As the global vaccination rate rose, and border restrictions in Europe and North America eased, social activities also began to enter a period of recovery, with the consumer electronics market seemingly ready for the arrival of the traditional peak season in 2H21, according to TrendForce's latest investigations. At the same time, however, the global supply chain was affected by delays in maritime transport, skyrocketing shipping costs, and component shortages, in addition to already-prohibitive price hikes for certain components in 1H21. Given the parallel rise in both material and manufacturing costs, the market for end products has not undergone the expected cyclical upturn in 2H21. Even so, the overall demand for and shipment of smartphones, notebook computers, and monitors experienced QoQ increases in 3Q21, thereby driving up businesses for major OSAT (outsourced semiconductor assembly and test) companies. For 3Q21, the revenues of the top 10 OSAT companies reached US$8.89 billion, a 31.6% YoY increase.

LG Electronics (LG) announced a partnership with NVIDIA to be the first TV manufacturer to develop a Smart TV app of GeForce NOW, the premier cloud game-streaming service, for LG TVs running webOS. Boasting large screen sizes, lifelike picture quality and high refresh rates, LG's OLED TVs are a perfect match for GeForce NOW. Currently available on NVIDIA SHIELD, Windows PC, macOS, Chrome OS, Android and Safari browser for iPhone and iPad, GeForce NOW allows gamers to start playing on their LG TVs and continue on nearly any device they own.

The app will be available in beta starting this week in the LG Content Store on select 2021 LG 4K OLED, QNED Mini LED and NanoCell TV models in 80 markets. The app will enable LG TV owners with compatible TVs to instantly enjoy over 35 free-to-play games with just a compatible controller, no additional hardware required. Games include Rocket League and Destiny 2 plus hit titles such as Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy and Crysis Remastered Trilogy, all playable at up to 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second. GeForce NOW Priority members get access to the most advanced platform for ray tracing and AI technologies, streaming from NVIDIA RTX-powered servers in data centers worldwide for the most responsive gameplay and gorgeous, high-quality graphics.

ASUS today launched Vivobook Pro 14/15 OLED (K3400/K3500 & M3401/M3500), two freshly styled and powerful new laptops designed for the daily creative and entertainment needs of the young generation of creators. Vivobook 14/15 OLED either feature up to 11th Generation Intel Core H-Series or AMD Ryzen 5000 Series Mobile Processors, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 GPUs, 16 GB of DDR4 memory, a 1 TB SSD and a 63 Wh high-capacity battery.

For superb creative visuals, the laptops are equipped with a vivid 14-inch (K3400/M3401) or 15-inch (K3500/M3500) up to 2.8K OLED 600-nit displays, which are PANTONE Validated for color accuracy and feature a cinema-grade 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. The laptops feature a fresh and modern new design, finished in a choice of Quiet Blue or Cool Silver neutral colors. Stylish on-trend details include a unique warning-striped Enter key, and there's an oversized touchpad with full gesture support.

For those who do not familiar with PC DIY users, MSI also offers pre-built systems. The only thing that customers should worry about is what games you should play and MSI will take over the rest parts. MSI desktop line-up fully implements the concept of G.A.M.E. unlimited into the products, including performance, aesthetics, connectivity, and experience. A prebuild PC user only just enjoys the plug-and-play experience, the rest of the software and hardware integrated MSI will help you to complete the processing, while you get the product.

The new MSI gaming desktops are equipped with Intel's latest 12th Gen Alder Lake processors. The advanced Intel 7 process technology with hybrid architecture combining P-Core (Performance) and E-Core (Efficiency) increases multi-thread performance by up to 47%. The gaming performance also has more than 13% increase compared to the previous generation. The full lineup of K Series gaming desktops adopted DDR5 memory with read speed up to 60% higher than the previous generation equipped with DDR4. This can provide players with faster data reading. In addition, the MSI 12th Gen gaming desktops are all equipped with Windows 11. The Direct Storage technology can help players quickly read the games while the Auto HDR function can even improve SDR game scenes to HDR quality. This time MSI launched the all new 12th Gen Series Intel unlocked processors models including MEG Aegis Ti5, MEG Trident X and MAG Codex X5. All of these models embody the G.A.M.E. Unlimited sprit to bring gamers to the new era of gaming.

