CES 2022 wrap – Dark horses of Vegas.

Qualcomm – Dark horse No. 1

• Qualcomm is the first, and an atypical, dark horse that RFM has identified this year.
• This title is usually reserved for small companies that no one is taking much notice of but punch above their weight.
• No one is really talking about Qualcomm this year despite its keynote but on the floor, its chips are everywhere including big players like GM and Microsoft.
• This is particularly the case in automotive, autonomous driving and virtual reality and these are the hottest segments this year.
• Almost every keynote that was not from a competitor mentioned that it is using Qualcomm for something or other and I think it is on the cusp of breaking through in autonomous driving.
• This will be the first real challenge to Mobileye’s complete dominance in machine vision and the word is that Qualcomm’s offering is on par with Mobileye’s.
• Hence, I think that 2022 is looking like it will be a very good year for Qualcomm which is doing a good job of expanding beyond its core smartphone markets.
• The compelling valuation argument for Qualcomm has dissipated following its blistering rally, but with the outlook as good as this, there may be more to go.

3D displays / Dimenco – The troubles of others

• The hype and excitement growing around VR and the Metaverse is also spilling over to some degree into the 3D display segment that for 10 years has gone nowhere.
• Furthermore, the advent of remote working and learning has increased pressure for better remote interaction experiences which has further piqued interest in this sector.
• Dimenco is a provider of 3D without glasses displays and it has been struggling for years to get any traction.
• However, the fact that it has survived and can produce a product has enabled it to sign a partnership with Acer for 3D displays
• This is despite it offering an inferior technology compared to some of its erstwhile competitors.
• StreamTV Networks which has become SeeCubic has vastly superior technology to Dimenco, but internal wrangling has prevented the company from fulfilling the high-profile prototype projects it had which I think would have opened its way to market.
• Instead, Dimenco has been able to execute with an inferior product and now looks like it is ahead in terms of coming to market.
• This is still a market with a lot of promise while VR and AR remain in their infancy, but it is taking so long to get anywhere that its opportunity may have passed by the time the technology can be properly commercialised.

Wireless Power – It is still a dark horse

• Wireless power has been a theme I have liked for many years and every year it remains a dark horse at CES as it glacially inches towards market adoption.
• Samsung generated some buzz for this technology with the release of its TV remote control that can harvest power from 2.4Ghz WiFi signals.
• However, the amount of power that one can get from WiFi is very limited meaning that other remotes like console controllers would not be able to use this technology.
• Hence, if one wants power to these devices and other things like door locks or security cameras, one still needs to look elsewhere.
• Wireless power is the ability to charge devices wirelessly from several metres away but its applications in the market are nice to have rather than a must-have.
• This combined with the obvious safety concerns that arise when transmitting energy through the air, have really slowed it down.
• I continue to think that of all the players. Ossia is the one to watch.
• This is because it now has regulatory approval for its technology in 43 countries and has a partnership with Archos which is a maker of smart devices based in France.
• 4 devices are expected in the market this year which is considerably more than I could dig up from its competitors.
• If these devices prove to be popular this could kick start the market bringing wireless power out from the shadows of obscurity.