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Time is ticking?! 100% vested after 5 yrs, up to 2026…
Do You remember that one time when the CE market was not part of lqmt markets because of apple argument? The dream lives on…delay has occurred due to political processes not bc the technology is not ready.
There will be a push in coming weeks. 12/13 is an interesting time I’m not sure what that represents for lqmt…
7’s and 13/14 expect an increase in the sp
February 9th 2015, and March 6 2016 was date(s) of grant, they are now 100% vested. Anyday now!?
Date of grant 2021 feb/March expect these options to be 20% vested in 2022?!
Lol…no, they basically went through same build up process, 40yrs in they are close to 3T MC
If only I had some apple shares at pennies…
Apple ipo @ $22
So now you know what time it is;) nice work!
Yes, something has to give - I’d expect some form of news in the near future.
Hmmm, I thought I was the only one with this theory…
Lol…I’m thinking you got sucked in;)
Apple's secret weapon AR glasses will be on the market in 2022
Li Lida / Taipei 2021-09-22
After Apple released the iPhone 13, it was criticized for nothing new, but now the supply chain rumors that Apple's new generation of secret weapons is expected to debut next year. Agence France-Presse
After Apple released the iPhone 13, it was criticized for nothing new, but the next generation of products that Apple regarded as a secret weapon is expected to appear in 2022. The supply chain revealed that Apple’s first AR headset has completed P2 (the second phase of prototype testing) and is expected to be mass-produced in the second quarter of 2022, and is expected to come out in the second half of the year.
After the iPhone 13 went on sale, there was constant criticism from all sides, and the Bloomberg column even rated it as the weakest upgrade in Apple's history. The supply chain pointed out that as early as the second half of 2020, when the design of the iPhone 13 was finalized, the specifications were determined. After the smartphone entered the mature product period, Apple changed the model slightly and matched the price, and used small steps to increase its specifications. The annual expenditure of 200 million yuan is an established strategy.
Click on the picture to enlarge it
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Recent trends in smart glasses from major technology manufacturers
As Apple's next-generation main product, there are two, one is Apple Car, and the other is Apple AR headset. Compared with Apple Car, which is still in the stage of duck paddling, AR glasses have new trends. According to the supply chain, Apple’s AR headset has already completed one P2, and will enter the EVT (Engineering Verification Test) stage before entering mass production. It is expected to be available in the second half of 2022.
The supply chain pointed out that Apple’s AR head-mounted device plans 2 products, one is a high-end model, positioned as a commercial product, containing a camera and a laser optical sensor, weighing about 100-110 grams, and using a 5-nanometer process chip. It still needs to be connected to the iPhone via Bluetooth, and the frame part will be made of high-strength, lightweight magnesium alloy material containing trace rare earth elements.
The industry speculates that due to its relatively high cost of components and initial scale, the price may rise to more than US$2,000. Therefore, Apple positions it as an industrial product. The annual shipment scale is estimated to be 2 million to 250. Wantai, as for another AR product for the general public, the design has not yet been finalized, and it is estimated that mass production will be launched after 2023.
At present, there are many AR glasses on the market, but the market is still in its infancy. IDC estimates that the shipment scale of AR devices in 2020 will be 630,000, while the industry estimates that shipments will only be about 200,000. Epson has the largest annual shipment of more than 20,000 units. If Apple ships 2 million to 2.5 million units by then, it will far exceed the overall market size at this stage.
Even so, compared with Apple’s existing 200 million iPhones, 15 to 20 million MacBooks per year, and 90 million to AirPods, the shipment of 2 million to 2.5 million units is still insignificant, and then continued. The growth potential can be expected. Apple CEO Tim Cook has repeatedly stated that AR will change the way of life of human beings, and he is full of expectations for the development of AR.
It’s just that Apple still insists on its consistent work in the development of AR headsets. Since the development in 2017, the design has undergone countless changes. The original supply chain is rumored to be completed in the first quarter of 2021. P2 is now delayed until the third quarter. Completed, the supply chain pointed out that there was no movement in the original AR headset, and the progress suddenly accelerated in the second half of the third quarter.