ASUS has a mission to deliver incredible experiences that enhance the lives of people everywhere, and the newly announced Vivobook 13 Slate OLED does exactly that. This fun-filled 2-in-1 Windows 11 marvel — the world's first 13.3-inch Windows detachable laptop —rewrites the rules to make it easier to enjoy everything, everywhere. Now, there's no need to carry multiple devices for work and entertainment — this multi-talented personal companion does it all, thanks to its brilliant OLED touchscreen and quad-core Intel processor.

It's vivaciously styled and amazingly versatile, with a detachable full-size keyboard and a cover stand that has a 170° hinge. There's also a high-precision ASUS Pen 2.0 stylus, neatly stored in a handy magnetic pen holder so it's always to hand. This do-it-all laptop is equally at home in landscape or portrait mode, with or without a keyboard, so writing, typing, or watching at any angle in any environment is effortless. It's the passport to a new world of freedom!

Samsung Electronics America, Inc. today announced the availability of three new Galaxy Book PC portfolio products in the U.S.: Galaxy Book, Galaxy Book Odyssey, and Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G. Galaxy Book is available starting today, while both Galaxy Book Odyssey and Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G will be available on November 11. With every laptop, users get a take-anywhere, do-anything premium PC, thanks to brilliant displays, 11th Generation Intel powered performance, and seamless continuity with the Galaxy ecosystem.

Each new Galaxy Book sports a unique design to meet a wide range of tastes - from Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G's ultra-thin body, to Galaxy Book's refined classic look, to Galaxy Book Odyssey's rugged beveled style. All three PCs also come with Windows 11, offering a fresh, new and modern feel and tools to bring you closer to what you love, empower productivity and inspire creativity.

Say what you want about Apple's ARM based SoC's, but the company has been pushing the envelope almost every time they've released a new chip. However, this year it would seem that even Apple isn't particularly excited about its new SoC, as the A15 Bionic is only described as 50 percent faster than the nearest competitor, which doesn't really say much about the actual performance.

Likewise, the improved GPU in the A15 Bionic is being touted as offering 30 percent faster graphics than leading competition, which says nothing about how much of an improvement it is over the previous generation from Apple. This time around, Apple is also binning its chips based on working GPU cores, as the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini only get four GPU cores, whereas the iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max and the iPad mini gets five GPU cores.It's possible that the cost of manufacturing 5 nm chips has something to do with this.

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) announced today that it has added a new 600 performance level to its DisplayHDR True Black high dynamic range (HDR) specification and standard. Based on VESA's widely adopted High-Performance Monitor and Display Compliance Test Specification (DisplayHDR), the DisplayHDR True Black standard is optimized for emissive display technologies, such as organic light emitting diode (OLED) and future microLED displays.

The new DisplayHDR True Black 600 tier offers higher luminance than the existing DisplayHDR and DisplayHDR True Black 400 and 500 tiers. DisplayHDR and DisplayHDR True Black are the display industry's first fully open standards specifying HDR quality for LCD and emissive displays, respectively. VESA also announced today that three products have already been certified to the new DisplayHDR True Black 600 performance level - the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14, Vivobook Pro 14X and Vivobook 15 laptops. ASUS is formally unveiling these products at a separate company event today.

The panic buying of chips persisted in 2Q21 owing to factors such as post-pandemic demand, industry-wide shift to 5G telecom technology, geopolitical tensions, and chronic chip shortages, according to TrendForce's latest investigations. Chip demand from ODMs/OEMs remained high, as they were unable to meet shipment targets for various end-products due to the shortage of foundry capacities. In addition, wafers inputted in 1Q21 underwent a price hike and were subsequently outputted in 2Q21. Foundry revenue for the quarter reached US$24.407 billion, representing a 6.2% QoQ increase and yet another record high for the eighth consecutive quarter since 3Q19.

