Acer Inc (宏碁) has no plans to launch any fourth-generation (4G) smartphones using Intel Corp chips this year, despite its current partnership with the US chipmaker in 3G phones.
Instead, the personal computer maker will roll out a lineup of 4G phones using chips from Qualcomm Inc and MediaTek Inc (聯發科), its two major suppliers for 3G phones, the company said earlier this week.
The new Acer 4G phones are due to be available for the Taiwanese market from early next quarter, when the country is expected to begin operations of its Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network, Vincent Chen (陳建志), a product manager at Acer’s telecom business department, said on Tuesday at a product launch for the Liquid E3, a mid-tier 3G smartphone.
Chen declined to give specifics as to why Acer will not use Intel chips in the near term, after the two joined hands early last year to launch the 4.3-inch Liquid C1 Android smartphone for emerging markets in the Asia-Pacific region, such as Thailand.
Intel has been a leading player in the PC industry, but is a relative latecomer to the mobile chip market, which is currently dominated by ARM-based power-efficient chips from Qualcomm and Apple Inc that work better in smartphones and tablets without quickly draining their batteries.
In February, Asustek Computer Inc (華碩) unveiled three new smartphones in its budget ZenFone range based on Intel’s Atom chipsets.
However, none of them support 4G LTE.
DIVIDED VIEWS: Although the Fed agreed on holding rates steady, some officials see no rate cuts for this year, while 10 policymakers foresee two or more cuts There are a lot of unknowns about the outlook for the economy and interest rates, but US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled at least one thing seems certain: Higher prices are coming. Fed policymakers voted unanimously to hold interest rates steady at a range of 4.25 percent to 4.50 percent for a fourth straight meeting on Wednesday, as they await clarity on whether tariffs would leave a one-time or more lasting mark on inflation. Powell said it is still unclear how much of the bill would fall on the shoulders of consumers, but he expects to learn more about tariffs
NOT JUSTIFIED: The bank’s governor said there would only be a rate cut if inflation falls below 1.5% and economic conditions deteriorate, which have not been detected The central bank yesterday kept its key interest rates unchanged for a fifth consecutive quarter, aligning with market expectations, while slightly lowering its inflation outlook amid signs of cooling price pressures. The move came after the US Federal Reserve held rates steady overnight, despite pressure from US President Donald Trump to cut borrowing costs. Central bank board members unanimously voted to maintain the discount rate at 2 percent, the secured loan rate at 2.375 percent and the overnight lending rate at 4.25 percent. “We consider the policy decision appropriate, although it suggests tightening leaning after factoring in slackening inflation and stable GDP growth,”
Greek tourism student Katerina quit within a month of starting work at a five-star hotel in Halkidiki, one of the country’s top destinations, because she said conditions were so dire. Beyond the bad pay, the 22-year-old said that her working and living conditions were “miserable and unacceptable.” Millions holiday in Greece every year, but its vital tourism industry is finding it harder and harder to recruit Greeks to look after them. “I was asked to work in any department of the hotel where there was a need, from service to cleaning,” said Katerina, a tourism and marketing student, who would
i Gasoline and diesel prices at fuel stations are this week to rise NT$0.1 per liter, as tensions in the Middle East pushed crude oil prices higher last week, CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) said yesterday. International crude oil prices last week rose for the third consecutive week due to an escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, as the market is concerned that the situation in the Middle East might affect crude oil supply, CPC and Formosa said in separate statements. Front-month Brent crude oil futures — the international oil benchmark — rose 3.75 percent to settle at US$77.01
RSS