Apple converged the design one by one, eliminated some functions and solutions, and tried to find a balance between existing technology, mass production and expectations. It is reported that Apple is still not satisfied with the product, including heat dissipation, weight and battery life, but at this time P2 The end also means that Apple is expected to be listed in the second half of 2022.
Recently, with the topic of "Meta Universe", AR/VR has spread. With 5G and AI, Meta Universe is no longer an unreachable realm of imagination. AR/VR will be a necessary equipment to enter the Meta Universe. Xiaomi and Facebook have been different recently. The launch of AR concept devices and smart glasses, after Apple confirms that it will join the AR battle, is bound to drive a new wave of AR/VR.
Editor in charge: Chen Shichong
6 month extension leads to March, many words to use here, I will just say thank you for the update!
Eontec sanxiang signing agreement
http://www.fjsx.com/newsshow.aspx?Cateid=77&newsid=1518&ivk_sa=1024320u
5,000 tons of sponge zirconium was expected to be ready by end of 2020…
https://xw.qq.com/amphtml/20200306A06OBI00?ivk_sa=1024320u
https://www.reddit.com/r/LQMT/comments/pizrl5/impeccable_timing/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
I’ll carry the load eagle, spread your wings and enjoy:)
Timing is impeccable
Close cop > contract talks
Good cop > contract signed
Accountants count money…all we need
Our partners have co-developed machines and formulas with lqmt, in the meanwhile they have dropped 20 million US on liquid metal expansion.
I could see the jolt come after some type of contract news for royalties, remains to be seen, would like to see the LQM process become relevant:)
This will be 3x the revenue that was issued in 2Q, meaning 750k - goes hand in hand with what we found in eontec documents earlier this year (April)…my guess is anywhere from 30-60% net.
If royalties become relevant inside 3Q then we hit the jackpot!
I don’t believe BB mentioning profitability in any commentary…
Next what?
Royalties will be abundant in the next Q…
https://www.theverge.com/22619139/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-3-flip-screen-durability-waterproof-aluminum
“Lastly,Lastly, Samsung is using a new aluminum alloy it developed, patented, and branded with a new name: Armor Aluminum. Samsung wouldn’t share what exact metals and processes it used to create it, but Sung-ho Cho, principal designer at Samsung’s Advanced Lab, says the company was “able to reinforce the strength by 10 percent or more.”
Samsung showed a brief demo where it knocked a block of its Armor Aluminum up against another block of 7000 series aluminum, which is what’s commonly used on smartphones now. (When a tech company touts “aerospace grade” in its aluminum, it’s usually referring to 7000 series.) The dent on Samsung’s alloy was, as you’d expect, much smaller than the damage to the 7000 series.
Samsung is using this new aluminum for the frames and hinges on the Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3, but it also plans on using it on more phones going forward.”
I will be buying more tmr, just something to help out and place lqmt in a good position:)
My apologies I thought you were referring to ST, we know he initiated a Friday bump to his paying clients, happy hour! Let’s see what TC and company do here with what they have:)
It’s not ‘pumping’ if the company has something to talk about…it’s giving TC and company a platform to say what they need to say…big difference, timing is everything! Those with knowledge should not hold it to themselves, spread the word and the rest will fall in place.
Yes but this was supposed to hit profits back in 2018/19. That’s the problem 7c no profits!
I won’t disagree here, although I will ask why?
How long have you been invested in lqmt?
Need to research and find your answers, until the company can provide steady income/growth I wouldn’t expect any news…this is reality!