LG has reportedly delayed the release of their first 42-inch 4K OLED TV until CES 2022 according to industry sources talking with Korea Economic Daily (KED). The new TV which has been optimized for gaming on next-generation consoles will be launched alongside the rest of LG's 2022 lineup reportedly "to maximize its marketing efforts rather than unveiling it later this year". The smallest model currently offered by LG in their OLED lineup is 48 inches but they hope this new 42-inch model will better appeal to gamers. The LG OLED lineup is already extremely popular with gamers thanks in part due to features like 4K 120 Hz HDR support with G-SYNC over HDMI 2.1.

Xiaomi is preparing to release their next-generation Mi OLED gaming television lineup with support for NVIDIA G-Sync. Xiaomi has posted three teasers on their Weibo account about the upcoming TV promoting its OLED panel and G-Sync support however they are yet to announce any details about potential resolutions, refresh rates, or prices. The TV may be part of the NVIDIA Big Format Gaming Display program which all include dedicated G-Sync modules however no confirmation has been given by either company. We can deduce that the TV will support HDMI 2.1 given the inclusion the NVIDIA G-Sync support and the lack of bandwidth offered by HDMI 2.0. Xiaomi will release more details for the Mi OLED TV at an official announcement on August 10th.

Samsung Electronics today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2021. Total consolidated revenue was KRW 63.67 trillion, a 20% increase from the previous year and a record for the second quarter. Operating profit increased 34% from the previous quarter to KRW 12.57 trillion as market conditions improved in the memory market, operations normalized at the Austin foundry fab, and as effective global supply chain management (SCM) helped maintain solid profitability for the finished product businesses.

The Semiconductor business saw a significant improvement in earnings as memory shipments exceeded previous guidance and price increases were higher than expected, while the Company strengthened its cost competitiveness. For the Display Panel Business, a one-off gain and an increase in overall prices boosted profits.

The massive rise in market demand for notebook computers in response to distance learning needs and WFH applications from 2020 to 2021 has generated not only a double-digit growth in notebook panel shipment, but also a price hike of more than 40% for notebook panels, according to TrendForce's latest investigations. As various suppliers subsequently scramble to manufacture OLED, LTPS, and oxide panels, TrendForce forecasts these high-end notebook panels to reach a 17.8% market share in 2021 and 21.4% in 2022.

Panels based on OLED technology are primarily supplied by SDC, whose OLED notebook panel shipment for 2020 reached 800,000 pcs. SDC is expected to ship more than four million pcs of OLED notebook panels in 2021, with room for further growth in 2022. In addition to SDC, EDO is also expected to begin mass producing OLED notebook panels in 2H21-1H22. As such, TrendForce expects OLED panels to reach a 1.3% penetration rate in the overall notebook panel market this year. Although BOE and CSOT are currently fully engaged in Hybrid OLED development, Hybrid OLED panels will not enter mass production until 2023 due to technological and cost-related bottlenecks that are yet to be resolved.

The Nintendo Switch family of systems is about to gain a new member. On Oct. 8, Nintendo Switch (OLED model) will launch at a suggested retail price of $349.99, giving people another option for how they want to play the vast library of games on Nintendo Switch. Click here to view the video announcing the new system.

Nintendo Switch (OLED model) has a similar overall size to the Nintendo Switch system, but with a larger, vibrant 7-inch OLED screen with vivid colors and crisp contrast. Nintendo Switch (OLED model) also features a wide adjustable stand for tabletop mode, a new dock with a wired LAN port, 64 GB of internal storage, and enhanced audio for handheld and tabletop play. Just like Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch (OLED model) allows players to play on the TV and share the detachable Joy-Con controllers for right-out-of-the-box multiplayer fun. And just like both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite, with Nintendo Switch (OLED model), the system can be taken on the go to enjoy its play-anywhere versatility. A carrying case and screen protector set for Nintendo Switch (OLED model) will also be available.

