On September 30th 2022, Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke to Dutch news outlet Bright about the future of augmented reality (AR) and the metaverse. On AR, Cook was bullish, stating that it "won't be that long" until we look at life without AR as we now look back to a life before the internet or smartphone.

Virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (VR/AR/MR) devices promise to revolutionize the way we interact, acting as gateways to the metaverse. Despite these technologies already achieving limited adoption, extensive headset hardware development is required to meet the demands of becoming a ubiquitous computing platform.

Thursday 25 August 2022 - Analysis of advanced semiconductor packaging markets and their mid-long-term opportunity; Key applications' growth drivers; Player analysis - the dynamics of advanced semiconductor packaging battleground; Advanced semiconductor packaging technologies - current challenges and innovative trends

If the future were to be categorized in one word, it would be "data-centric". IC vendors have been pushed towards "advanced semiconductor packaging" to meet the world's data needs.

Vertical farming, the practice of growing crops indoors on vertically stacked layers, has received no small amount of interest over the last few years. The recent IDTechEx report, "Vertical Farming 2022-2032", details the economic and technological factors shaping this rapidly growing industry.

Whilst much of the "5G" infrastructure is a moderate upgrade on existing 4G technology, there is still plenty of scope for higher frequency deployment such as mmWave devices and very different station types such as small cells. Each of these new developments presents its own technological evolution and with it, thermal challenges.

Thursday 7 July 2022 - IDTechEx will discuss how vertical farms can fit in with the coming age of agriculture. This webinar will include discussions on what vertical farms can bring to the agricultural industry, an overview of several limitations faced by the vertical farming industry today, and several possible methods for vertical farms to increase profitability

The current state of 5G has seen less technological innovation than might have initially been expected. There is certainly more scope for technical development and hence opportunities for several technologies and materials, a critical one of which is the semiconductor technology with wide bandgap semiconductors.

The MWC event in Barcelona earlier this month gathered more than 60,000 mobile experts from all around the world. From digital applications to network infrastructure, IDTechEx was there to cover major developments in the industry! Here are some of the key trends we observed at MWC2022 Barcelona.

Thursday 3 March 2022 - Introduction to changes in telecommunications infrastructure; Choice of semiconductor technology for sub-6 GHz and mmWave 5G; Case studies of sub-6 GHz and mmWave antenna; Overview of die attach materials and methodology; and Thermal interface materials for infrastructure and smartphone

5G deployment is in full swing with mid-band infrastructure installed by the end of 2021 representing nearly 6 times what it was in 2019. However, this doesn't mean that all of the challenges have been solved. Much of the 5G infrastructure is repurposed 4G equipment at lower frequency bands. The real transition to 5G comes from the adoption of higher frequencies which have largely been categorized into sub-6 GHz and mmWave (> 20 GHz) bands. One of the key challenges is thermal management.

As of mid-2021, 5G is a reality in at least 78 nations. 5G is now being used in consumer sectors such as 5G smartphones, 5G broadband (fixed wireless access), and augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR) games.

With the pandemic still raging, supply chain disruptions, the chip shortage, climate catastrophes, and geopolitical turbulence, it is safe to say 2021 has not been smooth sailing. The materials and chemical sector provides the backbone of every industry and remains under pressure from all these challenges. In this article, IDTechEx highlights the key news from their independent perspective on this crucial industry.

5G is recognized as an important infrastructure for both developed and developing countries. By the end of 2021, 79 nations have either commercialized 5G or are conducting 5G trials. Though 5G is commercialized, there are still a lot of technical developments going on. In this article, IDTechEx discuss the 4 major areas of development/trends.

The massive new challenges of desertification, rising sea levels, starvation, increasingly violent weather, dysfunctional national governments and the accelerating move to cities can be tackled on a human scale.

Wednesday 17 November 2021 - Over the last year, we've seen an increasing number of 5G consumer network rollouts and field testing around the world. This webinar discusses an overview of 5G development; 5G commercial deployment; an overview of 5G application; and much more.

5G has two new frequency bands: sub-6 GHz (3.5 - 7 GHz) and mmWave (>24 GHz). 5G sub-6 GHz, with a frequency relatively close to the 4G frequency range, does not receive as much attention as the other new frequency band - mmWave. Even though there has been a lot of buzz surrounding mmWave, has this technology been extensively adopted? What are the pain points in the mmWave industry? What are its prospects for the future?

Wednesday 3 November 2021 - Prospects for All Sensors and Preparation for Sensor-Centric 6G Communications in 2022. This webinar reveals progress in 2021 and prospects for 2022, and much more! Register your place on of the three sessions.

Several billion dollars have been put on the table for 6G Communication so far. The IDTechEx report "6G Communications Market, Devices, Materials 2021-2041" reveals how Europe, North America, and East Asia are all strongly committed to this dream. So who is ahead in the race to mass deployment maybe in 2030?

Under US sanctions, Huawei's revenue in the first half of 2021 was RMB 320.4 billion, which despite COVID-19 is a 38% decrease from RMB 454 billion in the same period last year; Xu Zhijun, Huawei's rotating chairman, pointed out that Huawei's goal is to survive. IDTechEx has recently launched the new version of their market research report on 5G - "5G Technology, Market and Forecasts 2022-2032". Some of the findings from the new report are presented in this article.