Maybe? Maybe not!? After 5 years and nothing to show, makes for a bad investment (not including pandemic) we’ve been derailed for a second time, this investment is hitting its mark, all who doubted are eating crow and enjoying it:)
That all changes 2H21
It’s been a long 5 yrs hank, It’s obvious they have changed the wording in k’s along with updated trademarks for a reason
LQM process…make sure to thank lugee for this opportunity:) moving forward revenues will be seen inside CE…
Looking at the future of mobile phone appearance materials from the release of the new iPhone - the value of the middle frame of the mobile phone is prominent, and the era of liquid metal middle frame is coming.
Recently, Apple held a new product launch conference at the Jobs Theater, which launched iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X, as well as the third generation of Apple Watch and other products.
This time, Apple skipped the previous S enhancement series and directly launched the iPhone 8/8 Plus. The main change in appearance is that the back cover is replaced with a glass panel, which is officially called the strongest and most durable glass panel so far. The back tempered glass is finished with a 7 layer stain process. With it, there is a new gold color matching in addition to space gray and silver; after replacing the metal material of the previous generation with glass, the iPhone 8 is still 7000 series aluminum as a metal middle frame.
iphone X
Official release date: November 3, 2017
Recommended index: ??????
Of course, the most eye-catching is the iPhone X (Ten) that debuts as one more thing, which Apple officials say is the future of the smartphone in the next 10 years.
Its biggest highlight is that it is rumored to unanimously adopt the "full screen" design and use OLED material for the first time. It uses innovative folding and circuit stacking technology, so that this OLED screen can accurately fit the curve of the body in the form of a full screen, so as to achieve a satisfactory round touch.
Like the iPhone 8/8P, the iPhone X has a glass panel on the back cover, which is the strongest and most durable glass material on the iPhone so far. Its reinforcement layer is 50% thicker than before.
Unlike the former, the iPhone X replaced the middle frame material and the 7 series aluminum alloy with stainless steel, which Apple called "surgical grade". In addition, on the space gray model, the "physical vapor deposition" process is still used to ensure that the color of the stainless steel frame is consistent with the glass color.
Every time Apple uses a new process, it will become a vane for mobile phone development. This time, Apple's return to the appearance material matching of double-sided glass + metal middle frame will lead the transformation of the whole industry.
The appearance material and structural change history of iPhone
The future development trend of mobile phones brings changes to mobile phone structure and materials.
1. Full-screen technology is popular
The full screen is called the last technological innovation point of the mobile phone industry before the arrival of 5G. The reason why full-screen has become an industry hot spot is mainly that full-screen products are more in line with users' needs for video playback and display interface. The benefits of using a full-screen mobile phone are self-evident. The first is to maximize the visual effect, and the second is to optimize the grip.
Because of the full screen design, the screen module will extend to the upper and lower ends of the whole machine, which will greatly reduce the main net space left for the antenna. If the metal shell is still used, the mobile phone signal will be greatly affected. At the same time, the borders on all sides will become narrower and narrower, and the requirements for the strength of the frame in the mobile phone will also be higher and higher, and the requirements for falling and pressure resistance will be higher.
Because of the full screen design, the screen module will extend to the upper and lower ends of the whole machine, which will greatly reduce the main net space left for the antenna. If the metal shell is still used, the mobile phone signal will be greatly affected. At the same time, the borders on all sides will become narrower and narrower, and the requirements for the strength of the frame in the mobile phone will also be higher and higher, and the requirements for falling and pressure resistance will be higher.
2. Wireless charging is gradually mature, and the iPhone has become a tipping point.
With the iPhone 8/8P this time, the iPhone X is standard with wireless charging, which is bound to promote the wide application of wireless charging in smartphones. However, due to the shielding effect of the metal case, mobile phones with metal bodies generally cannot support wireless charging function. Even if this function is added, their wireless charging efficiency will be greatly reduced. Therefore, if mobile phone manufacturers follow Apple's example and add wireless charging function to new phones in the future, they will inevitably give up the metal shell and use glass or ceramic shells instead.
Because of the full screen design, the screen module will extend to the upper and lower ends of the whole machine, which will greatly reduce the main net space left for the antenna. If the metal shell is still used, the mobile phone signal will be greatly affected. At the same time, the borders on all sides will become narrower and narrower, and the requirements for the strength of the frame in the mobile phone will also be higher and higher, and the requirements for falling and pressure resistance will be higher.