[Editor's note: Our review of the Aqua Computer LEAKSHIELD can be found here]

The German company Aqua Computer introduces a breakthrough system to prevent leakage in water cooling systems. The system, called LEAKSHIELD, actively creates an optimally calculated negative pressure in the cooling system that prevents coolant from escaping in the event of a leak. If a leak occurs, only air is sucked into the cooling system. This works very reliably even in the case of larger leaks, such as broken acrylic glass components. An integrated vacuum pump is activated in a fraction of a second and maintains the negative pressure. A demonstration video shows several examples how LEAKSHIELD helps to prevent a leak: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UiRv0nDch0

In addition, the protection system uses a pressure sensor with a resolution of less than 0.0001 bar to detect and indicate even the smallest leaks. This allows countermeasures to be taken at a very early stage - ideally even before the system is filled with coolant. Although LEAKSHIELD was developed by Aqua Computer for the ULTITUBE reservoir series, it can also be used with reservoirs from other brands using an adapter kit. The minimal size of the sophisticated device is impressive: all components have been integrated into the small cover of the reservoir. Power supply and control are provided via USB. The device has an OLED display and a push-button control. This allows the most important functions to be controlled directly on the device.

The upcoming Nintendo Switch Pro is rumored to launch in September or October according to a recent report which claimed production of the new device would begin in July. The Nintendo Switch Pro is expected to feature an upgraded 7" 1280x720 OLED screen with a new NVIDIA processor and graphics based on the Ada Lovelace architecture. Nintendo and its partners are confident in their supply chain and their ability to meet demand including the new NVIDIA SoC which may enable 4K video output when docked by utilizing DLSS technology. Nintendo plans to price the Switch Pro at the same 299 USD MSRP the original Nintendo Switch was launched for and may announce the device before E3 2021 which starts June 12th.

Samsung Display has announced that the world's leading certification company SGS certified its laptop OLED for gaming performance, which is featured in Samsung Electronics' latest laptop Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360. According to SGS's test results, the new Samsung Display OLED showed the blur length below 1.4 mm and the moving picture response time below 15.4 ms, both of which are crucial to enjoying dynamic and fast-paced action games. An LCD laptop with identical specs showed the maximum 2.1 mm blur length and the 26.4 ms moving picture response time. Its HDR contrast ratio, which quantifies the sharpness and the depth of an image, resulted in over 1,000,000:1.

According to Samsung Display, fast-paced video games that require higher performance often suffer degradations in image quality when played on a display with a long blur length, which could harm user experience. OLED has a very wide range of contrast thus offers more immersive gaming experience for consumers who favor dynamic, flamboyant games, Samsung Display says.

Samsung Electronics today unveiled the Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360, the new generation of mobile computing devices that bring together powerful performance with the mobile DNA of a Samsung Galaxy smartphone. Based on the enhanced Galaxy ecosystem, Galaxy Book Pro and Book Pro 360 work seamlessly with your other Galaxy and IoT devices, making workflow and entertainment across devices smoother—and making life easier. As a staple for the Galaxy Book Pro series, Samsung embraced open collaboration, working with industry-leading partners Intel and Microsoft, to build a new approach to mobile computing, where smartphones and PCs work together flawlessly across operating systems and never sacrifice performance for portability.

As the global economy enters the post-pandemic era, technologies including 5G, WiFi6/6E, and HPC (high-performance computing) have been advancing rapidly, in turn bringing about a fundamental, structural change in the semiconductor industry as well, according to TrendForce's latest investigations. While the demand for certain devices such as notebook computers and TVs underwent a sharp uptick due to the onset of the stay-at-home economy, this demand will return to pre-pandemic levels once the pandemic has been brought under control as a result of the global vaccination drive. Nevertheless, the worldwide shift to next-gen telecommunication standards has brought about a replacement demand for telecom and networking devices, and this demand will continue to propel the semiconductor industry, resulting in high capacity utilization rates across the major foundries. As certain foundries continue to expand their production capacities this year, TrendForce expects total foundry revenue to reach a historical high of US$94.6 billion this year, an 11% growth YoY.

The PC is more than just a piece of technology - it's a gateway to your passions, your work, your play and who you are. Nothing brings you closer to the things that matter than our new Inspiron series, featuring a lineup that empowers the freedom of expression, connection, and communication with a whole lot of style. Redesigned from the ground up, our new Inspiron devices pack all the latest PC innovations that Dell has to offer to keep you connected to what matters most, adapting to your learn- or work-from-anywhere lifestyle. Minimalist, modern designs and new elemental colors inspired by nature not only complement how you work but how you live.

