Himax will collaborate with MediaTek and facial-recognition developer Megvii on the first 3D-sensing reference design for Android smartphones using an active stereo camera. Compared with structured light technology for 3D-sensing, the ASC approach has lower cost and targets "mass market smartphone models for facial recognition, secure online payment” and artificial-intelligence-based “photo enhancement,” it said Wednesday. It promises to inspire “broader adoption” among Android smartphone makers during 2019.

Sprint said company officials spoke with David Lawrence, director of the FCC task force coordinating the review of the proposed T-Mobile deal, and others from the agency. Sprint asked for “clarification of the scope of the response” to an Aug. 15 letter of inquiry by the Wireless Bureau, said a filing in docket 18-197. The FCC sought information from both carriers in lengthy letters asking a broad series of questions (see 1808150072).

Fossil Group's 250 smartwatch styles for this holiday season include Google Pay via near-field communications, untethered GPS, one-hour fast charging and Google Assistant, it said Tuesday at IFA.

Google's Project Soli, even at the higher power levels needed to make it effective, "can reasonably coexist" with other 60 GHz band users like remote sensing satellite equipment or radio astronomy, company representatives told an aide to FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, said a docket 18-70 ex parte posting Tuesday. Google said it needs higher peak effective isotropic radiated power and transmitted conducted power levels for U.S.-Europe operational equivalence than now allowed since current power levels result in more blind spots and missed motions for the hand gesture-detecting radar. It said 60 GHz Wi-Fi is "only marginally affected" with sometimes a 10 percent throughput reduction and that the Earth exploration satellite and radio astronomy applications won't see harmful effects from airborne use of Soli because of the attenuation from inside a plane to outside and slim odds of multiple simultaneous uses of Soli at low altitudes during landing directly above a radio astronomy site. Google is seeking a waiver to allow higher power levels (see 1803120031).

Illinois Commerce Commission Chairman Brien Sheahan urged FCC approval of T-Mobile buying Sprint. It "will benefit consumers in a variety of ways including acceleration of the build out of 5G service in both urban and -- importantly -- in rural areas of Illinois," said a Sheahan letter posted Tuesday in docket 18-197. Meanwhile, the New York attorney general's office and California's AG requested access to confidential information in the proceeding, including from other carriers, said a public notice Tuesday so affected carriers can contact the state officials or otherwise object. T-Mobile said it received a subpoena from the New York AG's office on its review, seeking all materials the company received from the FCC, including confidential wireless carrier numbering resource utilization and forecast (NRUF) reports and disaggregated, wireless carrier local number portability (LNP) data, said the PN. It noted the New York office intends to share the materials with other state AG offices and signed confidentiality agreements with T-Mobile and Sprint. The NY and California AGs notified the FCC that "they plan to seek materials that contain or incorporate NRUF/LNP Confidential Information," the PN said.

There are 102 entities with access to a Mobility Fund Phase II challenge process portal of Universal Service Administrative Co., said an FCC public notice Tuesday in docket 10-90 citing data as of Friday. That's up from 80 on June 30 (see 1807020054). The parties include 38 mobile service providers that file Form 477 data, 17 state government entities, 25 local government entities, 16 tribal government entities and six others that received waivers to participate. Challengers submitted data including almost 3 million broadband speed tests (up from 399,390), the PN said.

AT&T fired back at Lincoln, Nebraska, which told the FCC last week (see 1808310049) the carrier was off base in claiming (see 1808130041) high fees delayed investments there in wireless infrastructure. “Lincoln’s ex parte is factually inaccurate and purposefully misleading. In our Aug. 6th ex parte, we clearly state that ‘AT&T has paused its deployment plans,’” a spokesperson emailed. “We are not making deployment a priority in Nebraska and are instead focusing on cities like Des Moines because of favorable, and reasonable, small cell policies that benefit consumers. ... Lincoln’s decision to charge $1,995 per small cell attachment is driving away investment and depriving its residents of next generation technologies.” Monday, the city didn’t comment.

The widescreen smartphone display trend accelerated in Q2, as devices with wide-aspect-ratio displays more than 16:9 were 45 percent of shipments, or 153 million, IHS Markit reported. LG started the trend, launching its G6 model in early 2017, the researcher said Friday. “Once considered to be a premium smartphone feature, wide displays are now featured on smartphones of all price points, from $1,000 down to $100. The increasing popularity of wide displays has broken the six-inch barrier of smartphone screens. Combined with narrow-bezel display technology, wide displays increase handset screen size, while limiting the overall smartphone dimensions.”

There’s a “resurgence” in demand for older, cheaper “feature phones,” eating into smartphone share, reported DeviceAtlas Thursday. Google recently disclosed the U.S. is No. 2 for sub-$100 devices, “confirming there is market appetite for cheaper, less ‘smart’ phones, and making this a trend to watch,” said the report: “Feature phones released as far back as 2005 and 2009 were the most active in the US, with classic Nokia phones driving the lion's share of feature phone web traffic.”

The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs and Public Safety bureaus plan a workshop Oct. 2 to educate public safety answering points on real-time text, said a Friday public notice. It will be 12:30-4:30 p.m. in the Commission Meeting Room. “PSAP RTT Education Day will provide information to PSAPs and other emergency communications systems about RTT features and benefits for emergency response personnel and consumers (including consumers with disabilities); best practices for processing RTT requests from service providers; and ways to implement the RTT service feature,” the bureaus said: “Panels will address regulatory policy, PSAPs’ experiences with RTT testing, and RTT infrastructure issues. There will be a live" demonstration and interaction with attendees.