3. In the future, 5G mobile phones will dominate the absolute mainstream.
5G is undoubtedly the focus of the mobile phone industry. For smartphones, improving load computing and supporting various scenario applications to improve the full-scene experience ability will become the focus of the next stage of development during the migration of 4G to 5G.
It is expected that the global sales of 5G mobile phones will reach 100 million by 2021, and the mainstream 5G mobile phone market will be in developed countries in North America and Asia-Pacific.
The remarkable feature of 5G signal is that the signal transmission speed is faster (10-100 times that of 4G), which greatly facilitates people's lives!
However, 5G also brings at least two changes to the structure of mobile phones: first, due to the addition of 5G signals, mobile phones have more RF functions and larger volume, requiring new internal component design; second, 5G puts forward higher requirements for the signal transmission capacity of mobile phone shells, and large-scale MIMO promotes the base stations to use multiple antennas. The complexity of its antenna makes the appearance material type of mobile terminal equipment require a trend of transformation from metal to non-metal.
Under the trend of 5G communication, wireless charging and full screen, the process of demetallization of the appearance of mobile phones has begun. The trend of demetalization will reconstruct the entire mobile phone appearance industry value chain. Under the leadership of Apple, the appearance structure of mobile phones has developed from monomer to "sandwiches", and the double glass/ceramic + metal middle frame scheme of appearance materials will become the mainstream.
Glass ceramic back cover triggers market fusion
The value of the middle frame of the mobile phone is prominent.
2.5/3D glass has a very beautiful appearance and texture, which is expected to become an important back cover solution. In addition, after years of development, the performance of glass materials has been greatly improved;
In terms of cost, the yield of 2.5D glass is relatively high, with a price of about 25 yuan and a price of 3D glass of about 75 yuan, which has a significant cost advantage over other ceramics, sapphire and other non-metallic materials. In terms of production capacity, glass processing capacity is not scarce, and there are many existing manufacturers and potential entrants. Glass floor is the first to popularize with comprehensive advantages such as performance, cost and production capacity.
The electromagnetic performance under 5G of ceramic materials has obvious advantages, such as wear resistance, skin-friendly, good airtightness, good electromagnetic shielding, excellent performance, and is favored by mobile phone manufacturers. At present, it is subject to cost and production capacity. As a large-scale enclosure product, it is still a niche application. The reduction of cost brought about by the improvement of ceramic material technology level is the key. With the improvement of yield and production capacity, it is expected to become one of the mainstream non-metallic materials.
Under the new situation, the design route of double-sided glass/ceramic + metal middle frame in the future is in a dominant position, and the penetration rate of middle and high-end brand mobile phones has gradually improved. The industrial trend of new material back cover + metal middle frame will highlight the value space of metal middle frame products. The middle frame of the mobile phone is an important part in the structure of the sandwich of the mobile phone. It supports and carries the key parts of the core components. It has many requirements in terms of strength, structure, heat dissipation and other aspects.
The dispute over middle frame materials
Liquid metals become the mainstream
Aluminum alloy has always played the leading role in the middle frame material of mobile phones, but with the requirements of full-screen technology, wireless charging and 5G, the space requirements for the metal middle frame are getting narrower and narrower, and the strength requirements for the metal middle frame are also higher. Aluminum's protection against glass is insufficient, and its own strength is not enough to make it easy. Deforming squeezes the glass, causing the glass to be fragile.
Comparison of performance of aluminum alloy and stainless steel middle frame
Compared with stainless steel or aluminum alloy middle frame, liquid metal has performance and price advantages. The strength of liquid metal frame is much higher than that of stainless steel and aluminum alloy. The most obvious advantage of this material is high strength, high hardness and high wear resistance. While light and thin, it can also protect the mobile phone from shocks and screen breaks. Damage.