This isn't the Inspiron your parents remember - it's made to handle everything from connecting with friends and family for virtual happy hour, keeping up with current events in online forums to editing your latest blog entry and binging your favorite show. It comes stacked with a top-notch visual experience and Dell Mobile Connect, a feature that seamlessly connects your Android or iOS device to the PC, so you never miss a text or call. What's more, the new lineup delivers on Dell's promise to be environmentally conscious.

Following the introduction of the world's first tactical gaming monitor in 2019, AORUS, GIGABYTE's premium gaming brand, goes 4K in full force, launching the world's first 32-inch (FI32U), 43-inch (FV43U), 48-inch (FO48U) 4K UHD tactical gaming monitors that sport HDMI 2.1 connectivity. The new 4K monitor lineup is ready to make a splash in ultimate gaming on a big screen.

Nintendo is reportedly preparing to unveil an updated Nintendo Switch console later this year featuring a larger Samsung OLED display. The upcoming model is rumored to feature a 7-inch 720p rigid OLED screen from Samsung Display Co with an initial monthly production target of just under one million units. The screen would be significantly larger than the 6.2-inch screen currently found on the Switch, if Nintendo is to keep the same form-factor the bezels will be significantly thinner. The new model is also likely to feature an upgraded NVIDIA Tegra chip with support for 4K DLSS 2.0 when docked, this will introduce further difficulty for developers who have struggled with the difference between resolutions.

OLED panes are expertise areas of display makers such as LG and Samsung, however, when it comes to Apple, they have to rely on external manufacturers to make a display. For years Apple has been contracting LG and Samsung to make the display for iPhones and Macs, but it looks like Apple is now collaborating with another firm to develop micro OLED technology. According to sources over at Nikkei Asia, Apple is collaborating with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to develop "ultra-advanced display technology at a secretive facility in Taiwan". Despite TSMC not being the traditional choice for panel manufacturing, there is a list of reasons why Apple chose its years-long partner to work with.

TSMC is known for manufacturing silicon chips, however, Apple envisions that the Taiwan maker will manufacture ultra-advanced micro OLED technology using wafers. Building the displays using wafers will result in much lower power consumption and far lower size. Why is this approach necessary you might wonder? Well, Apple is developing a new generation of AR glasses and there needs to be a solid display technology for them to exist. It is reported that the new micro OLED displays are under development and are about one inch in diameter. The source also adds that this is just one out of two projects being worked on inside of Apple's secretive labs located in the Taiwanese city of Taoyuan. What is the other project remains a mystery, however, with more time we could get information on that as well.

ASUS has showcased an update to their ROG Ryujin AIO, which features an LCD display that's far increased in size compared to the original's 1.77" OLED. The ROG Ryiujin 2 features a redesign of the OLED screen component (now an LCD, likely due to OLED burn-in) sitting on top of the CPU waterblock, now measuring in at a whopping 3.5", that can be user-configured to showcase ROG pre-installed graphics, system data such as temperatures, voltages, and etc, or even user-created graphics.

The ROG Ryujin II looks much the same as its predecessor, barring the new larger display. While the original sold at an MSRP of $220, the ROG Ryujin II will likely retail for higher than that. While the cooler features RGB lighting capabilities, ROG elected to showcase it in a more subdued approach, marrying the LCD graphics with the black aesthetics of its ROG Maximus Z590 Hero motherboard. A beautiful AIO loop, to be sure, although the expectedly high pricing may give would-be buyers some pause.

While most laptops and notebooks now offer a 60 Hz refresh rate, Samsung Display announced today that it will mass produce the world's first 90 Hz OLED laptops in the first quarter of this year. Samsung Display Chief Executive Officer Joo Sun Choi said that the company will initially produce very large quantities of 14-inch, 90 Hz OLED displays destined for laptops and notebooks, beginning in March.

"OLED display panels can best satisfy the diverse consumer needs for laptops used in telework, online education, video streaming, and gaming," the company said. Samsung Display said it is helping to introduce a major shift in the market as it collaborates closely with global manufacturers to achieve a new level of excellence for refresh rates in laptops, beginning this year.