TSMC is making new trailing edge fabs in Japan; Google made a new system-on-a-chip that is less than it seems, but it explains why Qualcomm is getting squeezed
The Automotive Chip Shortage, Cheap and Complex, A Useful Crisis
The chip shortage facing the automobile industry has more to do with the auto industry’s failure to understand chips than a lack of U.S. capacity; still, a crisis in one area might fix another.
Intel Follow-up, Qualcomm Buys Nuvia, Netflix Earnings
That Intel is built to be integrated is precisely the problem, why Qualcomm bought a CPU team, and Netflix controls its own destiny.
Intel Problems
Intel is in much more danger than its profits suggest; the problems are a long time in the making, and the solution is to split up the company.
Samsung and Google, Samsung and Microsoft, Xbox Game Pass and iOS
Why Samsung and Google grew apart, leaving an opening for Microsoft, who still needs access to devices.
Apple’s Errors Follow-up, Apple’s Services Pivot, Samsung Warns on Revenue
Apple’s Errors don’t preclude the idea that prices are too high; meanwhile, the company is meaningfully pivoting to services, at least in terms of content. Then, Samsung’s pain is Apple’s gain.
Uber Follow-up; GlobalFoundries Abandons 7nm; Pricing Power, Differentiation, and Integration
Not all of Uber’s efforts are new, but the urgency is. Then, there are only three foundries pursuing 7nm, which means more pricing power (and how this applies to Uber and self-driving cars).
Fortnite Skips Google Play, Netflix Explores Bypassing iTunes, Big Names and Long Tails
Fortnite is skipping out on Google Play, and Netflix is trying to get out of the App Store. That’s not great for Apple and Google, but the effort is hardly a surprise.
Apple Earnings, ASP and “New” iPhones, Steve Jobs and the App Store
Apple’s earnings not only held true to form, but actually had an upside surprise in ASP. Plus, what an interview with Steve Jobs reveals about differentiation and integration.
Xiaomi IPOs, Samsung’s Profit Slips, The Smiling Curve
Xiaomi’s IPO shows a company that has come full circle but still has a long ways to go. Then, Samsung remains reliant on components for profit, and both companies show that the Smiling Curve applies to smartphones more than ever.