In addition, liquid metals are molded once by injection molding, which can meet the molding requirements of some complex structures. Because its molding process is close to "net forming", it requires fewer post-processing, which can effectively reduce the post-processing cost. At present, the price of a liquid metal mobile phone is about 120 to 150 yuan, which is cheaper than the stainless steel frame and aluminum alloy integrated molding frame.
Analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of liquid metals and stainless steel
1. Net molding technology
1) Liquid metal molding process is simple, process stability is strong, consistency is good, and the process yield can reach more than 85%.
2) The molding cycle is 70s~90s, with a high production capacity, and each machine can produce 1,000pcs a day.
3) Because mold molding can accurately control the deformation of the product, the later process can meet the plane degree requirement without shaping. In addition to the above 11 forging processes, the stainless steel process needs to add at least 3 tempering processes, and it is still difficult to ensure a plane degree of 0.1.
4) The processing allowance is only 0.15mm~0.2mm, which greatly reduces CNC time, improves the efficiency of the post-process and reduces the cost.
5) Adopt vacuum molding technology, the surface dense layer is thicker, generally up to 0.3~0.4mm, polishing process can be achieved.
2. Streamlined CNC
Comparison of CNC machining cycles of stainless steel and liquid metal
Liquid metals adopt net molding technology, and the CNC time is only 40% to 50% of the stainless steel scheme. If some product structure is optimized from the design stage, the CNC time can be controlled within 1200s.
3. Comparative analysis of the whole process of liquid metal and stainless steel
The full-screen and wireless charging trend led by the iPhone, especially the arrival of the future 5G era, liquid metals with excellent performance and cost advantages have matured a wide range of application conditions on the middle frame of mobile phones, and liquid metals will become one of the mainstreams of terminal devices in appearance materials.
At present, some domestic enterprises and units have the R&D and production capacity of liquid metal mobile phones, including Yi'an Technology, Dongyu Yihao, Changzhou Shijing, Liaoning Jinyan, etc.
The figure below shows the middle frame prototype of liquid metal of Yi'an Technology. As an early enterprise in the industry to carry out liquid metal research and development, Yi'an Technology has the world's largest production line for the production of zirconium-based amorphous alloys, and has achieved industry-leading advantages in the application research and industrial transformation of block amorphous alloys. At present, the company has provided many well-known domestic mobile phone brand manufacturers with samples of liquid metal mobile phone middle frame.
http://www.pmbiz.com.cn/mobile/new_info.asp?id=3105202143323
In the second half of the year, mobile phone giants pushed forward foldable new machines, benefiting MIM parts and chain suppliers.
According to Taiwan's Electronic Times today, mobile phone manufacturers such as Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo and Samsung are planning to launch new foldable smartphones in Q3.
Among them, Xiaomi has previously launched the Mix Fold for about 10,000 yuan, and plans to launch a new foldable smartphone in the second half of this year, which may be lower than Mix Fold. Oppo has launched the foldable concept model Oppo X 2021 and is expected to commercialize it later this year.
Samsung has decided this year not to launch a high-end Note series, but to focus on foldable smartphone series such as Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Z Flip. At the end of March, it was reported that Samsung was developing another double-fold mobile phone, * which may have been launched by the end of this year. At the same time, Samsung also plans to increase the shipment of foldable mobile phones to more than 10 million units per year.
It is worth mentioning that at the end of April, some media quoted industry sources to point out that Huawei also plans to launch three new foldable smartphones in the second half of 2021, which will aim at the entry-level market at a low price to stimulate demand and sales.
In this way, in addition to Apple, several mobile phone brand giants may gather in the foldable mobile phone market in the second half of the year, and the relevant industrial chain is in good condition.
Foldable mobile phones become the next innovative selling point. The new super replacement cycle will start.
New models of foldable smartphones continue to be launched, and 2021 is expected to be an intensive year in the history of folding screen mobile phones. Industry insiders believe that the era of folding screen mobile phones may really come.
