Tag: investment

Apple Confirms Face ID Is The Future

The iPhone X had a lot of changes that iPhone loyalists had been asking for. The beautiful edge-to-edge OLED display and wireless charging are some of the new features introduced. However, due to the reduced size of bezels, Apple had to remove the home button which also housed the iconic Touch ID. Apple replaced that with Face ID, its own version of facial recognition which has been prevalent in Android phones since the time Android 4.0 ICS.

Now, Apple has confirmed that it will just concentrate on Face ID for all its upcoming devices. It has announced a US $390 million investment in Finisar, a facial recognition technology company. Apple announced that it would invest $390 million (Rs. 2,513 crores approx.) in Finisar that it will use to build a plant in Sherman, Texas to make chips that will enhance many iPhone features such as Face ID, Animojis, and Portrait-mode selfies.

Jeff Williams, CEO at Apple said:

VCSELs power some of the most sophisticated technology we’ve ever developed and we’re thrilled to partner with Finisar over the next several years to push the boundaries of VCSEL technology and the applications they enable.

Finisar will use the funds to build a 700,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Texas to develop vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) chips.

Jeff Williams continued:

One hundred percent of the VCSELs sold to Apple from Finisar will be made in Texas. Consistent with Apple’s commitment to the environment, the company intends to procure enough renewable energy to cover all of its Apple manufacturing in the US.

This is Apple’s second major investment this week after it acquired the song recognition app, Shazam.

December 14, 2017
Alibaba Eyes Micromax For Investment And Entry Into India

Asia’s largest e-commerce name Alibaba is keen on entering the Indian market. With all the buzz around the online space, a new pro-investment Prime Minister and the booming Mobile phone market in India, Alibaba has found a secret route to enter.

Sources claim that Chinese search and e-comm giant Alibaba will invest heavily in Micromax, acquiring upto 20 % stake in the Indian bred company. A deal that would cost the company over $ 1.2 Billion, would allow the chinese giant easy access into the market which is tough to get into for new companies.

Alibaba has also been in the news recently for investing in brands like Ouya, Meizu and Snapchat. Micromax is one of the largest mobile phone manufacturer in the domestic market. With its constant damage to Samsung’s position in India, and the new brand “YU” taking on the likes of Xiaomi and OnePlus in the local markets, Micromax makes for a good investment option.

Micromax’s new brand YU is apparently set to launch a new product in India on the 12th of May to provide a more premium outlook, taking on flagship killers. The company was also recently in the news for the sad breakup of OnePlus and Cyanogen .

The investment, however, focuses on Micromax devices and their wide spread reach. Alibaba plans to deploy services like Alipay, the company’s new payment platform. Ant Financial Services Group, which owns Alipay, is China’s largest payment service provider and is controlled by Alibaba’s executive chairman and founder Jack Ma.

May 8, 2015
Ratan Tata Buys Stake in Xiaomi

Recently we heard the Chinese smartphone maker, Xiaomi, claiming that it wants to be an Indian company. Today, according to an official post by Xiaomi, Ratan Tata has acquired stake in the brand, making him the first Indian investor.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Xiaomi” link=”https://www.facebook.com/MiIndiaOfficial/photos/a.1504141266467106.1073741828.1495988390615727/1614587922089106″]

We are happy to announce that Mr. Ratan Tata, chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, has made an investment in Xiaomi. This is the first investment by any Indian in Xiaomi.

Lei Jun, founder and CEO of Xiaomi, is happy to say: “Mr. Tata is one of the most well-respected business leaders in the world. An investment by him is an affirmation of the strategy we have undertaken in India so far. This is just the start of an exciting journey, and we are looking forward to bringing more products into India.”

[/quote]

Xiaomi has already made it to number 4 in the Indian smartphone market, and with Tata’s investment the company might get major push in the Indian retail market especially Tata Croma retail stores, which will now carry Xiaomi phones.

Xiaomi recently launched a new cheaper version of the Mi 4 dubbed the “Mi 4i” which is expected to do well in the Indian market.

April 27, 2015