoY to 90m - link
Auto
Chinese EV leader BYD to offer ‘God’s Eye’ self-driving system on all models - link
Honda and Nissan officially scrap US$60 billion merger plans amid restructuring clash - link