Under the foldable wave, institutions are optimistic about future shipments. Digitimes Research predicts that shipments of foldable smartphones worldwide are expected to reach 7 million this year, which is higher than the estimate of 2.8 million a year ago. Qunzhi Consulting is even more optimistic about this market. It is expected that the global shipment of foldable mobile phones is expected to exceed 10 million in 2021, approaching 11 million. Strategic Analytics previously predicted that global shipments of foldable smartphones will increase from less than 1 million in 2019 to 100 million in 2025.
Tianfeng International believes that after 5G, folding phones are the next innovative selling point of high-end mobile phones. And the fast-growing folding mobile phone market has become a must-have place for soldiers of major mobile phone brands. Folding mobile phones are expected to drive the next super replacement cycle of high-order mobile phones.
Downstream demand volume Domestic manufacturers have the opportunity to take the lead
With the rapid growth of the folding mobile terminal market, companies related to the industrial chain are expected to usher in opportunities.
The first is the panel. According to Omdia, shipments of foldable display panels are expected to increase from about 4.2 million to 73.6 million units in 2020-2027, with a market penetration rate of 4.91% and a CAGR of 150%. Among them, flexible AMOLED is favored by intelligent terminals because of its multiple advantages such as high contrast, high color reduction effect, bending, foldability, better durability, etc.
Xu Tao's team, an analyst at CITIC Securities, also believes that the foldable AMOLED flexible screen is a * large cost increment of folding screen mobile phones. It is recommended to pay attention to TCL technology and BOE A.
BOE has entered the Samsung electronic supply chain for the first time in March, and will supply flexible OLED panels for some models of Samsung folding mobile phones from the second half of this year. BOE will also operate its sixth generation flexible third OLED production line from October, with a production capacity of 48,000 baseboards/month in the stage, the second and third The phase will be put into production in March and October 2022, respectively, and each phase will increase the production capacity of 16,000 substrates per month.
Another domestic panel faucet TCL Huaxing also supplies folding screens for Motorola Razr mobile phones and AMOLED curved screens for Xiaomi;
In addition, the main plant of Shentianma's 6th generation flexible AMOLED production line project has been capped at the beginning of the month. It is expected that the equipment will be moved into work in the second half of this year and put into production in 2022.
Weixinnuo Kunshan 5.5-generation flexible AMOLED production line and Gu'an 6th generation flexible AMOLED production line have been mass-produced, and Hefei 6-generation flexible AMOLED production line is expected to be put into production this year.
Industry analysts are also optimistic about the localization trend of flexible AMOLED panels, believing that China has strong strength in the field of flexible AMOLED, the production yield of mainstream manufacturers has entered the range of 65%-90%, and the production cost is approaching LCD, which is expected to usher in an increase in orders and shipments.
The second is UTG. Wang Pingyang, an analyst at Soochow Securities, believes that UTG glass has remarkable advantages in bending characteristics, water and oxygen barrier performance, material performance, etc., and will become a new generation of folding screen technology solutions.
Among domestic manufacturers, Changxin Technology * has obvious advantages, and the thinning production capacity and market share of the panel are the first in China, and the leading position is significant. Vog Optoelectronics has mastered the thinning technology of photoelectric glass in China, with a prominent market position. Kaisheng Technology's business covers research and development and development such as TFT glass thinning, flexible ITO conductive film and so on. Sales, it is also planned to invest 1.025 billion yuan to build the second phase of the UTG project.
There is also a chain. The above-mentioned research report of Soochow Securities believes that the chain is the core precision component of the folding screen, and it is also the part with high scientific and technological content * in the folding screen.
Dongmu Co., Ltd. has become an important supplier of MIM parts and merciproc chain supplied by Huawei; Changying Precision actively layouts the development of folding mobile phone hinge systems and parts; Precision Technology is mainly engaged in the research and development and sales of MIM core components products, and has accumulated high-quality customer resources such as Apple and Samsung.